1 Week, 7 Different Fitness Tests, What Happened?!

[@andrewmcalister3462]

Almost more impressive than the 7 FTP tests were the number of sports represented in Hank’s shed. The turbo obviously, but I also saw surfboards, a motorcycle helmet and climbing gear…..

[@fabianirsara9846]

What’s so impressive about having multiple hobbies? 😅

[@aliensporebomb]

Did I see a wetsuit too? Or was that a drysuit? Let's just say the guy lives for various fitness related activities! Maybe Hank can talk about his shed he built for all of this.

[@gcn]

Hahahah he's a man of many talents 🙌 Global Surfing Network coming soon 🏄

[@Spychu1993]

@@fabianirsara9846 this is impressive, yes having multiple hobbies in extreme sports is cool and impressive

[@yumyumhungry]

Hank your espresso machine needs a new gasket where the portafilter goes in. Dripping on the handle shows it isn't sealing.

[@jazminethomas3619]

Not sure if the sequences where displayed out of order for dramatic effect, but Zwift FTP tests are supposed to be performed while seated the entire time.

[@wick67]

Hank, you are a bloody rock. Well done man. I have to say that using the phone booth with the difibrillator sign as a backdrop after the day three ride was inspired, appropriate, and hilarious.

[@danabc322]

I always thought you were supposed to stay seated for FTP/ramp tests! I think I've been leaving a fair bit of power on the table, or rather the saddle!

[@gerrysecure5874]

If you are columbian and can ride an hour out of the saddle you are qualified to test out of the saddle 😂

[@TamLis]

You are supposed to do them seated indeed.

[@vanik67]

Yep, seated

[@kennywilson7413]

You can do them out of the saddle if you want to be given an inflated FTP number to brag about. If you want to mess up your training zones and end up doing workouts at the wrong intensity it's also a good idea to do out of the saddle stuff.

[@gcn]

You're not wrong, ideally you would stay seated but with an FTP a day we'll cut him some slack - It can be hard to get Hank to follow orders at the best of times, imagine having his energy 😵‍💫 kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqurn4ZrdrR7Y8U - We'll get Manon to give him some tips! 👀

[@8o8ertmtb]

I love an FTP ramp test purely as a High aerobic workout. Pretty sure you are supposed to remain in the saddle for the test though.

[@sebastiansoberon9273]

i was thinking that !

[@tomghc]

My take is that if you’re someone who normally rides out of the saddle, it’s ok to test yourself that way as that’ll be more representative of real world performance. What you shouldn’t do is be out of the saddle just to game the test when you never normally ride out of the saddle. That would make it less representative of real world performance.

[@repmortskcab8483]

I ride often out of the saddle, but always done the ramp test seated. Think it's better for me, else I'm probably going to be upgraded in Zwift 😅

[@maugerville]

Considering that they claim that getting out of the saddle will skew the results I have always stayed seated. All I know is I could definitly get a higher FTP when out of the saddle especially just to hit the end of each ramp.

[@Morhaw]

Good to know. I have wondered when doing the ramp test whether I should get out of the saddle at the higher watts. Now I know I was correct not to. Thank you

[@seattlegrrlie]

It shows they're all pretty consistent. Yes, slight variation, but not extreme differences. Pick the one you like and use it to check gains knowing that a few watts here or there might be due to sleep, hydration, or recovery

[@Pep8691]

GCN monthly planning meeting: "Right, how many ways can we wreck Hank this month?" And of course not being able to look away from train wrecks we are here for it! 😏😂. Seriously though full marks to Hank for having the cajones to take on these super tough challenges.

[@gcn]

Hahahah that's pretty much our morning meetings go 😆 We're doing a pretty good job... Although Hank is a tough cookie to crack 😈

[@climbslc2281]

Confused by the graph at the end. Shouldn't the FTP line be below the average power line (e.g. 0.9 or 0.95 of average power)? That would put it where you were describing your numbers. But, great effort and very informative! Thanks!

