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Training in Zwift with TrainerRoad: FAQ

Workout Availability and Access What workouts will appear in Zwift? If you are following a plan your indoor TrainerRoad workouts scheduled for today will automatically appear in Zwift. If you aren't following a plan, a recommended workout of the day will automatically appear in Zwift when you open up the app. Where do I find my workouts in Zwift? Today's workout appears in the "For You" section of the Zwift app. What if my workout doesn't appear in Zwift? First check that it is scheduled within the next two days. Any changes in TrainerRoad may take a few minutes to appear in Zwift. What happens to removed calendar workouts? Workouts removed from your TrainerRoad calendar will disappear from Zwift within about a day of their originally scheduled date. Will planned runs sync over to Zwift? No, only planned indoor cycling workouts will sync to Zwift. FTP and Power Settings Will my TrainerRoad FTP sync to Zwift? No. While workout targets are based on your TrainerRoad FTP, you'll need to manually update your FTP in Zwift to match. This only affects the color-coding of workout blocks in Zwift. Will my Zwift ride count for AI FTP Detection? Yes, TrainerRoad workouts completed in Zwift count toward both your initial 10 required workouts and ongoing AI FTP Detection. Does the sync affect my Progression Levels? Yes, workouts completed in Zwift will update your TrainerRoad Progression Levels just like regular TrainerRoad workouts. Training in Zwift Can I still do ERG mode workouts in Zwift? Yes, though ERG behavior may feel slightly different than in TrainerRoad. Power targets are rounded to the nearest watt rather than the nearest 5 watts. How does drafting affect ERG mode workouts? You may notice small power fluctuations from drafting effects. This is normal Zwift behavior and won't significantly impact your training. Why does power ramp up slower in Zwift compared to TrainerRoad? Zwift's power transitions are more gradual than TrainerRoad's. This is normal and won't significantly impact your workout quality. Can I use ERG mode with route resistance? No, Zwift's structured workout mode disables terrain resistance. For endurance rides wanting terrain feedback, consider using Zwift's pace partners instead. Can I control ERG mode through the Companion app? Yes, you can toggle ERG mode on and off and adjust intensity using the Zwift Companion app during workouts. What if I lose connection during a workout? If you experience a dropout, try adjusting the intensity +/- and then returning to 100% to reestablish ERG mode. What if I need to pause during a workout? You can pause your workout in Zwift! You can do this through the app as well as the companion app. Can I extend workout segments in Zwift? You won't be able to extend your warmup and cool down like you do in TR, but you can free-ride before starting the workout for additional warm-up and continue riding after for a longer cooldown. Can I adjust the warmup/cooldown intensity? Yes! Zwift limits intensity adjustments to 125% of the target power, though. For higher intensities, you can exit ERG mode and ride in incline mode. What if I want to continue riding after my workout? You can keep riding after completing the structured portion. The entire activity will sync back to TrainerRoad as one ride. Post-Workout and Syncing When will my Zwift ride appear in TrainerRoad? Rides typically sync within a few minutes. You may need to refresh the TrainerRoad app to see the completed workout. How do surveys work with Zwift? You'll receive a survey prompt in Zwift right after completing your workout. You can also complete the survey through the TrainerRoad app. What appears in Strava after a Zwift workout? The activity will appear as "Zwift - TrainerRoad: [workout] in [world]". You can edit this title in Strava without affecting the TrainerRoad sync. Will my workout visualization look different in TrainerRoad? Yes, completed Zwift workouts show the map and elevation data rather than TrainerRoad's traditional workout profile. How do I see my workout details in TrainerRoad after completing it in Zwift? From the calendar, click the workout name in the Source Workout box to view the original workout description and details. What appears in my TrainerRoad calendar? Initially, you may see both the Zwift activity and TrainerRoad workout. These will merge automatically, though it may take a few moments after completing the post-workout survey. How do I know if a workout synced successfully? The workout will appear in your TrainerRoad calendar with "Zwift" noted as the source. A survey prompt will appear once sync is complete. Additional Features How do I access the TrainerRoad kit in Zwift? The kit becomes available in your garage once you connect your TrainerRoad account. Check out the steps in this article here for more info on your Zwift kit: Does TrainerRoad have a Club in Zwift? Yes! We will hold regular group rides and community events and would love for you to join. You can do that here: TrainerRoad Zwift Club Can I use Zwift's route badges during workouts? Yes, you can select any route while completing your TrainerRoad workout to earn route badges and XP. Will workout instructions appear in Zwift? Yes, for workouts that include instructions in TrainerRoad. You can check if a workout has instructions on its detail page or disable them entirely through TrainerRoad app settings. Do I need both apps open during workouts? No, you only need Zwift running to complete your workout. TrainerRoad doesn't need to be open. Do I need to download TrainerRoad to complete workouts in Zwift? Nope. You don’t need the TrainerRoad app to complete workouts in Zwift. If you want to make adjustments to your TrainerRoad training plan, build a new plan, or adjust your TrainerRoad settings you can do all of these things from the website. Will outside workouts sync to Zwift? No, only indoor versions of workouts will sync to Zwift. Will group rides and other calendar items sync to Zwift? No, only structured TrainerRoad workouts will appear in Zwift.

Activity Sync • Last updated on Jun 04, 2026

How to use AI Training Simulation

The AI Training Simulation lets you see how adjustments to your training work in real time. Whether you need to change the duration of an upcoming session, swap out a workout, or add a long weekend ride to your schedule, this feature will give you a clear view of how changes made to your plan impact your training. What Is the AI Training Simulation? The AI Training Simulation is a four week view into your training. It shows how every change you make, whether it’s a completed workout, a skipped day, an added long ride, or a rest day influences your upcoming workouts, predicted fatigue, and even your FTP. You’ll see this window highlighted on your TrainerRoad calendar, updating live as TrainerRoad AI recalculates your training plan with each change that you make. Screenshot 2026-01-21 at 8.38.54 AM.png How to use the AI Training Simulation Inside the AI Training Simulation Window, you’ll notice dynamic, real-time updates that reflect how TrainerRoad AI is managing your training. Every completed workout, added ride, or calendar adjustment can change how the next four weeks unfold. 1. Plan Your Training When you add a training plan to your Calendar with Plan Builder or add TrainerRoad workouts to your Calendar TrainerRoad AI will make changes to your planned workouts using your current fitness, fatigue, and training goals. This selection updates instantly when changes happen. This includes completing a ride, adding upcoming outside rides, missing workouts, or making any sort of changes to your schedule. You’ll see workouts automatically update across the Simulation Window. 2. Monitor Rest and Recovery TrainerRoad AI continually monitors your training load and recovery needs to prevent unproductive fatigue. TrainerRoad AI uses yellow and red highlights on your Calendar to indicate where you might need to back off or take extra rest. - Avoid Intensity days indicate mild overreaching. You may see an easier workout assigned on a day with a yellow highlight to allow for recovery. - Recommended rest days suggest higher levels of fatigue. On these days scheduled workouts may be swapped out for full rest days. - Screenshot 2026-01-21 at 8.46.49 AM.png 3. Track Changes to Your FTP If your next AI FTP Detection falls within the four week Simulation Window, you’ll see a projected FTP value based on your current trajectory. This forecast helps you understand how your training affects your FTP. It’s especially useful for gauging whether your recent efforts and upcoming plan are aligned with your goals. Screen Shot 2025-12-30 at 4.37.19 PM.png 4. Know Your Upcoming Workouts Difficulty Each workout includes a predicted difficulty rating based on how TrainerRoad AI expects it to feel. This rating is based on workout design as well as your recent training and performance. Ratings include: Easy, Moderate, Hard, Very Hard, Maximal Effort and Fail. When you open up any given workout in TrainerRoad you will see each rating with how likely that workout will feel for you in each given difficulty zone. Screenshot 2026-01-21 at 8.41.52 AM.png Knowing your workouts predicted difficulty can help with pacing, nutrition planning, and managing expectations before key workouts. Frequently Asked Questions How do I know if I’m in the AI Training Simulation? The AI Training Simulation Window is always visible on your calendar as a highlighted 28-day block starting from today. Any workouts inside this window are actively managed and updated by TrainerRoad AI as your training evolves. What happens when I skip or change a workout? TrainerRoad AI instantly recalculates your plan. You’ll see upcoming workouts update one by one to reflect your new fatigue level, fitness adaptations, or recovery needs. This includes changes to intensity, duration, and workout type. What are the yellow and red highlights on the Calendar? These are recommended rest days and avoid intensity days. - Avoid Intensity = mild fatigue. TrainerRoad will put a yellow highlight on an avoid intensity day and may adjust upcoming workouts to be easier. - Recommended rest day = higher fatigue. You may see recommended rest days appear on days where red appears in your Calendar. Why is my predicted FTP changing? If you’re scheduled for an AI FTP Detection within the Simulation Window, TrainerRoad AI will show a forecast of what your FTP is expected to be by that date. You might see changes after completing or skipping workouts as well as making any changes to your upcoming schedule. Do I need to take any action on these updates? Nope. TrainerRoad AI handles everything behind the scenes. But if you want more control, you can always modify, replace, or restore workouts and the AI will adapt accordingly.

