7 days training load

With the 7d Load it is a range of values that is optimal.  In my case, the 7d Load range is currently 446 - 988 - here's what that looks like on the watch:

I have not worked out yet today, but when I do an additional 100 points or so will be added to maintain my 7d Load at 640 or thereabouts - more near the middle of the range.  If I did not workout today, my 7d Load would stay at 534, but still within the optimal range of 446-988.  Then, if I were not to work out again tomorrow, my 7d Load would drop to about 426 which would be below the optimal range.

Here's what it looks like in Garmin Connect Mobile:

You can see how the optimal range will automatically adjust, after a while, to a higher or lower range based on historical data.  I was well below optimal because I did not work out at all for about a week and the optimal range dropped accordingly.  Then, when I staryed working out again and brought my 7d Load up, the range adjusted back up to where it was.  Now, after maintaining my 7d Load within that range for a few weeks, the optimal range has adjusted up again.

This lag in range adjustment, both up and down, allows for both super productive and rest days to be recorded without immediately changing your 7d Optimal range.  Personally, I like the way it works.  I feel it is OK to take a day off because the range stays the same.

Now I better get on the bike and record my 100+ Load for today to get back on track :-)

HTH

Here you can see my graph. As you can see i have been pushing quite hard if you compare it to a month ago. Everything is optimal.

241 is in rage, 450 optimal and even 646 what it is now is optimal. IMO that dosen't make any sense. For me, i could be lazy ass and use my bike 2x a week and still be optimal. Or i could ride my bike 5-6 times a week hard and be optimal.

No matter what i do, it would stay in optimal because that number can go up and down. I understand that if i keep getting in better shape my optimal range should rise also. It should rise that anything below like 250 or 300 is not optimal. But what i think that riding 2 or 6 times a week both cannot be optimal way of training.

Get my point?

I think you may be missing the intent of the 7-Day Rolling Average which drives the range of Load averages defined as Optimal.

Optimal is not a static range that neither goes up nor goes down, it is a dynamic range that goes up or down based on the consistency and trend of your past workouts - with a very heavy weighting on the last 7 days.

If you work consistently hard, your Optimal range will go up, and you will have to work harder in the future than you did in the past in order to Maintain the new, higher, optimal range.

Conversely, if you slack off, work less hard and less frequently, your optimal range will decrease, and you will not have to work as hard in the future as you did in the past to Maintain the new, lower, optimal range.

Your training history makes your optimal training range.  If your personal training goal is to be at a higher conditioning level than the current "optimal" range indicates, then you should work consistently harder than you did in the recent past to drive the optimal range higher.

The Optimal training range is not a goal, it is an indicator of your present state of training, and should be used to help you make decisions about how hard you should be training in the future.

In my case, the changes in Optimal range have been quite instructive.

Basically, I did not train regularly on my Concept2 BikeErg until January this year because I could not figure out how to connect both Power and Speed/Cadence data to my fenix 6x Pro so that I could gather all the meaningful data I wanted.  Starting in January, I really didn't have a handle on what all the metrics meant in terms of how I could influence each one with my pattern of training.  This is what my first month of training looked like:

Obviously, not enough data for the algorithms to accurately determine an optimal training range - and what data there were, were fairly inconsistent.  270 was the upper limit of Optimal and 735 was too high.

Based on that, I determined that a more consistent approach to training was in order - hey, I'm not a pro at this, it was a breakthrough for me.  So, the second month looked like this:

The consistently higher than average for the first month was gradually dragging the determination of the Optimal range up to a range that matched my current level of training. At the end of February, I was slacking off, so the Rolling Average 7d Load was dropping - still within the Optimal range, but not a good indicator.  I knew that if I continued not training as hard as I had in the recent past, I would drop out of the Optimal Range, or at least not be able to Maintain the current Optimal Range.

The next month looked like this:

I was not comfortable "driving" my training to "meet the range." Even though the Optimal range indicated I was in the lower half of the acceptable 7d Load, for me it was too much.  I was a little frustrated that I was trying very hard, but just not seeing the numbers/improvement I expected.  In fact, the overall trend was down and I couldn't explain it.  In hindsight, my guess is that not just the last 7 days data, but also things like rate of change, etc. go into the 7d Load Optimal algorithm.  So, I fell back on the idea that consistency would eventually win the day, so the latest data look like this:

This chart now includes my workout for today.

On the watch, it now looks like this:

So, now I think I'm on the right track.

I am now consistently training within a range that feels comfortable and is gradually trending up - the right direction.

In conclusion, I really can't provide any comment on your data other than consistency in training will yield consistency in data.  If consistency is not what you are after, then you will have to look - over the longer term - at the Optimal 7d Load Range data to see if it can be used by you to instruct your personal training.

HTH

Well that's one hell of the answer thank you.

Looking at your charts and not knowing any better for me it seems like you are hitting that one spot of hardness level in any training? Now im just guessing, by doing that you would not get any gaining on your fitness level just maintaining it?

For me i think that one should be doing lower and higher intensity to get more out of your training. Because if you think abaut lifting weights. If you always lift the exact mount of weights like 50kg at some point of doing that you would not get any stronger? From the start yes but after a time no. Correct me if im wrong, please. 

How did you connect those candence etc meter because i have same problem? Phone nor the watch is not finding neither of them. Watch only finds my chest strap. 

Your chart is knife sharp i'll give you that. Mine goes all over. Maybe im looking at too much numbers and charts. I dunno. 

Let me answer the easy one first: The following thread has a lot of great info about connecting the SPD/CAD and PWR output from the Concept2 PM5 monitor: SPD/CAD and PWR Connection to PM5

I agree with your opinion that a variety of intensity is valuable for long term improvement.  What I maintain as somewhat constant is the training LOAD.  I have gone up from less than 100 to about 120 over a couple of months, so it is gradualkly going up.  What I vary a lot is the type and duration of activities each day.  Some days my workout will be a relatively short (<30 min) workout with high intensity/Anaerobic benefit - but still with a training Load of about 100.  Other days it will be a much longer (>60 min) at a much lower intensity with Low Aerobic benefit - but still with a training Load of about 100.  Other days I will do something like HIIT where I will do 1 min sprints at maximum effort then pedal at about a Zone 4 level for 5 minutes, then repeat until I reach a Load of 100.

So, I get my lower and higher intensity by changing duration so Load stays about the same.  Over just a few weeks it has allowed me to comfortably increase my Load - I expect this trend to increase.

HTH