Should I Train Today? A Garmin Data Decision Framework

Every morning, the same question: should I train today? Your Garmin watch has been tracking you all night — heart rate variability, sleep stages, stress, recovery. It has more data about your body than any coach could gather from a conversation. But that data is spread across half a dozen screens, and none of them give you a straight answer.

Training Readiness says 42. Body Battery says 35. Sleep score says 71. HRV status says "balanced." Recovery time still shows 14 hours. Now what?

This article gives you a practical decision framework for turning your Garmin data into a clear daily answer. Not a vague "listen to your body" — an actual system you can follow.

Why You Need a Framework (Not Just a Number)

Garmin gives you metrics. It does not give you decisions.

Training Readiness is the closest thing to a single answer, but it has blind spots. It does not know your training plan. It does not know you have a race in three weeks. It does not know that yesterday's "easy" run was actually harder than planned because you chased a Strava segment.

Relying on any single metric is like checking only the temperature before deciding what to wear. You also need to know if it is raining, windy, or sunny. The same applies to training decisions — you need to read multiple signals together.

The framework below synthesizes four key Garmin metrics into one decision. It takes about 30 seconds once you get used to it.

The Four Metrics That Matter

Before we get to the framework, here is what each metric tells you and why it matters for today's decision.

1. Training Readiness (1-100)

Your primary signal. This composite score combines HRV, sleep, recovery time, and recent training load. Think of it as Garmin's best attempt at answering "should I train?" in a single number.

60-100: Green light. Your body is ready for intensity.
40-59: Yellow light. You can train, but consider moderating.
Below 40: Red light. Hard training is likely counterproductive.

2. HRV Status

More important than today's single HRV reading is your 7-day trend. HRV status shows whether your autonomic nervous system is recovering normally or trending in the wrong direction.

Balanced / Above baseline: Your nervous system is handling the load. Good sign.
Below baseline (occasional): Normal fluctuation. Check other metrics.
Low / Declining for 3+ days: Systemic fatigue signal. Take this seriously.

3. Body Battery (1-100)

Your energy reservoir. Body Battery tracks how much you recharged overnight versus how much you drained yesterday. It is more responsive to daily fluctuations than Training Readiness.

Above 60: Solid energy reserves. You can handle a full session.
40-60: Moderate reserves. Adjust expectations.
Below 40: Running on fumes. Easy work only, or rest.

4. Sleep Score

Sleep is the foundation everything else sits on. A single bad night is recoverable. Multiple bad nights compound into real problems.

Above 80: Good recovery sleep. Green light.
60-80: Adequate. Not ideal but workable.
Below 60: Poor recovery. Factor this heavily into your decision.

The Decision Framework

Here is the system. Check your metrics in the morning and follow the path.

Step 1: Check Training Readiness

This is your starting point.

Above 60 → You are likely good to train as planned. Proceed to Step 2 for confirmation.
40-60 → Caution zone. Move to Step 2 to decide how to adjust.
Below 40 → Default to easy training or rest. Move to Step 2 only to confirm whether you should do easy work or take a full rest day.

Step 2: Cross-Reference With HRV Status

Training Readiness can be noisy on any given day. HRV trend is the stabilizer.

HRV balanced or above baseline → Trust your Training Readiness score. If it says go, go. If it says moderate, moderate.
HRV below baseline for 1-2 days → Drop one intensity level from what Training Readiness suggests. "Go hard" becomes "moderate." "Moderate" becomes "easy."
HRV declining for 3+ days → Regardless of Training Readiness, limit yourself to easy work or rest. A declining HRV trend is the single most reliable fatigue signal your watch provides.

Step 3: Check Body Battery for Today's Ceiling

Body Battery tells you how much fuel is in the tank right now.

Above 60 → Full session is feasible. Follow the plan from Steps 1-2.
40-60 → Shorten the session or reduce intensity by one level.
Below 40 → Cap it at easy effort, 30-45 minutes max. Or rest.

Step 4: Factor in Sleep

Sleep is the tiebreaker when other metrics are borderline.

Slept well (score above 80) → Trust the other metrics. Proceed.
Slept OK (60-80) → No adjustment needed unless other metrics are already marginal.
Slept poorly (below 60) → Drop intensity one more level. If everything else is already at "easy," make it a rest day.

Step 5: The Final Decision

After running through Steps 1-4, you land on one of four outcomes:

Train as planned. Training Readiness above 60, HRV balanced, Body Battery above 60, sleep adequate. Go.
Train with reduced intensity. One or two metrics are in the yellow zone. Swap hard sessions for moderate, or moderate for easy.
Easy movement only. Multiple metrics are low, or HRV is declining. Light jog, walk, yoga, mobility. Stay active without adding training stress.
Full rest. Everything is red. HRV declining, Body Battery below 30, poor sleep for multiple nights. Rest is the most productive thing you can do.

