Improve FTP

swaman

what is the best way to improve a lowly and almost "untrained" FTP over the winter without peaking before the racing season ?????

SBezza

Ride your bike, get fitter.

Do a mixture of training over the winter, endurance, tempo and threshold work, doing each of them will see your FTP improve if you are that untrained.

I doubt you will peak before the racing season, if you do too much intensity prior to building some aerobic base, you might have an up and down season, but I doubt you will peak as such.

What you want to do is progress steadily throughout the winter, and that will mean ramping up the intensity closer you get to the racing season.

jibberjim

swaman wrote:

what is the best way to improve a lowly and almost "untrained" FTP over the winter without peaking before the racing season ?????

If you're untrained you never want and you probably won't be able to "peak" you'll be able to just keep getting better. As SBezza says ride at a range of intensities, the shorter time the higher the intensity. Find some people faster than you and ride with them.

Anonymous

Sort of jealous as you have some big gains to come from JRA!

swaman

I am not so sure I will get the big gains from JRA, I have been JRA now for just over a year. I did intend to mix it up with probably more L3 and L4 most weeks, but also some longer L2 rides especially if I have some more time than normally. I just don't want to fall into the trap where I end up flying ( maybe "flying"is too strong a word lol ) in January and knackered by April.

incog24

Don't take your foot off the gas after January then?? Unless you taper for a stack of event, there shouldn't be an issue with a less time consuming training plan. Just prioritise your events properly.