How to Choose a Dynamic Workout

Training Today supports dynamic running and cycling workouts, with swimming and other sports coming shortly.

How to Choose a Running Workout

The key to improving all aspects of running is to vary the purpose of the runs you do during a week. There should be a mix of low-intensity, recovery, or aerobic endurance-based sets and higher-intensity speed, speed endurance (sometimes referred to as VO2 max or 'threshold'), or strength sets.

We recommend aiming for 70-80% of your running time, targeting HR zone 2 or lower.

As a rough guide, the following could be a typical week with four runs in it:

  • Monday: Speed

  • Tuesday: Rest Day

  • Wednesday: Aerobic Endurance

  • Thursday: Rest day

  • Friday: Speed Endurance

  • Saturday: Rest day

  • Sunday: Recovery

Typically, speed, speed endurance, or strength run would not be on consecutive days.

The Challenge Level will default to a recommended setting based on your RTT score for the day.  You can adjust this if you like but take note of the duration.  If it is significantly longer than you typically run, you may see a warning recommending choosing a different set.

How to Choose a Cycling Workout

Improving cycling relies on choosing a range of workouts that target different physiological energy systems. During a week, there should be a mix of low-intensity, recovery, or aerobic endurance-based sets and higher-intensity speed, speed endurance (sometimes referred to as VO2 max or 'threshold'), strength, or strength endurance sets. Depending on your set-up, you can choose target zones that are either heart rate-based or power-based.

We recommend aiming for at least 70-80% of your riding time to be spent on lower-intensity rides. Cycling is a low-impact activity, so active recovery following higher-intensity sessions is beneficial. If you like, you can ride nearly every day.

As a rough guide, the following could be a typical week:

  • Monday: Speed

  • Tuesday: Aerobic Endurance recovery

  • Wednesday: Strength session

  • Thursday: Rest day

  • Friday: Speed Endurance

  • Saturday: Aerobic Endurance recovery

  • Sunday: Aerobic endurance

Typically, speed, speed endurance, strength, or strength endurance rides would not be on consecutive days.

The Challenge Level will default to a recommended setting based on your RTT score for the day. 

You can adjust this if you like but take note of the duration. 

Power vs. Heart Rates Zones

When you select a Cycling workout, you can use Heart Rate zones or Power Zones. These zones are set automatically by Apple Watch, but you can edit them in Settings > Workout > Heart Rate Zones and Cycling Power on Apple Watch (Or in the Watch app on iPhone)

Safety for Outdoor Cycling

You can choose to execute the cycling set indoors or outdoors. When cycling outdoors, you may need to adjust the lengths of the set efforts to match your environment and ensure you follow the rules of the road - timings are for guidance only for outdoor rides.

How to Choose a Swimming Workout

Swimming workouts are great for all body fitness and benefit from being both low-impact and weight-supported.

This means the key recovery goal between sessions is primarily about specific muscle fatigue. It is important to vary the purpose of the swims you do during a week to target different energy systems, meaning there should be a mixture of low-intensity, recovery, or aerobic endurance-based sessions as well as higher-intensity speed, speed endurance (sometimes referred to as VO2 max or 'threshold'), strength endurance or strength sets.

With its low-impact nature, swimming does lend itself to active recovery. In other words, if you want to, it is ok to swim almost every day. In many cases, aspects of recovery are built into the set structure for the higher-intensity sets

As a rough guide, the following could be a typical week with five swims in it:

• Monday: Speed

• Tuesday: Aerobic Endurance

• Wednesday: Rest day

• Thursday: Strength endurance

• Friday: Rest day

• Saturday: Speed endurance

• Sunday: Aerobic endurance

Typically, speed, speed endurance, or strength swims would not be on consecutive days.

The Challenge Level will default to a recommended setting based on your RTT score for the day.  You can adjust this if you like but take note of the duration.  If it is significantly longer than you typically swim, you may see a warning recommending choosing a different set.

Consider employing a coach

Swimming is a highly technical sport and it is easy to put increased effort in without seeing the gains in terms of increased swim speed. We would recommend supplementing the sets in training today with some coaching from an appropriately qualified coach.