Frequently Asked Questions

We've answered common questions here. For more detail head over to the tips pages or our discussion boards.


What is the Formfinder system?
Formfinder is a training system for cyclists who want to perform their best for a specific event or races.
Formfinder is the brainchild of Jeremy Hunt, former pro cyclist and Olympic national team coach. Jez coaches many riders and athletes, but time was limiting how many riders he could train.
We've created a system using AI (Artificial Intelligence) that puts all of Jeremy's coaching programmes and philosophies into a very sophisticated system that allows individually personalised coaching at a discounted rate. We provide you with daily workouts tailored to your fitness and available time.
All you need to do is follow your training plan and watch your fitness and cycling improve! All our training sessions comes straight from the pro peloton, so you know you're getting the best possible training, structured in a way that only a professional can understand.

What is the difference between Formfinder training and real pro training?
There is very little difference between the key workouts that you do and that the pro riders do.
You'll be surprised at how easy the pro riders train. It isn't about smashing yourself five days per week, it's about training smart and stringing together a carefully planned week of training to help you improve. Smashing yourself daily is a recipe for stagnation of fitness (detraining) and sickness.
The main differences between Formfinder athletes' and pro cyclists' training is that the pro cyclists will be training more hours per week, will probably do more repetitions of some efforts, and will probably run at higher power since they are so fit and conditioned.
Their extra time on the bike is filled with a lot of zone 2 riding rather than more intervals. If you wanted to, you could even follow the exact same workouts as riders doing the Classics, World Championships and Grand Tours. Train smarter, not harder.

What's unique about Formfinder why don't I just sign up with A.N.Other training?
Formfinder is a system that gives you everything you need to perform.
You enter your target event and the system tailors the training for you, exactly like a real coach.
If you need days off for a family holiday then your training adapts. If you miss days due to sickness, your training adapts. Formfinder is like having a one-on-one coach, without the high price that usually comes with that.
Best of all, you can be confident that you will train how the pros train. Any training can be prescribed, but unless the sessions have actually been tested and the results proven, then the training is as good as reading a research article. You can perform all Formfinder sessions knowing that every session has been used by professional cyclists, in the professional peloton, and that is something truly unique!
You have to stick at it, but since we consider your overall health, you will be making gradual steady gains.

How does Formfinder work? Can you show me a demo?
The training works. The same training has been used by athletes winning Classics and Tour stages.
We start by asking questions about you and your fitness.
For example, your FTP (Wattage you can sustain for about an hour, e.g. 250W).
You then tell us what events you want to target, and any scheduled days off you have planned.
We kick off training with a one week lead-in to get your body firing, check your zones are accurate, and for you to understand our training.
Then we gradually build the aerobic engine over the next few months.
As we approach the target event we move to more specific training for the event.
Finally in the last 2 weeks we sharpen you up with 'Formfinder' workouts. These are key workouts that will take you to the next level.
Training is seasonal, with Winter and Summer schedules.
The system works best if you give it some time to work, however you should start to feel benefits within 2 weeks.
That's why we give you a free trial.
Have a look here for a demo of what's inside Formfinder.

Which parts of Formfinder are free?
The only need to subscribe if you want to receive the daily training plans and talk to a coach.
Everything else is free:
  • Map of your day's route
  • Analysis of the day's intervals
  • Best power numbers
  • Best heart rate numbers
  • Linking of devices to download data
  • Fitness-Form-Fatigue graphs
  • Comparisons to world class athletes
Can you give me examples of cyclists you train?
Have a look at some of our case studies here to see how your FTP can be boosted. You can go from the middle to the front of the pack, and in some cases to winning!
Formfinder isn't just about getting better numbers, however. It is also about preparing for and winning races. Training isn't just about building your numbers all the time, it's about bringing your best condition to each of your target events.

What studies do you have to back this up?
World Tour teams have the best sports physiologists and medical research behind them, as well as racers testing these theories in the pro peloton.
Formfinder is the amalgamation of that knowledge. After 17 years as a professional cyclist I have seen what training the winners are doing, and now I can bring it straight to you.
The Formfinder team and I are of course aware that thousands of sports physiology papers have been published and evidence may be found in favour and not in favour of a particular training method. Individual papers may be discussed in our members' chat area.
For some interesting studies, take a look at these peer reviewed papers:

About Strength Endurance (SE) and gym work: What qualifications and experience do you have as a coach?
I am an accredited Cycling Australia level 1, and Training Peaks level 2 coach, with 17 years of experience in the World Tour peloton.
I've been training cyclists for all of that time, and more.
Since retiring from racing in 2011 I've been coaching full time.
I coached the Azerbaijani team to qualify for their first ever Olympic Games, and since 2017 I have been head coach of the Malaysian cycling team.
My athletes have collectively won over 1000 races.