[@w0SuRgr4ndp4]

Yepp. Especially on day 6 with the 60 min effort I'd expect the two lines to meet at exactly the same point. And the points are a little off on the time axis as well. @gcn could you fix the graph and reupload, please?

[@Tethysmeer]

Yeah that graph is messed up.

[@richardjt8708]

7 days of tests ! Makes me tired thinking about it ! Awesome efforts :-) One question. All the calculated FTP during the video were 280-315w. And the graph at the end shows nearly everything for FTP 300+. And the hour effort looks like it's 350w, higher than the 20min effort given earlier on in the video. Is this right ? Keep up the great vids :-)

[@alexandresilva8233]

I’m guessing these are the watts from the tests before you apply the percentage reduction for each. Maybe except for those on zwift which should yield the final nr

[@marionieto1161]

This is so inspiring, Hank is a monster, he always makes the toughest challenges, rock on mate 🤘

[@guy5paris]

Brutal test. Well done to you! Really appreciate your commitment to this test- mad!

[@gcn]

You can always rely on Hank for 100% commitment 🙌 He'll push through whatever!

[@andrasszabo1570]

I did learn that no matter what underhanded method the good people of GCN dream up, it's impossible to kill Hank 😆 I'm pretty sure though that your fitness doesn't change much within a week. The different numbers are just how you feel that day, how well that method fits you, plus how accurate the calculation is. I have much better numbers on the 1 hour test than the ramp test. But that doesn't mean I have a better fitness when I'm doing it. It only means that I'm a diesel who's better at longer efforts and worse at shorter ones.

[@gcn]

Hahahaha we won't stop trying though! Are you hoping to improve on those faster efforts? 💨

[@strongmen]

The final results graph is completely wrong. It's showing a flat line day 1-3 over 330 W FTP. However from the video: Day 1 - 281 W Day 2 - 285 W Day 3 - 315 W Day 4 - 290 W Day 5 - 295 W Day 6 and 7 the numerical values aren't given explicitly.

[@omaralexandres]

Major props to you Hank! Besides the monster effort, the solo filming and morning coffee clips are on point!! There is just one issue, you didn't do the Wahoo 4DP test, which I find to be the toughest out there.

[@cedricmuller3860]

Good job! Looking forward to your next test in a few weeks 😉

[@ManeITA1979]

My favourite FTP test is... no more FTP test! Since I've started using Xert (definitely love it) I only test a couple of times per year just for the sake of double-checking... Having a continuous monitoring that perfectly traces and predicts my fitness improvements/deterioration by simply working out (and doing some good efforts from time to time) is wonderful. Add to this you also get some serious indoor workout structures with advanced metrics and you can design a training plan tailored to your unique "fitness signature". The actual learning curve may be a bit steeper than other instruments but once you try it you won't be able to do without it!

[@DavidMackenzie]

I'm with you. Love Xert!

[@jthomp1254]

This vid has the most creative and interesting transitions on top of fantastic commentary/suffering content!

[@laggypirates]

My favorite part was the dog. 22:10 More of Hank's dog.

[@gerbryf]

Brill video hank, thanks for suffering for us. I didn't know there were so many variations of the test! I might actually do one sometime soon, I've never done one but I think there are some estimates from various sites (Zwift and Stages iirc). I hope you recover quickly and get stronger. You are a 🌟

[@gcn]

Give one a go! It's brutal but gives you a great base line to train from. It can be super rewarding to see that FTP number rising 🙌

[@bryanwells6224]

Man alive Hank - totally smashed it!!! All that effort and still have the ability to operate the camera.

[@markdavis8430]

Hank your a pure animal ma guy ✊

[@redbreva]

I think the FTP(W) and AVG POWER (W) labels are the wrong way round on the graph 😀

[@steve_edm]

And day 6 the dots should be in the same place?

[@asqueezerandhisbike]

The graph doesn't match the numbers you said in the video. Video Day 1= 281w. Graph Day 1= 335w. Video Day 2=285 w, Graph Day 2 =335w. Why didn't you just put the numbers up?? Big effort either way, 7 days of back to back FTP test. Its just a shame about the editing.

