Zwift Academy: Get Fitter, Faster and Stronger by becoming a gamer?

Zwift Academy is a structured annual event by popular online “sports trainer” Zwift. For those who are not aware, Zwift is a virtual-world fitness indoor training solution with real-world results and benefits.

Gamification

Gamifying exercise is nothing new, but Zwift appears to have hit the sweet spot with its products, immersive world, and simple subscription model. The Zwift events have been running yearly since 2016

Zwift makes Exercising Childs play

Everyone knows that working out is tough. You may be struggling to find the motivation to get up and move when you’d rather be lying in bed, and it’s even harder to push yourself when you’re doing it alone.

That’s where Zwift comes in. Zwift offers users a unique and immersive gaming experience that produces real-life results – all while being fun!

Whether you’re looking to get faster, or fitter, or do conditioning for an upcoming race, Zwift has got you covered with training plans and equipment recommendations.

And the best part? You can do all your indoor training from the comfort of your own home!

How Does Zwift Work?

Zwift is an indoor cycling and running game/social network, that uses gaming technology to make working out more enjoyable – and effective!

While other workout apps merely track your progress or provide a workout without any context, Zwift lets you immerse yourself in a virtual world where you can ride or run alongside friends old and new.

The encouraging community and competitive aspects of the game keep you coming back for more, even when you don’t feel like working out. And because the game is based on real-life physics, everything you do in-game translates into real-life results.

What is the Zwift Academy?

The Zwift Academy is a yearly event where people can learn how to get fit and healthy by playing games. You can do this from the comfort of your own home. The idea is that take part and compete in virtual races and disciplines.

You are effectively coached online and put through your paces on various programs and you have the ability to monitor your progress every step of the way.

Zwift divides the training programs into 3 sections or subsets which they label Academy Road, Academy Tri, and Academy Run.

Zwift Academy Road

This is a 4-week program that usually kicks off in the latter part of September and runs through to the early part of October.

During this time, athletes at all levels come together to participate in structured workouts and group rides. You will start off with a “Base Line ride” after which you complete 6 structured workouts. The goal is to finish the program with the successful completion of the final “Finish Line Ride.”

This indoor cycling event is open to friends near and far, and also those who finish the program are able to graduate with a sense of accomplishment.

You Will Be Coached By:

Irish racer Stephen Gallagher has competed at the World and the European Championships. He designed the structured workout as a journey – one that educates and asks you to exert hard efforts on the bike during training.

Dan Fleeman is the other road coach. Dan is a medal-winning British racer that brings bespoke knowledge of training and structures to this tough, yet smart program.

Requirements for the Pro Contract

You must finish two additional indoor cycling workouts if you’re eyeing the pro contract. Think of this as an opportunity to see how you compare to elite athletes. As a result, work hard, and you might find yourself on the path to becoming a pro!

1. Aerobic Capacity

The 12-minute capacity effort is designed to find out which athletes have what it takes to go pro, as most riders will struggle to recover fully from this capacity effort. The next 10-minute sub-threshold attempt will be set at a target power below your current FTP.

2. Glycolytic Capacity

This test consists of running you through several sub-2-minute intervals followed by complete recovery rest periods. After the intervals, you will also be subjected to a recovery test to measure the resilience of your aerobic system.

If you are considering competing for the pro contract, you must also be able to finish two 10-minute sub-threshold efforts without failure.

How to Register For the Zwift Road Academy

Are you excited yet? Fancy getting in on the action? You can visit Zwift.com/zaroad to register.

Zwift Academy Tri

This program runs from the end of October through most of November. Zwift Tri Academy is perfect for athletes of any level. Whether you are just starting out or are looking to improve your performance, this program will help you do just that.

Learn how to train effectively while putting your fitness to the test. At the end of the program, there are two Finish Line events – one for the run and one for the ride.

They will identify your strengths and weaknesses. They will then recommend opportunities to improve by making suggestions on beneficial workouts once the program ends.

The triathlon program is designed by world-class coach, Dr. Dan Plews. Participants in the program receive six structured workouts (3x bike & 3x Run) and at the end of the program there are two Finish Line events.

The Finish Line Ride is a 5-minute power test within a 60-minute workout. The Finish Line Run has two options where you run as far as possible in a fixed amount of time. Furthermore, the short run is 15 minutes, and the long run is 30 minutes.

NOTE: If you’re hoping to qualify for the ZA Tri team, you’ll need to complete the long-run option. 

You Will Be Coached By:

Dr. Dan Plews is a world-class coach and athlete with a Ph.D. in exercise physiology and more than 60 publications to his name. He has worked with more than 25 World Champions and Olympians in triathlon, rowing, and sailing.