Who is doing this training and how much did they improve?
We have a broad cross section of athletes who do Formfinder training; from beginners to World Tour riders.
With beginners it is vital to take the first year gently to avoid injury or sickness.
Improvements still come quickly, but a young cyclist needs to understand every aspect of our training programmes are carefully structured to build long term fitness, and not overtrain and burn out.
Cycling is awesome, and we want you to get the most enjoyment out of this great sport as possible! We have recreational cyclists who simply want a daily training session specified for their very limited time availability, through to those who want to put in 20 hours of training each week.
We have former professionals who want professionally prescribed training, we have men and women looking to improve every year, from beginners to professionals.
For World Tour professional riders we can typically boost FTP by 20-40W and add a couple of hundred Watts to sprint power during a season.
Take a look at our case studies for more details on this.

I have a busy life. Is the training time efficient?
Yes! You select how many hours you can train and the training adapts to that.
Regardless of how many hours you have available to train, and what level of rider you are, we have personalised training programmes that will cover all bases and make you the most complete and prepared cyclist you can be.
Most people with full time jobs and families can fit in around 4-10 hours per week.
That's enough time to make gains.
Consistency is key.
As such, we make great efforts to avoid burnout or sickness.
We have tailored a lot of our key sessions to be indoor trainer compatible as well, so if you're unable to train outside during daylight hours, your training is ready for you before or after hours on the ergo.
If you want to get even better, then you'll need to increase the hours available for training and resting.
Unfortunately this is a fact of life.
There are no shortcuts to fitness. By following the Formfinder system you know that you are not wasting time or money.

How can I fit in my commute as training?
Yes - commuting can be a great way to get more training time.
Generally commuting can cause a loss in fitness (detraining) due to performing the same training day in, day out. Due to popular demand, we created some commuter-specific training programmes depending on how long your commute is, and how much improvement you are hoping to get from your training and commuting.

I am female/ older/ beginner. Can Formfinder work for me?
Of course! There are physiological differences between men and women, older and younger athletes.
Formfinder training takes this into account.
However there are more similarities than differences.
What works for a Tour de France rider will work for everyone, as long as the efforts and sessions are tailored at the right intensity and duration, with the right rest, to ensure you get the maximum benefits without overdoing it.

I don't race - is Formfinder applicable for me?
Formfinder is great for any cyclist who wants to get better.
Most athletes just want to beat their mates, and this is the way to do it.
Efficient training, plenty of rest, a system that makes you feel great and get the most benefits out of the time you're able to spend training!
We have some athletes whose only interest in training is not having to decide what training to do each day.
If you ride on your own, you might find riding can get boring.
If you have a set regime and the workout sessions are prescribed, generally that is all it takes to kit up and jump on the indoor trainer and get your session started.
Simply having a training session mapped out and ready to do can be all the motivation you need, and many of our athletes stick with Formfinder for this very reason.

How does diet, gym, and rest come in to play?
These are vital parts of the fitness and wellbeing that are often neglected by coaching systems.
Diet - whilst we can't give individual advice, there are some general principles that you need to know regarding weight loss, retaining muscle and power, fuelling for races and training.
Gym - I regard this as an important part of developing the whole athlete. Stretching and resistance routines are included in your training plan.
I don't claim to be an expert in these areas, so have had experts from these fields provide some input in our blog page and with workouts.

What equipment do I need to do this training?
Ideally you'll have a heart rate monitor, a power meter and an indoor trainer (ergo) such as a Tacx, Elite or Wahoo.
However, if you want to have a training programme and no feedback, then all you need is your bike.
Our training is mostly tailored to each individual's power, which is the industry standard in measuring output and gauging intensity; for that a power meter is necessary.
Power is the most accurate measuring tool, followed by heart rate.
Heart rate monitors come standard with most GPS bike computers these days.
The more data you're able to work with, the more specific your training will be. If you have a Smart Trainer, these indoor trainers can show your power output too.
Smart trainers are gaining popularity at a rapid rate, so we have tailored our training programmes to be very Smart Trainer friendly.
Ergo workouts are a great way to get fit in a time efficient manner, but if you are lucky enough to be able to ride outside then go for it!

