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Training Recommended and Training Status by Garmin a Farce

Des
over 1 year ago

I have tried the recommended program by Garmin to build up to a MTB event and must say that I am quite disappointed in the program. Although I am 68 I am still quite fit and can race a MTB race of 70km's at an average speed of 26km/h.

Garmin put me on Base Training where it wants me to ride day in, day out at 120W. Doing this my HR does not even go beyond Z1 (Warm-up). Yet it still shows that my Training Status is "Strained". My FTP is 209W and LTHR is 136. My Max HR is 153.

After following the program for some weeks, I yesterday decided to do an outdoor ride with effort more towards Z4 (Anaerobic) 60% of the time and with the balance of time 36% in Z3 (Aerobic), and guess what,

Garmin showed my Training Status as "Productive". Goodness gracious, what laugh!!!

Strained at lower Watts than I would normally warm up at when riding on the trainer, but Productive when riding at good HR values.

-Warm-up f me would mostly be at 140W - 160W, with specific Watts and either Constant Load Increase over time or Intervals, or Sprints to follow depending on the specific training I do for the day.

Fat burning Z2 is mostly once a week.

I am wondering whether the Garmin program function is only for the super "unfit" or "beginners" as it definitely does not work for someone like me. I feel that it actually just breaks down the strength already existing, by keeping one at such low effort. Garmins recommended Watts for my is 120W and HR 90, where I only go into Z2 at around 92bpm. Z2 is then 92 - 106bpm.

One cannot train in a Warm-up zone day in day out.

Also my HRV worsened during this time and after only the one ride in Z3 and Z4 this value overnight increase from 33/34ms back up to 41ms.

I think Garmin needs to make an effort of understanding an individual's Max HR, THR and FTP power capabilities when recommending a training program leading up to a calendared event.

Quite irritating seeing your FTP falling when using the Garmin recommended training for an event you are working to.

  • 0 over 1 year ago
    Des said:
    Although I am 68 I am still quite fit and can race a MTB race of 70km's at an average speed of 26km/h

    Given above I am not sure your FTP is good at 209 W. I could not do 70km at 26 avg  and having FTP set higher than 209. 

    Not discussing your max hr and LTHR, they are 30 down vs my settings but I am younger, so possibly this is fine.

    All above settings contribute to HR and Power zones, and translates activity to training effect and load and then (with Garmin's 'magic') goes to training status.

    Which can be weird at times but mostly should work. If you have strained status showing, check your HRV as that impacts it too, plus I'd really check and maybe reset my zones

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to 9820003

    Hi, thank you for the reply.

    I cannot change my HR values or zones as my Max is what it is and has been so low for years. My average resting HR in Garmin Connect is around 41bpm. I know according to the tables and age it is normally calculated as 220-age, which in any case brings it to 152.

    I work with the standard zones, and have always, even in my running years of Aerobic Z3 being between 70% - 79%, Anaerobic Z4 80% - 89%, Max Z5 90% +.

    Z1 Warm-up is only up to 59%, and then Z2 60% - 69%, which are standard settings.

    My HRV status was good within the GREEN zone up and until I started using the Garmin Recommended Training workouts and then only started to drop into the 30's. I would have expected it to actually improve my HRV as I would not be "overtraining", but it seemed to go the wrong way.

    Below just a screenshot of the race I was referring to.

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to Des

    Seems to be a quite flat race. I have an FTP around 200 as well, and have had similar average speed in MTB races.