The Workout Editor

The editor (/workout/:id) gives you a visual, drag-and-drop interface to build any workout structure you can think of.

1. Step Types

Every workout is made of steps, and each step has a type:

• Warmup — progressive ramp-up at the start
• Interval — the work portion (this is where the intensity lives)
• Recovery — easy effort between intervals
• Rest — complete stop (useful for swimming sets or brick workouts)
• Cooldown — wind-down at the end

You drag steps to reorder them freely. Add a step, move it around, delete it — the chart updates in real time.

2. Repeat Blocks

Instead of creating 8 individual interval + recovery pairs, you group them into a repeat block and set the repetition count.

For example: 4x [5min at Z4 + 3min at Z1] — you create one interval step and one recovery step, wrap them in a repeat block, set it to 4 reps, done. Clean and readable.

Nested repeats are also supported. This lets you build complex structures like pyramids:

"3x [ 2x(2min Z5 + 2min Z1) + 5min Z3 + 3min Z1 ]"

The editor shows these as visually nested blocks so you can always see the structure.

3. Ramp Steps

Ramps let you set a starting and ending intensity within a single step. The power or pace increases (or decreases) gradually across the step duration.

Classic use case: a warmup that ramps from 50% to 75% FTP over 10 minutes. Instead of creating five separate steps at increasing power, one ramp step handles it smoothly.

The chart displays ramps as smooth gradients — visually distinct from flat-intensity steps.

4. Sport-Specific Targeting

PlanWatts adapts the entire targeting system based on your sport.

Cycling

The default targeting is % FTP (Functional Threshold Power) with power zones:

• Z1 (Active Recovery), Z2 (Endurance), Z3 (Tempo), Sweet Spot, Z4 (Threshold), Z5 (VO2max), Z6 (Anaerobic), Z7 (Neuromuscular)

You can switch to % HR (Heart Rate) targeting if you prefer heart rate-based training or don't have a power meter.

Secondary target: Cadence in RPM — useful for drills like high-cadence spinning or low-cadence force work.

Running

The default targeting is % Pace with pace zones:

• Z1 (Easy), Z2 (Aerobic), Z3 (Tempo), Z4 (Threshold), Z5 (VO2max), Z6 (Speed)

Next to every percentage, PlanWatts calculates and displays the actual pace — e.g., "85% → 4:15/km" — so you always know exactly what pace to hold on the road or treadmill.

You can switch to % HR targeting, or if you have a running power meter (Stryd, COROS, Garmin), you can use power-based targeting for running too.

Secondary target: Cadence in SPM (steps per minute) — great for cadence drills or maintaining running economy.

Swimming

The default targeting is % CSS (Critical Swim Speed) with swim zones:

• Z1 (Recovery), Z2 (Endurance), Z3 (Tempo), Z4 (Threshold), Z5 (VO2max), Z6 (Speed)

Swimming steps support both time-based (e.g., 5 minutes at Z3) and distance-based (e.g., 400m at Z3) durations. Distance-based makes more sense for pool workouts where you think in laps and meters.

5. Visualization

The Power/Pace Chart

A real-time chart shows your workout profile as you build it:

• Zone-colored bars — each step is colored by its intensity zone, so you can see at a glance where the hard efforts are
• Ramps displayed as smooth gradients, not staircase steps
• Repeat blocks expand to show every repetition in the chart

View Toggle

For cycling, you can toggle between % FTP and Watts on the chart. For running, toggle between % Pace and min/km. This lets you see either relative intensity or absolute values, whichever makes more sense for how you train.

Mini Charts on Cards

Back in the library, every workout card has a small chart preview. You can visually identify workouts by their shape — a sweet spot session looks very different from a VO2max interval workout, and you'll recognize them instantly without reading the name.

See also: Open Steps for steps without a fixed duration, and Export & Share to get workouts onto your devices.