How To Do A Functional Threshold Power (FTP) Test

[@MrRp25]

I'll be 63 years old in a few weeks and just tested at 232 today... up from 200 a year ago when I started Zwift.

[@rcaverma]

i am 60 watts

[@austinponder2849]

How about now?

[@simonwilton3546]

Good improvement👍🏻

[@dr.leftyrogers4538]

Great video, and inspiring! When Si and the other commentators speak casually about holding 300 watts up a hill it makes us weekend warriors feel like utter wimps. An FTP result closer to 200 deserves a "Fanfare for the Common Man" overdub!

[@BLAKEISHart]

I was hoping to learn about File Transfer Protocol

[@John-ou4rm]

If you cycle fast enough, you'll get uploaded into the matrix. Bad Science style (the movie).

[@TheWaxChainFanClub]

I've been waiting for this one! Really looking forward to seeing how training and progress goes, would live updates on improvement and what training Jon is doing week to week. Maybe a regular diary show on this? (please)! Well done Jon!

[@gcn]

we will do our best!

[@RixterNow]

The look N Si's face at 6;40 when John said he was looking forward to it was priceless. Way to go John looking forward to watching your progress

[@noahelliott9]

Only started riding in August. Just completed the TrainerRoad Sweet Spot Mid-Volume 1 training block and took my second FTP test to see how much I improved. FTP jumped from 183 to 225!

[@apsmith99]

From my perspective the warm-up is so key. When I did my first FTP test I did not warm up nearly enough. At first I could not figure out why the results were so poor - then later that week I averaged a higher power on the last 20 minutes of a 20mile training ride than I had in my FTP test! Could be some other factors at play as well, but I think the main difference was how loose and warmed up I was. If you want a good result get a good warm-up in.

[@alfiecycles4875]

Can we have a tour of the gcn office? That would be really interesting???

[@ninja91269]

In most people's opinion, if he's still grinning and watching the screen at the end of the test, he didn't go hard enough! But awesome effort John, you'll definitely get over 250w soon!

[@ryanneillund7611]

You all are the best! Downloaded the audio from your training rides and will post my FTP gains at the end of the month. Thank you for great content!

[@Vaughn3d.]

Great work John! It can't be easy to put yourself out there especially given the talent that the GCN boys have.

[@dannyboy0688]

Way to go John, you absolute legend.

[@Mussikmann]

Informative yet hilarious. More stuff like this! It's just more fun watching when I see you guys having fun with each other as well. You're really one of my favourit channels. So keep teasing and pushing each other.

[@catsihavemet]

My 20 minute FTP tip - use average power on your Garmin/whatever and split it up into 4 5min laps. 0-5 minutes: 5 watts below previous result. 5-10 mins - 2 watts below previous result. 10-15 mins - 2 watts above previous result. This means that if you can ride the last 5 minutes at more than 5 watts over your previous best, you'll have beaten it. If you control your effort in this way, you might be surprised how much you can put out in the last quarter of the test.

[@SuperOCHomes]

Martin Headon I'll give it a go...love negative splits

[@escapevelocity6946]

If you are looking forward to your FTP test, you are not doing it proper.

[@barnowl2832]

Isn't it gonna skew the results if you go to max effort at the end to the extent where you are definitely not maintaining steady lactic acid levels?

[@SergipeCycling]

FTP testing and smiling, yeah that looks real.

[@alexmarr409]

What's the rest of the GCN crew's FTP? I want a league table!

[@D4rkstorm11]

Sis apparently is 5

[@neoneherefrom5836]

@@D4rkstorm11 lol yeah right

[@ericpettett4842]

Like many on here this video is most anticipated and long awaited! Well done john and you've a great attitude-"you should look forward to them". My top tip would be to not eat a gel just beforehand, although the plus side is that torq gels taste great both ways

[@marklock5382]

Really enjoyed this video and the great tips! Thanks:)

[@iMoriMori]

Still able to talk during the test? John's sandbagging.

[@8584zender]

no doubt. 200w? maybe he weighs 50kg?5

[@chrisschreck9069]

That's what I was thinking, too. If you aren't sobbing and drooling by the 15-minute mark, you didn't do the test right.

[@mikelewis1166]

“Learn to listen to your body” all I hear is screaming. Am I doing it wrong?

[@Calum_S]

I have a major problem of being over-fresh for cycling. Maybe my tapering strategy is off.

[@TimpBizkit]

My friend Joe should be SUPER fresh after years of sitting on the sofa, smoking and watching TV. FTP 400 watts I reckon.