TrainerRoad AI • Last updated on Jan 21, 2026

What are Masters Triathlon Plans?

Masters Triathlon plans are alternate versions of the TrainerRoad triathlon plans. These plans are designed to prioritize recovery with a 2:1 ratio of load and recovery weeks. With a Masters Triathlon plan, you’ll get a recovery week every third week, as opposed to every fourth week in a non-Masters plan. How Do Masters Triathlon Plans Work? Masters Triathlon Plans are based on their standard non-Masters Triathlon Plan equivalents. Specifically, Masters Triathlon Plans include the same distribution of workouts each week as the non-Masters Triathlon plans but encompass more frequent rest with a recovery week every third week. This distribution of rest allows your plan to preserve key workouts across all 3 sports, while still facilitating extra recovery throughout the training plan itself. Adding more frequent recovery weeks ensures an ideal distribution of workouts from week to week while affording plenty of extra rest for anyone who needs it. Who are the Masters Triathlon Plans For? When combined with Adaptive Training, Masters Triathlon Plans can provide an optimal training experience for anyone in need of some additional recuperation from their training. While Masters training is typically associated with older athletes, the Masters Triathlon plans are designed for anyone who might need extra time to recover. This plan will be automatically recommended to you if you are older than 50, but we also think that if you have a high-stress job, are a new parent, shift worker, or someone dealing with an irregular sleep routine you might benefit from these plans. How Can I Get a Masters Triathlon Plan? Masters Plans are available for all triathlon Base Build, and Specialty plans. This includes Sprint, Olympic, Half, and Full distance categories. When a Masters plan becomes available for your current Triathlon plan, you will automatically be prompted with a modal to adjust your plan. Alternatively, you can manually add a Masters Triathlon plan to your Calendar via Plan Builder, the TrainerRoad training plan library, or by choosing to switch future phases of your triathlon plan to a Masters version. Adding a Masters Triathlon Plan Through the Masters Triathlon Plan Modal If you are already on a custom Triathlon plan with a Masters equivalent, a Masters plan announcement modal will automatically pop-up once a Masters version is available for your current training plan. If you are following a custom-built plan this modal will include a button giving you the option to switch your current plan to the Masters equivalent. Masters Tri Modal 1.png Screenshot 2023-12-19 at 12.20.04 PM.png This pop-up will only appear once you reach the first week of a new training phase. If you'd like to adjust your training plan sooner, you can follow the directions below to build a new plan with Plan Builder, or manually adjust your current plan by swapping out a training phase, deleting time off, or adding in a new event. In most cases, though, we recommend waiting until you've finished your current training phase before making any adjustments, as this will help avoid disruptions to the plan itself. Mobile Apps How to get a Masters Triathlon Plan through Plan Builder Step 1: Make sure you are on the latest version of the TrainerRoad mobile app. Step 2: Select the Training Plans tab from the left-hand navigation menu. Step 3: Choose Plan Builder. Step 4: Follow Plan Builder's steps until you reach the Schedule step. Step 5: If a Masters version is available a Masters toggle switch will appear on the Schedule step. Toggle this on to build out your triathlon plan with Masters phases. IMG_784958E52A49-1.jpeg Step 6: Finish building your plan. How to get an Individual Masters Triathlon Plan through the TrainerRoad Plan Library Step 1: Make sure you are on the latest version of the TrainerRoad mobile app. Step 2: Select the Training Plans tab from the left-hand navigation menu. Step 3: In the Individual Training Phases section there are Masters options of each triathlon discipline for Base, Build and Specialty phases (below the standard training phases). Simply, choose the Masters triathlon phase type and volume you would like. IMG_EE57803D4BD5-1.jpeg IMG_43E4E9EAC03D-1.jpeg Step 4: Add to your Calendar. How to Change Your Current Triathlon Plan to a Masters Plan Step 1: Make sure you are on the latest version of the TrainerRoad mobile app. Step 2: Select the Calendar tab from the left-hand navigation menu. Step 3: Select the title of your training plan in the upper left corner IMG_3283.PNG Step 4: Select pencil shaped "edit" icon in the lower left corner. IMG_3284.PNG Step 5: Select the Masters toggle and hit 'Update' IMG_3285.PNG Important Notes: Your current training phase will remain unchanged. Only your future training phases will be adjusted to a Masters version. This will also reset any volume changes you’ve made to individual phases in your plan. Desktop Apps How to get a Masters Triathlon Plan through Plan Builder Step 1: Make sure you are on the latest version of the TrainerRoad desktop app. Step 2: Select the Training Plans tab from the left-hand navigation menu. Step 3: Choose Plan Builder. Step 4: Follow Plan Builder's steps until you reach the Schedule step. Step 5: If a Masters version is available a Masters toggle switch will appear on the Schedule step. Toggle this on to build out your triathlon plan with Masters phases. Screenshot 2024-02-13 at 3.08.10 PM.png Step 6: Finish building your plan. How to get an Individual Masters Triathlon Plan through the TrainerRoad Plan Library Step 1: Make sure you are on the latest version of the TrainerRoad desktop app. Step 2: Select the Training Plans tab from the left-hand navigation menu. Step 3: In the Individual Training Phases section, there will be Masters options of each triathlon discipline for Base, Build and Specialty phases. Simply choose the Masters Triathlon phase and volume that you would like to add. Screenshot 2024-02-13 at 3.01.52 PM.png Screenshot 2024-02-13 at 3.05.28 PM.png Step 4: Select 'Add to your Calendar' How to Change Your Current Triathlon Plan Step 1: Make sure you are on the latest version of the TrainerRoad desktop app. Step 2: Select the Calendar tab from the left-hand navigation menu. Step 3: Select the title of your training plan in the upper left corner Screenshot 2024-02-13 at 2.57.37 PM.png Step 4: Select the pencil shaped "edit" icon in the lower left corner, then select the Masters toggle Screenshot 2024-02-13 at 2.58.24 PM.png Step 5: Hit 'Update' Important Notes: Your current training phase will remain unchanged. Only future training phases will be updated to a Masters version. This will also reset any volume changes you’ve made to individual phases in your plan. Web How to get a Masters Triathlon Plan through Plan Builder Step 1: Make sure you are logged in to www.trainerroad.com. Step 2: Select the Training Plans tab from the left-hand navigation menu. Step 3: Choose Plan Builder. Step 4: Follow Plan Builder's steps until you reach the Schedule step. Step 5: If a Masters version is available a Masters toggle switch will appear on the Schedule step. Toggle this on to build your triathlon plan with Masters phases. PB Masters Toggle.png Step 6: Finish building your plan. How to get an Individual Masters Triathlon Plan through the TrainerRoad Plan Library Step 1: Make sure you are logged in to www.trainerroad.com. Step 2: Select the Training Plans tab from the left-hand navigation menu. Step 3: In the Individual Training Phases section there will be Masters options of each triathlon discipline for Base, Build and Specialty phases. Simply choose the Masters triathlon phase and volume you would like to add to your Calendar. Screenshot 2024-02-13 at 3.10.56 PM.png Screenshot 2024-02-13 at 3.12.42 PM.png Step 4: Select 'Add to your Calendar' How to Change Your Current Triathlon Plan to a Masters Plan Step 1: Make sure you are logged in to www.trainerroad.com. Step 2: Select the Calendar tab from the left-hand navigation menu. Step 3: Scroll to the Calendar annotation containing the name of your Triathlon training plan. Screenshot 2024-02-13 at 3.16.44 PM.png Step 4: Select the Masters toggle. Screenshot 2024-02-13 at 3.17.21 PM.png Step 5: Hit 'Update' Important Notes: Your current training phase will remain unchanged. Only future training phases will be updated to a Masters version. This will also reset any volume changes you’ve made to individual phases in your plan. FAQ Why did TrainerRoad create Masters Triathlon Plans? Masters plans have been a long-standing request from our athletes. Our initial release of Masters cycling plans was warmly received, but did not include triathlon plans. This release adds Masters plans for multisport athletes. We believe that Masters Triathlon plans, especially when combined with Adaptive Training, can offer a highly effective training experience for our athletes by prioritizing recovery and encouraging sustainable progress and consistency. I changed to a Masters Triathlon Plan and now I have two recovery weeks in a row. Why? Plan updates are automatically applied following a recovery week, before the start of a new training phase. This is done to avoid losing recovery weeks overall when the plan's structure is modified. Although rare a double rest week may occur when these changes are implemented. If you have any concerns about changes to your training plan, please reach out to [email protected]. How will I know if my Triathlon plan is a Masters Plan? Masters plans can be recognized in your TrainerRoad Calendar by the addition of “Masters” to the plan name. For example, a Mid Volume, Olympic Distance Masters Base plan will display as "Masters Olympic Triathlon Base- Mid Volume". Screenshot 2024-02-13 at 3.25.12 PM.png Can I convert individual Triathlon training phases to Masters versions? Unfortunately, you cannot convert individual Masters phases to Triathlon phases. This is because of the way that the load and recovery weeks in Masters triathlon plans are distributed versus how they are distributed in Non-Masters Triathlon plans. Important Note: when changing to a Masters triathlon plan, all individual phase changes will be reset. Once your plan is set to a Masters version, though, you will then be free to reapply any desired changes to training phase volume or workout schedules. If Masters phases can't be individually swapped, what phases are available via the swap dropdown menus? All Triathlon phase lengths are now standardized. This means that athletes with Masters Triathlon phases will be able to swap between different triathlon discipline types (Sprint, Olympic, Half Distance and Full Distance) for their current Masters training phase. Screenshot 2024-02-13 at 3.19.44 PM.png For example, you can swap a Masters Sprint Build phase for a Masters Olympic Build phase. Why don't Masters Cycling Plans have a 2:1 Load and Recovery schedule? There are many approaches to Masters Training. We’re confident in both approaches we’ve implemented in our Masters plans and feel that each works well for the specific discipline targeted. Like all TrainerRoad features, though, we will continually refine and improve these plans to ensure that training is optimized based on current science. Why can't I change my plan to a Masters Plan? If you aren't able to swap your training plan to a Masters plan or add a Masters plan to your Calendar you might be trying to add a phase or plan that doesn't have a Masters alternative. Master plans are not currently available for Maintenance plans, Time Crunch plans, Polarized plans, or Traditional Base plans.

