Thank you so much for the detailed response! I looked for breakthrough, but the fitness ones need a subscription. Iâll play around with the free a bit more and see if my manual change of TP at 247 works out. I did get burnt out during TR sweet spot, but I am also losing weight. Probably sticking to endurance is better anyway!
Ramp rate and intensity are what killed us on TR plans because no cookie-cutter plan knows how well you are responding. Instead it simply adds more TL (training load) as the weeks go by. With TR plans especially, week #x becomes crash and burn time. Not a good thing. 
With Xert you can dial things up or down with two tools. IR (improvement rate) and FF (freshness feedback) slider.
The FF slider can be used any day (or over a period of days) that your predicted freshness doesnât match. For example if XATA says your status is tired but you feel fine before the next workout, click Goals and drag the slider to the right (fresher) and click Update. The recommended workout list will change.
XATA tracks two periods for freshness. Current freshness is at the top indicated by the color of your status stars. 24 hours from now is the small triangle pointer next to the pacer needle. This is more a factor when training day after day assuming you plan to workout around the same time tomorrow. With rest days in between you will likely always be fresh before the next workout.
You are not trying to erase any daily deficit shown in XATA. Just keep the needle pointing up to stay within the recommended guidelines. 11am-1pm is ideal but the needle can waver. For example, drop to the left if you take multiple days off in a row.
There is no need to make up any missed days or worry about carrying a deficit forward. It is absorbed within the rolling seven day period XATA operates on.
IR can be adjusted anytime you want to up your weekly hours and intensity or dial them down.
Normally those competing will dial things up during the season to reach peak fitness. I started with Slow at the end of November and am now at Moderate-2 because I have the time. At some point the hours may crowd my schedule (other things in life) or the intensity may be higher than I want to go. With Xert you are in control (self-coaching).
So pick an IR that you are comfortable with but if you find yourself with more time to ride during some weeks you can increase your IR for that week. This also ensures the pacer needle reflects what you capable of doing.
Note to others â Some gung-ho newbies may be tempted to throw things into high gear (Aggressive or Extreme) or try to erase the deficit daily or push the needle all the way to the right. I understand the temptation (especially when fueled by youthful enthusiasm) but that isnât the smart way to train. 
Unlike a cookie-cutter plan there is no fixed workout you must do on any particular date. You are always able to select a different workout or a different day to do one. You can pick from any of the recommended top four or click Load More to view all twenty (greater variety), or use Filter to find something you prefer or a workout the looks interesting to try.
Since you donât have a power meter on your bike you can enable HRDM (heart rate derived metrics) under Account Settings, Profile. This feature estimates your XSS (Xert Strain Score) and focus (power duration) from rides based on your HR patterns compared to power that youâve established riding your trainer. The purpose is to let XATA know if you are meeting TL (training load) recommendations when activities occur without power data.
Reference:
Freshness Feedback â Xert (baronbiosys.com)
Improvement Rate â Xert (baronbiosys.com)
XSS â Xert (baronbiosys.com)
Focus Duration â Xert (baronbiosys.com)
Heart Rate Derived Metrics â Xert (baronbiosys.com)
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Hi!
Im Back again. Now with subscibtion.
Fighting through all the garmin apps.
Which one are important?m
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For doing indoor workouts there is really only one Garmin App (Xert Workout Player), all the others are just data fields for getting some Xert related information outdoors. But thatâs always more of a compromise because of not perfectly flat bike paths and traffic.
I would start with the Xert App on an Edge or maybe even better with the new Xert EBC on Android indoors. And do a Breakthrough workout of your choice as soon as you feel fresh to make sure your signature is correct to start with.
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Thanks.
I have already installed it. But i was not Sure about all the other apps in the garmin âstoreâ.
I did crazy train and take me to the church.
Last one is a bit boringđ
Most of the endurance workouts are supposed to be boring especially to someone living in the alps. 
Outdoors you may find some of the Xert data fields useful when free riding â
Connect IQ Store | Free Watch Faces and Apps | Garmin
Since you are in the mountains it will be difficult to use the Xert Workout Player on the Garmin to ride a workout outdoors.
