Layer 2 · External metrics
AU load is useful for overall trends, but to program a specific exercise the coach needs real numbers — kilos moved, minutes of work, kilometers covered. TrainerStudio shows these metrics alongside internal load (AU):
| Metric | When it applies | How it is calculated |
|---|---|---|
| Tonnage (kg) | Reps mode with load | sets × reps × kg |
| Total minutes | Any mode | Sum of working minutes |
| Distance (km) | Distance mode | Sum of distance covered |
| Total reps | Reps mode | Sum of repetitions (NL — Number of Lifts) |
These metrics are not mixed with each other or with AU. Each one lives on its natural scale. The coach checks them when they need to adjust a specific physical parameter: to increase leg tonnage, look at tonnage; to make sure a runner covers 30 km a week, look at distance.
Why they are critical in maximal strength
Layer 2 is essential for maximal strength. A 1RM set takes very little active time and therefore adds little AU, but its neural impact is huge. A coach programming maximal strength should always read AU together with tonnage and relative intensity (% 1RM or RPE 9-10).
It is the clearest example of why the framework has several layers: looking only at AU would underestimate a maximal strength session, and looking only at tonnage would underestimate a high-intensity metabolic session. Both layers together give the real picture.
What to read next
To understand why a 1RM comes out low in AU (and how minutes are split by load mode), go back to Layer 1 · Internal load (AU). To see the contrasts in practice, try the calculator.
Layer 1 · Internal load (AU)
The internal load formula in TrainerStudio — session-RPE (Foster) with squared intensity, and how working minutes are calculated according to the exercise's load mode.
Intensity sources
How TrainerStudio normalizes RPE, RIR, %1RM, %HRmax, %HRR, %FTP and %critical velocity to a single 0-10 scale that feeds the internal load formula.