Hi, i have finished sweer pot 1 medium volume, now i have started sweet pot 2 medium volume. The first workout is ramptest to mesure my current Ftp… now its -22% (from180 to 150) it’ s normal? I have to rest and then repeat the test? I have to continue? I have to chose low volume or continue medium? Please help me
Thx
Typical response of how did you test? Was it different from the first one? Different power meter? Etc. Did you really push all out? So many things are being left out here.
I don’t think if completing a plan you should drop like that. Something was done wrong.
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This seems to have been reported a few times over the past couple of days, and I’m intrigued for purely selfish reasons: I too, finished Vol. 1 on Saturday and am set to ramp test tomorrow.
There are a number of factors at play here
- differences in test protocols ie. ramp test vs. 8 or 20min protocol.
- difference in equipment used (ie. power meter, virtual power, trainer)
- how you felt on the day - did you just have a bad day?
#1 & #2 that is what it is. To measure performance over time, doing so consistently is important.
If #3 is the potential answer, there are a number of blog posts on what to do if you have a bad test or bad day and how to adjust because of it. The benefit of the new ramp test format, you can retest again without massive impact to training schedule, and you can do so with minimal physical detriment just due to the shorter nature.
Were you completing the workouts in SSB1 without excessive breaks or having to turn down the intensity? If so, then your FTP hasn’t decreased.
The equipment is the same … i think to retry the ramp test after 2-3 days… thx to all
Yup. Here we go. All equipment the same: I’ve gone from a meagre 171 (novice cyclist) to 151. 
Not what I was expecting because I completed Vol 1 pretty comfortably. Oh well. I will leave it as it is.
I just completed the test. Went from 274 to 279. Just finished SSB1. I did not notice any issue
This is just my n=1, but it took me a few attempts to actually test to failure on the ramp test. What helped was when I knew that you break even with your current ftp at 19:30 minutes. Now, when I start hurting at 15, I know that it’s just pain, but I should be able to make it to 19:30. I haven’t failed before that again, but if I did, I at least know that it’s actual failure and not just me giving up too early.
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Ho-hum. Must be one of those things.
DON’T LEAVE IT AS IS.
If you comfortably completed the workouts in SSB I then your FTP did not decrease.
Totally agree with this. I saw steady gains in the 8 min format and when I transitioned to the Ramp Test I saw (small) declines in the test result. Reading this thread really helped me. I too realized that 19:30 was the crucial tipping point from other forum members. With this knowledge I was able to push through the initial pain resistance at 17-18 mins with the goal of getting to 20. This really helped a lot and I haven’t fallen short of 19:30 since either and my FTP has ticked up again. I think it’s similar to really tough intervals, you can be hurting half way through, but the knowledge of when the end is helps you through to the end. The Ramp Test has no defined end, so I think it’s harder to ride out the pain.
Maybe. If people actually did the work then I think your statement would be true more often than not. There have been a number of posts lately with “just finished X and I did all the workouts perfectly and my FTP went down, what gives?”. When you ask to see their ride data, many times you see that they were frequently not following the plan, turning down workouts, not actually finishing workouts, replacing most of the rides for outdoors or some other reason. You won’t see gains if you don’t put in the work. I’m not saying that’s the case for the users above, but neither can I see their ride history to exclude this possibility.
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Please feel free to review my workout history.
Heh – I didn’t mean to suggest I will drop it down, just leave it where it stands.
I have done all the workout and i trained outdoor only 4/5 times in 6 weeks
Sorry for hijacking the thread, but maybe this is only marginally off-topic. I am never sure when I should consider a workout successful. Today, for example, I did Gendarme +3 and had to skip one interval towards the later end of the second set. I did then add another interval at the end of the second set because I’m stupid and stubborn, so I roughly ended up with the prescribed number of intervals at least.
But short intervals are hard. My trainer/powermeter combo take a while to ramp up watts, so I end up overcompensating. Averages still roughly check out ±5w but when I checked my zones after the workout, I actually spent more time in the anaerobic zone than in vo2max.
Just saying it’s actually not entirely straight-forward to judge what counts as a failed workout. I realize that there are no vo2max workouts in SSB1, so maybe this is misplaced here, but it’s my 2 cents anyway. (Perhaps this should be in the excuses thread instead 
).
These are, of course, good things to keep in mind.
ASSUMING you completed the workouts without needing excessive rest during intervals and without turning down the intervals, then your FTP probably did not decrease.
If you can exclude a lack of workout consistency and workout quality, then you have to look at other factors for the test. Did anything change between your initial Ramp Test 6 weeks ago and the recent one?
- Equipment or environment? I train in my garage so gains are harder to come by in the summer than the winter for example. Did you zero offset your power meter, spin down your trainer after warming it up, check your tire pressure, have the roller resistance set where it needs to be?
- Did you prepare properly in the 24 hours before the Ramp Test? Was your sleep good, did you fuel your body before the workout? I do all my workouts in the morning before any food, but for the Ramp Test I’ll eat in the morning, have coffee and wait a couple of hours before the test. I find this puts my body in the best position to perform well. Were you well hydrated? Your heart rate is going to spike in the Ramp Test, if you’re dehydrated this is going to have a negative effect on you at the top end of things.
- Were you mentally ready? If your initial FTP is set correctly, the Ramp Test is going to put a physical AND mental strain on you between roughly minute 15 and 21 depending on how long you last. I’m always a little nervous before the Ramp Test. I don’t want a disappointing result. It creates focus and determination to give everything. Do you think you gave everything you had in your test?
I think a 5% ± result on the Ramp Test is nothing to be concerned about. A 22% drop is significant and I wouldn’t ignore it. Something, or a few things, have contributed to you not getting the result you were expecting. If it wasn’t your training leading up to it, then perhaps some of the things above weren’t in check.