Magic Buckets: Hit Your Training Targets on Any Ride – Knowledgebase

Most structured training is built around a simple idea: to improve, you need the right mix of training stress—not just “ride harder.”

Xert models training across three energy systems, and recommends daily targets for each:

Low (Endurance) – aerobic work that builds durability and supports Threshold Power
High (Sustained Intensity) – hard efforts above threshold that develop your high-intensity capacity
Peak (Explosive Efforts) – short, intense efforts that build sprint/punch power

Traditionally, athletes hit these ratios by following structured workouts with fixed intervals. That works—but it also raises common questions:

Why this particular workout? Why these intensities and durations?
If I miss targets, should I stop or keep going?
Can I do the rides I actually want to do (group rides, races) and still train effectively?

Magic Buckets is Xert’s answer.

What Magic Buckets Does

Magic Buckets turns your daily Low/High/Peak XSS targets into real-time guidance—so you can complete your training without being locked into a rigid workout script.

The “Magic” is a revolutionary algorithm that uses:

your Fitness Signature, and
your Low, High, & Peak XSS targets

to calculate the most efficient way to fill your buckets—adjusting your work intervals and recoveries on the fly, second by second, as you ride.

Key idea: you’re not chasing perfect watt targets—you’re applying the right dose of strain (XSS) to the right systems. Magic Buckets does the math and adapts as your ride unfolds.

Two Ways to Use Magic Buckets

1) Real-Time Magic Buckets (Recommended)

This is the “wow” mode: Magic Buckets runs live on your device and effectively turns any ride into a SMART, adaptive workout:

do a group ride and add harder efforts when needed
race on Zwift and watch buckets fill as you attack and sprint
ride outdoors on imperfect terrain—no more hunting for the “perfect interval road”

If you want maximum flexibility without sacrificing training precision, use the real-time data field.

Available on: Garmin (Connect IQ), Hammerhead Karoo, and Xert EBC for Android (iOS on our radar).

Related article: How to Read the Magic Buckets Data Field [link]

2) Magic Buckets Workout Generator (Structured Workout)

Prefer a workout with a clear start/finish—or training on a platform that can’t run the real-time field?

Xert can use the same Magic Buckets algorithm to generate a custom structured workout designed to hit today’s Low/High/Peak targets. You can preview it and customize key settings before saving/scheduling.

Related article: Using the Magic Buckets Workout Generator

Magic Buckets Has Two "Modes"

Depending on your day’s training targets, Magic Buckets will guide you in one of two modes:

Magic Intervals (high-intensity days)
Magic Endurance (endurance-focused days)

The display and guidance adjust based on what you need today.