Raising my FTP to 415 watts

aspiring_squalo

I can hold 365 watts for 20 minutes-375 out of the saddle. I currently weigh 72 kg.

I usually do intervals every day (@ 2x20min @ 95-100% or 4x8min @110%). Can someone more experienced share what it took you to reach a threshold (or normalized threshold, given your weight) of 415 Watts?

Serious responses only please

sloppyschleckonds

Have you tried pedalling a bit harder

jgsi

What is this world at 415 watts?
You are winning races.
You will progress through the categories.
Your races will thus become harder.
You will either become fitter and harder or lose hope and give up racing.
Or you 17 year old self will find other attractions.

joe2008

aspiring_squalo wrote:

I can hold 365 watts for 20 minutes-375 out of the saddle. I currently weigh 72 kg.

I usually do intervals every day (@ 2x20min @ 95-100% or 4x8min @110%). Can someone more experienced share what it took you to reach a threshold (or normalized threshold, given your weight) of 415 Watts?

Serious responses only please

edited 19 times in total.

aspiring_squalo

joe2008 wrote:

aspiring_squalo wrote:

I can hold 365 watts for 20 minutes-375 out of the saddle. I currently weigh 72 kg.

I usually do intervals every day (@ 2x20min @ 95-100% or 4x8min @110%). Can someone more experienced share what it took you to reach a threshold (or normalized threshold, given your weight) of 415 Watts?

Serious responses only please

edited 19 times in total.

lul

maryka

In my experience, getting to 4.5 w/kg threshold is not that hard. 5w/kg is a damn sight harder. 5.5w/kg which is what you want is pretty impossible unless you ride full-time, have the genetics and are very dedicated to becoming a pro.

So out of those 3 things, riding more is the only thing you can control at the moment probably (I didn't see your unedited post so I have no idea what you said about yourself in terms of racing, etc.) If you're only doing an hour or so a day on the bike riding those intervals, that's not enough. Add in another 12hrs/week of riding along with the intervals you're already doing. Once you're doing 15-20hrs/week regularly for a few months, you'll know whether you can get to 400w+ or not. A good coach will help you do this properly and not burn out, get injured, get ill.

aspiring_squalo

maryka wrote:

In my experience, getting to 4.5 w/kg threshold is not that hard. 5w/kg is a damn sight harder. 5.5w/kg which is what you want is pretty impossible unless you ride full-time, have the genetics and are very dedicated to becoming a pro.

So out of those 3 things, riding more is the only thing you can control at the moment probably (I didn't see your unedited post so I have no idea what you said about yourself in terms of racing, etc.) If you're only doing an hour or so a day on the bike riding those intervals, that's not enough. Add in another 12hrs/week of riding along with the intervals you're already doing. Once you're doing 15-20hrs/week regularly for a few months, you'll know whether you can get to 400w+ or not. A good coach will help you do this properly and not burn out, get injured, get ill.

Thanks dude!! I gave a ton of background about my battle with depression and using cycling as an escape. Was expecting it to draw useful, heartfelt replies like yours, but ended up getting cringy responses

meanredspider

Yup - getting a qualified coach is by far your best option.

Hoping an Internet forum is going to provide any specific help is far too optimistic. And, TBH, hoping not to get some of the responses you have was equally optimistic.

maryka

Tbh if you've got to 4.5w/kg on only a handful of interval sessions a week and not much other riding, you might actually be talented enough to go far on proper hours and training. But there's only one way to find out really.

Just be careful, as I said. Overtraining, illness, injury, etc. are quick ways back down the hole so do it right and ramp up the mileage slowly, get enough rest, eat well, limit other life stresses and just go at it with an open mind and see where you go rather than focussing on some pie in the sky number which may or may not be achievable.

Fwiw I have hovered at the high end of Coggan's w/kg scale for 5 and 20 min for most of my racing career but that doesn't mean I'm a very good racer... I'm a strong rider but I can't sprint very well and that means middle/back of the pack for most of the amateur racing I do unless the course is very very hard. So numbers are nowhere near the whole story in cycle racing.

aspiring_squalo

meanredspider wrote:

Yup - getting a qualified coach is by far your best option.

Hoping an Internet forum is going to provide any specific help is far too optimistic. And, TBH, hoping not to get some of the responses you have was equally optimistic.

True. At least I got lucky with good advice from you and mayika

aspiring_squalo

maryka wrote:

Tbh if you've got to 4.5w/kg on only a handful of interval sessions a week and not much other riding, you might actually be talented enough to go far on proper hours and training. But there's only one way to find out really.

Just be careful, as I said. Overtraining, illness, injury, etc. are quick ways back down the hole so do it right and ramp up the mileage slowly, get enough rest, eat well, limit other life stresses and just go at it with an open mind and see where you go rather than focussing on some pie in the sky number which may or may not be achievable.

Fwiw I have hovered at the high end of Coggan's w/kg scale for 5 and 20 min for most of my racing career but that doesn't mean I'm a very good racer... I'm a strong rider but I can't sprint very well and that means middle/back of the pack for most of the amateur racing I do unless the course is very very hard. So numbers are nowhere near the whole story in cycle racing.

