TrainingPeaks: Tracking Body Weight, Strength Training, and Lifted Loads

How do you set weight on TrainingPeaks?

TrainingPeaks is primarily an endurance training platform designed for tracking metrics like power, pace, and heart rate for cycling, running, and swimming. While it doesn't offer a dedicated "weight lifted" field for strength training in the traditional sense, you can effectively track your body weight directly and log strength training sessions, including specific loads, through custom workout descriptions, detailed notes, and advanced custom metrics.

Understanding TrainingPeaks' Core Functionality

TrainingPeaks excels as a robust platform for endurance athletes, providing sophisticated tools for planning, analyzing, and tracking performance metrics such as Training Stress Score (TSS), Intensity Factor (IF), and Normalized Power (NP). Its strength lies in its ability to integrate data from various devices (GPS watches, power meters, heart rate monitors) to offer deep insights into an athlete's physiological response to endurance training.

Endurance Focus: The platform's interface and analytical tools are optimized for continuous, time-based activities. This means that while it can accommodate strength training as an activity, it lacks the native "sets x reps x weight" input fields common in dedicated strength tracking applications.

Limited Direct Strength Tracking: Users looking for a direct way to log the specific weight lifted for each set and rep of a barbell squat or bench press will find that TrainingPeaks does not offer this functionality out-of-the-box. However, with a strategic approach, you can still integrate this crucial data into your overall training log.

Tracking Body Weight in TrainingPeaks

One direct interpretation of "setting weight" in TrainingPeaks relates to your body weight, which is a vital metric for many athletes, influencing power-to-weight ratios, recovery, and overall health.

• Accessing the Metrics Section:

  • Log in to your TrainingPeaks account.
  • On the calendar view, locate the "Metrics" section, typically found on the left sidebar or accessible via a specific tab.
  • Click on the "Weight" metric.

• Entering Body Weight Data:

  • For any given day, you can manually input your body weight. Consistency (e.g., weighing yourself at the same time each morning, after using the restroom, before eating) is key for accurate trend analysis.
  • Many smart scales (e.g., Withings, Garmin Index) can integrate directly with TrainingPeaks or sync via third-party apps (like MyFitnessPal, Apple Health) to automate this data entry.

• Viewing Trends:

  • TrainingPeaks allows you to visualize your body weight trends over time, providing a valuable context for your training and nutrition strategies. Monitoring fluctuations can help identify patterns related to training load, hydration, and dietary changes.

Logging Strength Training and Lifted Weights (Indirectly)

Since TrainingPeaks doesn't have native fields for tracking sets, reps, and weights for resistance exercises, you need to use alternative methods to record this information effectively.

Method 1: Using Workout Descriptions and Notes

This is the most common and practical method for logging specific strength training details.

• Creating a Strength Workout:

  • From your TrainingPeaks calendar, click the "+" icon on the desired day to add a new workout.
  • Select "Strength" or a custom workout type you've created for strength.
  • Enter basic details like workout duration, perceived effort (RPE), and overall TSS (if you have a method to estimate it, e.g., using heart rate data or a custom formula).

• Detailed Notes for Specific Weights:

  • The "Description" or "Notes" section of the workout is where you'll log your specific exercises, sets, reps, and the weight lifted.

  • Be Systematic: Adopt a consistent format for your notes to make them easy to read and analyze later.

  • Example Format:

    • Warm-up: Dynamic stretches, light cardio (10 min)
    • A1: Back Squat:
      • Set 1: 5 reps @ 60kg
      • Set 2: 5 reps @ 70kg
      • Set 3: 5 reps @ 80kg
      • Set 4: 5 reps @ 80kg
    • B1: Dumbbell Bench Press:
      • Set 1: 8 reps @ 20kg (each hand)
      • Set 2: 8 reps @ 22.5kg (each hand)
      • Set 3: 8 reps @ 22.5kg (each hand)
    • C1: Pull-ups: 3 sets to failure (8, 7, 6 reps)
    • C2: Plank: 3 sets x 60 seconds
    • Cool-down: Static stretches (5 min)

Method 2: Utilizing Custom Metrics (Advanced)

For more advanced users, TrainingPeaks allows the creation of custom metrics, which can be used to track aggregate load or specific strength-related data points.

• Creating a Custom Metric:

  • Go to "Settings" > "Metrics" > "Add New Metric."
  • You could create metrics like:
    • Total Volume (kg): Sum of (sets x reps x weight) for a specific lift or entire session. This requires manual calculation.
    • RPE for Strength: A separate RPE scale specifically for strength sessions (e.g., 1-10, where 10 is maximal effort).
    • Estimated 1RM: If you periodically test or estimate your one-rep maximum for key lifts, you could track this as a custom metric over time.

• Applying to Workouts:

  • Once created, these custom metrics can be added to your strength workout entries, providing a numerical summary alongside your detailed notes.

• Limitations: While custom metrics offer a way to quantify aspects of strength, they typically require manual calculation and are less granular than a dedicated strength tracking app. They are best for tracking trends in overall load or specific performance markers rather than individual set details.

Method 3: Importing from Integrated Apps

Some third-party strength training apps or platforms may offer integration with TrainingPeaks. However, the level of detail transferred often varies.

• Third-Party Integration: If you use a dedicated strength app (e.g., Strava, MyFitnessPal, or specific gym equipment apps), check if it can sync activity data to TrainingPeaks.
• Data Transfer: Typically, these integrations will sync the workout duration, type (e.g., "Weight Training"), and possibly heart rate data. Detailed sets, reps, and weights are less commonly transferred directly into TrainingPeaks' workout notes or custom fields, meaning you might still need to manually add them for full detail.

Why Track Strength Training in an Endurance Platform?

Integrating strength training data into TrainingPeaks, even if indirectly, offers significant benefits for a holistic approach to athletic development:

• Holistic Athlete View: It provides a single repository for all training data, allowing you to see the complete picture of your training load, recovery, and adaptation across all disciplines.
• Load Management: Strength training is a significant stressor. Logging it helps you understand your total training stress, preventing overtraining and optimizing recovery.
• Periodization: You can visually plan and track your strength training cycles alongside your endurance phases, ensuring that your strength work complements your primary sport-specific training.
• Injury Prevention: Tracking strength work can highlight consistent weaknesses or imbalances that, if addressed, can contribute to injury prevention.
• Performance Enhancement: For endurance athletes, strength training is crucial for improving power, efficiency, and resilience. Logging it allows you to correlate strength gains with endurance performance improvements.

Best Practices for Logging Strength in TrainingPeaks

To maximize the utility of tracking strength training within TrainingPeaks:

• Consistency is Key: Develop a routine for logging your strength sessions immediately after they occur.
• Be Specific: The more detail you include in your notes (exercise name, sets, reps, exact weight, rest intervals, RPE), the more valuable your data will be for future analysis and program adjustments.
• Review and Analyze: Periodically review your strength training logs. Look for trends in strength progression, identify areas for improvement, and correlate strength work with your endurance performance and recovery status.
• Use Templates: For recurring strength workouts, consider creating workout templates in TrainingPeaks to save time on data entry for the basic structure, then fill in the specific weights.

Conclusion

While TrainingPeaks is not purpose-built as a strength training log, its versatile platform allows for effective integration of strength training data, including the weights you lift. By leveraging workout descriptions, notes, and potentially custom metrics, athletes and coaches can maintain a comprehensive overview of all training stressors, fostering a more informed and effective approach to athletic development. This integrated perspective is crucial for optimizing performance, managing fatigue, and ensuring long-term athletic health across all disciplines.