Choosing Your Training Plan • Last updated on Aug 20, 2026

Pushing an Outside Workout to the Apple Watch

- Authorize Apple to Pull From TrainerRoad - Syncing A Completed Cycling Workout Back to TrainerRoad - Scheduling a Workout - Starting a Workout - Mirroring Apple Watch to Phone - FAQs You can now have scheduled TrainerRoad Outside Workouts pushed to your Apple Watch! Like our Outside Workouts for Garmin and Wahoo head units, this new feature will allow you to complete your scheduled TrainerRoad Outside Workout, using your Apple Watch device. Once pushed to your Apple Watch, your workout will guide you through the intervals of your session, showing you the specific power targets and interval times that TrainerRoad AI has prescribed. All you have to do is pedal! Authorize Apple to Pull From TrainerRoad To enable TrainerRoad Outside Workouts for your Apple Watch device, you will need to connect your TrainerRoad account to both your Apple Watch and Apple Health app. This can be done most easily from the start-up screen of your TrainerRoad app. After updating to iOS 17 and to the latest TrainerRoad app version, you'll receive a notification to get set up. RPReplay_Final1695318445.gif Just hit Set Up to get the process started. IMG_4911.png Note: If you did not receive this notification, head to your Account section on the iOS app, scroll down, and select "Connect to Apple Watch." From here, you will want to select Tap to Set Up listed under both "Push to Apple Watch" and "Sync with Health". IMG_4914.png Click the following link if you are encountering issues: Apple Health Troubleshooting Syncing A Completed Cycling Workout Back to TrainerRoad As long as you have Apple Health connected to your TrainerRoad account, your completed Outside TrainerRoad workout will sync back into your Career automatically. At this time, though, unstructured outside rides will not push from Apple Health back into TrainerRoad. For more details on linking your TrainerRoad and Apple Health accounts, check out the following article: Connecting TrainerRoad with Apple Health Scheduling a Workout You can schedule an Outside Workout to be completed on your Apple Watch using any TrainerRoad platform. This includes our desktop apps (Mac and Windows), our mobile iOS and Android apps, and through our website. It should be noted though, that an Apple Watch icon will only display for pushed TR Outside Workouts in TrainerRoad's iOS apps. TrainerRoad Outside Workouts that are part of your plan or scheduled within 7 days will automatically be pushed to your Apple Watch. - You will just want to be sure to open your iOS app on the day of your workout. You can also push a TrainNow workout or a session from TrainerRoad's workout library manually using the process below: 1. Select the workout that you would like to complete, either from TrainNow or a specific workout from our workout library. 2. Next, make sure that the session is marked as an Outside Workout. Inside Workouts cannot be pushed to Apple Watch devices 3. Once the workout has been added to your Calendar, it will automatically push to your Apple Watch, just like a planned workout. - TrainerRoad Outside Workouts that you don't have planned can also be pushed to the Apple Watch "moment of" via the Push to Apple Watch button. IMG_4917.png Workouts that have been successfully pushed to your Apple Watch will display a small watch icon in iOS TR apps, indicating a successful sync. IMG_4916.png In order to have your workout actually push from TrainerRoad to your Apple Watch, you will need to open your TrainerRoad app on an iOS device, either your iPhone or iPad. - Workouts will not sync in the background as they do for Wahoo and Garmin head units. Starting a Workout To start a TrainerRoad Outside Workout on your Apple Watch you will first want to connect your training devices (power meter, heart rate monitor, etc) via Bluetooth. - This needs to be done within the Settings App of your Apple Watch. Just click on Bluetooth and connect any of the devices that you wish to train with during your workout. Screenshot 2023-09-14 at 7.59.10 PM.png Once you have connected your training devices, go ahead and open the Fitness App on your Apple Watch Screenshot 2023-09-14 at 7.59.59 PM.png Then click on your scheduled TrainerRoad Outside Workout You will then be presented with the workout details for your upcoming session. Once you are ready to start pedaling, go ahead and click Start Workout Screenshot 2023-09-14 at 8.00.40 PM.png Your Apple Watch will then display the target metrics for each portion of your workout, guiding you through your session just like your Indoor TrainerRoad Workouts. Screenshot 2023-09-14 at 8.00.55 PM.png Mirroring Apple Watch to Phone We understand that completing an Outside Workout using your Apple Watch might be challenging. Our suggestion, for both safety and efficiency, is to mirror your Apple Watch screen to a separate iOS device, which can be mounted on your handlebars for easy viewing. Here are the steps to do so: 1. On your paired iPhone, go ahead and navigate to your Settings, then Accessibility. 2. Next, tap Apple Watch Mirroring. 3. Toggle Apple Watch Mirroring "On". 4. Wait for your iOS device to connect. 5. Once connected, you will be able to see all of your workout data on your larger iOS screen, and you can now control your Apple Watch from your iPhone. Screenshot 2023-09-14 at 8.01.14 PM.png - When mirroring from your Apple Watch to a separate iOS device, you may experience a slight lag in timing. Rest assured, all of your data is still being recorded as normal through the Apple Watch itself. FAQs What Types of Workouts will Sync to my Apple Watch? Only scheduled Outside TrainerRoad Workouts can sync to your Apple Watch device. Custom workouts pushed from TrainingPeaks, or made in Workout Creator as well as Indoor TrainerRoad Workouts will not. Can you Customize Data Fields? Yes, you can customize the data fields that are shown during your workout. This, however, can only be done from your Apple Watch. Changes cannot be made through your iOS device (iPhone or iPad). This can be done within your Apple Watch Workout app: Personalize your Apple Watch Workout Views How many days in advance will my Workouts Sync? As long as your workouts are marked as Outside Workouts in your TrainerRoad Calender, any workout scheduled within 7 days of the current day will be pushed to your Apple Watch for completion. What Do I Do If My Workouts Aren’t Syncing? If your TrainerRoad Outside Workouts are not showing up on your Apple Watch device, the first thing to check is that you have your TrainerRoad account connected to Apple Health, and have granted all of the following Apple Health permissions. IMG_9421601DFE88-1.jpeg Which Models of Apple Watch and iPhone Are Required? This feature is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 4 or newer as well as iPhone 11 or newer.

