Newbie Q - FTP bump?

Results
1

I just finished week 3 of mid volume base 1 and I found the Saturday over/under workout, McAdie, to be fairly easy. In week one I nearly died; week 2 was doable but challenging; and now it’s easy. Should I bump my FTP up by 5 for the remaining weeks? My heart rate never really left the Tempo level on Saturday or Sunday. I’m very pleased and surprised by the results but want to ensure i’m Getting the most out of the program. Your thoughts are appreciated.

2

I’d recommend retesting your FTP :slight_smile:

If you over-under workouts are getting that easy, your FTP has likely improved more than just 5 watts, so to get a more complete picture, I recommend doing another Ramp Test.

You can fit the test in in by simply adding it to your plan, or you can swap out a scheduled workout with the Ramp if that fits your needs better.

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3

:anguished: Over/unders and fairly easy CANNOT be used in the same sentence. What @Bryce said.

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4

As a complete untrained newb a couple years ago, I would regularly adjust my FTP up if I was able to maintain my power and cadence targets for a couple workouts in a row. Usually about 1% each time.
Now I’m to the point where I’m just waiting for each assigned Ramp Test, but initially, as a completely untrained rider, I found that my ability changed very quickly.

5

Thanks for the input. I’m going to add 5 watts per week to my FTP for the remainder and retest as scheduled in a few weeks. I’m really just returning to my former glory so I guess I’m not that surprised. I just didn’t think I’d improve that quickly.

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