[@U20101954]

so a fan is a must for indoor training? i always do indoor training without a fan, i think it made me more use to the heat while riding outside in summer time

[@TheRedster]

I like how you can accept or ignore the new ftp if you don't like it :P

[@TimpBizkit]

I did an hour test on a Sci Fit Pro 2 which uses legs AND arms. This gives an advantage so is not necessarily accurate on a bicycle. 275 watts for the entire hour on a leg and arm bike at 70 rpm (your most efficient cadence will be lower with both pairs of limbs). I was drenched in sweat and time was slowing down. There is that warm up spot though as I did the last 2 minutes of the hour at 350 watts. There is a good reason why the tests are only 20 min. My best 20 min was measured at 295 watts on a gym bike display (no idea how accurate) the Sci Fit Pro 2 costs several thousand so I'm hoping power numbers are up to snuff. The gym bike was probably cheaper. I'm probably less fit now as 300 feels hard to sustain but 250 is do-able. No, you can't sustain conversation, you can maybe get one word out every breath.

[@jakeszy]

This is SO helpful! Thanks for all the tips.

[@jamesmoore4650]

I started using trainerroad in November and my first test was 194w. My latest test a few weeks ago is up to 248w so a massive improvement of over 20% in only a few months mainly due to the trainerroad workouts. I would like to have it up around 300w by the time the Etape comes round!

[@oliverlane97]

James Moore Is it around 300w now?

[@mikeainsworth4504]

Thanks for the video. I'm a leisure rider (typical MAMIL really) without power meters on my bike. However, my local gym has just bought some Watt Bikes so I was tempted to give it a go. I think that your video has persuaded me! (I can guarantee that I will not be playing FTP top trumps though).

[@SuperOCHomes]

Mike Ainsworth that's what I did. I found a hotspot and bring my laptop in and ride Zwift. My gyms Timex Blue Carbon is ant+ so I got my USB ant+ stick and I'm golden. Bluetooth and iPad is an option now

[@wsbull78]

Doing this today. Absolutely dreading it.

[@gcn]

Have you done an FTP test? how did it go for you? let us know 👇

[@telkanuru]

Today is my test day, how did you know?

[@sstfnv]

I did an FTP test on zwift on Sunday. It was brutal! Had to take 2 rest days to recover from it but managed to improve 25W from the last test that I did on December 1st.

[@G4ogami]

Did mine at simulated altitude of 2850M just for kicks came out as 228W. Gonna try a "sea level" test next soon to see how the numbers overlap. P.S. loving the GCN Assos bib shorts

[@MichaelSchmittBEN]

I only know the estimated FTP-Power from Strava. Do you know if this is ledgit? And i use a Stages Powermeter. But what about the cycleops Smarttrainer? Does he have a Powermeter or is its just guessing the power?

[@G4ogami]

estimated isnt accurate. it can be helpful to gauge fitness but as i learnt the hard way until you do the FTP test you dont truly know. Cycleops SM has a built in PM... lucky sods :)

[@AnthonyLock92]

Even In the mist of pain John still has a silky smooth perfect voice over voice

[@MiguelAugusto1982]

Now, on the latest version of TrainerRoad, you can just ask it to estimate it for you based on your previous rides and AI. It's been pretty accurate so far IMHO. Brilliant! ;)

[@LaurentGoderre]

The target trick is really good. I did my first one a couple of weeks ago and I don't think I gave quite enough and could have maybe gotten an extra 10-15 watts. Next time, having a goal is probably going to help dig deeper.

[@BikeBodyMind]

Nice! TrainerRoad is so sick. John will crush 207 watts in no time.

[@HeathyRoidz]

Big Vegan Jeff of course he will cuse he could smash 250 that time

[@lwrighton8299]

Hi gcn it would be really cool if you did a video where you give us a tour of all your studios like the maintenance room and gcn show room as an example

[@Daveyboyroy]

Is there an optimal gear / cadence for testing your FTP? Or does it not matter? Thanks for all the videos!

[@StanislavGrabchev]

Yes, that's what i want to see!!!!!!! So for mtb-xc 2x 8min?

[@barefeg]

TrainerRoad love!

[@dmoku]

"Cracking Effort".... I learned something new.

[@MegaMatthewMartin]

Not a surprise that Si did this video. Anyone else might have needed so many extra takes that John might have had to do the test more than once.

[@kevingani4573]

Been riding 1 year, aged 52 and FTP of 300 ❤

[@DanMcNama]

I think we've a new monthly segment: tracking Chocolate Voice's FTP gains.

