Calculate your training zones with precision
STEP 1: DETERMINE ATHLETE PROFILE
Based on CP:VO₂ Ratio (or CS:VO₂ for running)
🔴 ANAEROBIC < 0.78
Aerobic Expansion or Base/Durability
🔴 ANAEROBIC 0.78 - 0.83
Base/Durability or Build/Threshold
🟡 BALANCED 0.83 - 0.87
Choose based on limiter (see Step 2)
🟢 AEROBIC > 0.87
VO₂ Max, Base/Durability, Specificity, or Build/Threshold Long
STEP 2: IDENTIFY THE LIMITER
(Use for Balanced athletes or to refine block choice)
IF DURABILITY IS LIMITER
(Can't hold volume, breaks down, fades in long efforts)
→ Base/Durability Block (3-6 weeks)
Build resilience & aerobic foundation
IF EXECUTION IS LIMITER
(Has fitness but races poorly, struggles with pacing/fueling)
→ Specificity Block (2-5 weeks)
Transfer fitness to race-pace execution
IF MULTIPLE LIMITERS
(Compressed timeline, can't do sequential blocks)
→ Hybrid Block (3-5 weeks)
60-70% primary + 30-40% secondary effort
IF THRESHOLD IS STUCK
(CP/CS not improving despite training gains)
→ Build/Threshold Block (4-6 weeks)
Push OGC & Critical Power together
IF TOP-END IS LIMITER
(CP/CS stuck despite gains, needs headroom)
→ VO₂ Max Block (2-4 weeks)
Expand VO₂ Max ceiling
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
STEP 3: CHECK TIMELINE OVERRIDES
(These take priority over profile & limiter)
IF < 4 WEEKS INTO TRAINING CYCLE
→ Base/Durability Block (3-6 weeks)
Build aerobic foundation first
IF ≤ 6 WEEKS FROM RACE
→ Specificity Block (2-5 weeks)
Race-pace rehearsal & execution
IF ≤ 2 WEEKS POST-RACE
→ Rebuild/Reset (1-2 weeks)
Absorb race stress, regain rhythm
IF SIGNS OF OVERLOAD
(TSB < -15, declining performance, persistent fatigue)
→ Rebuild/Reset (1-3 weeks)
Recovery priority
🟢 AEROBIC EXPANSION (3-5 weeks)
Push LT1 & OGC to expand aerobic ceiling
🔴 BASE/DURABILITY (3-6 weeks)
Low Zone1/Zone2 work for aerobic resilience
🔴 BUILD/THRESHOLD (4-6 weeks)
Push OGC & Critical Power together
🔴 BUILD/THRESHOLD LONG (4-5 weeks)
Extend sweet spot time, increase TTE
🟡 SPECIFICITY (2-5 weeks)
Race-pace rehearsal & execution skills
🟡 HYBRID (3-5 weeks)
Combine 2+ areas simultaneously
🟢 VO₂ MAX (2-4 weeks)
Expand VO₂ Max & create headroom
🔵 REBUILD/RESET (1-3 weeks)
Recovery & regain training rhythm
SETTING UP AN ATHLETE'S DATA
Fix last 42 days at minimum of TSS by doing the following
(if you feel the TSS IS accurate as it is, keep but if not for workouts you don't know):
Run TSS = Minutes, plus 5-10
Bike TSS = Minutes, minus 5-10
Swim I do yardage divided by 62.5
RUN needs to be rtss
BIKE needs to be TSS
Get rid of duplicate workouts. GO thru. At least 42 days.
