Power-based training is without a doubt the best way to structure training for cycling, and FTP serves as a way to scale every workout to your current fitness level. But what is a good FTP, and how can you be sure that your FTP is accurate?
For more information on FTP and cycling, check out Ask a Cycling Coach Ep. 237.
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What is a Good FTP?
The crux of power-based training is a benchmark called FTP, which stands for Functional Threshold Power. This is an estimated measure of your highest sustainable power, measured in watts, that can be held for one hour. FTP is an important metric because it’s used to scale every workout to your specific needs. That way, you can be sure that you’re training at exactly the right intensity at all times.
FTP is just a number used to calibrate training. It’s highly individual and a reflection of your current aerobic fitness and body type. FTP is not a value statement of you as a cyclist. Of course, pro cyclists can have astonishing FTPs—often above 400w. But cycling performance is more than a high FTP. Power to weight ratio, technical skills, repeatability, and more all play a role in performance.
With that in mind, many cyclists still want to know what is a good FTP. A good FTP is one that is accurate and ensures that you are getting the most out of your hard work. If you’re new to endurance sports or structured training, it may seem like your FTP is too low. Don’t worry! It’s just a starting point. With the right training, you’ll increase FTP and get faster.
FTP Charts
It’s natural to want to know how your FTP compares to other cyclists. We’ve included FTP charts that account for all TrainerRoad athletes.
How Does My FTP Compare?
As we mentioned above, FTP is just one of many performance indicators. That said, you might want to see how you compare to other cyclists. Below is a chart that shows the average FTP of all TrainerRoad athletes.
Average FTP of All TrainerRoad Athletes
As you can see, experienced cyclists, have on average, a 62w higher FTP when compared to a beginner. That means that just because you may have a low FTP right now doesn’t mean you’re destined to have a low FTP in the future. Power-based, structured interval training is one of the most efficient and effective ways to increase your FTP, endurance, and performance.
Average w/KG of All TrainerRoad Athletes
More Than Just FTP
We know that FTP is just a metric used to set training intensity that can sometimes be used as an indicator of performance. But FTP doesn’t tell the whole story of your abilities. There is another cycling metric that can be used as well—Progression Levels. Progression Levels are a real-time calculation of your abilities to express your current FTP across individual training zones.
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You can use these to understand your growing fitness with insights into your specific strengths and limiters. Progression Levels also give you insight into your training plan to see if you’re on track to have the exact type of fitness needed for your goals. You can view your levels on the career page of the TrainerRoad app.
Could Your FTP Be Inaccurate?
FTP is assessed through a structured protocol that should push you to exhaustion. There are many different ways to determine your FTP, but the most efficient and accurate method is the TrainerRoad Ramp Test. However, there could be some reasons why it isn’t accurate.
It’s Been Too Long Since Your Last FTP Test
If you are training regularly, you should reassess every 4-6 weeks. While training, as more time passes between testing, it’s highly probable you’ve gotten stronger and that your FTP from a previous test is now too low.
Likewise, if your last FTP test was taken while you were peaking, and you’ve since taken time off, that FTP will likely be too high for your current fitness. This is why every TrainerRoad training plan starts with and includes the Ramp Test every 4-6 weeks to ensure each workout is scaled to your current fitness.
You Are New To FTP Testing
FTP testing is a skill in itself—every rider experiences a learning curve as they reassess every 4-6 weeks. The Ramp Test is short but challenging, and you have to dig deep in the last few minutes. Pushing your limits is a learned skill and one that improves over time. With that in mind, new riders can safely assume that their FTP from their early assessments may be close but not spot-on. That’s not necessarily a bad thing at first.
A more common scenario is when a rider is doing a workout that contrasts with their current abilities. For example, if a long-distance triathlete is trying to complete a neuromuscular sprint workout, chances are they will feel their FTP is too high. The same would be true for a cyclocross racer trying to complete a 30-minute threshold interval. In this case, their FTP could be accurate, but they are asking their body to work in a way that is entirely foreign.