[@m93sek]

C'mon he didn't go deep. It looked more like a usual trainer work out....

[@magorbarocz2196]

What do you think, how accurate is the estimated power data on strava? I don't have a Power meter and I'm curious how much my ftp could be.

[@MrPll577]

@gcn guys what are your ftps?

[@Cirkygolfer86]

@Global Cycling Network What's an TFP test? As noted in the Poll?

[@Titanium516]

Great Videos, guys... Thanks... You guys Rock !!!

[@jamesd5241]

#ASKGCN what sort of watts per kg W/Kg do you think is needed to win junior road races ? national level ? 5Watts per kilo any good ?

[@adamsellick8116]

Bit late late answer but no i dont think so here in South Africa my mate is first year junior and is on 6 w/kg

[@AlexVelo]

I need a powermeter

[@selftaughtkh]

1. If I do the test indoor on turbo trainer, does the difficulty level of the trainer affect FTP result? If yes, how would I know what level I should choose to conduct my FTP test? 2. Will the result of FTP test done indoor be different from the result of FTP test done outdoor?

[@ZeroSeriesMMX]

I need to do this test, too, so as to help train myself for long rides, and consecutively increasing ride length on subsequent ones.

[@ethansloss6854]

So if I set my mental target as 400 watts I'll be able to hold it?

[@HeathyRoidz]

Ethan Sloss yeah, for a minute

[@izoard77]

great video. What is john wieght? What is the brand of that fan?

[@zaahierstanley955]

Hi Champ. Is it best to do the ftp test on a hill or flats ? Got my PM fitted now ... thanx The hills where I stay are far and what is close are rolling terrain and some 8min hills only

[@Lar308]

FTP can increase pretty dramatically once you become focused on it. My FTP was 209 4 weeks ago when I first measured it and now its 247. Admittedly I was definitely not cycling fresh when I did my first test and had cycled for 40 minutes to get to the base of the mountain I done the test on.

[@andychen1986]

Can i do an FTP test outdoors? I don't have an indoor trainer but i do have rollers. I'm thinking the only reason for an FTP test indoor is to remove all the variable from outdoor to get a much more accurate reading but wouldn't it be better to actually run outdoors for real time, and active stats?

[@stuartmcgill5065]

Trying to maintain some kind of bike-fitness during a (fairly cold and snowy) Bavarian winter. I have an old (v noisy, magnetic) Turbo-Trainer. Can anyone suggest a reasonably priced, quieter model for training in a flat, while watching GCN Training Vids? Many thanks in advance.

[@danielellis2874]

Smashed It! good effort!

[@HeathyRoidz]

Daniel Ellis no it wasn’t

[@ebigarella]

Man, John CAN keep his chocolate voice even after an FTP test! Amazing! Question: what cadence is appropriate? It looked like John kept a lower-ish cadence?

[@deantonna]

Ive been riding with power for 5 years, and regular FTP testing. In my opinion it doesn't really change too much, just get better at testing and gauging pace for 20 mins. Key is to keep eye on average power for the whole interval..and he wasn't going anywhere near hard enough at the end, definitely shouldn't be able to talk with 3 mins to go !

[@KatieKookaburra]

Great vid!!! :)

[@Gixer750pilot]

Chapeau!!!!!!now can I come and have a go?

[@GJRChannel]

How many for test FTP 20 minutes, 1 or 2 lap? Thanks.

[@OscarLopez-jc7vj]

So it won’t matter if I do the whole test on the smallest chainring, like if I have 52x36

[@robsonmadsen5331]

Oh, you still have the Rocketespresso machine! Cool!

[@kajet666]

Good video. Simon might've added that your FTP on a trainer will tend to be lower than the one measured outside. (Also, that if you do the test on aerobars, you may score lower than if you keep your hands on the handlebars.) Then again, it's a basic video.

[@ketjuariittaa]

Is there goming video about what pace he should do on sportive with that 207w?

[@martinhuweler4056]

Very useful video as Always. I have a question though, i have an indoor bike (tunturi E30) and i Can set it so that i'm pushing a certain amount of watts. So if i set the bike on 300watts, and i keep pushing for 20min, Can i assume that my FTP is about 285w? Or is my testing method flawed? I'm not sure yet how to get an average watts Reading so i tried the method i explained but the numbers i am getting seem a bit high since i am 66kg, never train, and still am a smoker (not for long anymore tho) Thx

[@tomdarrington]

That wouldn't work. You would need to reach and maintain a specific cadence, but it would be very difficult and probably not too accurate even then. You need a proper power meter.

