Thank you! That was actually an excellent counterargument! I agree without you on the forced structure; and on second thought it is kind of funny to be complaining about structure in a training program which is inherently by nature “structured.” After doing some more research, I think I can have my cake and eat it too. I can just build a very similar workout in garmin if I want to do the training session outside, and mark the training as “I did it” next time I log in. Training with the kiddo’s is a great idea. My son was just sitting in a chair the other day watching. He’s only 3, but it’d be great for him to have a virtual cycling addiction vs. video game addiction, so I’m all over that old fluid trainer idea.
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Well Joe,
What should I do then. Seems like you have the answers to the “inflexibility” of the training plans. I’m a Firefighter/Paramedic and work 24hr shifts with 48 hrs off. Some shifts I run calls all day and night. It’s is impossible to ride on shift, and trust me, I’ve tried. What is your counter argument for this situation. Yes I know I can make custom training workouts, but that’s not the issue here. Not all of us can ride “after the kids go to bed.” And yes I do ride after the kids go to bed or before I go on shift at 430 am. It gets complicated when I work 48 hours or more in a row.
Your turn Joe.
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Hi.
I agree with the OP.
Downloading workouts is a good alternative, until you have so many downloaded that navigating it in game with an Apple TV becomes difficult.
Workarounds are great, but nothing compares to a proper release from the developers.
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It’s interesting to see how different people approach training. Fundamentally there is no downside to more flexibility you can use it or not. Unless you are never ill or leave the house there are times when you can’t do workouts. I was doing grand Fondo plan and missed a week as I was on holiday. Now zwift would then like me to do the following weeks harder workouts after having a week off - crazy. Any coach training athletes would adjust the plan accordingly. I have currently cancelled zwift and this is one of the reasons.
On a side why have a forum if there is no interest from zwift to interact. It’s like having a contact form on your website and never replying to messages.
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+1 for this requirement to be added to the roadmap.
I am new to Zwift but already finding the Training Plans too rigid. That is probably fine for some people however not for all. I understand the need for strict training so it actually helps to improve your strength and ability however If I signed up to a coach, i would schedule it to exactly how it fits into my work week (where I am travelling places etc and not always at home).
The basic requirement for me would be the ability to adjust particular training sessions to be completed a day, two or few later. The suggestion of ‘pause’ by other posters may also work, I guess. Either way, I just want to be able to push session by a day or two (and that in turn bumps future sessions) so I can have deadlines around when I am actually at home. This way I wouldn’t miss any sessions, as i find myself doing now. At the moment I am only able to start programmes where there are 3 or less sessions a week abut even then still need the flexibility to occasionally push a session later. I also balance training with actual cycles (outdoors) so it helps to push the training a bit so I am adding in enough rest time inbetween.
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Another frustrated user here. I actually can keep to the plan, but the event I was training for has moved out two weeks, so I wanted to “add back in” the two weeks that were dropped out of the Build Me Up plan that I started 6 weeks ago. I can’t do that, so though that I’d just close the plan, and manually pick the workouts, I can’t do that either!! One of the biggest problems I have is that one of the weeks “dropped” when I chose the 10 week plan rather than the 12 week plan was actually a recovery week! So now I have a block of 8 weeks full on, no recovery week at all, and I can see that will end in failure and demotivation. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
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3 years ago Zwift said they would fix this …to quote " leave it with us we are working on that" 3 YEARS AGO ??? …nope all we get is more squirrels dinosaurs bears funny shaped heads burritos and ghosts . Seriously Zwift ye are loosing the plot
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Zwift introduced scheduled training plans 14 months ago, not 3+ years ago.
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And more Roads have been released with slightly different hills and turns while basic functionally is missing ( in my opinion) on the training plan side.
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Yes it is true, Zwift are moving further and further away from being a training platform and are heading twords the gaming market , sad but true
This gets my vote. How many people in today’s world work the typical week of Mon-Fri with weekends off? Yet the structure of the training plans is so rigid and like many others I can’t do some of the rides on those days yet then I have a couple of days off and there’s only an easy ride available.
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So, 11 months later and still no official reply? This is one of the most popular feature requests together with a “family”-plan.
Both topics didn’t receive any official reply from Zwift, which is rather strange being a community focused training app…
My suggestion:
Zwift Academy is for the diehards with no possibility to skip a training, dedication is needed for this type of training plan.
Other training plans should be completely up to the Zwifters to decide on when they want to perform the next session. Also if they might need to go back one week because of illness/vacation/etc.
Come on zwift, let us ride on!
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This must be the most requested capability feature request over time
Why is the Product Manager not responding to the Voice of the Customer?
While I’m very committed to my fitness and cycling, real life happens and take priority. Surely you guys get it. Explain the lack of addressing this issue to me like I am 5?
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It’s funny I received this latest reply to this thread the same time as zwift sent an email congratulating me on 3 years on zwift. My membership has been cancelled since spring partly because of this issue and the total lack on zwift interaction.
Personally I have come to the conclusion that maybe zwift is not for me anymore and I am exploring other apps for the upcoming Winter. I realise i am not the core zwifter as I basically want it to keep my fitness over winter so i can get back outside cycling more next year again. I don’t want to race or play the game zwift as such.
Zwift is great and I can appreciate what they have achieved but it is also clear that eSports seems to be their focus now and it certainly is not mine. I suspecT they won’t do anything about this issue.
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I didn’t realise there was a thread for everyone talking about this. I just raised this issue myself.
+1 for a tiny bit of flexibility, please. I have started the build me up training plan. I’m pretty free now until the end of the year when the plan finishes. However, I have a wedding the other end of the country on just one weekend. I will need to leave Friday and return Sunday night. I will miss the weekend sessions.
The inability for me to pause for the weekend and resume when I get back is really frustrating. Moreover, the locked sessions are very annoying for me. I can complete most of the planned sessions during the week when I’m free, but oftentimes you get two sessions to complete over the weekend, which is when I like to do things other than training.
Please add the ability for us to add a slight pause to the schedule, or at least open up locked sessions a couple of days earlier so we can complete them on our times.
Does anyone know what happens when I miss a session? Can I carry on as normal and pick up from the next one? Do I have to start right over again from the beginning? I will be about 9 weeks into the plan when I miss the weekend sessions for the wedding. It’ll be really frustrating if I have to start again.
You will just miss the session and move on to the next one in line. No need to start over from the beginning.
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Same for me… I’m doing the multi sport mixer plan… 9 workouts a week, and I’ve just finished a run, ready to jump on the bike for a double workout and it says available in 4 hours!.. that’s no good to me as I’ll be at work!
Obviously doing it tomorrow is the solution, yet clearly I need to fit two double workout days in to get the 9 sessions in this week?
Not at all practical to then have time delays put on them.
This really needs to be addressed.
And if you think about it, At what time of year do most people go back to Zwift? Autumn and early winter=flu season. Starting a 12 week plan and missing 7-10 days makes it really hard to pick up again. Like now I am 3 weeks into a 12 week plan, due to reasons I missed a whole week of workouts, do I cancel and start again or continue? I feel frustrated not being able to complete the plan as designed just because I had other things to do this one week.
Fix this please!
You will still improve your fitness if you keep doing the rest of the workouts, just not as much as if you were following the Zwift coach telling you when to ride and when to rest. You don’t need to put so much pressure on yourself either. That being said it would be nice for Zwift to retool and expand workouts and training plans, which is for me, a core feature of the app.