FTP Question decision?

I have a question…

This last week I hit a PR of 20 min power 275w at 58.5k resulting at of 260ftp but I did the Ramp FTP test today but my result was disappointed at 234 ftp .

I don’t know what to follow in this case cuz I know is off season but I want to increase my ftp by next year and I don’t want to train in a lower ftp or too high ftp .

Please I will appreciate your help in this situation.

Best Regards

You’ll likely find some useful insights in the thread below.

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Was your 20 min PR set outside? Usually people can hit higher power numbers outside due to cooling, positioning, motivation, etc, but you want to base your training on the number you tested indoors.

I’d recommend starting the workouts at 234W and bumping up the intensity if they feel too easy, then adjusting your FTP if you feel that you can always complete the workouts above 100% intensity. You could also re-test with a fan running if it wasn’t already…I find that my RPE and HR are much lower with a fan (or two!)

PR was made outside ( TT 8miles Flat ) and yes I’m planing redo the Ramp Test for sure.

So no matter what power you perform outside you stick with your wattage ( Ramp Test results ) indoors?

so you recommend do 2x20 just to be sure?

No, that’s not what I’m saying. That thread is long and discusses many issues relating to FTP results not being what was expected and what other users think about it. I was just pointing you to an existing body of knowledge so as not to reinvent the wheel.

What I think is, that if your Ramp Test and 20 min test were done in similar conditions (same equipment in the same location), then I would be looking in general at your power profile and whether you had particular strength in longer sustained efforts over more V02Max efforts that would explain the difference in test results. GCN did a good video on testing protocols that is worth watching:

However, as you state above, your tests were in very different conditions. One outside, the other inside which introduces a number of variables that can make a huge impact to your results. I agree with @madman2 that you should stick with the 234 number indoors and see how you go. If you find your workouts are way too easy, you could either increase the intensity of the workouts by say 5% and see how it goes, or redo your test.

What I wouldn’t do, is take your higher outdoor score and just use it indoors. More than likely it will turn your Sweet Spot workouts into threshold (or higher) and V02Max intervals into spontaneous combustion :hot_face: :fire: Neither of which are very helpful for your training.

^I partially disagree with the above, the basis of my reasoning being that if you are physiologically capable of achieving these higher power outputs outdoors then there is something else reducing your indoor power, possibly/likely cooling or general motivation/psychological reasons… By training at the lower number, you might be underselling yourself, you won’t be turning your sweetspot efforts into threshold or vo2max intervals, you will be turning them into PERCEIVED threshold or vo2max intervals. RPE (rate of perceived exertion) plays a big part here and I think your priority should be to find out WHY you got the ramp test FTP that you did. Address that and hopefully you will be able to train effectively.

Lots more discussion on this on the thread linked above by @julianoliver

By following @julianoliver suggestion you will know within a few workouts whether the FTP at 234 is too low. Workouts will be too easy. Even on those workouts you don’t need to ‘loss out’ as you can bump them up.

Then either just manually adjust FTP by or just re do FTP. The point about different situations and equipment is bound to be valid also.

I looking into my trainings last few weeks I was training FTP of 243 I Finished Criterium Speciality High volume, I did my race and rest for 3 days and then I did my TT race where I hit my PR of 20 min at 275w the follow weekend I did 120miles riding easy first half and I went back by my self hitting 200NP for the whole ride and on Sunday I did a 35miles ride at 210 avg and for some reason I thought I was able to come up with a higher FTP on Monday I was totally fatigue with a TSS over 800 well, the thing is my ftp before Criterium Phase was 243 ftp a 60k and when i hit my pr I was at 275w at 58k, however I’m looking forward to be well rested and no too fatigue for my next Ramp Test.

I will back with my result of ramp Test with a good explanation.

Thank you so much for your help ! Guys you’re the best!

You took an ftp test right after an 800 tss week?!

I’d say you did well to hit 234 on the ramp test, I’d be horizontal

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My bad it was 650 TSS . week