Xert Data Fields on my Garmin - Support - Xert Community Forum (xertonline.com)
As @idefix mentions riding indoors youâll find the Xert phone apps (iOS or Android EBC) are more robust than whatâs possible to do within the confines of the Garmin Connect IQ environment.
Sessions can only be run on a phone app, but there are many more benefits such as workout selection, chart view, easy access to mode and % changes, rainbow gauge, etc.
Reference:
Using the Xert Workout Player for Garmin Connect IQ â Xert (baronbiosys.com)
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Ohh jeh, das ist das drei Stunden Ausdauer Training, oder? So hart bin ich nicht. Mir reichen ĂŒblicherweie eineinhalb Stunden aufm Trainer völlig
Ja, das ist in Tirol richtig ein Problem. Grundlagenausdauer ĂŒber mehrere Stunden ist fast nicht möglich. Ăberall gehtâs nur bergaufđ
No, oudoors they would not be boring. There is just no flat area for a rideđ©
Hereâs the first in a series of YT training videos from Xert â Xert Academy Videos - YouTube
Speaking of YT hereâs an overview of Xert Sessions from Tariq at SmartBikeTrainers.com â
First Look: Xert Indoor Cycling Group Sessions - YouTube
I run the Session Player.on XO for all my indoor workouts or join a group session whenever the workout or content interests me.
Hello,
I need some suggestions as my TP just keeps dropping and I want to increase it. I have done two separate BT and both times I have increase PP but lower TP. What would you suggest I do to increase my power. I follow all of my current training recommendations but things keep falling.
Thank you!
-
Are you running the 30 day trial or are you a subscriber?
I subscribed 3 weeks ago -
What equipment do you have for training indoors and outdoors? Include meter type, trainer type, bike type, bike computer (if you have one), and phone (Android or iOS).
I have a Wahoo Kicker V5 and my bike is a Cervélo S3. I run the IOS app on my phone with all Wahoo sensors. -
Are you young (20-30s), older (60+), or in the middle?
(no need for exact age)
I use to be young
. I am currently 37. -
How experienced are you with training by power? (newbie or X years using another platform).
**I been training with power off and on for 2 years. ** -
Are you a recreational rider or competitive racer?
I am your average recreational rider. I donât race and I only do a few group rides. (family obligations) -
What are your goals? (example, special event in 3 months or best fitness for riding this summer)
My goals are to be as fast as I can be to smash some KOMs in my area. I also have two small kids that keep me active. My long term goal would be to have about 3 stars here and a TP of 300. I have to figure out how to achieve that because this app is the only thing I use until the summer (then a lot of outdoor rides) -
How many weeks or months of recent power data have you loaded into Xert?
I took a 7 month break from cycling because I had ankle reconstruction surgery. When I was younger I got hit by a car and now I am on my 5th surgery. When life gives you lemons you make lemonade
. So basically I started over with my data. -
What is your current star status? (example, 2 stars)
About 2 stars. My goal is 3 or more stars. -
What Athlete type did you select? (determines focus duration target)
I selected GC specialist because I thought that was a good all around profile. When I used to be apart of Sufferfest it told me my type was Pursuiter. -
Which Improvement Rate (IR) did you select? (hours/week training load & ramp rate)
I picked slow as I am just getting back on the bike. I have 5-7ish hours a week to train. -
What TED (target event date) did you enter? (determines what phase are you in)
I donât have any target events as I am not a competitive cyclist. I just want to be fast for summer so I can KOM hunt.
I appreciate all your help!
Iâm not an expert, but I usually do sprint time trialist (Slow) until daylight savings time change. Then switch to Breakaway Specialist or Rouelor (Moderate) with a target event in mind. Which is usually a fondo or bike trip of choice.
I do some workouts verbatim and sometimes sprinkle in Zwift or group rides for sanity. Xert is flexible for those type of things. Good luck.
1 Like
Hello,
- Are you running the 30 day trial or are you a subscriber?
