Hey all. I have decided to try and lift my terrible FTP and have embarked on an 8 week program. Appreciate if anyone can give me feedback on what their results were on a specific program like this please.
Itās brand new, so I doubt many if any have gone through the plan yet.
I can tell you that I gained over 40 watts between my first AI FTP Detection and my peak last spring.
I followed a few different plans along the way, but I know that any of the āGeneral Fitnessā plans are going to result in a solid FTP boost if youāre doing all the right things (following the plan, recovering properly, eating well, etc.).
Keep in mind that the results of any 8 week programme will vary from one cyclist to the next.
An untrained cyclist is likely to see larger percentage gains in their FTP than a very trained cyclist.
When I first got a smart trainer and zwift, I did a plan called the 4WK FTP Booster. I was coming back to training after a few years of just riding about and was not fit.
Based on the FTP tests at either end of the programme, I gained 9% FTP in those 4 weeks. I think the results were a bit fragile, but the numbers were the numbers.
I have never seen gains that big in any four weeks since.
Looking at the workouts now, I can see that programme was very tightly focussed on ājustā pushing up the 20 min FTP number.
Started end of August with TR.
FTP was 250, after 2 blocks of 4 weeks, FTP 262.
Next week is my next detection point, we will see where it brings me now?
I am still able to complete all the workouts with a normal RPE (up to 7-8) (not going to the max), I think i will get a bump up to 265/270.
But I think I will skip this bump and will work more on the higher traininglevels where the intervals are getting longer and longer before I accept a higher FTP number and the intervals are getting shorter again.
Thatās pretty impressive. Iām also at 40 plus watts, but Iāve been on the platform training for 4 years (prior FTP detection and AI)ā¦
This is what I do: I work myself up to a given target and stay. Currently I am targeting 250 and then I am going to work on that for a while I did a jump from 110 to 235 in a year. I had no prior cycling experience. I am 39.
In the scheme of things it doesnāt really matter, but keep in mind that TR sets your zones only from your FTP.
So if you have completed a block that TR says has increased your FTP from - using your example - 262 to 270, be aware that workouts that target the boundary between zones might be a tiny bit out and we all know from experience how small a change in power at those levels can affect the RPE of the workout.
For example, if FTP = 262, then a threshold workout at 102% would be at 267, whereas if FTP=270, it would be at 275.
If your FTP really is 270, but you have it set at 262, then you will be working at 99%, rather than the indicated 102%
For almost all TR users, I would say that is going to have a very minimal impact on the outcome. But if there is an impact, it is most likely to be around these boundary between zones type workouts.
Would love to get to 250 mid next year
Nice!
I typically only follow a plan during winter which is ~half the year here. Iād like to see what I could do if I were to stay focused for a longer duration of time. Some dayā¦
Welcome to the forum by the way!
True, i am aware that a small increase in FTP can cause ādifficultiesā with Threshold workoutsā¦
I got a bump up to 269 yesterdayā¦ Very happy on this progress, also talked to a friend who is also involved with coaching athletes (running), talked about my goals for next year in Juneā¦
Goal is to do The Ride, 1300km 20.000 altitude meters in just 8 days, no resting daysā¦ My primary goal is to avoid problems on long climbs, this year i did the same event, but had troubles on climbing for 2h straight. I needed 2-3 breaks because my HR was getting to high or my legs began to floodā¦
According to many, the primary goal for me was to increase FTP and increase muscular endurance to get up the hills more easily.
TR helped already a lot in the last 12 weeks, just finishing up the Base Phase now, and my threshold intervals went up from doing 3x8 minutes (and almost died) up to 5x 12 minutes and still able to complete it with a RPE of 7-8ā¦ (but the last 1-2 minutes always hurts ) but Iām not deadā¦
I decided to work on the FTP until the Build Phase is completed (6 January), and getting the FTP number upā¦ From then I will take on longer efforts in SST/Threshold/VO2Max to built more and more muscular endurance at higher levelsā¦
Doing it now will only slow me down in FTP progress, starting in January will give me enough time to build out this muscular endurance up to the eventā¦
From January on I will change my schedule to 2 hard intervals where I work on long sustained power, and 3-4 longer endurance rides to built my aerobic engine biggerā¦
I wish you well with the training, it sounds like an epic event to participate in!
Yes it is.
We start at the base of the Stelvio, so the first climb will be the mighty Stelvio, then through the alpes in Austria, Liechtenstein, Switserland, bit of Germany, to the Vogeze in France and then up Luxembourg and Belgium through the Ardennes, and finish in the Netherlands
8 countries in 8 days.