[@jgourdo]

Thanks for calling this out... I was utterly confused by the graph, expecting to see the huge spike with the 2x8minute test as opposed to the other 5 shown in the video. Guess he still has that pro cyclist in him that he doesn't want to show the real numbers!

[@groundhogdaypancakes]

Thanks for mentioning this. While I enjoyed the video in general I think the final minutes were a bit of a let down. The graph was highly confusing to me and not mentioning the results of the last two days was also a bit weird. I totally lost track when in the graph the FTP was even higher than the average power. Again, it's kinda sad for me that such a good video and such strong efforts from Hank are kind of compromised by such a confusing graphic.

[@nicolasdomise]

Massive congrats from me. Suffering for 7 days, legend. Would be awesome to see a follow up video in like 3-4 weeks but only as long as you keep doing good consistent training with maybe 1 or 2 specific workouts a week so you can build on what you started. Hope this suggestion allows gcn to permit you to train a bit more often and get out of some obligations 😅

[@veganpotterthevegan]

30 days of FTPs😂

[@gcn]

A month of testing sounds brutal 🥵 If anyone was going to do it Hank is 🙌 Would you like to see hank get back to that epic 380 FTP?

[@nicolasdomise]

@@gcn I think everyone would love to see Hank hitting 380. Would stop Ollie from being the out-right best rider of GCN (UK at least).

[@Jacryel]

Mad Respect! Brutal! This was really impressive ^-^

[@Tex735]

You, Sir, are a madman!! Great video!!

[@iandickson3236]

Yes want to see in 3 weeks, I have been off my training for 7/8 months. Haven't been out on the road since last July!!!! Be good if you could put up another training plan for getting back on it, motivation tips etc. I like crit city racing on zwift.....have been back on the bike zwifting over the last two weeks. Need to keep Training consistently now

[@gcn]

We put out this video the other day about getting into training which you may find helpful! 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6nQZKuQrtSrsLM

[@kimcote]

Awesome video Hank. I've done a few of these, and always wondered which is the best. Turns out it the one I enjoy the most, although perhaps enjoy isn't the right word.

[@michanic-c9r]

Good effort Hank. I would have thought 7 tests in 7 days would definitely fatigue you. Questions though, I thought I had heard it was recommended to stay sitting throughout the FTP test for consistency? I noticed you didn't seem to be using a fan for the indoor tests, isnt this counter intuitive? I've heard the body can overheat and perform sub-optimally if too warm. I appreciate you may have left it off so we can hear you speaking to camera. Like you Im a fan of the ramp test on Zwift as you get to focus on one minute intervals.

[@lazzaboyman8003]

Hank set his Wahoo Headwind up at the start of

[@michanic-c9r]

@@lazzaboyman8003 He did! I stand corrected. Must have looked away at that exact moment!

[@RK01]

Great video, never seen the last test before, definitely up for trying that out. Interested to see what training you do over the next few weeks to improve.

[@gcn]

We'll keep you guys posted 🙌

[@Joshuavoice29]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Hank , you are a beast!

[@chrisbaum998]

Love your pain cave/shed Hank!! Thanks for taking up this change on field testing FTP Test!!

[@Bob_Betty]

Brutal! good on you, bet you're glad that week is over!

[@judithharris-deans3606]

U r bionic Hank!! Always pushing the boundaries & not afraid 2 show how much it hurts🥵. Total respect 🫡

[@gcn]

Hahahah Bionic Hank 😆 Does that mean there is an off button?

[@thecyclingmaker]

This man is the Toyota Hi-Lux of cycling KZbin

[@nikoszakynthinakis4264]

Well done for the hard work!! It would be interesting to see and compare one more testing day with lactate samples and Lactate Threshold related to power!

[@paulmorrison30]

Top tip. If you’re going to do a workout first thing in the morning then set up your pain cave the night before as it makes everything easier.