What are your thoughts on strength endurance training?
Strength Endurance (SE) Training involves low cadence, high torque work.
Typically you'll be riding in zone 2 or 3 at with a cadence of around 60 rpm.
Many coaches say that SE work is a waste of time, as the forces are not enough to build strength and the low cadence does not happen in races.
To those coaches, I'd ask how come in 2018 every single pro team uses SE training? When Team Sky started in 2009 they did not do SE training, but soon realised its value and brought it in permanently.
On easier days it is a great way to keep pressure on the legs without tiring the body.
It builds the kind of power you need when you encounter rolling hills.
It also helps your pedal stroke, as it is done slowly enough to be able to think about it.

What happens if I need time off because of an injury?
Unfortunately these things happen and with your notification to Formfinder admin we can offer up to 3 months of training on-hold so you're not paying for a plan you are not using.
During this time, you will not receive coaching and you will not be billed until your return.

What questions do you ask at sign up?
We know that filling in forms is much easier if you have all the answers to hand.
Here are the main questions we'll be asking when you sign up. We save your answers as you go, so if you remember email/password then you can carry on where you left off.
  • Your name and address
  • Your country - helps with planning for winter or off season
  • Height, weight
  • How many hours per week you have to train (This is approximate: you might need to do more or less hours on occasion)
  • Your threshold power - the highest power you can maintain for an hour
  • Your threshold heart rate - the highest heart rate you can hold for an hour
  • Your payment details (Visa Mastercard Maestro Amex Discover Diners JCB). No money will be taken at sign up and you can cancel at any time.


How much does Formfinder cost?
The Formfinder system is very affordable, perhaps 10%-20% of the price of a good coach.
Since we're using AI technology, we can train many people, whereas a human coach can only personally train around 30 riders.
The price is on our price page.

Is Formfinder compatible with Zwift and Strava?
Yes - we provide downloadable workout files in the following formats:
  • .zwo for Zwift workouts instructions
  • .fit for Garmin, Wahoo, Lezyne, Bryton so you can follow your training on the road instructions
  • .erg for Trainer Road, RacerMate/Computrainer, Rouvy, PerfPRO Studio, iMobileIntervals, Maximum Trainer, ErgVideo
  • .mrc for Trainer Road, Hurts, Rouvy, iMobileIntervals, ErgVideo
    Our workout files are converted into the correct format with the help of our friends at What's on Zwift? What's on Zwift?
You can link your Strava account to Formfinder so you only need to upload ride data once.

Do I need Zwift in order to use Formfinder?
No - you don't need Zwift. The training can all be done on the road. Heavy traffic and traffic lights will make it harder, though, so doing certain efforts on a stationary trainer is often useful.

Do I need Strava in order to use Formfinder?
No - you don't need Strava. Lots of people have a Strava account, so it is a handy way to sync your data - upload to Strava and Formfinder will automatically get your data 'pushed' from Strava.

Can I ask Questions?
Yes!
After each workout is uploaded, click on the FEEDBACK tab. In there you can leave a comment. All comments are read by a coach daily Monday - Friday.
We love seeing how our athletes are going.

You can also contact us at support@Formfinder.cc. Please allow a working day for an answer.

Where can I sign up?
We'd love to have you on board.
Sign up and get a free 30 day trial here. Payment details are required. You can cancel at any time.

TRY FOR FREE


How can I cancel my subscription?
This can be done by logging in to your account then navigating to MY ACCOUNT - SETTINGS and clicking on the 'End Subscription' button.

What file types can I use to upload my data?
You can either upload by dragging your data files directly into the browser, or by linking to Strava.
Dragging files - we can process .fit files (Garmin, SRM, Bryton, Lezyne, Pioneer files exported) files at this time.
To upload them, go to your training page or calendar and click on "upload files" or drag file(s) into the screen. You can upload multiple files if you wish.

