TymeWear Training Philosophy

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Been using Tymewear strap and their resultant training recommendations for almost 12w now. I’ve posted elsewhere about the technology (still a bit raw) but I’m looking for some additional thoughts from the community about their recommended training protocols (based on their ramp testing).

It seems like TymeWear derive recommended zones for VT1, Balance Point, and VT2 based on where you end your test which they call your VO2max point. Tymewear’s algo then indicates what % of V02max each of the lower zones should be, and if you’re out of range, suggest focus to improve (if low they recommend time in that zone to increase, and if you’re high they recommend little or no time at all until you bring your other areas up the correct % of your VO2Max first).

The problem I’m having is that I keep testing low in VT1 (as a proportion of VO2max) so the TymeWear recommendations are lots and lots of training time “slightly below VT1 before training other zones”. Okay, that’s fine (but not ideal in winter on the trainer). But… the more I focus on VT1 (at the expense of VO2Max as directed by TymeWear app), the more my VO2Max number has fallen off (down 10% in ramp tests over last 8w). So with my latest test, my VT1 is improving as a % of VO2Max, but not as one would hope (because VO2Max is declining faster than VT1 is improving). This makes sense to me in that if you don’t do intensity, it will fall off.

But I have to wonder if TymeWear’s training guidance scales well for riders that don’t have 15-20hrs a week to train to really grow your base/VT1… Do I simply not have enough have time to reap benefits of VT1 training and/or if I have limited time each week (7-10hrs) should I be doing more intensity but against TymeWear’s recommendations?

Is anybody else following TymeWear’s training protocol - or have experience that might give me a clue?

Appreciate any thoughts or help. I thought since I have limited time, TymeWear would be great because my focus could be exact and maximize limited time in saddle. But now, I’m not sure about the whole thing - or at least not sure about their training recommendations which would seem to underpin the whole thing.

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This kind of volume should be enough for the system to work. But it can take 8-12 weeks before the ‘VT1’ enhancement kicks in. Once it kicks in, it can go on for a very long time.
Elites have very little room in between VT1 and VT2, and that’s because they used up almost all of the possible VT1 enhancement.

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Hi Brad,
Interesting point. I’m asking myself some of the same questions. For now, I’m also in a situation where the recommendations are essentially based on Zone 2 training, so I should indeed expect to see my VO2max level decrease.
For now, I’m sticking to the protocol and I’ll do another test in 4 weeks (that will make 8 weeks).

Actually, I’m kind of betting that when I did the test, even in good shape, I wouldn’t have been able to develop my VO2max much further compared to my baseline VT1, even with specific training.

And that, therefore, developing this baseline will allow me to make up for the VO2max loss and even surpass it when I’ll do specific training again.
We’ll see, that’s what should happen in the best-case scenario :slight_smile:

On my end, I also have a question about the workouts offered in the library. I’m not in favor of fancy training methods, but this seems rather lacking in diversity, especially since I’m already doing level 6 training and there isn’t much variety in interval training…

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I think you may have to do the occasional " maintenance" V02max workout every 7-10 days . I recall reading that in the blurb on their website.

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1/2 OFF: Does Tymewear APP works via ERG mode during Tymewear recommended training? In my case app in training mode dont rule my trainer (TACX NEO2T). In case by test everything is ok.

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When I did my Tymewear test on their app on my Android I made a workout in Trainerroad which corresponded to their protocol and ran it in Erg mode using Powermatch and recorded the ride on the Tymewear app with my Assioma pedals connected to it by BLE ( with the pedals connected to Trainerroad by Ant+). I didn’t use the tymewear app for the actual test as I have a 7% difference between my turbos power and my pedals and Tymewear doesn’t do a power match function.

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Does Tymewear APP works via ERG mode during Tymewear recommended training?
NO. You have to choose cadence and gear to stay within the “breathing corridor”.

In case by test everything is ok.
ONLY in test TymeWear controls the trainer. It’s a preconfigured ramp, so its easy.

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Hi Brad, reminds me of “long slow distance” preaching, and how a lot of us don’t stick to “slow”. The trouble I see is, now you know how slow you should pedal, and that then leaves us with the “long” of “long slow distance”. That also explains the lack of variety, because the task at hand is simple: move VT1 towards VT2. Only the puzzle piece about the right intensity is solved, not the challenge, that you need to “go on forever”, which is what it feels like. I would not worry much about VO2max, I overshoot regularly, so I do time in the higher zones, even when I try to follow the “somewhat very boring” recommendation. Before, you did not know how “off” your Z2 training was, now you know. But Z2 is Z2 - steady state, boring. I think its best to think in a 4-6 months timeframe, and no harm done if, in between, you do some other type of intervals.

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I agree I think it is designed to keep your slow and steady training, slow and steady but make it faster over time. After years of doing little to build base and just getting back into cycling and being older and fatter, this seems to be a way to teach my body to use fat more effectively. This is one reason I am interested in this tech. That and hopefully more meaningful training stress load. I can run my self into the ground just using power or left to my own persuasions.

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Hi Brad9,

This is a genuinely good and sharp question: how effective Tymewear’s recommended time distribution across intensity zones really is. And yes—if you stop doing high-intensity work around VO2, that capacity will decline over time. That makes sense.

If I understand it correctly, Tymewear determines the thresholds based on breakpoints in the ventilation curve, and only after that it calculates what percentage each point represents relative to VO2.

From what I’ve read in the research, building the aerobic base typically takes much longer (around 10–12 weeks) than improving VO2 (around 3–5 weeks).

But here is a logical way to look at it. If your base at VT1 improves (your power at VT1 goes up) while your VO2 number goes down, then those two points will quickly move toward each other. That can “rebalance” the system and eventually unlock the option to start improving the “roof of the house,” meaning shifting focus back to VO2 training.

In my personal case (and I also confirm this with lactate testing), I am limited by VO2 while already having a relatively strong VT1/VT2 base. Tymewear therefore recommends focusing on VO2 development. However, their plan still includes a very high proportion of time in VT1. My average training volume over the last year is about 7.5 hours per week. Tymewear recommends 8 hours 40 minutes total, with only 38 minutes in the VO2 zone and more than 7 hours in VT1.

For me, ventilation was a real eye-opener in terms of how easy “easy” training should actually feel—much easier than I had assumed before.

And despite Tymewear’s recommendations—and my own belief that VO2 is my main limiter—I follow my personal plan.

Right now I am doing a heat-training block, where I exclude VO2 workouts and prioritize heat sessions instead. This is my decision, because based on my previous experience, heat adaptation will bring me more value than a VO2 block at this moment. After the heat block, I will return to 3–4 weeks of VO2-focused training.

One additional observation: during heat sessions, my power is around VT1 and my ventilation is also around VT1, meaning the metabolic stress is low. However, my heart rate is around VT2 (at or even slightly above FTP level), and my RPE is also relatively high, around 5–7.

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