[@gcn]

You underestimate Hanks planning skills ... 😂

[@Zwiesel66]

You honestly earned your thumbs up button Hank😁

[@Uncle_Haggy]

Awesome work Hank as always however I can't help but notice you are up and out of the saddle on Zwift. I could be wrong but Im sure for Zwift FTP tests you are to remain seated for consistency? Maybe someone more informed than me can confirm? Superb effort regardless and good entertainment. 🤟👌

[@gcn]

Hank always makes his own rules! 🤙😂

[@Uncle_Haggy]

@@gcn Forgiveness is easier than permission. 😂

[@cyclecoachcyclecoachcom8071]

I'm not Zwift, but given i created the idea of using a ramp test to estimate FTP, i'm pretty certain i can answer this question (at least in regards to the ramp test). You can get out of your saddle while doing a ramp test, you can change gear and cadence as well (and your cadence doesn't need to be at a specific number such as 90 revs/min - it can be anything you like to get your best power). The only possible reason i can think that you should not get out of your saddle while testing is simply because you may cause the turbo trainer and bike to topple over

[@jetzijlmans]

Stay seated during the Zwift ranp test Hank!!! It even says so during the introductions

[@romeandcurry6915]

Good video - you’ve got the average power and ftp labels the wrong way round on the graph though.

[@ericquiat1285]

actually, looks like avg power got divided by 0.9 or 0.95 instead of multiplied

[@mlafleurhua]

Thx for doing this Hank. Very entertaining video, but a bruiser for you to carry out! Well done. One question-comment: You did most of the tests early in the morning, after some caffeine, and without music. Was this by choice or mandated by work-life logistics? I ask, because if you are doing ftp testing to prep for a training block, it would be best to do the ftp testing under the same conditions you will be doing the training block under, i.e. same time of day, test indoors if training indoors, etc. However, if your objective is to max out your ftp for bragging purposes, the optimal approach is to select the period in the day where you feel the best. For many that would be late afternoon. Then pick indoor vs outdoor based on where you can produce the best power. Finally consider using headphones and intense music, pick a day with cool temperatures, load up on caffeine, load up on baking soda, etc.

[@karlburningham3604]

Top effort Hank. Awesome video as allways

[@juanmanuelromeo3038]

Hank videos are my favourites. Well done!

[@davidslater6672]

My favourite test is the full frontal followed by the half monty. Would have liked Hank to have done the full frontal tbh. I'd add that very few people, pros included can hold their 20min FTP power for a whole hour. FTP is a metric and not an indicator of your fitness

[@larter_larter]

Thanks for doing this for us, Hank so we don't have to! 💪 Also, I'm curious what you put in on the last FTP test as your predicted FTP? Did you take the average from the days before?

[@flo74940]

Hey Hank, your results are logic for someone who prefer short efforts. Decreasing 10% of 8 min will be automatically better than 5% of 20min. But finally not reflecting what you can hold for 1 hour. The best FTP test is where you have the closest result as your 1h effort without spending 1h suffering

[@alexarmstrong5611]

One thing I would say is that in my experience the Wahoo over reads compared to my Quark power meter, buy almost 7-10%! So I connect the bike power meter to Zwift so I get totally consistent results. Great effort though! Personally, I prefer a 20 mins outdoor with a specific warm up my coach sets. It isn't a full on 5 mins though. A few ramps and a 4 min recovery. We also do longer tests, combined with much shorter ones. Like 12 sec, 1 min and 5 mins.

[@alicat749]

Go for the after rest test. I've been training 3 to 5 days on zwift at what I think my ftp is for 2 years. It's not going up and occasionally out on the road. I had better improvements when I had a 20 mile 5 day commute at a steady pace.

[@CycleNLincs]

Seeing one other presenter and not been near the studio/self filmed. Feels like Hank just hijacked GCN for the day. Good job

[@clas683]

Only test missing is doing a indoor cycling ramp test at a test center where they measure the blood lactate.

[@stevepittman2735]

hank, all of you sacrifices for content are greatly appreciated!

[@goodcompanycoffee]

Love Hank's espresso set up. A man of culture and refined taste. Also looks like he's hitting the weightroom!

