New to Xert?

Start training smarter with Xert

Xert is an adaptive training platform that helps you understand your fitness, plan and choose the right training you need to do, and review how every ride contributes to your progress.

Instead of relying on one FTP number or a fixed calendar of workouts, Xert models your fitness across multiple systems and updates your recommendations as your training changes.

What Xert is about

Xert is built around a simple idea: your training should be based on what you are capable of right now and what you want to achieve, not a traditional training plan created weeks ago.

Simple mental model: Xert analyzes your training history and newly completed activities, models your current fitness, recommends what training you need to do, and gives you real-time tools to execute your training indoors, outdoors, or on your favourite virtual platform.

The three things Xert helps you do

Discover

Understand your fitness

Xert analyzes your historical power data to determine your Fitness Signature, training load, training status, breakthroughs, and the type and amount of strain you accumulate from each ride.

Improve

Know what to do next

Use Xert’s Adaptive Training Programs to plan and perform your training with daily training targets that adapt to your current status, goals, and actual completed activities.

Perform

Train with real-time feedback

Xert’s apps and data fields help you see fatigue, pacing, maximum power available (MPA), workout targets, and Xert’s exclusive Magic Buckets guidance while you ride.

Core concepts every new user should know

Fitness Signature

Your Fitness Signature is Xert’s model of your fitness. It includes Threshold Power (TP), High Intensity Energy (HIE), and Peak Power (PP), giving Xert a more complete picture than FTP alone.

MPA: Maximum Power Available

MPA shows your predicted power ceiling second-by-second. As hard efforts fatigue you, MPA weakens. As you recover, it restores. When your power approaches MPA, you are nearing your limit.

XSS: Xert Strain Score

Xert uses strain scores (XSS) as apposed to stress scores. Your efforts are broken down into Low, High, and Peak strain so you can understand not just how much you trained, but what kind of training you performed.

Breakthroughs

A Breakthrough happens when your ride proves you can do more than your current Fitness Signature predicted. This is when your power exceeds MPA. It is a simple but powerful physiological concept. Xert can then update your fitness signature automatically.

How to get started

Create your account and complete the setup wizard

Enter your basic profile information, connect the platforms you use, and import recent activities so Xert has enough data to establish your current fitness.

Read the complete getting started guide

Connect your apps and devices

Xert works best when completed activities flow into Xert and workouts can be sent to the devices or platforms you already use, such as Garmin, Zwift, Wahoo, Hammerhead, ROUVY, MyWhoosh, and Strava.

Review integrations and data flow

Verify your Fitness Signature

If your recent history lacks hard, maximal efforts, or there are errors in your data, we may need to manually adjust your account. Reach out to support@xertonline.com if your account doesn’t appear to be set up properly or if you have any questions you’d like answered.

Choose how you want Xert to guide you

Use the Xert Adaptive Training Advisor (XATA) if you want day-to-day adaptive guidance. Use Xert Forecast AI (XFAI) if you want a forward-looking plan toward a goal, event, improvement or race.

Complete today’s training

Open the Today page and follow your training targets. You can complete them with a structured workout, a free ride, a group ride, a race, or Magic Buckets.

Review your ride

After the activity syncs, open the activity to review the MPA chart to see where the ride became difficult, how you recovered, what kind of strain you accumulated, and whether the ride produced a Breakthrough or Near-Breakthrough.

Learn how to analyze an activity using MPA

XATA vs Forecast AI: which should you use?

Flexible daily guidance

Xert Adaptive Training Advisor (XATA)

XATA answers: “What should I do today?”

It gives daily recommendations based on your current training status, fitness, and selected training improvements you are looking for. It is ideal if you want flexibility and do not need a fixed calendar plan.

Read the XATA guide

Outcome-driven planning

Xert Forecast AI (XFAI)

XFAI answers: “What training will I need to reach an outcome?”

It builds a forward-looking plan for a goal, event, improvement or race, based on where you are today and what availability you have to train. It also adapts when your real life and completed training differ from the original forecasted plan.

