Me? Sometimes, but I should or shouldn’t consistently. There’s probably something I could improve on. If I warm up before my ramp test I use my own custom 25m warmup…take about 20 minutes, then do the ramp.
But I’ve heard this as a criticism of the ramp test: it doesn’t have a good warmup…I don’t think it needs one but let’s see what the forum has to say.
Who thinks it’s necessary to warm up before the ramp…and what sort of warm up do you do?
I think it’s necessary to yield a better performance in me 100%.
edit: I usually see a shift at around 15-20 minutes of riding.
I just do the warm up that’s part of the ramp test. Keep it consistent. As long as the results give me the right degree of challenge for my training, why mess with it? The output is just a number to help calibrate the training. If I were to warm up longer, or differently, I expect I’d get a similar result. Let’s face it, at the 18 minute mark of the ramp test, I’m feeling pretty warmed up. 
100% yes. I do the LSCT warmup.
Part of my warmup involves coasting for a minute or two after reaching FTP and holding for a few minutes. Simply can’t do that with the ramp test.
Interesting. I’ve never done an additional warm up for the ramp test, and my post-ramp new FTP workouts always feel really challenging. If warming up would give me a higher result I would be afraid of having a number that I couldn’t train to.
Haven’t they mentioned a couple times in the podcast that they did experiment with both and concluded it doesn’t make a difference?
I’ve tried two different warm ups before the Ramp Test and I honestly believe that it made absolutely no difference what so ever.
For me, the Ramp Test is as much mental as it is physical. Why prolong what you already know is coming?
I do the first 10/15mins of pettit
Then do my trainer calibration
Do the ramp test and then the last 45 mins of pettit
No idea if it works better or not but means I’ve got a bit of a warm done and calibrated rather than stopping 10 or so mins into the test to do it
Warm ups have never been something I do nor see the need to do. I dont find they change anything for me. I have never had a problem with sitting down, getting up and going all out. Yes, strange and unusual, likely. My warmup happens for the first 5 minutes after I get out of bed. Then all set to go for the day and annoy those sleepy people in the house.
For me the ramp test the start phase is just a nuisance. I would rather start out at minute 11 to 13. Somewhere in there would work for me. The previous part is just boring filler.
Whether you warm up or not, just make sure whatever it is you’re doing is consistent across ramp tests so you’re comparing apples to apples when it comes to output.
Yeah I find that the gradual ramp up is more than enough of a warm up. The majority of the test falls within Z1/2 HR for me (70% of it), so it’s really only a short time inside Z3-5.
Old thread but I’m about to implement a warmup. Feel like I underperform on the ramp and wind up having to up the % on my workouts to get a proper workout. I also notice when I do a ride my legs feel heavy, slow and tight for 30 minutes of a MTB ride. Takes my old body forever to warm up. So, I think/hope it benefits me.
We’ll see…
Have you considered AI FTP Detection instead of the Ramp Test?
Interesting. Thanks.
Honestly I never saw a difference in result whether I did or not.
I typically do 20 minutes easy just cause I like to and it feels better for the first portion.
By the end it sucks anyways 
Just used the AI FTP and it bumped me 19 watts. Which I think will be closer to what I need. Most recent workouts I bump 5-`10% to feel them. If this FTP works out, I will do a ramp test with a warm up then the AI to see how they compare. Thanks for the tip.
Going to try a warmup before the ramp test tomorrow. When I was a runner I wouldn’t feel good until after the first 10 minutes or so, it seems to be less of a factor on the bike but most of my rides start with ~10 minutes on the greenway/shared path at a very easy pace so I’m hoping it will help.
I don’t typically do any warmups before ramp tests and as said before, it’s important to keep test day protocol as same as possible.
But I like to do something like Truuli day before as I often feel kinda sluggish after easy week (if re-testing after like SSB) and that sorta wakes up the engine just nice for the next day.