Trial, will subscribe if Ill find the platform useful for my needs - What equipment do you have for training indoors and outdoors? Include meter type, trainer type, bike type, bike computer (if you have one), and phone (Android or iOS).
Kickr, p2m, wahoo bolt v2, android, road bike - Are you young (20-30s), older (60+), or in the middle? (no need for exact age)
30-40 - How experienced are you with training by power? (newbie or X years using another platform)
1-2 years riding with PM and training to power but not with a plan, mainly self-coaching - Are you a recreational rider or competitive racer?
Recreational - What are your goals? (example, special event in 3 months or best fitness for riding this summer)
Fit, fast, long endurance - How many weeks or months of recent power data have you loaded into Xert?
3 months (strava), I have more - What is your current star status? (example, 2 stars)
4.5 stars - What Athlete type did you select? (determines focus duration target)
Sprint TT, TT - Which Improvement Rate (IR) did you select? (hours/week training load & ramp rate)
Slow/maintenance - What TED (target event date) did you enter? (determines what phase are you in)
I didnt, continuous
More background:
I am new to the platform, or any other âtrainingâ platform, up until now I have âself-coachedâ myself based on some stuff I`ve found online.
I am not the training plan person, I enjoy riding my bikes, zwift events/races and group rides.
Question:
In the previous months I mainly did volume (lots) and averaged 12hrs/week of riding (mostly z2-z3) and Xert classified me with 4.5 and recommends me to do 13+ hrs / week.
Now this is wicked, I dont want to do 13hrs + a week, yes I did it until now but that is not the reason I am trying to do training plansâŠ
Is there a way I could somehow to âfoolâ the system and XATT so that I will have gains but with less hours on the bike?
Am I close to my potential and that basically means that I have to suck it and If I want to âimproveâ I have to ride more (as recommended by the platform) /
Xert is the ideal platform for those who like to self-coach and keep things flexible.
Unique to Xert is the ability to start at whatever level you are at and proceed from there.
Canned plans and calendar focused platforms assume otherwise.
What you can do is reduce IR (improvement rate) until hours decline to a desired level. For example, âresetâ your weekly TL (training load) commitment by switching to Off-season, drop your hours, and wait for XATAâs 7 day rolling cycle to kick in. In the meantime, ignore any suggestions based on what you did last week and establish a new pattern. Then resume at the level you are comfortable with whether thatâs static (Maintenance IR) or a progression (Slow ramp rate or higher). With Xert you can ramp up and down over time to accommodate a changing schedule.
Even if your hours remain static you can manipulate TL (training load) through workout/activity management. IE, decide which days to ride short and hard (high intensity) versus long and easy (low intensity endurance) or in between including what Xert calls âhardâ endurance.
While TL is the controlling factor for progressive overload you can manipulate how you spend your hours and continue to improve. Perhaps not as dramatically as a phased progression, but fitter (and faster) nonetheless even when TP levels out.
I suggest changing Athlete Type to GC Specialist for a greater variety of workouts in Continuous mode. Selecting a type in TT quadrant will recommend endurance level workouts. My guess is you will benefit from some higher intensity folded into your training especially if you arenât doing that now. At 4.5 stars level you will likely see a lot of blue form (fresh) which means you can be as selective as you want and jump around more to experiment.
Welcome aboard.
Hello all,
I have a question about my high intensity energy.
It is set too high after importing al my (true) files. It sais my 5 min power should be 400 watt. This isnt right because my best even power is 350w. Same with my 2 min power.
Ot means that I have to do workouts that I cant handle.
I tried updating my powercurve. It works for one day. After uploading a new file, the curve jumps back to unrealistic watts for me.
Max power is 1450
True 5min power is 350
True 20min power is 305
Hope someone can help me.
Rob
Hi @Robvdberghe ,
For questions about your personal data, itâs best to reach out to Xert support. Someone will be happy to help review your data and get things sorted out! Cheers!
Hey,
I am not sure I am followingâŠ
In order to reduce the recommended xss/week and recommended hours/week all I need to do is the have a 7 day history with a desired amount of these metrics?
