Hardness describes how much training strain (XSS) a workout packs into a given amount of time. The higher the Hardness, the more strain you accumulate per hour of riding.
Hardness Tests are a series of workouts in the Xert library, numbered from Level 2 to Level 16. Each level generates a set XSS-per-hour rate:
- Level 2 — 60 XSS/hour (lower Hardness, longer or steadier)
- Level 11 — around 150 XSS/hour
- Level 16 — 200 XSS/hour (very high Hardness, densely packed intensity)
Each level increments the total XSS per hour by roughly 10 points.
Why You Might See One Recommended
Xert may recommend a Hardness Test as part of your day's training if the level's XSS-per-hour rate happens to match your planned target. In that case, the workout is being recommended because it fits — not because Xert is prompting you to take a "test." You're not being asked to prove anything.
Your daily target intensity is controlled by the XSS per Hour setting in your program preferences. Higher settings correspond to higher Hardness Levels; lower settings correspond to lower ones. See XSS per Hour Preference for details.
Finding Hardness Tests in the Workout Library
Hardness Tests appear in the workout library labeled as "Hardness Test - Level [X]." You can search for them by name if you want to complete one directly.
Some higher levels (typically Level 12+) have alternate versions. If your Fitness Signature would limit you at the standard workout — you'd reach MPA before completing it — the alternate keeps the same XSS-per-hour rate with a different structure.
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