How to Load Workouts onto a Wahoo ELEMNT (Mac and PC)

A Wahoo ELEMNT, BOLT, ROAM or ACE can guide you through a structured workout, showing each interval and target, and can control a smart trainer in ERG mode. Getting the workout onto the unit is the only tricky part. There are two routes.

Route 1: sync from a training app (recommended)

This is the route Wahoo supports officially, and it works the same on every computer.

1. Open the ELEMNT app on your phone and go to the planned workouts settings of your head unit.
2. Link a planned workout provider, such as TrainingPeaks, Wahoo SYSTM or TrainerRoad.
3. Schedule the workout in that service. For TrainingPeaks, see how to import our workouts into TrainingPeaks.
4. Sync planned workouts. A single workout can sync over Bluetooth through the app; with Wi-Fi set up, the unit can also pull several days of workouts from the Wahoo cloud.
5. On the head unit, open Planned Workouts and start the session.

Route 2: copy a file over USB

You can also copy a workout file straight onto the unit. Wahoo head units connect to computers using MTP, the same USB standard Android phones use, and the unit must be switched on, not just charging.

Head unit	Workout file over USB
ACE, BOLT 3, ROAM 3	Planned workouts in .FIT format. USB access is off by default: turn it on in the Wahoo app's device settings first.
ELEMNT, BOLT 1/2, ROAM 1/2	Riders commonly copy .mrc files into the plans folder. Wahoo does not officially support this method, but it is widely used.

On Windows

Connect the unit with a USB data cable. It appears in File Explorer like a phone. Open its storage, find the plans folder and copy the file in.

On a Mac

macOS does not open MTP devices on its own, so you need a small MTP file transfer app; Google's Android File Transfer has long been the usual choice, and free alternatives exist. Connect the unit, open the app, find the plans folder and drag the file in. If the unit does not appear, unplug it, close the app and connect again with the unit switched on.

Then sync on the unit

Unplug the head unit and sync planned workouts from its menu. The workout then shows up under planned workouts. Files loaded this way live only on the unit: you cannot manage or back them up in the Wahoo app.

For older units, download the MRC file of any workout in our library.

Troubleshooting

• The Mac does not see the unit. Use a data cable, not a charge-only one, and make sure the unit is on.
• The file is on the unit but not in the list. Run a planned workout sync on the unit; on older units, unlinking other providers in the app may be needed for files in the plans folder to show.
• Several files show the same name. Give each file a distinct name before copying it.