[@alantaylorfarnes]

Would you recommend increasing your stated FTP for training? For example, I'm using WattBike right now. Should I tell the WattBike app that my FTP is 10 watts higher than it actually is so the workouts it makes for me will bring me up to that new FTP? #torqueback

[@billeterk]

No

[@geraldschenk]

#TorqueBack Naive question: How did you measure FTP without actually measuring blood lactate? (Isn't the ratio of maximum sustainable power (eg MMP20 or MMP60) to FTP is in a physiological range wherein individual ratios differ considerably? What is more, wouldn't the fact that Mr Beavan suffered quite a bit at the end that he was indeed quite considerably above the lactic threshold?)

[@teddansonLA]

FTP is not the lactate threshold, its just defined as the average power sustainable over an hour. Of course, it's going to be somewhat related to the power at lactate threshold (if such a thing really is useful is a long winded topic).

[@maddogmtb]

Do you have any specific advice for training with Virtual Power on TrainerRoad? I'm using a simple turbo trainer with Bluetooth speed and cadence sensors.

[@lisaandbrent]

I used Virtual Power for a little while, and wasn't too happy with it. It's just too imprecise. In theory, it should work, as long as every single variable is the same from workout-to-workout. The power number you get using Virtual Power is in no way tied to "actual" power, so you can't compare it to other people. However, for Virtual Power to be useful, you need to have the exact same setup every time. Same tension from trainer-to-tire. Same tire pressure. If those aren't the same from workout to workout, your power numbers will not be accurate.

[@Bunnyjunior68]

Isn't Johnny's saddle too low ?

[@chrisogrady28]

Definitely

[@kevinmills3329]

The problem i have with doing the FTP test is that improvements in FTP might not be because of hight fitness but is instead getting more efficient at doing the test.

[@gabrielkralik7252]

Trainerroad is the BEST :)

[@UsLEeZy]

another cool vid GCN

[@callumwaddell2291]

i like this guy, he should do more on camera stuff!

[@warlord385]

Nice to know John is normal and doesn't have X-men like mutant cycling powers like Simon, Dan, and Matt. I look forward to watching his progression to the Haute Route. We have about the same ftp. If he can do that maybe I can to

[@samuel8590]

GCN....what can you tell me about the cycleops hammer?

[@lukedoyle7802]

Did he go hard enough like when I did it I couldn’t talk or anything feel off the bike and straight onto the floor

[@atipple78]

Si next please. Plenty of talk let's see his FTP test and results oh and definitely needs commentary from rest of team while he does it.

[@pope406]

Would love to know the FTP 20 of the other presentators :-D

[@beigemaster]

roland H Rumour has it that Dan Lloyd's is around 550- what a boss!

[@ironmantooltime]

beigemaster86 was ;)

[@Th30z]

nice bike! next up Canyon AL vs CF?

[@rossblayney5439]

well done John great effect. I nearly blacked out after on some weeks ago haha... brutal test.

[@luongtrivi]

i will be doing ftp as trainning

[@hungrybonsai7180]

I just bought a bike and a trainer. I wouldn't even consider myself a beginner yet! Do you suggest I wait before taking a test or take one right away to measure progress?

[@Windband1]

Well there is nothing wrong with having a (very) beginning baseline just to see! Go for it!

[@hungrybonsai7180]

Windband1 Joke’s on me! I couldn’t even make it through it the warm up!

[@matttr6416]

Hi GCN when I am on my turbo trainer and on zwift I can go faster and with more power than on the road? Is this because I can't put power out on the road? And does zwift up your speed a bit?

[@SuperOCHomes]

mattydoggy11 speed is irrelevant on Zwift

[@colmcq]

Did mine twice at Roehampton uni, first test failed for various reasons. Pain.

[@stevelee8426]

How often should one do a test and what sort of percentage increments should I target?

[@lisaandbrent]

Typically, it's recommended to do one about every 6 weeks. TrainerRoad has them built into their training plans. During the 12-week Base phase, you do one on the first day, and one again at week 6. During the 8-week Build and Specialty phases, they do one at the beginning and one at week 4. The on-screen text during the workout says you could expect a 2-3% improvement over a previous test. But it really depends on how hard you've been working. If you've never done an FTP test before, your first one might suck, but then 6 weeks later you could see a massive improvement, just because you understand what to expect. But once you've been doing them for a while, the gains are probably going to get smaller and smaller each time.

[@M9IN0G]

Why not use a step-test to get an indication for FTP?