[@gcn]

That's must be the secret as to why He's got so much energy 😵‍💫 ☕

[@gcn]

Hank Loves His Coffee ☕

[@TheMerckxProject]

I think your results show what some of us sceptics have always felt; that a "calculated" FTP isn't nearly as accurate as many, many coaches and trainers would have you believe. And if you set your zones to those numbers, instead of your highest number...which was a full hour test...you may not actually be training in the zones you "think" you are.

[@prestachuck2867]

You are definitely a gifted young man! I expect that most mere mortals would see steadily declining result as they moved through a week like that. If they could even finish the challenge. Great video. Very entertaining, Hank. Keep up being the good sport you are. Cheers!

[@gcn]

He's certainly talented! He's also got a whole lot of drive 🙌 Not much could slow Hank down!

[@drewetpa]

I'm watching this thinking I would struggle to compete the warm ups! I'm an unfit 54 year old weighing 58kg. I managed 155 Watts for 6 minutes in the gym and think if I did it again I might get 160W. I'm just gonna keep on jumping on the bike and try and ride for longer duration at lower wattage. I'm not ready yet for FTPs.

[@armyjawbreaker]

didn't Jeremy Powers do this a few years ago? well he did and FTP test every day for a week on the same route. great work and fun Hank! thanks.

[@CasualCreationsjr]

I love Hank so much. My fav GCN presenter!!!

[@mikekane9213]

Great videos Hank, love your stuff.

[@joshuaedwards15]

You are beast, and a test dummy for GCN. Awesome.

[@OneDougUnderPar]

I believe you're supposed to tighten the BOA closest to the toes first, Hank. That alone might have cost you 100W.

[@gcn]

What can we say... he's a rule breaker 😂

[@thomasclayton7636]

Absolutely brilliant Hank!! Do you think heat played any part in the indoor workouts?

[@BoogieMan568]

Hank is a beast💪 But after the FTP tests he looks 20 years older😁

[@ELMARIACHI13]

You`re always punishing yourself to be at your best on the bike.Kudos to you for doing what you do.🚴🚴‍♂🚴‍♀😀

[@gcn]

He's always pushing hard! 🥵 You know that Hank is always going to give 100%

[@marvinsmall5002]

I'm liking the mark Richards board in the shed.. nice. 🔥🔥

[@yavorl4147]

on zwift ramp test you have to be seated they say, you are doing it wrong :)

[@mommamooney]

I noticed you did your break between the two eight minute efforts in front of a defibrillator 😂 Amazing job!

[@gcn]

Safety first 🙌

[@irvinamba6251]

NICE great video for frp testings. The 2x 8mins full gas - when you say full gas how much power are talking needed to exert? Thank you.

[@jefferycampbell2243]

Interesting video, but I'm surprised no one noticed the graph doesn't match his stated results at all. His stated FTP results were between 280 and 300W, but the graph shows they were between 330 and 350. Wishful thinking?

[@kevendeschenes4321]

Great one Hank! I was wondering why at GCN you rarely use watts/kg? It makes it harder for us at 'remco evenepoel size' or less to compare!😂

[@gcn]

What is your favourite FTP test? 📊🥵

[@markdavis8430]

I’ve never done 1 but defo need to, looking to do amateur road races next year ✌️ Rest up bud 🤘

[@Bukoe]

I just do the ram test on zwift.. But i am at the stage where I am leaving racing, speed is not my main focus.. My bike is a getaway and to stay in shape. My FTP over the last 2-3 years went from 320 down to roughly 270watt now .=) .. Thx again for some good entertainment..

[@johnmoore2342]

It doesn't exist.

[@JamSa85]

AI ftp on trainer road.

[@gerrysecure5874]

5min max, 10min rest, 20min max. Then Monod Scherrer formula, NOT times 0.95. This is most accurate and can be done as a replacement of any interval session. Ramp tests are overestimating. You can do that after determining real ftp and correction factor to quickly track progress but NOT to determine reasonable FTP for training zones by itself.