Right on man! Thanks for the optimistic insight! Just curious, what were your 20 minute power & race weight when you saw yourself excelling on only super difficult courses? What race tactics have you found difficult to master throughout your cycling career?

napoleond

Maryka has been National Hill Climb Champ and in terms of racing is somewhat selling herself short...

maryka

Ha ha, well I'm pretty good when I'm alone and climbing a hill in the saddle...

The problem is I'm fairly light (51-54kg over the season) and my anaerobic is only average so courses with a lot of very short sharp out of the saddle sprinty climbs aren't my bag. Longer sustained climbs or just tough courses that are windy or technical are more for me. And longer races, nearly 3hrs or more.

I've found the slower the average speed of the race, the better my result will be unless there's some defining feature of the course like a big hill in the middle. Down here in the SE the courses are just too flat. I'm not big or aero enough to go off for a solo break, so my best bet is a small break with hopefully a small hill at the finish line.

But that's part of training, learning what your strengths and weaknesses are and finding races and tactics that maximise strengths and minimise weaknesses. I have nearly 10 years of power data so I know a lot about what I can and can't do now, that doesn't stop me from trying to get better at the stuff I'm not good at.

Don't forget that positioning, race craft, etc. also plays a big role. Knowing the course, the competition, and just paying attention as the race unfolds are things that a surprising number of people are completely useless at doing.

Alex_Simmons/RST

aspiring_squalo wrote:

I can hold 365 watts for 20 minutes-375 out of the saddle. I currently weigh 72 kg.

I usually do intervals every day (@ 2x20min @ 95-100% or 4x8min @110%). Can someone more experienced share what it took you to reach a threshold (or normalized threshold, given your weight) of 415 Watts?

Serious responses only please

Those that reach lofty W/kg numbers chose the right parents.

Training can obviously help you get closer to you your potential and no one likes to set limits on what's possible, but there are limits and gains diminish and take far longer to attain the closer you are to your genetic potential.

That said, I've no idea what your goals are and whether a focus on FTP development is warranted. What makes sense training wise and what is needed for success (whatever that is defined as) for any individual is a complex equation and balance of many factors, of which your FTP is but one.

You can really only ever expect general responses here. Specific advice is not really sensible to provide without a detailed understanding of the individual.

Mikey23

One small red flag from your comments. Cycling as an antidote to depression is brilliant. From personal experience and some around me it has an obsessive quality about it which can actually add to your problems. Do cycling because it is enjoyable but be careful if you start to focus more on the numbers than the activity. Not meaning to be negative but a small word of caution based on experience. Good luck bud!

teebs_123

Mikey23 wrote:

One small red flag from your comments. Cycling as an antidote to depression is brilliant. From personal experience and some around me it has an obsessive quality about it which can actually add to your problems. Do cycling because it is enjoyable but be careful if you start to focus more on the numbers than the activity. Not meaning to be negative but a small word of caution based on experience. Good luck bud!

This is very good advice. I know of 2 people who took up cycling with a history of depression, got too involved, over-trained, obsessive and in the end it made them worse. One even went to Belgium to try and turn pro, got a kicking every week and came back in a right state.

Both of them don't ride anymore, even socially.

supermurph09

Mikey23 wrote:

One small red flag from your comments. Cycling as an antidote to depression is brilliant. From personal experience and some around me it has an obsessive quality about it which can actually add to your problems. Do cycling because it is enjoyable but be careful if you start to focus more on the numbers than the activity. Not meaning to be negative but a small word of caution based on experience. Good luck bud!

Good post

burnthesheep

Post count = 5

What % of people who approach an ftp test of 400 make their first 5 posts on an internet chat forum about bikes in terms of asking advice to get to above 400?

That's like golfer who shoots under par already joining golfchat.com to ask how they can shave another couple shots off their score with a simple post.

This isn't the forum for a serious inquiry.

I'll just say that at that level I would expect an aspiring pro or talented amateur that is that serious to be seeking serious help.

I'd hate to offer some bonehead advice on a chat forum and ruin a person's goals that are at such an elevated level.

okgo

Like from a professional coach of a multiple nation winner (both have posted above) you mean?

burnthesheep

okgo wrote:

Like from a professional coach of a multiple nation winner (both have posted above) you mean?

If so, then cheers. I'm not used to that. That's really cool. I'm newer around this forum and don't know all the players. Carry on, I'll head back to my small hole. :oops:

ryan_w-2

okgo wrote:

Like from a professional coach of a multiple nation winner (both have posted above) you mean?

I haven't posted above?......

I'll be happy making it to 350w let alone over 400w!

Seriously though, if you're at that level, I would suggest getting a team around you who know their s**t, and then don't forget us when you become a pro

From my small amount of training knowledge coming from a weight lifting background: I would suggest training out your preferred comfort level / preferred zones and push for efforts you know you will fail on. Sounds stupid, but those zones will soon become familiar ground and will be surpassed in due course. Commitment is the key.

okgo

That should have read OR national winner. Maryka has won the ladies Nat HC many times, and Alex is a very renowned coach.

FTP of over 400W is pretty rare for a normal sized rider.