I thought thay XATA takes into account all of my activitiesâŠ
If we are taking an athlete who trains 13hrs/week and we will reduce his load to 6hrs/week wouldnt he âlooseâ fitness?
Thx
You can use a combination of ramp rate (IR) and the fact XATA is calculating your average weighted TL over a rolling seven-day period to alter your hours/week commitment.
For example, if you want to lower from 13 hours to 10 hours you can change IR to Taper and slowly reduce the hours or switch to Off-Season and start riding a lot less.
7+ days later youâll be in your ânewâ TL pattern. XATA recognizes that with both recommendations and pacer needle position. You can then change IR back to Slow, Moderate, etc. or choose Maintenance if you want to float there.
TL ultimately controls fitness levels, but it depends on what you are trying to accomplish with the reduction. Does your schedule demand the change? Do you need a rest week? Injury or sickness? Are you tapering for off-season?
As to losing fitness when moving from 13 to 6 hours, that is inevitable, but it doesnât happen right away. If you are feeling great at 13 hours the first couple weeks at 6 is going to be a hammerfest. That will keep your signature topped up. If rest/recovery was the goal, youâll want to avoid doing that. 
You can see this feature in action by selecting Goals, change IR to Taper or Off-Season and the ATP slider will immediately lower the hours. You can then drag the slider to the right to see the predicted decline week to week. Ultimately you control the outcome by the decisions you make moving forward. XATA will adapt to whatever you decide to do.
OK, I am starting to get an intuition on how to use XertâŠ
It will take some time to master itâŠ
One more question If my current status is âTiredâ and the XATA recommends an Endurance workout of X - XSS, If I will follow the advice and perform such activity, can I be fresh the day after? If I plan to do âintensityâ the day after it, is it my responsibility to take it easy (less XSS) so that I will be fresh the day after?
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It is going to depend on several factors including your current training load status (stars count) and status form (star color).
Watch this video snippet to see how form changes on the Planner based on choices you make.
Episode I2 - Mastering Xert - Improve - The 3 P's of Training - YouTube
First Scott mentions Xertâs hybrid polarized approach and then shows how this affects the Planner in regard to high/low intensity workouts and changing form in the days ahead.
You are correct regarding your ability to manage your form. You can decide to go easy today (or take a rest day) and push form into blue/green faster in the day(s) ahead.
Taking it easy however can mean different things.
XSS is a combination of strain over time so that number will vary depending on the intensity of the workout. You may select a low intensity endurance workout that rarely jumps above blue, while a âhardâ endurance workout rises into green (sweetspot territory) and may tap into yellow (threshold). The latter is going to add more strain so your form may stay in yellow longer. This is especially true if you are in Base phase following a progression with a TED (target event date). In Base phase endurance rides will be recommended day after day but they will vary depending on the training status you have achieved. Someone starting out at 1.5 stars is going to get different recommendations than someone who started a progression at 3 stars.
If you have Xert set to Continuous you can take control over your weekly workload distribution to affect your form changes. The higher the XSS value and the shorter the workout, the greater the intensity and the longer form will go to yellow after that activity.
Not to complicate things further but I should mention you also have control over your form feedback. The Freshness Feedback slider is Xertâs nod to the bell curve and is a subjective tool to accommodate differences in physiology and experience. For example, someone with years of cycling at various training loads may recover much faster than someone just starting out and is new to cycling. Age and general health are also factors. You can use the FF slider to tell XATA predicted form doesnât match how you feel today. If XATA predicts yellow but you are raring to go with a spring in your step, feel free to slide to the right. This will trigger blue/green form selections. More tired than usual? Slide to the left to make things easier. Slide back to neutral when you are comfortable with the recommendations. That may be the next day or several days later. Over time most users find neutral (0) works well especially as they reach higher training load (hours/week) and are recovering well to the strain. But you can always use the slider if that weekend gravel ride turned into a wrong-turn marathon from hell and youâre feeling it days later. Sometimes you need to advise the advisor or ignore the recommendations and do what feels best today.
Reference â
Freshness Feedback â Xert (baronbiosys.com)