Activity Sync • Last updated on Jul 21, 2026

Plan Builder FAQs

If you don't see the answer to your Plan Builder question down below, please reach out to [email protected] for more information on Plan Builder. General What is Plan Builder - Plan Builder creates a custom training plan that brings you to peak fitness for your goal event or discipline. Plan Builder takes into consideration your goals, how much you want to train and when, all of the events on your training calendar, and the demands of your goal event to give you a truly customized training experience. Why Plan Builder? - Plan Builder accounts for all of the unique variations in your training schedule, event schedule and lifestyle that might affect the progression of your training plan. By adjusting your training plan in accordance with your needs your plan will be easier to follow and ultimately more effective. Where Do I Start? - If you don’t have a training plan, you can jump straight into Plan Builder. 1. To start constructing your custom training plan, first, go to your online career. 2. Select the Training Plans tab in the navigation menu on the left-hand side of the screen. 3. Select Build Create My Custom Plan to launch Plan Builder. Screen Shot 2025-01-16 at 11.30.13 AM.png Is Plan Builder available in the TrainerRoad app? - Athletes can build their custom Plan Builder plans via the desktop apps or the TrainerRoad Website. With that said, we recommend building your training plan on the website as the website's version of Plan Builder has added functionality. - To use Plan Builder from within the desktop app, make sure you're on the latest app version, then go to the Training Plans section of the app. How Plan Builder Works How did you come up with the recommended training volume? - The recommended training volume is based on your training approach and the amount of training you have completed in the past few weeks of training. I want to start my training plan in the past. Can I do that? - Yes! If you have already started training you can backdate the plan by selecting the date you started training this season. Why didn’t Plan Builder suggest the Base, Build and Specialty phases in order? - It is very rare that your available training time will perfectly align with the length of a Base, Build, and Specialty Phase training progression, so adjustments need to be made. When these adjustments are needed, Plan Builder uses the latest sports science research and millions of training data points to create the ideal training progression to bring you to peak fitness. Why is Plan Builder suggesting I go back to the Base Phase in the middle of my plan? - In many cases, athletes with less experience doing structured interval training benefit most by spending more time in the Base Phase. Additionally, a mid-season return to base training can allow the body to recover from more strenuous forms of training, and reach new heights by entering a base phase with a higher FTP. Why is Plan Builder suggesting I go to a Specialty Phase in the middle of my plan? - Plan Builder strategically uses different training phases to increase fitness and freshness in order to make you as fast as possible for your goal event. In many cases, the Specialty Phase can be a great opportunity for the body to increase freshness without losing fitness. This is particularly true for athletes with a lot of experience doing interval training and serves as a great mid-season reset point for any rider, especially during long training progression Why is Plan Builder suggesting I do more than one Build Phase? - Athletes that have a moderate level of experience with interval training can benefit from more time spent in the Build Phase to fully reach their potential. Doing too many weeks in a row of Build training can be extremely fatiguing, so Plan Builder will split up excessively long Build Phases with a Base or Specialty Phase. Events What if I don’t have any goal events? - No events, no problem! If you aren't training for an event you can build a goal Based training plan. What if I have multiple priority events? - You can add as many C events and B events as you’d like, but A events (priority events) must be spaced eight weeks apart. Anything less than 8 weeks between goal events won’t allow you enough time to recover and rebuild sufficiently to reach peak fitness once again. - If you have two priority events within 8 weeks of each other, evaluate which event is not as important and make one event an A event and the other event a B event. You will still have rest allocated before the B event but you will only have a taper and a peak for the A event. What if my priority event is a multi-day event? - If you are training for a multi-day event, mark your event as a ‘Stage Race’ when you categorize the discipline of your event My stage race includes multiple disciplines. Which should I choose for "targeted discipline" - Mark the event you’d like to prioritize as the targeted discipline. You’ll taper for the entire stage race, but your Specialty training will be geared towards your targeted discipline. What if I already have events on my Calendar? - If you already have events on your TrainerRoad calendar Plan Builder will accommodate these events. If you’d like to start fresh you can delete the current events on your Calendar and add them when you use Plan Builder. For more information on how to delete events check out this help center article: Editing Your Calendar What if I need to add events later on? - New events can be added at any time. If you would like to add additional events to your TrainerRoad Calendar go ahead and check out this help center article: Add A/B/C Priority Events What if my goal event is more than a year away? - Plan Builder will create a training plan for any event within two years of the day you’ll start training. What do you mean by A, B and C Events? - Categorizing your events as A, B and C events is an easy way to prioritize the importance of your events. For more information on prioritizing events go ahead and check out this help center article: Prioritizing Races (A, B & C Races) Do I need an A Event for Plan Builder? - If you plan on racing, at least one of your events should be an A-priority event. If you aren’t sure which event you would like to make your A event check out this help center article on prioritizing events: Prioritizing Races (A, B & C Races) What if I want to train for a whole series of events instead of just one event? - If you are training for an entire series, we still recommend you make one event within that series an A race, and marking the rest as B races. This will allow Plan Builder to bring you to peak fitness. Plan Builder will build in tapers, rest and openers around the existing events, so your training will be kept on track. I don’t know what sort of event my race is. What should I pick? - If you don’t know what sort of event your race is, select the discipline that is closest to the type of event you plan on racing. I am training for a time trial distance other than 40k. Does Plan Builder work for that? - Yes. When creating the event, enter the event duration and intensity and Plan Builder will take care of the rest. Adjusting Your Custom Plan What if I need to take time off? - When you need to take time off you can edit your Calendar to adjust for time spent off the bike. For detailed instructions on how to edit your training plan check out this help center article: Editing Your Calendar What if I have already started training? - You can use Plan Builder even if you are in the middle of a training plan right now. First, you will want to delete your current training plan from your Calendar. For detailed instructions on how to delete a custom training plan check out this help center article: Delete/Unschedule a TrainerRoad Plan - When you add your custom plan to your TrainerRoad Calendar go ahead and choose the day you started training for your current season. When your custom plan is added to your Calendar, it will include the workouts you have already completed this season. How do I start over, clear my calendar, and create a new Plan Builder plan? - If you already have a training plan added to your TrainerRoad Calendar you will want to delete (or unschedule) this training plan before you build your new custom plan. Note that this will only delete planned workouts - any workouts you have completed will be saved. For detailed instructions on how to delete a custom training plan check out this help center article: Delete/Unschedule a TrainerRoad Plan What happens to my current training rides if I delete/unschedule my current training plan? - When you delete your current training plan to add a custom plan all of your completed workouts will remain on your Calendar. What happens to my A/B/C priority events if I delete my new plan? - If you delete a plan created through Plan Builder, any events that you added to your calendar via that plan will remain on your calendar. If you create a new plan, you can add these events to your plan by clicking the "Include" button in the Existing Events section of Plan Builder. Should I take the Ramp Test before I start Plan Builder? - The Ramp Test will automatically be the first workout in any training phase or plan. If you are just starting a TrainerRoad plan, we definitely recommend starting off with this workout. If you have recently completed a Ramp Test in another training plan you can skip this Ramp Test at your own discretion. I don’t have much time until my goal event. Can Plan Builder create a training plan on a short timeline? - Absolutely! Plan Builder will build a training plan for your goal event, as long as you have at least one week until the event. I want to train on different days than Plan Builder suggests. Can I change that? - Definitely. You can customize the schedule of your training week during the "Schedule" section of creating the plan. Simply drag and drop your training days. Can I decide which days I want to train outside? - Yes! When you create the schedule for your training plan you can mark specific days in your training week as outside rides. You can do this one by one, or adjust this per training block when building your custom plan. After your plan is made, you can change any workout to be an outside or inside workout on the fly. Can I change my training volume halfway through my plan? - You can change the number of days in your training plan at any point after Plan Builder has made your custom training plan. To change the training volume of your plan after it has been built, follow these steps: 1. Go to your online career. 2. Select the Calendar tab in the menu on the left-hand side of the screen. 3. Navigate to your current training block, or the block you are about to start. 4. Select the Block on your Calendar: 5. In the menu that appears on the right select 'Edit Weekly Schedule' 6. Adjust your training schedule in the subsequent steps. Can I make changes to my training plan once I’ve added it to my calendar? - Absolutely, your training plan can always be edited. You can add additional events, swap workouts, edit training weeks and even delete workouts. For detailed instructions on how to edit your Calendar go ahead and check out this article: Editing Your Calendar

