Ride your coach's workouts without a game

Your coach sends you structured workouts as files. You don't need avatars, a virtual world or group rides to ride them: just a smart trainer that holds the watts and an app that reads the file.

The three file formats coaches send

• .zwo is the workout format Zwift made popular. It describes steps as a share of your FTP (for example 4 × 4 min at 112%), so the workout scales to you.
• .erg lists the workout as time and watts. Some files also note the FTP they were written for, so the watts can be scaled to yours.
• .mrc is the same idea as .erg, but with % of FTP instead of watts.

Most coaching platforms and training plans export at least one of these. If your coach plans in a calendar tool, look for "export workout" or "download .zwo / .erg / .mrc".

What ERG mode does for you

In ERG mode the app tells your smart trainer the target power for each step, and the trainer adjusts the resistance so you hit it, whatever gear you're in and however fast you pedal. A 4-minute interval at 280 W stays at 280 W. You don't shift and you don't stare at a power number: you pedal and the workout happens the way your coach wrote it.

That's why a game isn't needed for structured training. The point is to hit the numbers, and the trainer already does the hard part.

Step by step

1. Set your FTP to the value your coach uses. Files written in % of FTP (.zwo, .mrc) scale to it; .erg files in watts are scaled from the FTP in the file when it has one.
2. Import the files. One workout at a time, or a whole training block: a folder or a .zip.
3. Check the profile before you start: the steps and their intensity should look like what your coach described.
4. Ride in ERG. If a day feels off, shift the whole workout a few percent up or down instead of skipping it, and tell your coach.
5. Share the ride. Upload it to Strava (or download the .fit file), which is where most coaches check their athletes' sessions.

Common problems

• The intervals feel far too hard or too easy: your FTP in the app doesn't match the one your coach planned with. Retest, or ask your coach which value to use (see how to do an FTP test).
• Short sprints feel laggy: every trainer needs a moment to change resistance. That's normal in ERG for efforts under about 15 seconds.
• Your power drops out of a step: in ERG, a low cadence makes the trainer feel heavy. Keep your cadence up rather than grinding.