The TrainingPeaks Workout Builder allows athletes and coaches to quickly and easily create structured workouts based on distance or duration and intensity using power, heart rate, pace, or perceived exertion.
Please note, that this article discusses how to build a structured workout. For detailed instructions on how to export a structured workout to a device or virtual training platform, read the Structured Workout Export article.
Building a Structured Workout
- Add a new workout to the calendar or to a workout library and click on "Build Workout" to open the Workout Builder.
- Using the left drop-down menu, select if you would like the workout to be based on Duration or Distance (if Distance is selected you will then be able to choose Miles, Meters, Kilometers, or Yards).
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Using the middle drop-down menu select how the intensity of the workout will be determined:
- % Functional Threshold Power
- % Maximum Heart Rate
- % Threshold Heart Rate
- % Threshold Pace
- Rating of Perceived Exertion (0-10 scale)
- Use the right drop-down to select a single intensity target or an intensity range. Selecting Target or Range will set every step in the workout to that mode by default, but individual steps can be toggled between Target and Range within the same workout.
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Begin building your workout by dragging the pre-made workout block templates from the upper part of the window to the Workout Builder Preview Pane. There are 8 blocks available:
- Warm up - a steady state block of moderate intensity
- Active - similar to Warm up but with a higher default intensity
- Recovery - a shorter, low-intensity block meant to be used between interval sets
- Cool down - a low-intensity block meant to be used at the end of the workout
- Two Step Repeats
- Three Step Repeats
- Ramp Up
- Ramp Down
- Once a block is added to the Preview, its duration or distance can be adjusted by clicking on the right edge of the block and dragging it horizontally in either direction.
- The details of each block can also be viewed and manually edited below the Preview pane in the "Workout Details Editor" section. In this section, the name of each block, as well as notes for each interval or block, can also be added.
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Set the structure of the workout (number of steps, repeats, etc):
- The number of repeats can be adjusted by clicking the "+" or "-" button in the upper left corner of each block, as well as adjusting the Repeat field at the top of each block in the Editor pane
- You can add and remove steps by using the "+ Add step" and "x Remove step" options at the bottom of each block in the Editor pane
- For multi-step repeat blocks - adjusting an interval within a block will adjust all of the corresponding intervals in that block
- Block placement within the workout can be adjusted by dragging the top of the step up or down in the Editor pane
- To duplicate a block, in the Preview pane, click the double rectangle icon in the upper right corner of a block and drag the new block to where it's needed
- For intensity types that have corresponding Zone settings (pace, HR, power) you can quickly set the intensity range for each block using the Zone selection dropdown located in the Editor pane. *Note, that RPE-based workouts have no corresponding zones and need to be set manually.
- You can also set specific cadence targets for certain sport types (Bike, MTB, Run, Walk) for each block in the Editor pane. Cadence targets will transfer to 3rd party devices and programs that support cadence targets.
- You can also set specific steps to “End step on lap button”, which will allow that step to continue on a compatible device until the lap button is pressed to advance to the next step.
A workout built with the Workout Builder can also be converted from one type of intensity to another. Please note, that changing the type of intensity will update the current workout. If multiple workouts with the same structure need to be created for each intensity type, create a copy of the workout first, rename the workout, and then change the prescribed intensity type.
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