[@alexanderbieler3897]

First the cementry, next stop at the defibrillator… there is hope

[@ВаликСлавинский-е5г]

another masterpiece monster performance from Hank 😍

[@gcn]

What should he do next?

[@vyas555]

@@gcnTrain like Ollie for 8 weeks and see how much FTP goes up.

[@DiogoPachecoWeb]

4DP full frontal test@@gcn

[@stuartbird5139]

The zwift ramp test is my fave as it takes away the issue of pacing. And its short. Gets painful very quick though 🥵

[@patrikhalen460]

Yes I definitely want to see what happens after a couple of weeks!!

[@jonno209]

Think Hank is my favourite presenter now.

[@1001legoboy]

One of your best videos!

[@markesdaile518]

Where is that last test on Zwift? I can't find it. Thanks and epic video!

[@iainwilson8437]

Entertaining (as usual). However, a lot depends on why you are FTP testing and for what purpose. If it's a personal full-gas benchmark, great. If it's for zone setting, ya might want to be a bit more canny. Eg ramp tests tend to favour athletes with greater proportion of fast twitch muscle fibres. If it's for zone setting (rather than benchmarking or ego testing), then nothing beats blood lactate testing to determine your LT1 and LT2. Set your zones from there and you will be accurate and you will be optimised. If you don't have access to blood testing, then it is usually possible to determine zones via analysing heart rate inflection points. Using an incremental step test augmented by critical power tests tends to give more reliable (non-blood tested) results. I expected Hanks results to decline day-by-day (owing to fatigue). What would be really interesting would be to see a comparison of these data against blood tests. Go on, there's the gauntlet :)

[@colinsmith8239]

I agree with the thought that the ramp test favors athletes with fast twitch fibers. As the slow twitch and Type IIA fibers get drained the maximal force producing Type IIB units will step in just at the right time to keep the pedals cranking which could ultimately give erroneously high FTP scores. That said, those motor units are only going to last so long... maybe another 2 minutes at most depending on the athlete's ability to handle high levels of blood lactate. In the end, keep it all in perspective. Use a baseline FTP to determine if your fitness is going up or down and don't be so quick to compare to others.

[@cyclecoachcyclecoachcom8071]

This is incorrect (that ramp tests favour athletes with greater fast twitch muscle fibres). Practically, this can be seen by the fact that the greatest scores in a ramp test are achieved by riders who would be top 5/10 at something such as the Tour de France, while those with high levels of fast twitch fibres such as 200 m track sprinters or kilo riders would neither have a high ramp test score or even be significantly better than some 'average' racing cyclists (and then once corrected for body mass would be pretty average). For e.g., having tested multiple (World-Class) track sprinters in such way their ramp score was within a few watts of mine (a 2nd cat roadie at the time) however, they were about 30 kg heavier than me. On the other hand it could possibly be argued that someone who excels at individual pursuiting and has a very high W' may potentially exceed the general idea that someone's FTP is approximately 75% of their ramp score. And, i say that having tested world class pursuiters with very high W' and they still score in the 70s % range. The ramp test simply does not favour athletes with a high amount of "fast twitch" fibres.

[@cbrochu1964]

Yep ... would like to see the results after a long period of recovery. Thx !

[@Frostbiker]

Great job finding an entertaining way to show people seven different ways in which we can estimate our FTP. I may actually give this a try at the gym in the coming week.

[@gcn]

Give it a go! We would love to hear how you get on? 🚴

[@Philatlondon1]

I'm enjoying trying to work out which bit of Tetbury/Aveming/Nailsworth Hank is riding around. .

[@ElusiveS3NPAI]

Smashed it 🔥

[@Yamaha_Bolt]

Thanks for doing this!

[@ritrattoaziendale]

At 16:56 he goes up on pedals; I reckon you can't stand on ramps test (at least on Zwift, the on screen guide is very clear that you stay seated), otherwise the results will be distorted

[@nigeldepledge3790]

This is interesting. I'm not convinced that the different results tell us much about your fitness, Hank. Instead, they could be telling us about biases intrinsic to the different methods of testing. Consequently, the only thing we can conclude with confidence is that attempting to boil physical fitness down to a single number isn't very valuable. More important than the number itself would be trends over a period of weeks to months (assuming you test yourself once a week with the same test).

