when to test ftp

When and How Frequently Should You Test Your Cycling FTP?

Topics Covered In This Episode: When is a good time to test FTP? When should you NOT test your FTP? How do you know an unscheduled FTP test is warranted? How much of an FTP change (+ or -) is necessary before changing FTP values used for training ranges? What to do with your new …

indoor cycling ftp training zones

Are FTP and Power Training Zones Different for Outdoor and Indoor Cycling?

According to a CTS survey, about 80% of cyclists and triathletes complete at least one cycling workout per week indoors. Throughout the year, the ratio of indoor to outdoor cycling workouts varies with changes in weather and daylight hours. However, one trend we’ve noted is that indoor cycling is a year-round component of training for …

How Much Can I Increase FTP, Training Zones, RPE, Wearable Tech, And More

Topics Covered In This Episode: How much can you increase your FTP in one season Rate of perceived exertion Why do we have training zones Should you use wearable technology like Whoop or Oura Ring Nils van der Poel: thoughts on his training methodology Guest Bio: Kolie Moore coaches professional, elite, and amateur athletes of …

FTP test

FTP Tests: How to perform 20-Minute, 8-Minute, and Ramp Tests

  By Chris Carmichael, CTS Founder and Chief Endurance Officer At the beginning of a new phase of training it is important to get a snapshot of an athlete’s current fitness so you can scale training intensities appropriately. Assessing an athlete’s Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is the most utilized method because FTP testing can be …

FTP podcast episode

How To Improve Your Cycling FTP (Functional Threshold Power)

Topics Coach Adam Pulford Covers In This Episode on Cycling FTP: How to test your FTP 2 important ways to build your FTP Establishing your training rhythm Episode Outline: Intro: The concept of a “Threshold” has many nuanced forms and definitions in the world of physiology. There’s Lactate Threshold, Onsite of Blood Lactate Accumulation, Ventilatory …

coaching case study DJ Brew

How This Cyclist Raised His FTP 35 Watts and 60-Minute Power by 50 Watts!

By Chris Carmichael, with data from Coach Adam Pulford Athletes often specialize in disciplines that favor their strengths. In cycling, some beginners recognize they have an aptitude for sprinting, or climbing, or time trialing, and that’s the aspect of the sport they focus on intently. They become “sprinters”, “climbers”, and “time trial specialists”. It makes …

Four Tips for Acing Your Next FTP Test

If progress is important to you then measuring and monitoring your performance is critical. We know, for instance, that in the first six months an athlete works with a CTS Coach, the athlete’s Functional Threshold Power (FTP) typically increases by 10%. Increased power isn’t the only way we measure success, but it is certainly an …

pedal stroke

Improve Your Cycling Pedal Stroke for High Power at High Cadence

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “Ride Inside“ and “The Time-Crunched Cyclist” Cyclists tend to associate work on pedal stroke with winter training, but it is much better to focus on your pedal mechanics now, in the fall. This is a unique time of year. You have a season’s worth of fitness and …

mid-summer cycling

Jumpstart Your Mid-Summer Cycling Performance

  By Maddison Russell, CTS Pro Coach At some point, all athletes lose focus and motivation. By the middle of summer, many athletes have been training consistently for months, and competing in several goal events. Whether it’s oppressive heat, vacations, or a lack of direction for the rest of the season, athletes can lose focus …

jeff pierce cyclist fitness over 50

Substantial Fitness Gains You Can Make After 50 (and 60!)

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “Ride Inside“, “The Time-Crunched Cyclist”, and “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Reviewed by Adam Pulford I have an important message to all Generation X and Baby Boomer athletes out there: It’s never too late to make meaningful and measurable gains in fitness and performance! Yes, there are …