XERT -Major Update

XERT recently announced a major update for their platform initially via their iOS app.

Who?

XERT offer lots of training and coaching functionality around those of us who want to train with power. It’s designed for CYCLING but works with STRYD for running equally as well.

What’s the big deal?

‘Normal’ training with power has its limitations and XERT goes a long way to getting around them.

Scenario 1: As you tire throughout an individual workout XERT recognises that your ability to hit certain power-duration degrades through tiredness/incomplete recoveries. So it has a concept of MPA (maximum power available) – sort of like FTP but a bit more dynamic.

Scenario 2: Your ability to hit certain power-durations also varies from one day to the next, effectively your FTP could be different from day-to-day. XERT’s MPA takes this into account when you follow their plans.

Indeed XERT’s training plans are highly adaptive to what you are able to do on any given day and at any given point in your workout.

It’s a cool concept and seems to generally work when I’ve used it. My only reluctance to personally dig deeper with it is that RUNNING and CYCLING are treated separately for now and the fatigue from one can only be MANUALLY carried over to the other. When a tr-version comes out I’ll probably take the jump.

For those of you who know a lot about training with power you will probably say that MPA is basically the same as W’. And, err, it is! Well, the inverse of W’ at any rate. However I don’t know to what extent, if at all, any of the other training platforms immerse themselves in this broad, general concept. Sure TP probably includes some elements of it somewhere but does it translate that to exactly what you are able to do mid-workout?

It’s not snake oil folks: dcraimaker covered XERT back in 2017 (here) and I’ve written about it (here, 2017) as well as mentioning what awards it won (here, 2018) and (here, 2019).

 

Back to the present

What’s New

Xert’s Founder, Armando Mastracci says, “Having the app also guide you through your workouts using
Xert’s SMART intervals that adjust on-the-fly as you perform them, with an interface you can
personalize, increases the athlete’s understanding of their training and reduces the friction
between them and their training goals.”

The ecosystem supports BLE PMs and Wahoo/Cycleops/other FTMS trainers as well as being immersed in the Garmin ecosystem as evidenced by the CIQ awards it’s won over the last two years (above). It works with Zwift and you can also share live workouts with your coach (or anyone else who might be interested!)

Other Cool Stuff

Some of XERT’s other cool stuff includes the workout player

and the recently added colour-coded MPA charts

What Xert Need to Do

Xert are definitely proceeding down the mobile route and so I would expect an Android app copy to come next. My suspicion would then be that better integration with Wahoo head units and then integration between running/cycling would follow. I kinda use STRYD and Android and Wahoo…so there’s a bit more compatibility needed for me to use it !! I’ll ask Armando to comment below.

Anyway…it’s cool. Just ignore me moaning about ti and have a trial with it 😉

To download the new Xert app for iOS click HERE .