How to Ride Intervals.icu Workouts on a Smart Trainer

What you need

Install MINI WATT for macOS or Windows, sign in, and have an Intervals.icu account with a cycling workout on its calendar. For trainer-controlled ERG riding, use a compatible Bluetooth FTMS smart trainer. Check the FTMS compatibility guide if your trainer only advertises “Bluetooth.”

A power sensor can report watts, but a controllable FTMS trainer is what lets MINI WATT set ERG resistance.

Ride a planned workout in six steps

1. Connect Intervals.icu

In MINI WATT, open Settings, find Account, and choose Connect Intervals.icu. Complete the authorization in your browser, then return to the app. The account row should show that Intervals.icu is connected. If it says Reconnect, use that control to restore calendar and activity permissions.

2. Find the planned cycling workout

On Home, choose the Workouts tab. Upcoming from Intervals.icu shows today plus six more days. Choose a workout card to open its details. This view is for planned cycling workouts, not your completed activity history. If you just changed the calendar, use Refresh.

3. Check the prescription and trainer

Read the scheduled date, duration, power profile, and each block's target. Check My FTP in Settings: a percentage of FTP becomes a watt target using that value. If a step is flagged as unavailable or lacks a usable ERG target, address the warning before riding. Choose Connect a power source first if the trainer is not connected, then pair your FTMS trainer.

4. Start and ride

Choose Start workout once the trainer is connected and the targets look right. MINI WATT sends each power target to the trainer in ERG mode. Hold a comfortable cadence while resistance changes between blocks. If ERG feels unfamiliar, read how ERG mode works.

5. Review the completed ride

After finishing, check the Workout Complete summary for duration, power, and other recorded metrics. The planned calendar entry told you what to do; this new activity records what you actually rode.

6. Upload the FIT activity

On the summary, choose Sync to Intervals.icu. The same control appears in the Share panel. Wait for Synced to Intervals.icu before leaving. If it fails, use Retry Intervals.icu sync. You can also revisit a completed planned workout to check its status. Connecting the accounts alone does not import your full historical activity library.

The Share panel below shows a different completed ride; its sync control is in the same place.

If a workout or upload is missing

Have a workout file instead?

On Home > Workouts, choose Import workout. Pick a ZWO, MRC, or ERG file. MINI WATT opens it in the editor so you can review the blocks and targets before choosing Save workout. An imported file goes into your MINI WATT workouts; it is not the same thing as downloading a planned session from your Intervals.icu calendar. See workout building and imports for the other ways to prepare a ride.

When MINI WATT fits

This flow is for cyclists who plan power workouts in Intervals.icu and want a desktop app to execute them on a Bluetooth FTMS trainer.

When MINI WATT is not the right fit

It will not import your full past Intervals.icu activity library. This guide also does not cover running or swimming workouts.

Action plan: Ride your next session

1. 1

   Connect Intervals.icu in MINI WATT Settings.

2. 2

   Open the planned cycling workout in Home > Workouts.

3. 3

   Check FTP, targets, and trainer connection; then start.

4. 4

   Review the ride and sync its completed FIT activity.

Common mistakes

• **Treating the plan as ride history

  ** A calendar workout is a prescription. Upload the completed activity after riding.

• **Looking outside the date window

  ** The upcoming view covers today and the next six days.

• **Assuming upload succeeded

  ** Check for the synced status and retry a failed upload.

FAQ