For choosing an athlete type one comes across its maximum power output.
On new accounts:
What should one choose when setting up a new profile? Any known FTP value form
the past for a start?
On running accounts:
How does Xert calculates the values (watt/kg) for an already running account? And
how important is data of rides in the past (the more the better/or restart and forget)?
Say, values change if Xert analyses rides of the past 4 month vs the past 12 month?
Athlete type /2 setup options :
I’ve recognised that there are options for setting up ones athlete type in the (A) actual
athlete type section AND (B) the goal settings. That is (A) what i am at present and
(B) what i want to be in the future ? It’s not quite clear to me, since settings for the
“Athlete type” (in B/…future?) sit next to the “Improvement Rate” like “Moderate 2” etc
and “Program type” like “Continues” which is very much a value of today/present (is it?).
If you choose an athlete type in (A) the settings in (B) are not automatically the same.
(that’s actually what grabbed my attention )
If new account is loaded with historical data (ex. 90 days), the power curve is calculated. Assuming that data includes enough maximum efforts (with power, HR, cadence), the starting signature should be sufficient.
If not, a BT workout or two, ZRL races, hard group rides, or similar efforts will establish a starting signature.
If historical data is not loaded or is missing max efforts, but points along your power curve are known, then a new account user can enter 2-3 known values under XO, Power Curve & Calculator to generate a starting signature.
All that matters is establishing a ballpark starting signature then move forward from there.
Some users prefer to load more historical data so they can use Xert tools to analyze and compare their performance in years past.
A and B should reflect the same setting. You may not have updated Goals or browser page is cached. The account entry helps visualize that point on the curve and provides a brief description. In general GC Specialist is a good place to start if you want a variety of recommendations as you lean the system. You can view the Ranking tab to see if you are stronger or weaker (compared across the spectrum of Xert users) and decide if you want to work on a strength or weakness.
Everything is Xert is fluid. You can change athlete type at any time to vary the recommendations or use Filter to same effect when selecting workouts. If you plan to set a TED and know the Focus Duration for an event you are training for, you can set that as your Goal type. The phased progression will start with endurance training during Base phase then narrow in on your selection as you approach Peak phase prior to the event. That is also why selecting an endurance athlete type is not recommended (to start with) since that will limit Focus changes during a progression.
If you are not setting a TED (ATP = Continuous or Challenge) then changing athlete type is a good way to experiment and note what changes within the recommendations. You can do this on-the-fly along with changing IR to see what happens.
What matters most is you have set a ramp rate to attain (hours/week). Then calculated form will dictate recommendations over time. Yellow = endurance (mix of easy and “hard”). Blue = HIIT at one Focus Duration point or another. Green = go as hard as you want; good time to challenge yourself. Red = active recovery (or rest day).
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