Cycling Power Zone Tracking With Apple Watch
Cyclists no longer need expensive dedicated computers to access power zone training. FITIV Pulse brings cycling power zone tracking directly to Apple Watch — giving you professional-grade intensity measurement from the hardware you already own.
What is Power Zone Training?
Cycling power zone training is an established methodology used by professional cyclists and serious hobbyists to refine their training regimens. Rather than depending on velocity or cardiac measurements alone, this approach measures actual power output in watts.
Power data gives you a direct, unmediated measure of your effort. Speed can deceive you — a 30 km/h descent requires almost no output. Heart rate can lag or be distorted by heat, caffeine, or fatigue. Power simply measures the force you're applying to the pedals, right now.
Why Power Zone Training Matters
Training by power enables cyclists to customize workouts according to personal fitness levels. By establishing individual power zones based on your Functional Threshold Power (FTP), you can fine-tune training programs to match both current abilities and desired outcomes.
Power zones don't lie. If zone 2 power feels hard, you're tired. If zone 4 power feels easy, your fitness has improved. The number tells the truth.
How It Works With FITIV and Apple Watch
Connect an external Bluetooth power meter to your Apple Watch through Bluetooth settings under Health Devices. FITIV reads the power data in real time and maps your output to your personal power zones based on your FTP setting.
During your ride, you see:
- Current power output (watts)
- Current power zone
- Heart rate alongside power for combined analysis
- Speed and distance
This combination — power tracking alongside heart rate — provides the most complete picture of cycling intensity available outside a professional lab setting.
Getting Started
- Set your FTP in FITIV Pulse settings
- Pair a Bluetooth power meter via Apple Watch Bluetooth settings
- Start a Cycling workout in FITIV Pulse
- Train to your zones with live power feedback
Download FITIV Pulse free to begin your power zone training.