Hi, I’ve been using Xert for a while now and like it very much. The only thing I don’t like so much is the so called Smart workouts because I can never be sure, when I will finish. Often I have a limited time window for training and choose a workout that fits that schedule. But more often than not, I end up having to cancel the workout before the end because I’m running out of time.
Since the non-Smart workout are more scarce in number, I would like to choose a Smart workout and just
shut of the Smart mode and make it in a normal workout.
I wonder if that is possible or could be made possible without too much effort.
Not sure it’s possible to do what you want exactly, but if you want Smart workouts to finish earlier you can ride them in slope (not erg) mode and make sure you’re always a bit above power targets for the effort intervals (so draw MPA down to target quicker) and always below power targets for recovery intervals (so MPA recovers quicker). You do need to keep an eye on the transitions still to make sure adjust effort between intervals on time
Although you will potentially lose the benefits of SMART in terms of delivering the training goals of that session, one way to do this is export it to Zwift (as a ZWO file) then when you run it Zwift (find it under Custom Workouts) it will run exactly as described.
Thanks for your feedback - this is a great point. We’re in the process of incorporating more SMART Power workouts into the workout library. These are essentially the inverse of the Variable duration SMART workouts. The interval is given a fixed duration, and the target power will adjust up/down, depending on how you’re following along with the interval targets. With that said, it will also be important for us to differentiate between SMART Duration & SMART Power workouts.
Negative. The SMART Power intervals will adjust power up/down as the interval progresses such that you arrive at the Target MPA by the end of the fixed interval.
What brand/model trainer are you using?
How big a time difference are you talking about on a 2 hour workout?
IMO it is a mistake not to run SMART workouts as designed by running them on Xert Mobile.
SMART workouts are one of the main reasons I prefer Xert as the platform of choice.
No cookie-cutter plan to follow. No pile of pre-cut cookies arranged on a baking sheet.
The differences between a %FTP block workout and a SMART workout are numerous.
While you could argue that focus duration is maintained during export to ZWO it’s simply not the same workout. Open a SMART workout in Workout Designer and see for yourself.
I rely on the workout library and recommended list for the most part, but if you want to understand how SMART workouts are constructed and why they are different see this article – Advanced Workout Design using SMART Intervals – Xert (baronbiosys.com)
SMART workouts represent the evolution of the cookie. They change shape as you bake them in your oven to a nice golden brown. Cooking times may vary.
I was having all kinds of power dropouts in my workout today (going to try changing battery) and I didn’t know that SMART workouts changed the time of the interval. To overcome the frequent dropouts, I was really pushing it to get the 3 second average power to where it should be and I was watching the clock go sooooo slow! Oh my God, it was hell! LOL. I came on this forum to find out what the hell was going on and I get it now. This particular workout featured 7:20 intervals over threshold. I had to call my wife down to look at the clock because I thought I was going crazy!
Funny! We are adding more and more fixed duration workouts. We are also converting variable duration interval workouts to variable power interval workouts for many workouts. Also looking to make these easier to find. For the moment, if you open the Workout Designer and see Target MPA under the duration column, they are variable duration intervals. Look for times all the way down that column for fixed duration. Best for now but again, looking to make this a lot easier in the future.
Thank you very much for your swift answers and suggestions. I will look out for Smart Power workouts then.
I’ve tried all kinds of things and obeyed slavishly to the intervals but still often ended up with an increase
of 10 to 15 min for a 2h workout. I don’t mind the Smart workouts, in fact they are really good and
when I have the time I always do them as like @ridgerider2 says, they are really challenging and make
you work even harder.
So is there a way to “un smart” a workout. If i get interrupted by my wife or kid the w/o goes ballistic and i can’t continue. Can i deactivate the “smart”
Most workouts have been converted from dynamic duration to dynamic power. There is an upper limit on them so should always be doable. If not, use the - button to reduce the workout intensity, even just temporarily if you wish. You can always override and go to slope mode too and managing things manually.
