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Garmins Traning status and all the metrics to it

Former Member
Former Member
Yeah I don't know if this is the right sub forum but I couldn't anything better. As an old Training peaks user I'm a little frustrated with Garmins try on this subject. They use alot from First beat. The different parts semmes fine but how it's put together, I don't know.

For example, there is really no way to plan training load. You get a number for a 7 day period. But then the individual workouts don't get a number that would add to the training load. What you get is another term: training effect and good old training stress score. But I can't add those numbers to get the training load. Training load derives from a black box.

Then you have the training status that is a sorry alternative to the performance management chart. At Least my training status is living a life off it's own.

So is it only me that has problems "working" with this tools? Or what do you think?

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    The metrics that Garmin devices record and/or present are observations. The user – if he so wishes – can react/respond to such, and decide on or alter his course of action. They aren't planning or forecasting tools for future workouts.

    You can always engage some coaching capability (whether that's a more experienced athlete, or an exercise physiologist or lab that specialises in such things, or I suppose you could even do it yourself) to provide you with a plan, alongside some indication of what the designer of the plan thinks ought to be the training effect or training load at particular review points, and then you can compare the Garmin device's report against your plan, which will then inform whether you need to make adjustments.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member


    Du you think Training Peaks system also are "observations"? If you plot workload over time it's because you want to be able to work with that data. I perceive that Garmin is trying to deliver a equellent suite for managing you training.
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    I don't use Training Peaks, I've never seen it and I'm not interested in it.

    I think your perception and/or expectation, of what Garmin Connect is, is rather misplaced.
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    I don't yet have a watch that uses the newer metrics yet (have the 645 on order) but I've paid some attention to the discussions here so that I won't be completely lost when I do. I've never used Training Peaks so I don't know how planning future runs to achieve a given load is done so I can't give you any insight in that regard.

    To the best of my understanding is that to put it in terms, separated from either Garmin or Training Peaks terminology, and that have been in use for a while is that Training Effect is like EPOC and Training Load is more like TRIMP or maybe a cumulative EPOC score.

    But you're right that there is no way to plan these numbers in advance since the design seems to be geared, especially in the case of Training Load, to look at where you are now based on what you've already done. That is then combined with Training Status to let you know whether or not what you're doing is being productive or not.

    Maybe Herman from Firstbeat who comments on the forum from time to time can chime in with a better description.

    Edit: Here's a link to the Firstbeat description of the Training Load/Status/Effect stats and how they're derived.
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    This is essentially what the coach function of Firstbeat Athlete did - create a rolling training plan based on Firstbeat Metrics, TE etc. Each workout defined as a specific TE target/time, hence the "coach" would control the training load.
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    Honestly, I'm not familiar enough with the in's and out's of Training Peaks to do any sort of compare and contrasts. I did have a chance to chat (along with a few others) with one of the key Training Peaks guys, who visited the Firstbeat showroom at CES earlier this month in Las Vegas. My impression is that they are primarily focused on coaching services and utilize some type of TRIMP (or TRIMP similar) calculation to measure training loads.

    To R_Tellis' point.

    Training Effect is an EPOC-based metric that is scaled based on your cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) and training history to place the impact of your effort into the context of how it will improve your aerobic performance capacity. Relevant portions are identified and further analyzed to also predict the development of anaerobic performance capabilities (repeating sprints, etc).

    "Training Load" in Firstbeat/Garmin terms is simply a rolling 7-day sum of your EPOC scores. I have heard several folks say they would like the raw EPOC value displayed for each activity. I'm not really sure why that information isn't currently shown. I also don't really know what it would really be useful for, since the informational value is better expressed via the Training Effect score - which as mentioned above takes the EPOC value and adds the context needed to transform it into meaningful, personalized information.

    In general, it's probably best to think of Training Status as a resource that helps you evaluate the benefit of your activities. In other words, it can tell you if what you are doing is having the desired effect.

    Not sure if that helped, but if there's something specific I can answer, let me know.