Strava - Strava is a popular program used for tracking activities that use gps. You may already have linked your device to Strava (e.g. Garmin device uploads to Garmin Connect which uploads to Strava).
If you link your account to Strava (My Account > link to Strava) then any new activities will automatically download to Formfinder as soon as they are received by Strava. Please allow a few minutes for this to happen, as data sometimes takes a while to flow through the various systems.

Show me a full list of Formfinder's features
Formfinder provides the following features:
  • Dynamic production of pro training based on your goals and schedule.
  • The training plan algorithm has been taught by numerous pro coaches who are specialists in their fields. Crits, mountains, time trials, fondos, or just "get fitter".
  • Detailed description each day of your training task.
  • Daily Zwift workout files (.zwo) to make life easy for Zwifters.
  • Automatic adjustment of training based on uploaded data and feedback
  • Set Goal events A B or C. . Training will automatically adjust for these goals. Note! There are limits on how many A events you can do per year.
  • Set days off, e.g. holidays. Training will automatically accommodate these days off.
  • Allow feedback each day, e.g. "Too busy to ride" or "feeling sick", which feeds back into the training plan
  • Custom settings of Age, weight, height, FTP, Critical Power, W'bal, hours per week, long day availability, sporting history (settings)
  • Automatic calculation of W'bal and Critical power, based on training data
  • Recording of today's and best power numbers, e.g. best 1 min power today and ever
  • Detailed data analysis of ride, includes: a map of the route taken, graph of power, heart rate, speed, cadence, w'bal, altitude etc
  • For each ride, view all the stats such as time, average power, normalized power, TSS.
  • View your best power and heart rate blocks in the ride. e.g. if you click on best 1min the graph is highlighted and the map zooms in to where that was on your ride
  • Graphs of time in power zones, time in heart rate zones
  • Zoom in to graph to see where your "anaerobic battery" was running out of charge
  • Detailed automatic identification and listing of zones hit in the ride
  • Coach's comments on your ride, comparing and scoring it to the training given for that day
  • Track form, fitness and fatigue using data recorded on rides and predicted form and fatigue based on training given.
  • Link to Strava for automatic download of data
  • Data upload via files direct from device
  • Enter workouts manually if no data are available for that day (battery flat, forgot device etc)
  • Weekly email updates as training proceeds
  • Email tips as goal event approaches
  • See how you compare to the best in the world or a given period of time, e.g. your best 1 min in W/kg (Male and female)
  • View your target power and heart rate for workouts in one table
  • Get pro tips each week in our blog
  • Get the answers to questions in bonus FAQs - only available to athletes with a log in.
  • Receive free items when you hit various targets in training. We do our best to motivate you!
  • Email support to answer any questions or report problems.
  • A cost that is significantly lower than a human coach.
  • Proven in the pro peloton - over 300 workouts that will develop you from an also-ran to front of the pack.
Do you have an app?
No app yet, it is in the pipeline. Lots of people don't like apps as they can drain power and use up memory. We're thinking about it.

How can I run Zwift zwo files on Apple TV or my ipad?
Zwift now syncs your workouts to its servers so another method is to download the zwo file onto your laptop then start Zwift. This will copy the workout up to Zwifts servers and they will be available to you no matter which device you use, e.g. Apple TV, iphone etc.

Zwift instructions are here.

A fiddly method is to use iFunbox as follows:
Download iFunbox free file explorer software here.
Connect the ipad/phone to your computer with a USB cable.
Open iFunbox and click on the "Managing App Data" tab. In iTunes File Sharing you should see Zwift. Choose "Open Sandbox"
Click on the Zwift logo to browse the files and click "workouts" then the folder with your zwift id inside it. e.g. "5706" Drag your zwo files (downloaded from Formfinder) into this folder and you should be good to go.
Just "Choose Workout" when in Zwift on your device.

Can I reset my training after time off?
Life sometimes gets in the way of training. We understand. If you've been too busy to train, or perhaps sick, then you may wish to reset your training so you get a few easier days' lead in before you get back to normal training.
To do this, go to MY ACCOUNT > SETTINGS and click on RESTART TRAINING.
This will restart your training from today. You'll get a few easier days to get you back into the swing of things.
To go back to how the training was before, revisit the page and click on the button again.
Note: If you've been sick with something chesty then ensure you are fully recovered before you restart training. If you've had serious sickness or injury then follow your doctor's advice.

FAQs Last updated May 23