[@daanishmundroina3987]

does intake of lactic acid from fermented food stuffs bad ?

[@TimothyFish]

I did an FTP test on Zwift. I was surprised to see that FTP changes the difficulty of their workouts.

[@rikkiola]

why would you be surprised? That's the point of power/FTP based workout zones. If your FTP changes, your training zone intensities change

[@gregdumanoir7735]

Is Jon going to use TrainerRoad during his training? Or just used it to get the FTP?

[@VaibhavTipnis]

Lol, massive sandbagging by John there. He is able to talk at the end of the test. I did my first ever ftp test yesterday, and wasn't able to talk for 1 min after that even though u didn't go full deep.

[@TimpBizkit]

There's no way these are putting out lower sustained powers than me when they're doing it all the time. I mean 200 watts is enough to give me a workout (a decent club ride pace) but I don't feel like I'm about to burst.

[@lucagandolfi4k]

You say that it's wrong to do long FTP test. I've seen the two FTP test on Zwift and they are both long. 45 min and more than 60 min. Do you think they are not affordable?

[@sstfnv]

luca67g they are both 20minute tests. Just different warm up before the actual test.

[@lisaandbrent]

They weren't talking about the length of the overall workout, but the length of the testing portion. In the video, it is a 60-minute workout, but the "tested" portion is that 20-minute section in the second half of the workout. The FTP is determined by taking 95% of the average power of that 20-minute section. TrainerRoad also offers a 60-minute workout that includes two 8-minute tests. The FTP from that assessment is calculated by taking 90% of the average power for those 8-minute segments. Everything else in the workout is warmup, cooldown, and some glycogen-burning efforts that don't actually count towards your FTP. During the video, they were just talking about the difference between doing the 20-minute assessment vs the 2x8-minute assessment, depending on the type of riding you intend to do. The 90% and 95% calculations are estimates to give you an approximate 60-minute power without having to do a full 60-minute test. In Zwift, they offer an full 60-minute test as well as a 20-minute test (similar to TrainerRoad). The 60-minute test uses the average power during that full test, and the 20-minute test uses the same 95% calculation that TrainerRoad uses.

[@woolfel]

brave of john to do a FTP on video and let the world see.. Last time I did one, was the last one I ever did. It was much too painful and I felt aweful at the end. John needed to go harder and show his pain face like lasty

[@BobBob-uv9fq]

I’m 375 yrs and my ftp is 356 ,is this good?

[@Uitspuw]

I'm doing my first labtest next monday and was wondering if I'd use my timetrialbike (which as a triathlete is my main bike I ride and train on) or go with my roadbike, which might be a bit more comfy. Any ideas?

[@gcn]

hi, which ever you prefer, aerodynamics won't come into play :-)

[@Uitspuw]

I was actually thinking about positioning and power output. But alright.

[@ironmantooltime]

GDupon don't u already know what bike gives u the better power?

[@SwedishHouseFifa]

Deffo gonna do a FTP test soon!

[@BradleyTemperley]

You should record your HR too so that you measure your FTHR as well as FTP. I don't have a power meter on my outdoor bikes, but I always have a HR strap.

[@MaximeToulliou]

What fan is that you're using there? Looking for recommendations for my setup

[@ironmantooltime]

Maxime Toulliou you can get them from argos, I got two

[@MaximeToulliou]

Thanks!

[@ironmantooltime]

Maxime Toulliou hmmm they don't stock it right now. first was a honeywell second was a beldray tilt turbo desk fan. they redesigned it in the two years between I bought them :)

[@ironmantooltime]

this is £10 more than I paid, mehhhh www.amazon.co.uk/Quality-Inch-Beldray-Black-Turbo/dp/B00WGU93HS

[@cameronlesley2428]

Still trying to understand ftp. Onc I have it how and when do I apply the ftp?

[@lisaandbrent]

Most workout software, like TrainerRoad, bases workout intensity on a % of FTP. So, you might have rest periods at 50-60% of FTP, some sweet-spot work at 80-90% of FTP, or tough intervals at 120-130% of FTP. It just depends on the type of workout you are doing. So, when you take a new test, and the software uses a new FTP number, the intensity of the workouts is adjusted to a percentage of that new number. Knowing your FTP will also give you power zones, which vary depending on which system you are using. But a coach might tell you to do some easy Zone 2 riding for recovery, or some Zone 6 interval training. So if you are outside riding, with power, your computer can tell you your power, or your power zone, and hit the intensity that your coach is prescribing.