Support
Send your feedback and bug reports by email at powertrainapp.sup [at] gmail.com .
Or you can rise a github issue.
Settings Page
The Settings page allows you to configure various aspects of the application to customize your experience. Here are the key data fields it can hold:
- Rowing FTP: expressed in min/500m.
- Developer mode: allows the activation of some hidden features for debugging purposes.
- Auto-Pause settings: activate/deactivate auto pause and set inactivity and resume delays
The FTP value is used to calculate the power targets for the training sessions.
Scan Page
The scan page lists the available Bluetooth devices, like fitness machines and sensors. The following devices are supported: FTMS-compatible rowing machines and heart rate monitors
Scanning for Devices
- Tap the "Scan for devices" button to search for nearby Bluetooth-enabled fitness machines and sensors.
- The app will display a list of discovered devices, including rowing machines and heart rate monitors.
- Tap the "Connect" button near the device to pair it with your phone.
Strava Connection
- Connect your Strava account to sync your workouts.
- Tap the Strava connection button to authenticate and link your account.
- Once connected, your training sessions, when completed, can be uploaded to Strava.
Starting and Performing a Training Session
Starting a session
- Ensure your rowing machine and sensors are connected.
- Tap the "Open" button near the connected machine name.
- On top you'll see a list of predefined routes. Optionally you may select one of them. If you don't, the application will pick up one randomly.
- You may choose to start a "Paris 2024 Olympics race", "Free ride", generate a training session or select a saved "Training session"
Paris 2024 Olympics:
- Select the rower resistance, if available.
- Tap on "Paris 2024".
- A free distance workout opens with segments of 250m.
- The personal best time is displayed on the map and on the workout chart. Try to beat it!
Free ride:
- Select "Time" or "Distance".
- Select the desired duration or distance.
- Optionally, for rowers, you can select the stroke rate and the pace targets.
- If the machine supports setting the resistance, you can select the rower resistance level in its accepted range. Some machines do not support setting the resistance through software. In that case you can set it manually on the machine.
- Tap "Start".
Training session generator:
- Select the desired duration.
- Select the workout type.
- If the machine supports setting the resistance, you can select the rower resistance level in its accepted range. Some machines do not support setting the resistance through software. In that case you can set it manually on the machine.
- Tap "Start".
Saved training session:
- Select a training session from the list.
- Tap "Start session".
Performing a session
On top you have the session title and some controls allowing to cut the metronome's sound, the alerts sound, to pause/start and stop the session.
Once started, you'll see at the top a visual representation of the intervals and the current elapsed and remaining time or distance.
On the left, you'll find the current interval with its targets and elapsed and remaining time or distance.
The main part is filled with actual data coming from the fitness machine and sensors. The target values, as defined in the training session, change the color to red when not in the desired range.
Also, there is an overlay map with your current position and the route.
When the current interval is about to end, a beep is played to alert you.
Starting a session
Start rowing
If the current interval has a stroke rate target, then you'll hear a metronome sound at the target stroke rate. You may disable this sound by tapping the metronome icon. A visual representation of the metronome will also be displayed, allowing you to follow the rhythm.
Pausing/resuming a session
Stop rowing. If there is no activity, the app will automatically pause the session.
Or, you can tap the pause/resume button.
Ending a session
Row until the end of the session. You'll have three options then:
- Save the session. If connected to Strava, the session is uploaded automatically to Strava. You'll find it there with the corresponding route map. If not connected to Strava, you'll find the activity under the "Unsynchronized activities" menu
- Continue the session: the session will be prolonged so that you can continue rowing with the same settings as the last interval.
- Discard the session: all data is lost
You can hit the "Stop" button any time to end the session.
Viewing and editing training sessions
Select "Training sessions" from the burger menu.
There are built-in training sessions and custom training sessions. The built-in sessions cannot be edited but can be duplicated.
You can add, edit, and delete custom training sessions. They are stored locally on your mobile device.
When you create first a custom training session, you can select whether the session is time based or distance based. Once selected and the session saved, you cannot change its type.
You can add, edit, and delete "unit intervals" and "group intervals".
Unit intervals are intervals with a duration or distance, depending on the session type. Group intervals are intervals containing one or more unit intervals with a number of repetitions.
Unit intervals have a title, a duration/distance and targets. You can choose to have a target for the pace, or the cadence.
The pace is expressed in percent and its values are calculated based on the FTP value you set in the settings.
Note about the resistance level: You can set a target resistance level from 1 to 15 for each interval. This value will only be used if your fitness machine supports resistance adjustment via Bluetooth. Some machines have a different resistance range. In this case, the application adapts the 1 to 15 range to the range supported by the machine.
Unsynchronized activities
Select "Unsynchronized activities" from the burger menu.
You'll find there the workout files generated by the app when they couldn't be sent to Strava.
For each, you can try to upload it to Strava, delete it, or share it with other apps.
Tap on the activity name. You'll see visual representation of data contained in the file, like speed/pace, cadence and heart rate
If you're connected to Strava and uploads didn't fail, the list should be empty.
Developer mode
When you activate the developer mode in the settings, you'll have access to the fitness machine's supported features and you can read and send data from and to the machine.
Warning: Use this with caution!
From the scan page, select the machine and tap "Open". You'll see two menus down the page: "Device data features" and "Machine features".
Device data features
Here are the data that can be read from the machine, with the current values.
Machine features
Here are the commands that can be sent to the machine. Among them, you might be able to set the "resistance level" or the power target (ERG mode). When you want to use one of those, always send the request control command first.
Credits
This software uses universal_ble library
Copyright (c) 2024, Navideck Labs OÜ
All rights reserved.