So, im currently 20 years old, been cycling regularly simce the beginning of this year (jan. 2024). Started out with an FTP of around 217W (3w/kg), and now (oct. 2024) im up to about 270W (3.91w/kg).
My ‘issue’ is that its stayed at around that number for the past 2 months or so…
Im currently training 17-ish hours a week, doing 3 weeks on, 1 week recovery, rinse and repeat. Been doing that since May.
Now, I am on the skinnier side: 194cm and 70kg, and im wondering whether bulking up slightly could help? Or maybe I just need to take a break?
That’s some great improvement the past 9 months! At 20 and new to the cycling you may benefit from a season break and then building a new season. It may seem counter productive and at first you will be a bit slower than where you ended this season, but the break and “rebuild” will help you take the next step. Additionally year after year, consistent training will build on each other.
Don’t get hooked on raising your FTP each week, thats not how it works You’ll get lots of gains in the beginning, then it’ll start to taper off and it’ll take more time.
Also, just because your FTP doesnt go up doesn’t mean you won’t get faster.
My first thought though, are you eating enough off the bike? 17 hours a week is quite a lot, so it requires more attention to nutrition (and sleep).
Also, what does your progression look like? Are you increasing the load during the training phases?
Hmm, I mean, everyone has different thought on this. But I know my coach has talked about “mitochondrial overload” where if you just increase too fast, you can actually stop progressing because you’re progressing the load too much.
But either way.
I would probably chill a bit with the progression, maybe do 4x8, then 5x8, 6x8 etc, instead of increasing the time a lot each week.
And again, don’t stress it. It’s fine to do intervals at the same watts for months, doesn’t mean that something is not working.
Also maybe you need to switch it up a bit, what V02s are you doing? Maybe try doing some 6x3min V02 Max instead of 40/20s etc (if thats what you’re doing)
Nice work on training this year – looks like you made some awesome gains in your fitness!
As mentioned above, eventually, we reach a point where FTP stops progressing as quickly as it did at the beginning. It also simply takes time to grow that number – with the training it sounds like you’re doing right now, I bet your FTP will continue to go up over time.
I’d also second the recommendation from @Jolyzara that you could probably benefit from taking a couple of weeks off since you’ve been at it since May. About now is a good time to take some time off, especially for those of us in the northern hemisphere. Training demands a lot from us – mentally and physically – so taking some time off at the end of your season allows you to fully recover and refresh before getting back into your next full training cycle of Base/Build/Specialty.
I don’t think bulking up will do much to make you faster. Start with taking a break, and remember that it takes long periods of consistent training to keep bumping your FTP up!
Well done on the progress so far, that’s great - and on the consistency too.
Mixing up the sessions a bit can help. If you are doing longer VO2 intervals, try some shorter (30/30 or 30/15) and vice versa.
Try some tempo stuff in the Z2 mix. Round Bald +3 would be a go to ride for me at 17h / week volumes
Keep in mind that the FTP number is just one measure of your performance. Other things, like time to exhaustion, VO2 etc. are important and will be improving too.
A thing that can happen to new cyclists is that the FTP moves up nice & quick, but it is “fragile” in some cases. Be sure to build the base high to support the increasing FTP. That’s where long slow rides and longer tempo rides can help.
I think you’re probably getting to a point where you’re plateauing if you’re doing (roughly) the same thing week over week. As we’re going into the winter, you might want to spend a couple of blocks doing a sweet spot progression (start with 3x20 and by the end be able to do at least 1x90 if not 1x2hr), and then you can do a dedicated vo2 block in the winter where you do 2 or 3 vo2 workouts per week and try to push that ftp ceiling up.
Bulking up won’t increase your FTP, but you are maybe at a point where you might not be eating enough to support the volume of training you are doing which could be impacting recovery and FTP gains.
At your age I was a similar weight to you albeit 10cm shorter and that kind of activity level demanded a huge amount of food. Some quick calculations based on your FTP and averaging 65% intensity over the 17 hours is equivalent to a 11,000 Kcal burn a week ( almost 1600Kcal a day) on top of what you’d need as a non active person.
Can you tell us a bit more how you progress your volume/intensity sessions over time? Do you do TR plans, or something else? Which plans?
If you want to get fitter you need progressive overload (and rest!).
While it may not directly improve your FTP I believe that you will be a better athlete if you hit the gym 1-2 times per week or do strength work at home for example with a kettlebell. You’ll get improvements from it down the road.
Also a good moment to consider whether you take your recovery weeks easy enough.
Are there gains to be made nutrition wise? Do you hit protein goals? Have you ever measured? How’s your sleep, can it be improved by better sleep rituals?
Good things to sort out over a break.
17 hours is a serious investment. Is there something to be gained by maybe putting in a few less hours, allow for more recovery, and do another intensity session per week?
Is your bike well maintained or standing around dirty for 3 weeks after a muddy ride?
I have a feeling if you’re this dedicated at your age you’ll have great chances to hit the 4.0-4.5 W/kg and maybe more, provided that you nail the things above and give yourself a few years.
You’ll get lots of gains in the beginning, then it’ll start to taper off and it’ll take more time.