Plan Builder • Last updated on Aug 20, 2026

Plan Builder Overview

Plan Builder is a tool that creates custom plans tailored to you and your goals. Plan Builder considers the unique demands of your goals, your available training time, and your recent training history to build a plan specific to you. Screen Shot 2024-09-16 at 1.02.29 PM.png With Plan Builder, training plans exist for just about every cycling discipline and can account for the specific needs of individual athletes. Build your custom plan and get training right away! Note: The most up to date Plan Builder is only available on the TrainerRoad website! We recommend building your custom plan on the TrainerRoad website to gain access to all of Plan Builders new functionality Plan Builder Walk-Through Plan Builder takes you through a series of steps to build you a fully tailored custom training plan. In Plan Builder, you add a start date, set goals and events for your schedule, choose how you would like to approach your training and customize your plan schedule. After Plan Builder builds your plan you’ll have the option to review it before adding your new plan to you Calendar. Customizing your plan is super easy, so let’s jump into it! Step 1: Sync Your Training History If you have any activity history, Plan Builder can use that data to help shape your plan. You can sync your activity history from Garmin Connect or Strava. If you don’t have any training history coming into TrainerRoad, don’t worry. Your plan will adjust as you progress through your workouts. How to Sync All of Your Garmin Connect Activities 1. Log into TrainerRoad to access your Account Profile. 2. Select “Activity Sync” from the menu on the left-hand side of the screen. 3. Click the option to “Connect with Garmin.” 4. Authorize TrainerRoad to access your Garmin Connect account by selecting “Agree & Connect.” 5. In Garmin Connect, authorize TrainerRoad to access your Garmin Connect account and data. If you would like a more detailed walkthrough, check out this article: Garmin Connect How to Sync All of Your Strava Activities 1. Log into TrainerRoad to access your Account Profile. 2. Select "Activity Sync" from the menu on the left-hand side of the screen. 3. Under Strava, click "Connect." 4. Read through how the TrainerRoad-Strava integration works and click "Agree & Connect." 5. Enter your Strava login credentials. 6. Authorize TR to connect with your Strava account. If you would like a more detailed walkthrough, check out this article: Strava Step 2: Choose your Goal and Start Date First you will need to let Plan Builder know if you are training to prepare for a specific event or if you would like a training plan to train for a general fitness goal. Screen Shot 2025-03-27 at 8.03.19 AM.png Once you have done this you will be prompted to choose the start date of your plan. You can start a plan at any time in the future, as long as plans do not have overlapping start/end dates with other plans. Screen Shot 2024-09-12 at 3.56.44 PM.png Step 3: Add Events or Goals Once you have chosen your start date you'll be adding your events or choosing your main goal and discipline! Select the options below for more information on adding events or choosing a goal and discipline. To Prepare for an Event This is where you will add your goal events! These can be cycling events and cycling stage races. Events can be added at these three different priority levels: - A Events are your most important events of the season. Your training plan is designed to have you at your best for these events. As such, you can only have a few A events in a year. These events have a full taper before the event with a recovery week after. A events should ideally be 12 weeks apart in order to be in peak form for both. - B Events can be seasonal objectives in their own right. They allow you to try different race prep and strategies to see what works best for you. B events receive a taper in the week of the event. - C Events are great practice and experience, but the outcome of these races should carry little value. C events will not change your plan. You can treat them like a hard workout. Screen Shot 2024-09-12 at 4.25.21 PM.png If you are unsure what races you are doing or what your final schedule is this upcoming season, no worries. You can always add events to your Calendar after your plan has been built and your plan will automatically adapt around the new additions. With that said we recommend adding at least 1 “A” priority event to your plan, when you build your initial training plan. Unsure of how to prioritize your races? Check out this blog article for more information. General Fitness Goals If you've chosen General Fitness Goals first you will be prompted to choose the length of your plan. You can choose between a 1 month, 2 month, and 3 month plan or opt for another duration! Screen Shot 2024-09-16 at 12.40.43 PM.png Once you have done this you will prompted to choose your plan's main focus by selecting your primary training discipline and your training plans primary goal: Screen Shot 2024-09-12 at 4.01.12 PM.png Step 4: Training Approach In the next step you can decide how aggressive you want your training to be by choosing your Training Approach. When choosing your training approach there are five options; conservative, moderate, balanced, demanding, and aggressive: - Conservative - A conservative approach is for athletes looking for more modest gains while benefiting from a reduced training load. This is a great approach for athletes looking to maintain their fitness or who are returning from injury. - Moderate - A moderate approach is for athletes who want steady progress and constant improvements with a comfortable and manageable training load. This is a solid option for athletes who haven’t trained in a long time or are new to the sport. - Balanced - This approach is called balanced because, for most athletes, this is the best approach to progress fitness while receiving enough recovery to remain consistent and prevent long-term fatigue. - Demanding - This is an approach for athletes who are prepared for a demanding plan and who understand their recovery needs to make progress. - Aggressive - This is an approach for athletes who want to push the boundaries of their current limits. Athletes will need to have a solid understanding of their nutrition, hydration, rest, and recovery needs for this training approach. Screen Shot 2024-09-12 at 4.29.51 PM.png Be sure to read the descriptions of each option on the slider. When in doubt we recommend opting for a more balanced approach! Once you've generated your schedule you'll be able to view your training plan! Step 5: Schedule Screen Shot 2024-09-12 at 4.39.48 PM.png Here in the schedule step, Plan Builder will automatically recommend a training schedule based on your training approach and imported training data. You will see an outline of what a general training week will look like. You can customize your schedule in the training week outline in these five ways: Dragging and dropping workouts: You can drag and drop workouts in the weekly schedule to the days of the week that you would prefer to complete them! workout move test.png Note: If you drag two workouts so they are close together you may receive a warning. Be sure to give yourself enough recovery between workouts! Changing the duration: You can change the duration of your planned workouts using the time drop down for each workout. Screen Shot 2024-09-12 at 4.44.24 PM.png Changing the workout type: You can change your indoor structured workouts to TrainerRoad Outside Workouts, Group Rides or Solo Rides, and Zwift Race from the drop-down menu. Screenshot 2025-06-09 at 10.32.31 AM.png Screenshot 2025-06-09 at 10.33.11 AM.png Adjusting amount of workouts per week: To adjust the amount of workouts per week or the number of intense workouts per week go ahead and click on the settings icon located in the top right hand corner of the weekly schedule. Screen Shot 2024-09-12 at 4.40.21 PM.png From here you can adjust how many days per week you want to train and how many intense workouts you want per week. Screen Shot 2024-09-12 at 5.12.32 PM.png Keep in mind, if you choose to do more days of training you may receive a warning that your plan has too much training load. You can restore the plan to the original settings to get you back on track by selecting Restore Schedule. Screen Shot 2024-09-12 at 5.01.59 PM.png If you'd like to tinker