All that being said, it is certainly possible to under-assess your potential. When riders enter a test already fatigued from a previous day’s training, hold back, or lose focus, they are sure to alter their results. Interestingly enough, your effort in a testing interval is a maximal effort, so while testing above your limits during that interval is fundamentally impossible, there are a couple of exceptions.
Since new riders are exploring their limits and familiarizing themselves with riding at those limits, their “actual FTP” may differ from their “performable FTP”. This decoupling is resolved quickly with increased familiarity with training, and there are a number of signs to look for that indicate your FTP is too low.
Signs of a Low FTP
Rest intervals are too easy
This is the most common problem for cyclists who are new to power-based training. Due to inexperience, their FTP is low, and it is noticed in subsequent super-tempo interval workouts. If your workout has you training at or above sweet spot, you should be looking forward to the rest intervals and need to take them easy to be ready for the next work interval.
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When riders can ride well above the indicated power during a rest interval, they’re either hampering their recovery for the next interval or seeing further evidence that their FTP is too low. But in too many cases, the rider goes from working a little too hard during the recovery interval and not hard enough during the work interval. If this is the case, try bumping the intensity of the workout 2-3% and see if those rest intervals transform from a bore to a godsend.
Over-under intervals aren’t exhausting
These types of interval workouts have you working just below threshold for a period of time before going just above threshold. This pattern repeats any given number of times during each interval set. Over-unders are known for being very challenging, both mentally and physically. The reason for this is because you force your body to exceed its lactate processing limits and recover just below those limits. Mental and physical triggers cry out for full rest to recover, but you are teaching your body to recover while still working hard.
After each “over”, you should feel a burning or flooded sensation in your muscles and be out of breath. If you don’t feel these sensations, it’s a good sign that the “over” portion of your intervals isn’t truly over your threshold. Try increasing the intensity by 2-3%.
Long threshold intervals are too easy
Certain workouts will have you riding at threshold for extended periods of time with little rest. For example, Lamarck’s four threshold intervals are 10 minutes long with only two minutes rest in between. This workout can be a great litmus test for FTP accuracy.
If you can sustain 40 minutes at FTP with minimal rest and don’t feel thoroughly challenged, at least eager for recovery during the final minute or two of each effort, then chances are your FTP is too low. The same fix of raising your FTP 2-3% is suggested.
How to Make Sure Your FTP Is Accurate
There’s only one sure-fire way to make sure your FTP is accurate, and that is through regular testing with the Ramp Test. With time, FTP testing will transform from something exciting to something dreadful and then back to something exciting again. If you have any doubts about the accuracy of your FTP, you can apply that quick fix of a 2-3% intensity increase until you feel you’re in the right spot, but we always advocate testing as the best way to resolve this issue.
Listen to Certified Cycling Coaches Discuss FTP Testing
Low FTP is one topic we covered in episode 26 of the Ask a Cycling Coach podcast. Listen to the episode’s full recording below to hear this, and other questions from cyclists get answered by our certified cycling coaches.
Additional Notes
TrainerRoad’s Ask a Cycling Coach podcast is dedicated to making you a faster cyclist. It gives you the chance to get answers to your cycling and triathlon training questions from USAC certified coaches Chad Timmerman, Jonathan Lee, and special guests. Learn more about other topics we covered in the latest episode with our resources below:
- Do different types of trainers affect your FTP?
- How inertia affects FTP
- How to use cycling to lose weight
- How power relates to VO2max
- What should females know about body fat analysis
- Is it normal to not see an increase in FTP?
- Does expensive cycling kit make you faster?
- Is your FTP too low?
- What is VO2max?
- Does VO2max training make you faster?
- What your body goes through during an interval workout
For more answers to your cycling training questions, listen to our podcast Ask a Cycling Coach — the only podcast dedicated to making you a faster cyclist. New episodes are released weekly.
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