Personal coach or training app?
Garmin, Wahoo and training apps build a plan on your power in a few clicks. So why still choose a real coach? Short answer: an app calculates, a coach pays attention. Below is what research says, what a coach does in situations every rider knows, and when an app is perfectly fine.
Rob Bohte, physician and coach · updated
What a training app does well
A good app gives structure. It builds a plan on your FTP or CP, schedules recovery and build weeks, and adjusts the coming days when you miss a session. It is cheap and always available. For many riders that is a fine start, and better than riding without a plan.
Where the difference lies
You don't always train what's on paper
Researchers followed 747 sessions of eleven (semi-)professional cyclists. Executed sessions regularly differed from what the coach intended, and riders experienced the same session differently than the coach intended, each in their own way. According to the researchers, that can cost training effect. A coach sees it in your ride file and talks it through with you. An app only sees the numbers.
With guidance you dare to go further
In a randomised study two groups trained for twelve weeks on the same programme, one supervised by a personal trainer, the other on their own. The supervised group increased the load faster and got clearly stronger. That was strength training, but every rider knows the mechanism: with someone watching, you go a step further at the right moments.
Personal works better than standard
Studies comparing personally set intensity with standard percentages show the same picture. In a 2019 study in untrained adults both groups got fitter, but on a personal plan everyone responded clearly, while for a large part of the standard group the gain stayed within measurement error. In a small study in trained cyclists, intensity based on their own power profile gave more gains than fixed percentages. Apps personalise as well, on your numbers. A coach adds what isn't in your numbers.
What isn't in your data
Poor sleep, a busy week, a cold coming on, a nagging injury, the race you're working towards, or simply no motivation. A coach asks about it and adjusts the plan. Rob is a doctor and races himself: he knows when you're better off resting than pushing on.
Engine and battery: Critical Power and W′
Many apps work with one number, your FTP. Rob works with two: your Critical Power, the power you can sustain for a long time (your engine), and your W′, the energy above CP for the attack, the climb and the sprint (your battery). That shows whether you're limited by your engine or your battery, and he trains exactly that.
What happens when…
Asks how you feel, moves the hard blocks and builds back up calmly once you've recovered.
Only notices when you miss or underperform sessions, then adjusts the coming days.
Personal coach and training app compared
When is an app enough?
If you mainly want structure, ride for fun without a specific goal and look after your recovery yourself, an app takes you a long way. If you want to improve with purpose, are working towards a race or are stuck, a coach makes the difference.
Frequently asked questions
Is a personal coach better than a training app?+
For riders who want to improve with purpose, usually yes. Research on guided and personal training points that way: more progress than with a standard plan alone. A coach also adjusts to what isn't in your data. An app is cheaper and fine for structure.
Does a coach work with my power meter?+
Yes. You connect your Garmin or Wahoo once, after that your rides come in automatically. Rob builds your plan on your Critical Power and W′ from those rides.
What does a personal coach at Watt zegt Rob cost?+
Prices are on the pricing page. The first month is free: leave your name and number and Rob will call or message you.
Can I combine an app and a coach?+
Yes. You keep riding with your own bike computer; the difference is who builds and adjusts the plan.
Sources
- Voet JG, Lamberts RP, de Koning JJ, de Jong J, Foster C, van Erp T. Differences in execution and perception of training sessions as experienced by (semi-) professional cyclists and their coach. European Journal of Sport Science, 2022. to the study (opens in new tab)
- Mazzetti SA, Kraemer WJ, Volek JS et al. The influence of direct supervision of resistance training on strength performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2000;32(6):1175-1184. to the study (opens in new tab)
- Weatherwax RM, Harris NK, Kilding AE, Dalleck LC. Incidence of VO2max responders to personalized versus standardized exercise prescription. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2019;51(4):681-691. to the study (opens in new tab)
- Individualising training intensity to reduce inter-individual variability in training response in trained cyclists. Journal of Science and Cycling, 2016;5(2):47-48. to the study (opens in new tab)
Everyone deserves a personal coach.
Try it free for a month. Leave your name and number, Rob will call or message you.