How Wahoo SYSTM can fast-track your training

For the northern hemisphere, indoor training season is almost here and Wahoo has launched a new platform – Wahoo SYSTM – to help you maximise your time on the bike this winter.

Wahoo has developed a reputation for intuitive, feature-packed hardware that helps riders get the most out of their training, including the KICKR series of smart trainers and the ELEMNT Rival multisport watch.

Now Wahoo has jumped into the world of software with the release of the Wahoo SYSTM training app.

SYSTM is a comprehensive app for iOS, Android, macOS and Windows, designed to help endurance athletes of all fitness and experience levels achieve their goals. It combines a library of immersive cycling workouts with strength training, yoga and mental training, to help you get stronger on and off the bike.

There’s no aimless pedaling or bum-numbing base training rides. Everything in SYSTM is there for a purpose – to take the guesswork out of your training so it’s as effective and rewarding as possible.

Let’s take a look at five key features of SYSTM that can help you achieve your goals faster.

1. It’s based on sports science that gets results

The most crucial aspect of any training plan is that it works.

With limited time to train, athletes with ambitious goals need to know they can make the most of every minute on the bike. In fact, SYSTM’s tagline is ‘maximise every moment’.

Every workout and training plan is designed by the coaches and scientists at the Wahoo Sports Science Division, led by renowned endurance coach Neal Henderson.

SYSTM uses Four-Dimensional Power® (4DP) to get a complete picture of what you’re capable of on the bike. The app then uses the results to personalise all of your workouts and training plans so they’re as effective as possible. You’ll find out what kind of rider you are, what your strengths are, and where you should focus your efforts.

This means every minute spent on the bike, whether it be indoors on a smart trainer or out on the roads or trails, can be optimised to provoke the ideal training stimulus and better prepare you for your target events.

If you don’t have a smart trainer, smart bike or power meter, you can calculate virtual power for most non-smart turbo trainers if you have a speed sensor paired with the app. Plus, all workouts have heart rate and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) targets.

If you need professional support or advice, SYSTM offers a coach-lead forum (called the SYSTM Forum), where you can join a community of like-minded athletes.

2. You can fully customise your training plan

Designed to cater to all levels, from beginners to experienced athletes, SYSTM takes the guesswork out of creating a training plan.

Whether you have unlimited time to train or just a few hours per week, SYSTM’s powerful training plan builder offers the tools to quickly and easily create a custom training schedule.

By selecting your discipline (e.g. road cycling or gravel riding), training focus, training volume and more, SYSTM can build a powerful yet easy-to-follow training plan.

Start and end dates can be adjusted to suit your goals, and it’s even possible to layer key off-the-bike sessions for things like strength training, yoga and mental training.

If you’re a multi-discipline athlete, you can incorporate cross-training elements into your training plan, too.

With more than 600 training plans, there’s something to match every athlete, their chosen discipline and their objectives.

3. There’s a wide range of workout experiences for every ride

Whatever your workout objective or current mood, SYSTM has a session for you.

Whether you want to escape to the sunny roads of France, go for a training ride with a coach, simulate a professional race or just watch an interesting documentary, SYSTM knows how to keep you engaged, motivated and pushing through your workout.

Wahoo SYSTM brings together an array of exciting, interactive training content, both new and old, from Wahoo’s extensive catalogue, including:

• ProRides – featuring on-board camera footage or real power data from a pro race, scaled to your 4DP® profile for the most immersive, realistic race simulation available
• On Location – amazing roads in beautiful locations with a solid workout. Wahoo ambassador Michael Cotty takes you on rides that dive deep into the local culture and attractions
• A Week With – spend a week with a cycling celebrity, including Ian Boswell and Neal Henderson. Ride their favorite routes and go behind-the-scenes to see how they live and train
• Inspiration – workouts synced to inspirational documentary cycling films like A Sunday in Hell or the Outskirts series
• The Sufferfest – workouts synced to pro race footage for a fast-paced, immersive experience
• NoVids – workouts without video content, so you can select what you want to watch or just focus on the on-screen graphics

If you need any extra motivation for your training sessions, this is where to look.

Beyond interactive training sessions, there’s also The Knowledge podcast, which provides accessible, science-based tips and expertise for endurance athletes, available to download from the Wahoo Fitness website or wherever you get your podcasts.

4. The calendar view shows your progress

Having a clear overview of your training is vital to understanding where you’ve been, what you are doing now and what the future holds. This is where the SYSTM calendar comes in.

At launch, you will be able to see the total volume from your workouts, as well as volume broken down by sport type (cycling, yoga, strength, running and swimming).

Coming soon, the calendar will combine both indoor and outdoor workouts, where you can view activity details, mapping info and ride analytics, plus the ability to push workouts to your bike computer.

Whether you’re new to structured training or an experienced athlete, the SYSTM calendar will ensure you always have a clear understanding of your personalised plan.

5. It’s part of the Wahoo ecosystem

When training time is limited, no one wants to waste it manually uploading files, linking accounts and connecting gadgets to one another.

To solve this problem, SYSTM seamlessly integrates with the Wahoo ecosystem of fitness devices.

Smart bikes and trainers like the Wahoo KICKR BIKE, Wahoo KICKR, Wahoo KICKR CORE and Wahoo KICKR SNAP are all natively supported. Same goes for the Wahoo ELEMNT RIVAL watch, which can also be used as a heart rate monitor when synced with the app.

With SYSTM available on desktop computers (MacOS and Windows), as well as an app on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, you can easily stay on top of your training whether you’re at home or on the move.

Bringing your workouts, personalised plan, data and device management all into one place helps streamline the admin of being an athlete, so you can focus on doing more of the things you enjoy.