Training Plan User Guide
Training Plan User Guide
TrainingPeaks is an online and mobile software platform that helps you prepare for your goals, regardless of whether you're a new cyclist looking for a training plan, an experienced racer working with a coach, or even if you want to plan and analyze your own training.
Please review the below steps to walk you through the basics of your new training plan.
Step 1: How to navigate TrainingPeaks
1. Workout and Plan folders
You can access any stored training plans or workouts from the lefthand navigation bar.
2. View Selection
You can change your screen view from the top navigation bar by toggling through the options of Home, Calendar, Dashboard, and ATP.
3. Account Settings
You can edit your account profile, settings, and training zones from here.
The two areas you'll spend the most time in are the Calendar and the Dashboard, each pictured below.
Calendar
Dashboard
Step 2: How to review your new training plan
1. Select Calendar as your view
This will allow you to view the training plan in calendar view. You can scroll through the plan (up or down) using your mouse wheel or the scroll bar located on the far right of the screen.
2. Notes: Plan information
In your training plan, we have added Notes to help guide you through the system and give special tips. Notes tiles feature the note icon and a dark top bar.
3. Workouts: Viewing Summaries
Your training plan calendar view allows you to see a workout summary tile featuring the title, workout description, and structured workout view.
4. Weekly Summary: Your week
You can view your weekly summary totals at the right hand side of each week. This summary total will show both planned and actual information.
Step 3: Selecting workouts for viewing
1. Select a workout to view
Select the workout you wish to view by clicking on the workout tile.
2. Workout description interface
The selection of a workout will open the workout viewer, where you can see the description and more details.
Step 4: How to read your workouts
Each workout contains several phases: a warmup, at least one main set (MS), and a cooldown. You’ll be guided through each phase with its description, duration, target (power, heart rate, or perceived exertion), and, where appropriate, terrain. It's a great idea to get familiar with the workout layout before you start training.
What are all those terms and abbreviations? Check out the TrainingPeaks glossary here and click here for our own abbreviations.
Step 5: Testing your thresholds
Your workouts are based on your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) if you train with power data or your Threshold Heart Rate (tHR) if you train with heart rate data. Your threshold is typically established with a standard max-effort test workout with a 20-minute testing protocol.
Please note: Testing should never be completed in ERG mode. If you are testing on Zwift, we highly recommend completing the Zwift FTP test.
Once your testing is completed, you will need to enter your new functional threshold Power (FTP) and/or heart rate threshold (tHR) into your TrainingPeaks account. To do this, you'll first need to interpret the results of your test.
Power Test Results
Your FTP is estimated as 95% of your peak 20-minute power output for the test (you can find the peak 20-minute power number in the “Power” screen of your workout). For example, if your 20-minute peak power for the test workout is 200 watts, 95% of 200 watts is 190 watts, so your new FTP is 190 watts.
Heart Rate Test Results
Your tHR is estimated as your average heart rate for the last 15 minutes of the 20-minute test effort. For example, if your average heart rate for the last 15 minutes of the test is 152 bpm, your tHR is 152 bpm.
Step 6: Setting your thresholds
1. Open account info
Click on your name/image to access the dropdown menu.
2. Select settings to open the account settings
Click on Settings to open the account settings interface.
3. Select Zones
On the left side of the interface, select ZONES to access the zone panel.
4. Select your zone format
Select power or heart rate zones (you should complete both).
5. Edit your threshold/FTP
Enter your testing results number. Remember, we use 95% of your peak 20-minute power from your test. Heart rate users should enter your average heart rate for the last 15 minutes of your 20-minute test.
6. Select threshold power or heart rate format
The BaseCamp zone system uses threshold power and threshold heart rate as the basis for workout targets.
7. Select the Coggan Zone system
The BaseCamp training plans are built to use the Coggan Zones system.
8. Calculate
Calculate your new numbers.
9. Save
Save your new zones. Your new zone targets will be automatically populated throughout your TrainingPeaks account, but you must manually update them in Zwift.