you can also reduce the duration of workouts, or change how many intense days you have per week to get your desired training schedule. Restoring your Original Schedule If at any point you'd like to restore your plan back to the initial recommendation go ahead and select the Restore option located to the right of the settings button and then hit Restore Schedule: Screen Shot 2024-09-12 at 4.55.29 PM.png Screen Shot 2024-09-12 at 4.58.40 PM.png Step 6: Name your plan and Review! Finally you can go ahead and give your training plan a name, and take the plan to review! Screen Shot 2024-09-12 at 5.04.53 PM.png You will see a breakdown of your custom training plan with details of your schedule and an overview of your plan phases and when they start, before you add the plan to your Calendar Screen Shot 2024-09-12 at 5.06.36 PM.png Your plan will be composed of these three different phases: - Base Training Phase is where it all begins. It's the foundation of cycling and triathlon success, developing resilient aerobic fitness and laying the groundwork for higher-intensity, discipline-specific training later on. The importance of base training can't be overstated. - Build Training Phase builds discipline-specific fitness on your aerobic foundation, pushing you out of your comfort zone to increase your sustainable workload and make you faster. - Specialty Training Phase Focuses your training on the specific demands of your goals and/or events. This is a demanding discipline-specific final block of training. FAQ What if I already have events on my calendar? Plan Builder will detect events already on your calendar, and ask you to "Include" them once you reach the “Events” step of the process. What if I need to add events later? No problem! When new events are added after a custom plan has been added to the calendar, we’ll ask you if you would like those events to be accounted for in your plan and edit the plan to better fit that event. What if I need to take time off? You can add time at any point in your TrainerRoad Calendar once your plan is built. Learn how here: How to Add Time Off to My TrainerRoad Calendar What if I’ve already started training? Go ahead and choose a start date when you actually started training, even though it's in the past. This will make the plan automatically start where you were in your training! Why does my plan go Base/Build/Base? In your plan, when you have extra time before your goal event, alternating between Base and Build phases ensures your body stays responsive and well-prepared for your target event. Utilizing the Base phase after building fitness allows you to reduce fatigue, prevent plateaus, and enter your Specialty phase with the energy needed to maximize your event-specific gains. TrainerRoad Base training is not the same as Traditional Base training. So when TrainerRoad Base training is used after a Build phase, it does not revert the plan to significantly easier Z1/Z2 training. Instead, it strategically shifts your training to maintain progression while giving your body the necessary preparation for the final push into the Specialty phase. Note: If your plan is long enough, alternating between Base and Build serves the same preparatory function mentioned above. I got a different volume than what I’ve been doing, why is that? Your recommendation is customized for you based on your current capabilities as an athlete, your goal, and your Training Approach. If you are seeing a different volume than what you have been doing you might’ve been doing too much volume before, or not enough. Why did my long Endurance ride change to a Solo Ride? We recommend doing particularly long Sunday Endurance rides outside. You’ll notice that your training plan’s Solo Ride still has wattage/RPE targets and instructions on how to ride so that you can maintain the same goals as your scheduled workout. How do you know which training plan and schedule is best for me? We do a deep analysis of all of your data to intelligently recommend how much volume, intensity, and recovery you need. Where are Masters plans? Masters plans are training plans with one less day of intensity per week. You can adjust how many intense days per week your training schedule has. To do this open the Settings panel to change between 2- and 3-days of intensity per week. Masters should use 2-intense workout plans. Can I adjust the total amount of workouts per week? You can adjust how many workouts per week your training schedule has. To do this open the Settings panel to change between 2-6 workouts per week. We highly suggest using our customized training schedule recommendation, though. How can I make a plan for maintaining fitness? When you start building a plan, you will be asked if you want to build a plan for an event or fitness goals. If you would like to build a plan to maintain fitness, select fitness goals, then select your discipline and choose “Maintaining Fitness” as your goal. This will build a plan focused on maintaining your specific level of fitness. Can I make workouts too long or too short? If you edit your plan in a way that would be detrimental to your fitness goals, or ability to complete the plan, you’ll see a Warning banner on the page. This means your plan schedule is not recommended. Changing workout durations to be shorter than the initial recommendation, isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but you may be able to handle more than you think! I'm not trying to win races, but I do want to get into better shape. Is there a plan for that? Yes! Plan Builder can build plans structured around your primary discipline and goals. How does the PBv2 work for athletes who don’t have a target event? Plan Builder can build plans structured around your primary discipline and goals. How do I balance my strength training and other activities with my TrainerRoad Plan? Does Plan Builder consider strength training or cross-training? If you don’t have Activity Sync set up with TrainerRoad, we recommend getting that set up so that all of your training, strength training included, is imported to TrainerRoad. If you do anything that would lead to long-term burnout, TrainerRoad AI will adjust your TrainerRoad workouts down or prescribe a Rest Day. Will my current training plan change with the update? You’ll see the option to optimize your current custom plan if you have one added to your Calendar. You can always update your Training Approach and Training Schedule by clicking on the plan name or plan annotation from your Calendar. How can I update my plan if my goals or schedule change? You’ll see the option to optimize your current custom plan if you have one. You can always update your Training Approach and Training Schedule by clicking on the plan name or plan annotation from your Calendar. Where can I use the new Plan Builder? You can use the new Plan Builder on the TrainerRoad website! Can I use Plan Builder if I have limited time to train? Yes! You can even make plans with only 2 workouts per week. You can adjust the duration of any workout to be shorter if you want. Will Plan Builder re-build the plan if I add new events after the plan has started? Yes! Plan Builder will adjust around any event added to your Calendar. Can I still choose specific training phases (Base, Build, Specialty) manually? Yes! You can still add individual training phases to your Calendar. To add individual Training phases to your Calendar select Training Phases at the Training Plans page. I'm training for an event but I don't know the exact dates yet. What should I do? If you aren’t sure what the exact dates of your priority events are you have a couple of options! Add the event to your plan with an approximate date of when it may be. Once you know the date, update the event date on your Calendar and we’ll ask to update your plan to peak your fitness for your event. Build a plan without an event, selecting the event’s discipline and your personal goal. Once you know the date, add the event to your Calendar and we’ll update your plan to peak your fitness for your event. Are Triathlon plans supported? You can build a training plan with Plan Builder! There are some differences in the steps when you build a triathlon plan with Plan Builder instead of a cycling plan. Can I make a Polarized plan with the new Plan Builder? Currently you cannot build a Polarized Plan Builder plan. The good news is that this is something we are hoping to implement in the future.

