Intensity Types and Structured Workout Plans

An 80/20 structured workout plan executed on the TrainingPeaks platform is the next best thing to having Matt Fitzgerald and David Warden guide you through your workouts in person. Structured workout plans are the same evidence-based 80/20 plans trusted by thousands of athletes, but represent the next generation of training.

On supported devices, workouts in the plan can be exported to the device. When the workout begins, the activity duration, laps, and your custom intensity will be automatically prompted by your device. Additionally, your daily workout can be automatically synced to many devices. Your workout is also presented to you using heart rate, pace or power to measure your intensity.

Supported devices with automatic daily sync include include Garmin, Apple Watch (via Stryd app), Zwift and Wahoo. Other supported devices with manual export include Trainer Road, Rouvy, Hurts Ergo, ErgVideo, Racermate/Computrainer, MaximumTrainer, and MobileIntervals.

For more information, see the FAQ below, or the structured workout page at TrainingPeaks.com.

Q: What is a structured workout plan?

A: All the workouts in an 80/20 structured workout plan have been created using the TrainingPeaks Workout Builder, which dynamically adds individual training targets to the activity, offers a visual representation of the workout, and most importantly, allows for the export of the workout to compatible devices, such as a Garmin.

Q: What is the difference between the Pace, Heart Rate, and Power structured workout Run plans?

A: The intensity in the Pace plans are written as a % of your threshold pace, the Heart Rate plans are written as a % of your threshold heart rate, and the Power plans as a % of your FTP. You can choose which measure of intensity is best for you.

Q: The 80/20 Run plans on this site are only offered as Heart Rate structured workouts. How can I get the Pace or Power version?

A: Simply Contact Us and select the Level Guarantee when prompted, and we will share the Pace or Power plan with you directly in TrainingPeaks.

Q: What is the difference between the six types of structured workout Triathlon plans: Heart Rate, Run Pace and Bike HR, Run Pace and Bike Power, Run and Bike Power, Run Power and Bike HR, and Run HR and Bike Power?

A: We recognize that different athletes use different methods to measure intensity. Some use only heart rate. Some use heart rate on the bike and pace on the run, some use power on the bike and pace on the run, others use power for both bike and run, and some use HR on the run and power on the bike. The six plan types accommodate those needs. The workouts in the Run and Bike Heart Rate plan are written as a % of your threshold heart rate on the bike and run. The Run Pace and Bike Heart Rate plans use the % of your threshold pace on the run and % of threshold heart rate on the bike. The Run Pace and Bike Power plans use % of threshold pace on the run and % threshold power on the bike. The Run and Bike Power use your % of threshold power for both run and bike. The Run Power and Bike HR uses the % of your threshold power on the run and % threshold HR on the bike. The Run HR and Bike Power plans use the % of your threshold HR on the run and % threshold power on the bike. All the 80/20 triathlon plans use a % of threshold pace for the swim.

Q: Can you give me an example of how the export works on my device?

A: Sure. Let's say your 80/20 workout description says this:

5 minutes Z1, 21 minutes Z2, 3 x (5 minutes Z3/3 minutes Z1) 5 minutes Z2, 5 minutes Z1.

Your workout is a 5 minute warmup in Zone 1, 21 minutes in Zone 2, 3 sets of 5 minutes in Zone 3 on 3 minutes rest, followed by a 5 minute Zone 2 and 5 minute Zone 1 cooldown. Remembering all that is not too hard, right?

But, with a structured workout, after exporting or syncing the workout from TrainingPeaks and importing it into your compatible device, you will be prompted automatically as you progress through the workout. Your device will provide your individual intensity for the Zone 1 warm up, beep when it is time to switch to Zone 2 and provide the intensity, then notify you to start your Zone 3 intervals with your individual Zone 3 intensity, and finally walk you through your cooldown.

Q: Tell me more about my daily workouts syncing automatically to my device.

A: This is pretty nifty feature. With Garmin, Zwfit, and Wahoo, your 80/20 plan's daily workout can be automatically downloaded straight to your compatible device. Just wake up and hit start on your device! While the autosync feature is limited to certain devices, you can still manually export your 80/20 workouts to a much wider range of manufacturers and devices.

Q: How do I know what my thresholds are?

A: The 80/20 plans come with rich documentation and support, including how to determine your thresholds.

Q: What if I want the plan in my Google or Outlook calendar and don't care about the structured workout bells and whistles.

A: No problem. TrainingPeaks offers .ics synchronization between your training calendar via 3rd party calendar applications, such as Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Apple's iCal.

Q: Can I still do a workout without doing the export?

A: Definitely. Each workout contains a detailed description for you to follow whether or not it has been exported to your device.

Q: What is the difference between the structured workout plans and the original plans?

A: The original 80/20 run plans are identical to the structured workout run plans, but the original plans do not use the new workout builder nor structured workouts and therefore the workouts cannot be exported. The original 80/20 plans still provide you with detailed instructions for each workout, and have been used successfully by hundreds of athletes. If you are unsure of which type of plan, we recommend a structured workout plan as it contains everything that the original plans contain, plus the option to utilize the structured workout features.

Q: If I have purchased an original plan, can I switch to a structured workout plan?

A: Yes, contact us for a complimentary switch to a structured workout plan.

Q: Are 80/20 structured workouts available on any other platform other than TrainingPeaks?

A: No, 80/20 structured workout plans are only available on the TrainingPeaks platform.

Q: What if I have other questions?

A: Please contact us.