Training Tips #4: Getting started with Power Training

Once you have gotten your power meter up and running, the most important thing you need to establish first is your Functional Threshold Power, or FTP in short. But before rushing into that, it is good to ride with your power meter first to get a feel of what, say 300 watts, means in relation to your heart rate, cadence, speed etc. Get use to reading the data after your rides and familiarise yourself with the numbers.

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is the highest power that a rider can maintain in a quasi-steady state for approximately one hour without fatiguing. When power exceeds FTP, fatigue will occur much sooner, whereas power just below FTP can be maintained considerably longer. By determining your FTP, you will be able to set your training levels.

1. Active Recovery                           <55% (FTP)
2. Endurance                                        56 - 75%
3. Tempo                                                76 - 90%
4. Lactate Threshold                         91 - 105%
5. VO2 Max                                           106 - 120%
6. Anaerobic Capacity                      121 - 150%
7. Neuromuscular Power                  Maximal

There are a few ways to determine your FTP:

• Power Frequency Distribution Charts
• Routine Steady Power
• Normalized Power
• One-Hour Time Trial
• Critical Power

Another way to test your FTP is as follows:

Warm up for 20 mins at endurance pace. Do a 3 x 1 min fast pedaling (100 rpm), recovering at 1 min between each set. Then 5 mins of easy riding. Next, do a 5 mins all-out effort followed by another 10 mins of easy riding. This is to "open" up the legs for rest of the effort. Once done, do a 20 mins "Time Trial" effort. Then cool down for 10-15 mins.

Download the data and find out the average power for the entire 20 mins effort. Subtract by 5% (FTP is defined for power you can maintain at 60 mins). The result will be your Functional Threshold Power (FTP).

The goal of any training program is to increase FTP. As you get fitter, your FTP increases. Therefore, it is recommended that you conduct the test 4 to 6 times a year (or whenever you feel you have gained fitness) so that your power-based training levels can be adjusted for you to be able to train more efficiently.

Good luck!


Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan (2010). Training and Racing With A Power Meter. Colorado: VeloPress.