FTP changes mid plan

G’day TR community,
Quick Q on FTP changes.
I’ve made my most committed start to SSB-mid.
I’ve been off the bike a lot this year and started from a very low fitness. However only 9 or 10 rides and while workouts are tough I’m getting through with a little gas in the tank.
For example tonight I fairly easily held threshold wattage for the last 7 minute interval on Carson and felt ok (working hard but not dying).
Question is: have I picked some low hanging fitness fruit and made some slight FTP gains already?
If so, do I

  1. bump up my FTP manually by a handful of watts and see how I go?
  2. try the +intensity on each workout?
  3. interrupt the plan to do another ramp test? Or
  4. carry on and re test before starting phase 2?

Or something entirely different.
Many thanks in advance for any and all advice.

Gaz.

Starting a plan from a low fitness or untrained standpoint it is common to see quick gains in the early weeks (ahead of the designated test weeks).

It’s totally a trial and error thing on when you should bump your FTP. If you really feel like the existing rides are too easy you can increase it but a small amount each week until you feel the intensity is appropriate. It’s really your call

I wouldn’t recommend adding a test or deviating from the plan, but instead either increasing the difficulty within the workouts or making slight increases to your FTP when you finish a week and feel like it was too easy

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Sweet Spot stuff should be hard but not dying. How many weeks in are you? You don’t want to bump it up too soon and end up doing threshold (or higher) when you’re supposed to be doing Sweet Spot.
Maybe try #2 and just up it a couple of % and see if you are still able to complete them?

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I think “working hard but not dying” is about how you should feel doing Carson. The last interval is 92% of FTP, so should be challenging, but completely doable. If you would describe it as “easy”, then I would start by bumping up the workout intensity for your next workouts by a few percent and see how it goes. You’ll be testing again soon enough, so I wouldn’t worry about it for now. You won’t be limiting your progression by being slightly under your FTP either.

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Brilliant - thanks all for the advice.
I did have reservations regarding another test mid plan.
I’m only two weeks in and I think a little patience is probably required on my behalf lest I blow myself prematurely.
Thanks again!