Title says it.
My ego is screaming for the noob gains to the number, but I’m curious if there’s any meaningful difference in training plans between updating my FTP as soon as it’s available or waiting until the start of Base 2.
In base it won’t matter too much, the real gains are going to happen after you take that base and start using it to hit harder and harder build workouts.
1 Like
I smash that Detect My FTP button whenever TR says it can. It feels great to see the bump if I earned one. But the non-emotional case for it is calibration. It makes sense to train on the basis of the most accurate and up to date information available.
5 Likes
As a noob, I would hit it. It takes a little while as someone new to training to dial in your FTP. You often see new riders with big jumps.
2 Likes
Hey @Majcolorado,
I’m going to go with @Bthoffma and @Pbase on this one.
We typically recommend that athletes use the AI FTP Detection button when it’s available. It helps to keep you progressing along at the right rate for the given phase that you’re in.
Putting off an FTP update will allow you to keep climbing up to higher-level workouts as you progress similar to what we have you do in the Specialty phase. This is great for fine-tuning/sharpening race fitness but less ideal during the Base and Build phases.
The one exception to this recommendation is during the Specialty phase, but we’ve already built a feature around this so that you don’t have to worry about it. We’ll prompt your FTP updates during the Specialty Phase when they’re needed.
For more info on how this works, check out this thread post from us.
2 Likes
Eddie beat me to it…
This. If you’re expecting big jumps in FTP, either because you’re new or just returning to training, punch that button whenever TR says you can.
If you’re more experience, and the gains are likely smaller, you might want to delay depending on where you are in your plan. I wouldn’t want to hit it during a specialization block leading into an A race (IIRC, TR won’t prompt then, though you can still hit AI FTP manually).
1 Like
Thanks @eddiegrinwald and everyone else who responded to my question. I’m coming back after a long layoff from cycling and am most concerned with optimizing my limited training time. I really appreciate the helpful feedback!
1 Like
How does anyone even get to the higher PL workouts outside of specialty? On my last aiftp detection (+10 watts) i went from threshold 4.1->1.8, sweetspot 5.3->3.9 and vo2 4.9->3.1. Assuming your ftp increases, 28 days doesn’t feel like enough time to ever get past the 5-7 range on the hard workouts, at which point you drop back down in levels again.
2 Likes
Gosh darn it. You made me press it!
2 Likes
This is pretty much my experience too.
Once you’ve been training for a bit, you stop seeing those massive increases. If my FTP goes up (or down) 1 or 3 watts, I ignore the change because it’s too much of a PITA to update all my apps. When that happens, you just keep building your PL’s.
1 Like
This is by design. I wouldn’t focus on reaching high-level workouts, especially outside of a Specialty phase, as there are typically fewer of them to choose from, and they are designed around strengthening specificity, which, again, is really the main focus of the Specialty phase.
Keep in mind that when your FTP goes up, your Progression Levels need to go down to adjust the workout intensity. You’ll still be doing harder workouts even though the Workout Level is lower because your FTP is higher, and the workout is based upon that number. Think of this like shifting gears in a car – the RPMs go down temporarily when you shift, but your speed is still increasing as you accelerate and shift through the gears.
I’d recommend focusing on the bigger picture – your FTP and overall fitness throughout your plan and leading up to your event if you have one in your calendar.
4 Likes
I’m at 12+ workouts for SS and tempo. Even after successfully completing them it only shows up at 10
With 3 more days before AI detection eligible