The Effort estimate section, on the Plan a workout page, lets you anticipate a workout's intensity using the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and estimate the training load that follows from it.
It lets you:
set an overall intensity expected for the workout;
anticipate the training load;
compare the effort you estimated with how your athlete actually felt;
analyse the gap between what you planned and what was done.
📌 Good to know
By default, the effort estimate is not visible to your athlete.
1. Estimated perceived exertion (RPE)
The estimated RPE is the overall intensity you expect for the workout, on a scale of 1 to 10:
1: very easy;
10: maximal effort.
You are the one who sets this value when planning.
Showing the RPE to your athlete
The Show RPE to the athlete option makes the estimated perceived exertion visible on their workout. It's useful to give them an intensity marker before they head out, and to help them understand what you expect from the session.
If you leave the option off, the value stays visible on your side only.
2. Estimated Coggan load
The estimated Coggan load anticipates the training load associated with the workout. It is expressed in arbitrary units (AU) and can be calculated two ways:
from the values entered in the workout (power, heart rate, duration);
or from the rate of perceived exertion (RPE).
Estimating Coggan load from RPE
When you turn on Estimate Coggan load from RPE:
the load is estimated using the duration–RPE equivalences defined by Joe Friel;
no power or heart rate data is needed.
Without this option, the load is estimated using the standard formulas based on power and heart rate, whenever that data is available.
💡 Tip
Estimating from RPE is especially well suited to sports where you have neither a power meter nor a heart rate strap: swimming, conditioning, team sports.
3. Comparing with how your athlete felt
Once the workout is done, your athlete can enter their actual perceived exertion. You can then compare estimated effort with felt effort, analyse the gaps, and adjust the sessions that follow.
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