Newbie to smart training here. I bought a Wahoo Bike and using Systm to train for a century in April. So far I love the bike but the software I’m struggling with. I have two problems:
My long rides of 3+ hours fall on Wed & Thurs. I want to shift everything so those are on the weekend. Can that be done?
I used the training template and chose to train for a century. I’m now at week 4 and the workouts are too easy. My watts are less than 100 when following the program. During interval training I go 400-625 on sprints. I feel I should be challenged more. Even when I pedal faster the resistance is low and gears never shift. If I manually shift it goes back to the preprogrammed resistance. Can I bump that up?
You should be able to move the entire plan by deleting it and re-adding it. If you make the end date a Sunday (usually) that ought to make Saturday and Sunday the days where longer rides are scheduled.
As for the easiness of the workouts, have you done a fitness test yet (Full Frontal or Half Monty). Those tests set the metrics for you in workouts that you do going forward. If you haven’t done either, the program will have had no way to determine what you are capable of across the 4 key metrics used in SYSTM (FTP or 20 minute efforts, MAP or 5 minute efforts, AC or 1 minute efforts and NM or 5 second sprint efforts).
There is a ton of available support info on how to use the app here and it’s worth looking at. In the meantime, yes, you can just bump up the intensity of your workouts on the fly by tapping the up arrow on desktop, or tapping the gear icon on mobile and going to the settings tab.
It sounds like you are in ERG mode (where the app sends a signal to your trainer to set the resistance). If that’s the case, regardless of your cadence or gear changes that resistance doesn’t change. There’s some great short and easy to understand articles on that in the link below. Hope this is helpful. Welcome to the forums!
FF has a bit of a learning curve and again, there’s a yak ton of great info on the support site. Half Monty is less taxing but only gives you an estimate of your 5 minute (Maximal Aerobic Capacity), your 20 minute (Functional Threshold Power) and your cTHR (Cycling Threshold Heartrate). It also is less soul destroying and won’t leave you quite as spent as FF will. In either case, please check back in and let us know how things go.
You’ll find the forums are pretty supportive too (as well as another yak ton of info…if you search for what you’re looking for before you post, you may just find someone else has already asked it and had it answered )
beg to differ here sir as the SUF scientists/coaches suggest every 10-12 weeks. Also, full disclosure: my last FF was April last year. While ymmv, I’m fortunate though to be one of the rider types where HM is exceptionally accurate for me predicting FTP and MAP within a handful of watts. I know my NM will always exceed a KW and I’m really not too concerned about my AC either (it’s been pretty consistent within a relatively small range too). My weakness is almost always sustained efforts (hence my loathing of Defender) and my rider type has never changed from Sprinter over 7or 8 FFs.
For someone brand new to indoor training, or even structured training more frequent testing may make more sense given that significant gains can be made over several weeks to a few months of consistent training.
Perhaps this is why we differ. Sustained efforts are my strength and what I prefer to race. Ask me to race a crit and it’s a no. Sign me up for a 40K and I am happier than a dog with a new bone.
2021-12-05 was my last FF. Get to do another today… yay! Fingers crossed for expected gains.
If it hasn’t already been said, probably the best thing to do is the Fitness Test Prep 7 day plan. It has a couple of workouts, the Half Monty test, a couple more workouts, and ends with Full Frontal test. I did it and when I got to the FF, I was ready and it went well.
This sounds reasonable. I’ve been working out indoor for a month. I had to take most of last year off due to an accident that broke four ribs and a vertebrae and I’m just now ready to really train.
I’m planning to ride the 112 miles of the Kona Ironman in April so trying to build back my legs after six months off. I’ll do the prep then reset my century training with the system pushing me to my appropriate thresholds. Thanks to all for advice to the newbie.
Sorry to hear that, but welcome back. If you are training again then I assume the recovery is going well?
I had an accident last April. 5 broken ribs and a bruised lung, but no vertebrae issues, for which I am thankful. I hope your spine is doing ok. Bust ribs are a b***h but they at least generally heal ok. I couldn’t lie down or even barely stand up by myself for weeks, but I got through it. Vertebrae can be problematic though. I know I don’t need to tell you this!
I can testify that a smart trainer is a superb way of getting your fitness back, and you’re much less likely to fall off and damage yourself. I would recommend the Systm Strength workouts too. They are great for core strength, stability and promoting symmetry, which I’ve found very useful after my accident. Don’t think of them as weight training, they’re not. It’s far more central and core to your fitness (pun intended).
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