Read the Forecast AI guide

Not sure? Start with basic improvement program using XATA and follow the Today page. Move to Forecast AI when you have a specific target date, event, race, or fitness outcome in mind.

Four ways to train with Xert

Structured workouts

Choose a recommended workout and send it to your preferred player or platform. This is the simplest option if you want clear start-to-finish instructions.

Free rides

Ride outdoors or indoors while using today’s targets as guidance. This is great for endurance days, virtual training partners or just solo riding.

Magic Buckets

Use real-time Low, High, and Peak XSS targets to turn almost any ride into workout-as-you-ride without needing a fixed interval structure.

Group rides and races

Let hard group rides, Zwift races, or outdoor efforts contribute to your targets. Then top up what remains afterward using Magic Buckets, if needed.

Recommended learning path

Start with the official Knowledge Base articles first. Then use blog posts, videos, podcasts, and community resources to go deeper.

Start here: official Knowledge Base

Xert in 10 Minutes: The Essentials
The fastest onboarding checklist for creating your account, connecting apps, importing history, and doing your first training.
The Complete Guide to Getting Started with Xert
The full beginner guide covering setup, Fitness Signature, training options, activity review, and common onboarding questions.
Integrations Overview & Data Flow
How to connect devices and platforms while keeping your activity history clean and consistent.
Training with Xert Adaptive Training Advisor (XATA)
Best for learning how Xert makes day-to-day adaptive training recommendations.
Training with Xert Forecast AI (XFAI)
Best for learning how to build and follow a forward-looking plan toward a goal, event, or race.
How to Analyze an Activity Using MPA
Learn how to read the MPA chart and understand breakthroughs, fatigue, recovery, Focus, and Specificity.

Blog articles and deeper reading

Magic Buckets
Learn how Xert’s adaptive Magic Buckets system lets you complete dynamic, flexible training outdoors, indoors, or during races and group rides.
A Paradigm Shift in Training: From Zones to Strain & Focus
A helpful bridge for riders coming from traditional zone-based training.
Solving the Performance Puzzle
A deeper look into how Xert models fitness, fatigue, strain, and performance to create adaptive training recommendations.
DCRainmaker: Xert Training Platform In-Depth Review (2017)
An external long-form review that explains Xert’s dynamic workout execution and Garmin integration history.

Xert Academy Videos

New User Quick Start Guide
Scott’s step-by-step video walkthrough for getting started.
Xert YouTube Channel
Look for Xert Academy videos, product walkthroughs, feature explanations, and tech support Q&As.

Podcasts

Xert Breakthrough Lab Podcasts
Listen to deep dives on training science, Xert features, physiology, adaptive training concepts, product updates, and interviews from the Xert team.

Common new-user questions

Do I still need to do FTP tests?

No. Xert can learn from your historical ride data, especially rides that include maximal or near-maximal efforts. If your recent history lacks hard efforts, your starting signature may be conservative until you prove your fitness.

Why does Xert use TP instead of FTP?

Threshold Power is Xert’s threshold estimate inside the broader Fitness Signature model. It is similar in purpose to FTP, but is calculated very differently. Xert also models High Intensity Energy and Peak Power so it can better understand different types of efforts.

Why are there Low, High, and Peak XSS targets?

Total training load is useful, but the type of strain matters too. Low, High, and Peak XSS help Xert understand whether your ride was mostly endurance, threshold/VO2-style work, sprint/anaerobic work, or a mix.

What should I do first if I feel overwhelmed?

Start with the Today page. Follow the daily recommendation, complete a ride or workout, and review the MPA chart afterward. You do not need to master every concept on day one.

Should I choose XATA or Forecast AI?

Choose XATA if you want flexible day-to-day guidance. Choose Forecast AI if you have a specific goal, event, race, or target date and want a forward-looking plan.

Final advice for new users

Give Xert a few weeks of real training data and start simple. Connect your accounts, import your history, follow the Today page, and review your rides with the MPA chart. As you use the system, you’ll begin to see how all your information comes together in Xert to give a more complete picture of you as an athlete. This journey is unlike anything you have used elsewhere.

Best first step: follow the Xert in 10 Minutes checklist, then complete your first training session.