Long course triathlon is his passion, having coached athletes to numerous 70.3 and long course wins plus several sub-8-hour performances.

Most impressive is the fact that Dan holds a Kona course record! 8 hours and 24 minutes.

Requirements to be Considered for the Pro Team

To qualify, you’ll need to complete

• • the three bike workouts,

• • the three long run workouts,

• • the Finish Line Ride and,

• • the longer 30-minute Finish Line Run.

Mentors

Your mentors for the Zwift Tri Academy Team are Sarah True and Tim Don who had the following to say.

Sarah:

“The Zwift Tri Academy Team exemplifies so much of what is great about triathlon: the sense of community, pursuit of excellence, and passion for the sport. Being a mentor to these exceptional athletes has been such a wonderful reminder of how a shared love of sport has the power to bring us together.” – Sarah True

Tim:

“Being a mentor on the Zwift Tri Academy Team has been awesome. To be able to give all of the athletes an insight into life as a pro and add some invaluable tips on how to improve as an athlete has been great fun. From the camps in Morgan Hill to Kona itself, and not to mention all the banter on our team WhatsApp group, I too have grown as an athlete and mentor.” – Tim Don

How to Qualify For the Zwift Tri Academy Pro Team

To be eligible for team selection, athletes must:

• • Graduate from the Zwift Tri Academy program,

• • Complete the Finish Line Ride & the longer, 30-minute Finish Line Run,

• • All longer run workouts,

• • For bike events, athletes must use a smart trainer (or heart rate monitor and cadence sensor),

• • For run events, athletes must use a cadence sensor, and HR monitor, and finish the Long Run workouts,

• • Must be an amateur athlete.

Zwift Academy Run

You will need to get ready for eight weeks of run training. The program consists of 10 events in total. You will need to complete all 10 in order to needed to graduate.

All program requirements are available as group events. You can find every workout that is available on-demand in your workout folder.

The well-rounded Academy program lays down the foundation of run training. They have developed eight workouts. These pinpoint specific energy systems to build your strength and speed.

Furthermore, the Base Line and Finish Line run on either side of your training journey to measure your progress.

Your coaches

Terrence Mahon, is a specialist in the total integration of sports science, strength, conditioning, and sports therapy. Terence guides athletes to the Olympics and achieves results on the global stage.

He does this by maximizing training sessions to help runners achieve their potential.

Partnering with Terence is Jen Rhines who has over 20 years of experience as a pro athlete. She is a three-time Olympian. She furthermore coaches runners of all ages and ability levels from amateurs to Olympic hopefuls.

In 2020 she focused on mentoring the Zwift Run Academy team to nail their nutrition and improve their mindset during training.

Requirements for the Zwift Academy Run Team

To be eligible for Team selection you must graduate from the Zwift Run Academy program. This means completing all 8 structured workouts (short or long versions) and both the Base Line* and Finish Line* runs. (These are scheduled events on the events calendar).  

*It is mandatory for Base Line and Finish Line Runs to be completed with a heart rate monitor and cadence sensor.

How to Register For the Zwift Run Academy

You can keep up to date by registering on this page https://www.zwift.com/uk/academy/zarun

Who is the Zwift Training Academy For?

It is for people who want to have fun while getting fit. More importantly, it is for people who may not be able to compete at the same level as others due to geographical or financial restrictions.

It is also for athletes who want to add a more competitive edge to their hobby/sport.

The Zwift Training Academy is an annual event that is open to anyone and everyone. The goals of the academy vary depending on who participates but typically range from getting fit and stronger to become a professional cyclist.

In order to enter, you must have your FTP (functional threshold power) set correctly. This is a measure of your endurance and strength.

If you are a beginner, focus on riding consistently and learning about training. If you are more experienced, don’t be afraid to take on the challenge of the academy!

Remember that getting good rest is just as important as working hard. Moreover, your body gets stronger in the recovery time you give yourself after a workout.

What are the main benefits of joining the Zwift Annual Training Program?

Apart from the usual benefits like being able to train in the comfort of your own home or the social camaraderie aspect of the Zwift platform, it has another major appeal.

Go Pro!

The biggest attraction to the Zwift training event is the possibility of getting picked for the Zwift pro team. Consequently, participants stand the chance to get pro support with everything from wind tunnel training to pro equipment.

On top of this, the lucky eight to be selected will benefit from pro coaching by world-renowned Triathlon Coaches.

Zwift Academy History

The Zwift events have been running since 2016 and have grown bigger and stronger every year since.