Plan Builder • Last updated on Jul 21, 2026

Choosing the Right Discipline For Your Events

TrainerRoad builds your plan around your A event's selected discipline or type. This guide is here to help you understand what each discipline trains and how to choose a match for your event. Why Event Type Matters Your event type influences: - Which training phases you get (for example, a plan that emphasizes sustained power vs short, punchy power) - Which training zones and workout profiles are emphasized - What fitness you are most prepared to express on event day No discipline is “better” than any others. Each discipline simply trains your body in a different way to prepare for different event demands. The Simple Way to Choose In many cases, the event’s advertised label is enough: - Criterium → Criterium - Time Trial → Time Trial - Cyclocross → Cyclocross - XCO, XCM, Short Track → the matching MTB discipline - Triathlon Event → the matching triathlon discipline It gets trickier when the event label is broad, like Road Race, Gravel, or Gran Fondo. When that happens, use these four factors to identify the dominant effort type your event will demand: 1. Advertised discipline 2. How long you will ride (duration) 3. Climbing profile (how many climbs, how long, how steep) 4. Your goal (race for results vs ride for a steady finish or target time) A helpful reminder: distance alone is not a reliable guide. The same distance can mean very different effort types depending on terrain, surface, and speed. Duration tells you much more about pacing demands. A quick Decision Guide For More Ambiguous Road & Gravel Events Road races: Rolling Road Race vs Climbing Road Race Start here if your event is a mass start road race and you are unsure which road discipline fits. - Rolling Road Race is usually best when the decisive moments are repeated surges, attacks, and short climbs. Think punchy efforts and frequent changes in pace. - Climbing Road Race is usually best when long, sustained climbs are the defining feature. Think sustained climbing power and longer efforts. Helpful shortcut: - If the key climbs are short and punchy, lean Rolling. - If the key climbs are long and sustained, lean Climbing. If you are not sure, pick the discipline that best matches where you expect the hardest efforts to happen. On some courses, long climbs early do not decide the race, and the event can still be ridden like a Rolling Road Race. Long Road Events: Gran Fondo Gran Fondo is the best fit for events where the dominant demand is steady pacing and endurance. - Typical match: long road events where your goal is to finish strong, ride a steady pace, or hit a target time. - Terrain can be flat or mountainous. For most riders, the pacing challenge is still the main limiter once the duration is long enough. Gravel Events Gravel events can be very different, so the best match depends on duration and how the event is raced. - If your event is primarily a long, steady endurance day where pacing is the priority, Gravel is usually the best fit. - If your event is shorter and raced aggressively with frequent surges, you may also consider Rolling Road Race, Climbing Road Race, or Cross Country Marathon, depending on terrain and surface. Helpful shortcut: - Over about 4 hours: Gravel is usually the best starting point because pacing and endurance are critical for most athletes. - Under about 4 hours: Gravel still works well, but a more race-focused discipline(Rolling/Climbing Road Race) can be a good option if the event is punchy and you are racing for position. Time Trials Time Trial discipline is built around steady, controlled efforts against the clock. - Best fit: most TTs, especially flatter courses or those where pacing is steady and continuous - If your TT is unusually punchy or very climb-heavy, Climbing Road Race can be a reasonable alternative, depending on how the effort actually feels on the day. Hill Climbs There is no dedicated hill climb discipline, so match based on climb duration: - Over about 20 to 30 minutes: Time Trial - About 2 to 30 minutes: Climbing Road Race - Under about 2 minutes: Rolling Road Race or Climbing Road Race (choose based on whether the effort is more punchy or more sustained) If you are doing a season of mixed hill climbs, Climbing Road Race is usually the most well-rounded option. Stage Races Stage races are their own category because day-to-day recovery becomes part of the performance demand. Choose the discipline that matches the stage race type you are doing. If your stage race includes mixed stages, pick the discipline that best represents the dominant demands across the event. Off-Road Event Types in TrainerRoad Off-road events vary significantly. The easiest way to pick the right TrainerRoad event type is to match the discipline to the effort you will repeat most often: short surges, sustained hard laps, or long pacing with hard climbs late. Short Track Cross Country (STXC) Pick STXC if your event is: - About 20 to 30 minutes - Very fast and intense with constant accelerations This plan builds repeatable high-intensity efforts and quick recovery between surges. Cross Country Olympic (XCO) Pick XCO if your event is: - About 60 to 100 minutes - Lap-based with repeated climbs and technical features This plan builds the ability to repeat hard efforts near and above threshold across a full race-length effort. Cross Country Marathon (XCM) Pick XCM if your event is: - About 3 to 8 hours - Off-road with meaningful climbing and repeated hard sections This plan builds long endurance and fatigue resistance, while still preparing you for surges and hard climbs late in the race. Cyclocross (CX) Pick Cyclocross if your event is: - About 45 to 70 minutes - Constantly changing pace with repeated bursts, corners, and short run-ups This plan builds repeatable high-intensity efforts and recovery for one-hour racing. Off-Road Triathlon Many off-road tri formats align closely with Olympic distance demands on the bike, even if the bike leg is shorter, because the terrain is more demanding. - Best starting point: Off-Road Triathlon - Only choose Sprint, Half, or Full if the event distances truly match those formats Quick Tie-Breakers - XCO vs XCM: around an hour and very intense, choose XCO. Multi-hour pacing with hard climbs late, choose XCM. - XCM vs Gravel: if it feels like an off-road race with frequent punchy efforts, choose XCM. If it is more about steady pacing for a long day on mixed surface, choose Gravel. Common Exceptions: When A Different Event Might Help You If there is more than one good option, that is normal. Look at your event’s advertised type, expected finish time, and whether you are racing for results or pacing for a finish or target time. Long events where you are racing for results If the event is long but your goal is explicitly competitive and the race is likely to be decided by surges, attacks, and climbs, you may choose a discipline that places more emphasis on variability and intensity. That can be a good choice, but there is a trade-off: - More emphasis on punchy and race-like fitness - Less emphasis on the deepest steady endurance compared to Gran Fondo or Gravel If your main goal is to pace steadily and finish strong, Gran Fondo or Gravel is still usually the best match. longer climbing events or stage races where you will ride a steady pace In these cases It can be smart to pick a Gran Fondo or Gravel plan, to train for smooth steady efforts instead of training to chase and make breaks up a climb. Mixed terrain/discipline race like a stage race or mixed surface event In those cases, pick the discipline that best matches: - The effort type you will spend the most time doing - Will you be holding a steady pace, or chasing and making breaks? - The effort type you most want to improve for your goal An example could be a longer event where you ride Road, Gravel, & Single Track with plenty of elevation gain: - If you intend to hold a steady pace, Gravel would be a good choice. - If you are going to race it, Climbing Road Race or Cross Country Marathon would better fit that intent for most athletes. Between those you would want to pick what you want to improve. Have More Than One A event? A events should be planned at least 8 weeks apart. TrainerRoad will focus the plan around your A events, in order. After each A event, the plan can shift focus toward the next A event. After the final A event, the plan uses your last B event discipline, or your last C event discipline if there is no B event. A events are the strongest drivers of plan focus. Changing Your Event Type In many cases, you can change an event’s discipline. When you do, TrainerRoad may prompt you to update your plan so training matches the new discipline. There are a few situations where changing discipline requires deleting and recreating the event instead, such as switching between cycling and triathlon categories, or switching between stage race and single-day event categories. FAQs How do I Build a Custom Training Plan? You can use the resources below to learn how to build a custom plan and to dig deeper into their structure: - TrainerRoad Plan Builder Over View & Walk Through - Understand the structure & science behind TrainerRoad Plans. How to Choose Which Event to Make My A Event? In most cases, you want your A event to be your primary event for the season. You can learn more here: - How to Add A, B, & C Events to Your Calendar - How to Prioritize Your Races and Build a Seasonal Race Plan I'm not Training For an Event, What can I do? TrainerRoad has many goal-based plan options as well. You can learn about them here. How Should I Choose the Event Intensity? It's helpful to think of the intensity rating of the event as the aspirational pace you want to ride it. Every athlete is different but here is a bit of general guidance: - Recovery - Tempo could be an all-day or repeated-day effort(rest day or easy day during a stage race). - Tempo - Hard could be a race level effort for 3-8 hours. - Hard - All out efforts would be a max level effort for shorter events(1-3 hours)

Choosing Your Training Plan • Last updated on Feb 13, 2026

Pushing an Outside Workout to Garmin

TrainerRoad cycling workouts can be pushed to Garmin head units via Outside Workouts. Here are the steps to make that possible. - Planned swim and run workouts cannot be pushed to Garmin. Authorize Garmin Sync To allow outside workouts to push to Garmin Connect, set up Activity Sync to include pushing workouts from TrainerRoad to Garmin. If you have previously set up Activity Sync, you will need to re-authenticate to enable this. Allow TrainerRoad to share data with Garmin Connect by enabling all the toggles. - Note; the "Historical Data" toggle is disabled by default. Manually enable it for your training history to sync to TrainerRoad. Screenshot 2025-12-16 at 08.47.09.png You can Learn more here: - How to Run TrainerRoad Workouts on Your Garmin Edge Scheduling a Workout Once workout push is enabled, todays scheduled TrainerRoad outside workouts will be pushed to Garmin Connect. - Only cycling workouts set to be completed outside will sync to Garmin Connect. - Please note that this is not possible for any TrainerRoad FTP Tests. - We strongly encourage athletes to complete FTP Tests inside for safety and accuracy. If you would like to complete an FTP test outside, you can manually complete an FTP test of your preference, and manually update you FTP in your TrainerRoad account. - Workouts will be pushed to Garmin the day that they are scheduled. - Workouts scheduled outside of today will be "Scheduled for Garmin", and won't appear on Garmin Connect yet. Screenshot_2023-01-13_at_08.43.58.png Once a workout is "Pushed to Garmin", it will appear on your Garmin Connect calendar. Screenshot_2023-01-13_at_08.47.41.png Screen_Shot_2019-06-04_at_2.57.13_PM.png Starting a Workout To start a workout, turn on your Garmin head unit and make sure it connects to your mobile device via Bluetooth. When this happens, your Garmin Connect account will send the workout to your head unit. You should see a "Download Complete" message on your Garmin when it has finished syncing. 49.bmp Once this is complete, navigate to your workout screen where you should be prompted to complete your scheduled workout. 31.bmp Note: If you aren't prompted to start your scheduled workout, it may be visible from your Training Plan/Calendar. TrainerRoad Recommended Setup For the closest thing to a TrainerRoad workout, we recommend creating a custom screen with the following Data Fields. To learn how to get the most out of your outside workouts visit our Outside Workout Best Practices article. new_screen_1.bmp Time to Go - Nested under the "Workouts" category. - Shows how much longer the current step of a workout is. Target - Nested under the "Workouts" category. - Shows your target power and average power for the current interval. 3 Second Power - Nested under the "Power" category. - Shows smoothed instantaneous power. Workout Comparison - Nested under the "Workouts" category. - Displays a graphical representation of your workout. Heart Rate - Nested under the "Heart Rate" category. - Displays current heart rate. Cadence - Nested under the "Cadence" category. - Displays current cadence. Note: Make sure you're on the latest firmware version to access the updated data fields. *For older generation Edge devices and all Garmin watches without the Time to Go field, we suggest Lap Time as an alternative. For more detailed information on how to create a custom screen, go here.

Outside Workouts • Last updated on Aug 20, 2026

What are Post Workout Surveys?

