8 Reasons Why I Use TrainingPeaks and You Should Too

On a blue patterned background it says "trainingpeaks" which is one of the best apps for endurance athletes.

Just recently, I talked with one of my athletes about TrainingPeaks, where I mentioned my confidence in the system. After all, if you’re a coach or an athlete, you need a reliable tool to measure your progress. So, no matter what kind of endurance athlete you are, TrainingPeaks can add value to your life. Now, in the context of training and performance, what makes TrainingPeaks so remarkable?

Here’s to 8 reasons why you should use TrainingPeaks… 

1. TrainingPeaks is Free

In the basic version, TrainingPeaks is free. Just sign up, and you’re good to go. The free version allows you to upload and download your training data, use some simple analytics tools, and add other important metrics like sleep time or body weight. 

Of course, if you want more out of your TrainingPeaks experience, you can upgrade to the premium version. The premium version comes at 19.95$ per month or 9.92$ per month if you buy the yearly subscription. What’s more, the premium price remained stable over the years, which is fair. Furthermore, the premium version adds extra benefits. Firstly, you can plan future workouts in your calendar. Secondly, you can use advanced analytics tools. And thirdly, you can utilize the performance management chart for additional insides.

2. TrainingPeaks is the Ultimate Training Diary

As already addressed, even the basic version offers powerful options for you as an athlete. Once you collect more and more training data and other metrics, TrainingPeaks will help you evaluate your season to make better decisions in the future. Just look at your data and find the patterns where you felt better and more positive about your fitness. Chances are, you will gain information on what worked from those patterns and what didn’t.

In this way, you prepare yourself for more structure and consistency as an athlete, which ultimately leads to improved performance. 

The TrainingPeaks calendar shows you how you follow the plan through different colors

3. You Can Track Your Fitness

Tracking your fitness is critical to reaching your goal race in great shape. You can use your training diary to assess your fitness and track your progress with field tests, for example.

Another important way for cyclists or triathletes could be to look at the work in kilojoules produced in a given workout. As can be seen, work is power multiplied by time. Therefore, if you have more kilojoules in a similar training session, it’s a good sign of improved fitness. 

Additionally, TrainingPeaks offers more useful tools for a deeper analysis, in the premium version. 

4. You Can Analyze Your Training Data

If you want to get the most out of your training, you need to analyze your data. It’s so important that I wrote a whole article about it here

For example, if you look at your kilojoules in cycling, we can assume that it accounts for your calories burned due to metabolic efficiency on the bike. That allows you to adjust your fuelling needs to the calories you expect to burn. 

In addition, you can look at how your heart rate compares to your power or pace during a long endurance workout and examine tendencies in your aerobic fitness. Also, the same is true for interval sessions: You can look at how evenly you paced your threshold efforts and if you were able to hold power or pace from the first to the last interval. 

5. TrainingPeaks Pairs with Almost Everything

TrainingPeaks evolved into a very versatile platform. Today, you can pair TrainingPeaks with almost every device, from your Apple watch and Garmin computer to your Whoop band.

You can even create workouts in the premium version, and automatically sync them with your Zwift account, or to your Apple watch, to follow structured training during a ride, for instance.

6. TrainingPeaks is an App

In the era of digitalization, many people use their smartphones for a bunch of different things. People read their favorite newspapers, use smartphones as work tools, or get lost for entertainment reasons. 

Athletes and Coaches use their smartphones to stay connected, share information, and collect data.

And what is convenient is that TrainingPeaks is available as an App. To be honest, that is a lifesaver for me as a coach because I’m an athlete myself, and when I’m out training it’s helpful to check out on athletes if they need me. Besides, it’s very convenient for you as an athlete as you always have your training plan to go.

7. You Can Manage Your Athletes

TrainingPeaks is a platform for athletes and coaches alike. Personally, for me as a cycling coach, there’s no better platform to work with. 

Altogether, I have a nice overview of all my athletes. In addition, colleagues can share their athletes with me if they need any advice or vice versa. That connection and overview make TrainingPeaks invaluable in guiding my athletes in their processes.

However, for the coaching account, there’s no free version. The coaching account comes with a starting fee of 99$ and two coaching account options. On the one hand, a monthly fee of 19$ for four basic athletes, and on the other hand, 49$ for an unlimited amount of basic athletes. In my opinion, that is a fair price and if you take your business seriously, it’s more than worth the cost, plus TrainingPeaks has offers where you get the starting fee for free.

8. You Can Follow Structured Training Plans

One thing I see many athletes struggling with is following a structured plan. Especially, when the weather is bad or other priorities like family and friends are in the way, the temptation to skip a workout is significant. 

Yet, some athletes don’t have the money to pay a coach or just don’t want personal support, so the only way is to stay on your own. 

But with TrainingPeaks plans, those days are over. You can buy a structured training plan from an experienced coach in your discipline. Then, you can incorporate that plan into your TrainingPeaks calendar and start whenever it fits you. 

The benefit is that you get a full plan for as little as 4 weeks and up to 12 weeks and more. 

In my plans, for example, you get full workout instructions and fuelling guidelines to get the most out of every workout. My training plans cover all training cycles, like base and build, as well as particular races like Unbound Gravel. You can start plans with your buddies to prepare for goal events, for example. Otherwise, you can start a plan to become a stronger and faster cyclist.

With my range of experience, you will find plans for road cycling, mtb, cross, and gravel. Enjoy!

Train for your peak

All in all, TrainingPeaks will add great value to your training process. No matter what kind of cyclist you are, TrainingPeaks is a powerful tool that’ll help you train right and hit the peak when you need it the most.

Ready to Reach Your Peak?

If you enjoyed this and want to improve your cycling performance, then get your hands on one of my plans that are available on TrainingPeaks ride faster for longer, or click below to get my specific base, build, and peak plans for amateur and elite cyclists:

  1. RV Polarized Training, 8 Weeks on 6 Hours, 10 Hours, or 15 Hours
  2. RV The Block Periodization Plan, 4 Weeks (6-8 Hours)
  3. RV The Perfect Build Block for Advanced Cyclists, 4 Weeks (15 Hours)
  4. RV Improve Your FTP, 8 Weeks on 6 Hours, 10 Hours, or 15 Hours
  5. RV Gravel Advanced Base Plan 8-12 Hours (12 Weeks) – All Gravel Races
  6. RV Unbound 200 Three Phases Build Plan, Advanced 8-12 Hours (12 Weeks)
  7. RV Unbound 200 Three Phases Peak Plan Advanced 10 Hours (8 Weeks)

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