FTP & Pre Fatigue
dan4280
Posts: 5
Ah the perennial subject of FTP........
I have started using the 20 minute FTP test. I do a 20 minute warm-up then 5 minutes pre-fatigue at 120% of my last FTP result and then a 10 minute easy spin. Then I do 20 minutes all out and take 95% of this result.
My curiosity is around the pre-fatigue bit. The reason I chose 120% is looking at Coggan's table it looks like he basically says you can hold 120% of your FTP for 5 minutes. What do other people do for the pre-fatigue?
If I follow this I guess every time my FTP improves I will also have to up the pre-fatigue wattage. So last time I did the test I had an existing FTP of 241 x 1.2 = 289 for 5 minutes. I then held 268 for 20 mins to set a new FTP of 254. So I guess next time I test, my pre-fatigue has to be 254 x 1.2 = 305 watts.
Any thoughts? Maybe I'm getting too much like rain man with the numbers.
I have started using the 20 minute FTP test. I do a 20 minute warm-up then 5 minutes pre-fatigue at 120% of my last FTP result and then a 10 minute easy spin. Then I do 20 minutes all out and take 95% of this result.
My curiosity is around the pre-fatigue bit. The reason I chose 120% is looking at Coggan's table it looks like he basically says you can hold 120% of your FTP for 5 minutes. What do other people do for the pre-fatigue?
If I follow this I guess every time my FTP improves I will also have to up the pre-fatigue wattage. So last time I did the test I had an existing FTP of 241 x 1.2 = 289 for 5 minutes. I then held 268 for 20 mins to set a new FTP of 254. So I guess next time I test, my pre-fatigue has to be 254 x 1.2 = 305 watts.
Any thoughts? Maybe I'm getting too much like rain man with the numbers.
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Posts
When I do it I just go as hard as I can for 5 minutes, like you are going for a long solo win in a road race or perhaps going for a Strava KOM
Or try the 30 minute test as TA suggested.
There is also the ramp test which is supposed to be easier to do psychologically and accurate but personally I have some reservations.
For example, if you can do 4 x 4 at 300W then do them at 300W. If you eventually find that you can do 5 x 4 at 300W, then increase power for the next workout with the goal of finding your new MSI for that workout. You can do the same with 4 x 8 and also use MSI for that as an indicator of LT that you can then use to set intensity for sub-threshold stuff...or not because you can use cardiac drift for that.
4 mins of 175 Watts at 75 Cadence.
10 seconds of 275 W at 90 C.
50 Sec of 220 W at 80 C.
1 min of 310 W at 95 C.
1 Min of 175 W at 75 C.
10 Sec of 300 W at 85 C.
50 Sec of 250 W at 85 C.
30 Sec of 180 W at 75 C.
30 Sec of 310 W at 90 C.
1 Min of 170 W at 75 C.
FTP test of 20 minutes.
No doubt some will say its "different" to others but I always follow that precise warm up so I know the stress build up to the FTP Test is exactly the same so should mirror a test that's as accurate as I can get.
Tony.
Your test is fine imo, so long as each test is the same.
However to be useful to the OP you should state your FTP as watts alone is not very useful
Didn't think of that issue.
Summer was at 294 Watts, 279 Watts after the -5%, although its probably a little lower now due to lack of riding with weather turning etc. I haven't changed the FTP figure in my Garmin just left it as is.
I would struggle to give accurate FTP % figures to be honest as its the Watts I look at when conducting the test and dont tend to check or record the % figures.
Tony.
The Sufferfest use 100% of 20 minute in their 4DP test, but then they also include a couple of sprints before hand. Are you managing to sprint at the end of the 20 or not? You can quite easily increase the average by going all out for the last 30 seconds & need to compensate. Personally, I’d just make sure you are completely knackered and barely hanging on at the end of the 20.