TrainingPeaks: Adding, Modifying, and Managing Your Workout Library

How do I add exercise to my TrainingPeaks library?

Adding exercises to your TrainingPeaks library streamlines your training design, allowing you to efficiently create, store, and reuse structured workouts tailored to your specific physiological adaptations and performance goals.

Understanding the TrainingPeaks Workout Library

The TrainingPeaks Workout Library serves as a central repository for all your custom-designed training sessions. It's a powerful feature that enhances efficiency and consistency in your programming. By populating this library, you can quickly drag and drop pre-built workouts onto your calendar, modify them as needed, and ensure a systematic approach to your training progression. This system supports principles of periodization and progressive overload by making it easy to replicate, adapt, and scale your training sessions.

Method 1: Creating a New Workout from Scratch

Building a workout from the ground up offers complete control over its structure and targets, ensuring it aligns precisely with your training objectives.

• Access Your Workout Library: From the left-hand navigation pane in TrainingPeaks, click on "Workouts" to open your Workout Library.
• Initiate New Workout Creation: In the upper right corner of the Workout Library interface, click the "Add Workout" button.
• Define Workout Type and Basic Details:
  • Workout Type: Select the appropriate discipline (e.g., Bike, Run, Swim, Strength, Other). This selection influences the available metrics and target options.
  • Title: Give your workout a clear, descriptive name (e.g., "Tempo Run - 4x10min Z3", "Strength - Lower Body Hypertrophy").
  • Description: Add a brief overview or key notes about the workout's purpose, equipment needed, or specific instructions.
• Structure the Workout (Adding Intervals/Steps):
  • The workout builder allows you to define individual steps or intervals. Click "Add Step" to begin.
  • Step Type: Choose the type of step (e.g., Warm-up, Interval, Recovery, Cooldown).
  • Duration: Specify the duration of the step (e.g., 10 minutes, 5 miles, 20 reps).
  • Target: This is crucial for structured training. Click "Apply a Target" and select your desired metric (e.g., Power (%FTP), Heart Rate (%Max HR), Pace (per mile/km), RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion), Cadence). Input the specific target zone or value.
  • Repeat Blocks: For repeating intervals, use the "Add Repeat" function to group steps and specify the number of repetitions.
  • Step Notes: Add specific instructions for each step (e.g., "Focus on smooth pedal stroke," "Maintain high cadence," "Perform with controlled eccentric").
• Save Your Workout: Once all steps and details are entered, click the "Save" button in the top right corner. Your new workout will now appear in your Workout Library.

Method 2: Copying and Modifying an Existing Workout

This method is highly efficient for creating variations of existing workouts or building upon a successful template.

• Locate the Source Workout: You can copy a workout from your calendar or directly from your Workout Library.
  • From Calendar: Click on the workout you wish to copy.
  • From Library: Find the workout in your Workout Library list.
• Duplicate the Workout:
  • From Calendar: In the workout details pop-up, look for the "Copy" or "Duplicate" icon/option.
  • From Library: Hover over the workout in the list, and an options menu (often a three-dot icon) will appear. Select "Duplicate" or "Copy."
• Modify and Save: A new, identical workout will be created. Open this duplicate workout.
  • Rename: Immediately change the title to reflect its new purpose or variation (e.g., "Tempo Run - 5x10min Z3" if modifying from a 4x10min workout).
  • Adjust Parameters: Modify the duration, intensity, targets, or step notes as needed.
  • Save: Click "Save" to add this modified version as a new, distinct entry in your Workout Library.

Method 3: Saving a Completed or Scheduled Workout to Your Library

If you've previously executed a workout or have one planned on your calendar that you'd like to reuse, TrainingPeaks allows you to save it to your library. This is particularly useful for workouts that proved effective or are part of a recurring training block.

• Navigate to Your Calendar: Go to your TrainingPeaks calendar view.
• Select the Desired Workout: Click on the workout event (either a scheduled workout or a completed activity) you wish to save.
• Access Save Option: In the workout details pop-up, look for an option like "Save to Library," "Add to Library," or a "More Options" menu (often a three-dot icon) that contains this choice.
• Confirm and Save: A prompt will appear allowing you to review the workout details and give it a name for your library. Confirm the details and click "Save." The workout will now be accessible in your Workout Library for future use.

Best Practices for Managing Your Workout Library

A well-organized Workout Library enhances your coaching and self-coaching efficacy, ensuring you can quickly find and deploy the right training stimulus.

• Consistent Naming Conventions: Adopt a systematic naming structure. This could include workout type, duration, intensity, and key intervals (e.g., "Run: Endurance 60min Z2", "Bike: Threshold 3x10min Z4", "Strength: Full Body A").
• Detailed Descriptions and Notes: Use the description field for the workout's overall purpose. Utilize step notes for specific execution cues, equipment requirements, or physiological objectives for each segment.
• Utilize Categories/Tags: TrainingPeaks allows you to assign categories (e.g., "Base Building," "Race Prep," "Strength Endurance"). Use these to filter and quickly locate relevant workouts.
• Progressive Overload Variations: Create multiple versions of key workouts with increasing duration, intensity, or complexity to facilitate systematic progression (e.g., "Intervals: 4x5min Z4", then "Intervals: 5x5min Z4", then "Intervals: 4x6min Z4").
• Regular Review and Pruning: Periodically review your library. Delete outdated, unused, or redundant workouts to keep it clean and efficient.

The Biomechanical and Physiological Benefits of a Structured Library

From an exercise science perspective, maintaining a robust workout library offers profound benefits for optimizing training adaptation:

• Consistency and Adherence: Pre-built workouts reduce decision fatigue, making it easier for athletes to adhere to their prescribed training plan. This consistency is fundamental for driving physiological adaptations.
• Systematic Progression: A library facilitates the systematic application of progressive overload, a core principle for improving fitness. You can easily scale volume, intensity, or complexity over time, ensuring continued adaptation without overtraining.
• Specificity of Training: By creating highly specific workouts targeting particular energy systems (e.g., aerobic, anaerobic), muscle groups, or movement patterns, you can ensure that training stimuli precisely match the demands of the athlete's goals.
• Data-Driven Adjustments: When workouts are consistently structured, it becomes easier to analyze performance data (power, heart rate, pace, RPE) against the intended targets. This allows for more informed adjustments to future training.
• Efficiency in Programming: For coaches and athletes alike, the time saved in programming allows for more focus on analysis, recovery, and other critical aspects of performance optimization.

Conclusion: Optimizing Your Training Workflow

Mastering the art of adding and managing exercises in your TrainingPeaks library is more than just a technical skill; it's a strategic move towards more effective, efficient, and scientifically grounded training. By investing time in building a well-structured library, you empower yourself or your athletes to pursue performance goals with greater precision, consistency, and a clear path to physiological improvement. Embrace this powerful tool to elevate your training workflow and unlock your full potential.