After you complete a workout, TrainerRoad asks one quick question: How did this effort feel? Your answer gives TrainerRoad AI qualitative feedback that power data alone can't capture, and it's one of the things that helps your training adapt to you. When you tell us how a workout went, and why, TrainerRoad AI can account for it instead of guessing. survey-edit-modal.png Surveys only take a few seconds. If you skip one, complete a workout offline, or ride outside, you can still add your response later. You have up to 7 days after the activity to edit a response or add one in. How Should I Answer Surveys? When it comes to surveys our biggest piece of advice is to not overthink it. Rate the overall difficulty of the entire ride, not how you expected it to feel, and not the single hardest interval. There are no right or wrong answers, and answering honestly matters more than answering "correctly." I f you catch yourself tempted to answer differently to sway your future workouts or your FTP, that's a sign you might be overthinking it or giving TrainerRoad the wrong data. We also recommend answering right after the workout while the effort is fresh in your mind. How to Rate Your Effort - 1 - Easy This ride felt easy and non-taxing, requiring little effort or focus. You could repeat the ride and pass it without issue. - 2 - Moderate This ride was somewhat comfortable but required some focus to complete. You felt a little challenged but had confidence that you could finish. If the ride had an additional set of intervals, you could complete it. - 3 - Hard This ride required effort and focus and was challenging to complete. It felt tough, and you looked forward to the ride ending. If there were an additional set of intervals, you could have done it with significant focus. - 4 - Very Hard This ride was very difficult to complete, and it tested you. If there were one more set of intervals, you wouldn't have been able to complete it. - 5 - Maximum Effort This ride was extremely difficult. It pushed you well beyond your abilities and took a massive amount of energy and focus to complete. You felt like you barely made it to the end of this ride, and that you had to pull out every mental trick in the book to finish. If you had to pause during a workout to catch your breath or adjust the power demand down, the workout was likely a maximum effort. - If a workout was a maximum effort because of external factors like illness, poor sleep, or fatigue, be sure to add that detail in the follow-up question. Follow-Up Questions Some workouts get a second question. TrainerRoad AI analyzes your ride data to decide which survey you see. If it looks like you struggled, didn't hit the workout's power targets, or ended the workout early, it asks why, and your response can confirm or correct what it detected. - If the workout looked like you struggled to finish, you'll be asked for the primary reason today's ride was challenging. - If you didn't hit the workout's power targets, you'll be asked what kept you from hitting them. - If you ended the workout early, you'll be asked what best explains why you cut it short. Depending on the situation, the reasons you can choose from include: - Time ConstraintIntensity - Too Easy - Fatigued - Under-fueled, - Poor Sleep - Stressed/Unmotivated - Sick - Injured, Equipment Issue - Heat - Menstrual Cycle - Other: with room to add your own note when none of the options fit. Pick the option that had the biggest impact on your workout. How TrainerRoad AI weighs a tough day depends on the reason: struggling because of poor sleep or under-fueling is not the same as struggling because the workout itself was too intense and a workout you cut short because you were overheating is not the same as one you cut short because you've lost fitness. If TrainerRoad AI got it wrong, say so. That's what "I didn't struggle with this workout" is for. And on outside workouts, where power data can't tell the whole story, you'll also see "I Did Not Pass" for rides that didn't go as prescribed, regardless of why. (You won't see "I Did Not Pass" on indoor workouts — indoors, TrainerRoad AI reads your power data directly and serves the right survey automatically.) Surveys for Outside Rides, Races, and Zwift Surveys aren't just for indoor workouts, you'll be asked how every ride felt, including unstructured outside rides and races. Those responses are a really important part of analyzing your fitness, especially if outside riding makes up a big share of your volume. - Outside workouts: If your ride was matched to a structured TrainerRoad workout, rate the structured portion of the ride, not the extra volume you added before or after it. And rate what you actually did: if you pushed above the targets until the effort felt hard, answer "Hard," even if the workout as originally prescribed would have felt easy. - Unstructured rides and races: just rate how the ride felt overall. An all-out race that felt brutally hard simply because racing is intense isn't a red flag about your fitness. If you get a follow-up question, "Intensity" is usually the right reason to pick. - Zwift: you'll answer the effort survey right in Zwift when you finish a TrainerRoad workout there. If TrainerRoad AI needs the struggle follow-up, you'll complete that part in the TrainerRoad app afterward. How to Add or Change an RPE Response If a survey wasn't completed right away, whether it was skipped, or the workout was completed offline or outside you can still add a response for up to 7 days after the activity. You can change an existing response in the same places: Web Step One: Open the ride from your Calendar or Activity List. Step Two: If a response is missing, you'll see a banner asking "How difficult was this workout?" Click this banner ride-analysis-missing-response.png Step Three: Pick your rating, and hit Save. If you already responded, click your rating in the "You rated this workout as:" banner. From there you can select a new rating and select Save. App Step One: Find the workout on the Calendar that you would like to add or change the RPE of. Tap the rating (or the missing-response prompt) in the workout details. Screenshot 2026-07-23 at 1.35.26 PM.png Step Two: Select or change the RPE survey and hit Save Screenshot 2026-07-23 at 1.40.13 PM.png If you receive a survey reminder email, you can also respond directly from the email by clicking the option that matches how the workout felt. Post-Workout Survey FAQs How should I respond to the survey if my effort varied over the course of the workout? Rate the ride as a whole. Even the hardest TrainerRoad workouts include rest intervals, and the end of an interval set will usually feel harder than the beginning of the set. This is all normal. The same workout might also feel different on different days depending on how you fueled or how stressful your day was. More important than what's typical or expected is how the ride actually felt to you. How do surveys help me get faster? Your responses give TrainerRoad AI context that ride data alone can't. If you're under or overshooting power targets, we look at the objective power data when analyzing your ride, but your survey tells us how that effort felt, which helps us tell the difference between a bad day, a hard-but-productive day, and a fitness change. That context feeds your upcoming workout recommendations and AI FTP Detection, and it helps keep your training appropriate for your abilities when fatigue starts to build. How important are surveys for my training? The more surveys you complete, the better TrainerRoad AI understands you as an individual, and the more personalized your recommendations become. Completing them consistently and honestly is important. You'll also build a subjective record of your training you can learn from later. Why do I occasionally see different questions on my surveys? Surveys adapt to how the workout went. If everything went to plan, you'll just get the rating question. If you lowered the intensity enough, skipped intervals, ended the workout early, or rated the effort as a maximum effort, you'll get a follow-up asking why. You may also see a follow-up when a ride was expected to be easy but you rated it hard. TrainerRoad AI just wants to know why a ride of that type was difficult. Either way, rate it how it felt. What do I do if my survey says I struggled with the workout, even though I wasn't really struggling? Select "I didn't struggle with this workout." Sometimes life happens, a phone call, a stretch break, a dropped sensor, and it can make a workout look harder than it really felt. The survey exists to clear that up. If you really did struggle, it's important to be honest about that, too. No judgment here, our only goal is to help you get faster. Will the system get confused if I take a break to stretch, fill bottles, or answer the phone? TrainerRoad AI makes allowances for short breaks between sets. If you pause during work intervals, it may read the workout as more of a challenge than you meant it to be and if it concludes you struggled when you didn't, you can override that on the survey by selecting "I didn't struggle with this workout." What if I don't have time to complete the survey? The surveys are designed to take no more than a few seconds, but if you miss one, don't worry, you can go back and complete it up to 7 days after the workout (see "How to Add or Change an RPE Response" above). What if I don't want to complete a survey? We highly recommend completing surveys so TrainerRoad AI can tailor your training. I tried to complete a missed survey but can't. What happened? You have up to 7 days after completing a workout to complete or edit its survey. We limit this window so your recollection of the effort is still fresh. That helps keep the data associated with your training trustworthy. If it's been less than 7 days and you still can't respond, shoot us an email at [email protected] and we'll investigate ASAP. When do I select "Other" as a reason? Select "Other" when you struggled or ended a workout early for a reason that isn't in the list. You can type a short note describing what happened, and it's saved with your workout. Why did I get a survey for an unstructured, outside ride? Every ride counts. Your RPE responses on unstructured outside rides are an important part of how TrainerRoad AI analyzes your fitness. Especially if outside rides make up a big share of your riding. If I complete an Outside Workout, where do I complete the survey? Sync the ride from your head unit. Then open the activity on the TrainerRoad website or in the app and add your response from the workout details (see "How to Add or Change an RPE Response" above). Should I get a Post-Workout Survey for my Ramp Test? No. This is because the Ramp Test is an all-out effort.

TrainerRoad AI • Last updated on Jul 23, 2026