[@OlleSundblad]

First good comment! This tells more about the tests than his FTP, I doubt his fitness would change much over a week.

[@stevocanuck]

im terrified of doing an ftp tests. How the hell do you sustain a tempo effort for 1 hour?! 15 min sure but 1 hour seems ridiculous.

[@chrisstrider]

Great week 😊 …..couldn’t have done it without that Rocket Espresso ❤

[@mommamooney]

I just got my first bike the other day and my trainer yesterday. I’ve been dreading doing an FTP test. Can’t say I’m looking forward to it after this video, but I plan on doing a ramp test after I get used to using the bike on a trainer. It was helpful seeing all the different kinds of tests out there. Open to different suggestions too.

[@lbpk5786]

I was the same as you a few months ago. I did a ramp test after 1 month of riding, then I did a 20 min FTP test 2 months after that. The ramp test helped me pace the 20 min test much better (I took my ramp test FTP and multiplied it by 1.1x, held that for the first 10 mins, then pushed harder if I felt I could). After the 20 min test I compared I did another ramp test and ended up getting the same result. Since the 20 min test is way harder, I recommend sticking with the ramp test (which is what I'm going to do from now on). I also did an actual 1 hour long test and I couldn't hold my FTP ( I did 20w less) so keep in mind that the FTP result may not be 100% accurate.

[@gcn]

Awesome! Welcome to the world of cycling 🙌 FTP test are great and having a trainer that can give you all the numbers in the world it super exciting. What we would say, is that if you are new to the sport fall in love with cycling first - get a feel for the bike and get some miles in the legs. The numbers can come later 🙌 When you're ready, a ramp test can be a great fitness bench mark!

[@mommamooney]

@@gcnfor sure. I’m just to understand Zwift works best if you plug in an FTP number

[@jkkirkcaldy1]

This video really highlights to me that FTP isn’t the be all and end all for cycling fitness. My ftp is around 280 but Hank is definitely a much stronger rider than I am.

[@johnchisholm5725]

Hi Hank, may be a question for your equipment folk, but what chest strap is it that you guys use? The last one i bought had the camera fscing the ground, not ahead. Thanks

[@davidharrold9189]

I do the ramp test. Quick convenient. Seems easy to just hit/a limit that you can’t get past no matter what you do?

[@chriscameron3161]

In todays episode of let’s try to kill Hank….

[@gcn]

He volunteered himself for this one!! 🤔😂

[@NZWozza]

@@gcn Haha of course he did. Something wrong with that lad, but we love him.

[@jasonfenech5347]

​@@gcnwe are not surprised by this 😂

[@MTBScotland]

wahoo 4dp then the half monty. 4DP gives you more metrics and "easier" to do than an all out 20min test. I would be doing it on a machine rather than the road. too many variables when on the road.

[@volkervoit]

For ramp test it is important to stay seated (and Zwift writes that also in the description), otherwise value is likely going to be too high

[@robyeomans1137]

Can you explain the labels on the graph, please? FTP higher than Avg.? 😉 Amazing effort!

[@swites]

Cool vid. How heavy is hank btw?

[@Astronomater]

nice pain cave. would enjoy seeing those of the others in the gcn crew too

[@gcn]

Alex did a build series a couple of years ago about his! 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5StkKGmqb2ChpI

[@Ivan_Barajas]

I would've loved to see a Heart Rate based test for those who don't have a power meter. Most of the apps require the max heart rate. And then compare the results with ftp

[@andyg9991]

Not going to be possible. Heart rate is the input, power is the output. An FTP test is measuring the increase in the output, for a given input (in this case, threshold heart rate). Best you could do is to ride a climb or section of road at a steady heart rate and then compare times over that segment for a similar heart rate. Provided your weight is consistent, any decrease in time is a sign of increased fitness