TSS and a plan — the end of random training
Why an hour of intervals costs more than two hours of easy riding, and how to turn that into weeks that actually differ.
Training on feel works for a month; after six months your FTP is stuck. To get out of the loop you have to be able to say how much you train — and hours answer badly: two hours in Z2 and an hour of intervals are completely different costs.
Every number in this article is a percentage of this one.
Three numbers
- NP — "how hard was that really". Alternating 300/100 W averages 200, but the body paid more; NP shows it.
- IF — NP divided by FTP. 0.65 recovery, 0.75–0.85 endurance, 0.95+ a hard session.
- TSS — intensity times time. An hour at FTP is 100; a two-hour easy ride (about 110) and an hour of intervals (about 95) become comparable.
Per week: 200–300 TSS recreational, 400–600 a committed amateur, 700+ without a base ends in illness. The change matters more — jumping by more than about 10% a week means an empty tank the week after.
Where you see it
- Open Progress, "Activity" tab.
- In an activity: "DETAILS" ("NORM. POWER", "AVG POWER") and "TIME IN ZONE".
- "STREAMS" — power, heart rate, cadence and speed over time.
"TIME IN ZONE" is merciless: it shows that the "easy" ride spent half an hour in Z3 — which is why easy days don't restore anything.
Ready-made workoutSteady Z2 Ride 1 hDo it and check the IF: it should come out around 0.65.
A plan is the difference between weeks
Consecutive weeks should differ on purpose, not because of the weather. Four phases:
- Base — volume at low intensity.
- Build — sweet spot and threshold; this is where FTP moves.
- Peak — short, very intense accents.
- Taper — volume down, intensity stays.
Every third or fourth week lighter — that's when adaptation happens.
Lay it out in the plan editor
- Start with "Plan goal" and "Target event" with a date — they determine how long each phase gets.
- Tap "Suggest periodization" and fix what doesn't fit.
- Clicking a day opens your library, dragging moves a session, the bin at the bottom removes it.
Above the calendar: weeks, sessions, hours and TSS per week. Eight hours in the plan when you actually train four is a wish list.
"Start plan" lays the sessions out in the calendar from the date you give. "Stop plan" clears only what is still ahead of you.
Ready-made planSweet Spot BaseA good first plan if you have no specific event.
Without a plan
Under "SUGGESTION" the dashboard offers a preset chosen for the gap in your weekly load. "Draw another" swaps it, "Add to today" puts it in the calendar.
You know how much you train. What's left is where it leads — turning "I want to be stronger" into a number with a deadline.