Quick Reference Table

| Training Readiness | HRV Status | Body Battery | Sleep | Decision | |---|---|---|---|---| | 60+ | Balanced | 60+ | 80+ | Train as planned | | 60+ | Balanced | 40-60 | 60-80 | Train, shorter session | | 40-60 | Balanced | 60+ | 60+ | Moderate intensity | | 40-60 | Below baseline | 40-60 | 60-80 | Easy workout only | | Below 40 | Balanced | 60+ | 80+ | Easy workout, reassess | | Below 40 | Below baseline | Below 40 | Below 60 | Full rest day | | Any | Declining 3+ days | Any | Any | Rest or very easy only |

This table covers the most common scenarios. Real life will throw you combinations not listed here. When in doubt, default to the more conservative option. You never regret an extra easy day. You often regret forcing a hard session your body was not ready for.

Common Scenarios

"My Training Readiness is low but I feel great"

This happens. The score lags behind subjective feeling sometimes, especially after a single good night following a string of hard days. Use the 15-minute test: warm up easy for 15 minutes. If your body responds well and heart rate settles into normal zones, continue at moderate intensity. If everything feels harder than it should, cut it short.

"All my metrics look fine but I feel terrible"

Trust your body. Metrics capture a lot, but they miss things like emotional stress, nutrition, hydration, and the cold you are about to come down with. If your body is screaming no while your watch says yes, the body wins.

"I have a race in two weeks and my readiness has been low"

This is a taper signal. If readiness is dropping during a planned taper, it often reflects accumulated fatigue from the training block finally surfacing. This is normal and often a sign that the taper is working. Do not panic-train. Trust the process and let the freshness come.

"My readiness is always in the 40-60 range"

Some people never see high Training Readiness scores. This can be due to naturally lower HRV, chronic sleep issues, or sustained life stress. If your scores are consistently in this range and you are training and recovering well, recalibrate your personal thresholds. Your "green light" might be 45, not 65.

What This Framework Cannot Do

Be honest about the limits. This framework is a guide, not a prescription. It does not account for:

Your specific training plan and periodization. Sometimes you need to train hard on a low-readiness day because it is your key workout for the week.
Accumulated context over months. How you responded to similar situations in the past matters and requires tracking over time.
Goal priorities. Are you peaking for a race or building a base? The risk tolerance changes.
Workout specifics. An easy 30-minute run and an easy 90-minute long run are not the same recovery cost, even at the same intensity.

This is exactly where AI coaching becomes valuable. An AI coach that reads your full Garmin data history, knows your training plan, and understands your goals can make these nuanced calls far better than a static framework.

At shoulditrain.com, we are building that coach — one that connects to your Garmin, reads your metrics every morning, and gives you a personalized recommendation that accounts for all the context a simple framework cannot. If you want to stop second-guessing your data and start getting clear daily answers, join the waitlist.

FAQ

How accurate is Garmin Training Readiness?

Training Readiness is directionally reliable but not perfect. Research on the individual components — HRV, sleep quality, and training load — supports their use as recovery indicators. The composite score tends to be more accurate for detecting "definitely rest" days than for distinguishing between "moderate" and "go hard" days. Use it as one input alongside how you feel, not as gospel.

Which single Garmin metric is most important for training decisions?

If you could only check one metric, HRV trend over 7 days is the most actionable. A declining HRV baseline is the earliest and most reliable indicator that your body is accumulating fatigue faster than it is recovering. Training Readiness incorporates HRV but also adds noise from other factors.

Should I skip every workout when Training Readiness is below 40?

No. A score below 40 means you should avoid high-intensity work, but easy movement is almost always beneficial. Light jogging, walking, yoga, and mobility work promote recovery without adding significant stress. The only time to take a complete rest day is when multiple metrics are deeply red and you feel genuinely unwell.

Does Garmin Training Readiness work for all sports?

Training Readiness works best for endurance sports — running, cycling, swimming, triathlon — where cardiovascular recovery is the primary limiting factor. It is less useful for strength sports or activities where muscular fatigue is the main constraint, since Garmin does not directly measure muscle recovery.

How long does it take for Training Readiness to calibrate?

Garmin needs approximately 2-3 weeks of consistent wear (including sleep tracking) to establish your personal baselines for HRV, sleep, and stress. During the calibration period, scores may be less reliable. Give it time before making major training decisions based on the data.