One of the most commonly asked questions that we receive at Njinga is “What is an FTP test?”, followed shortly after by “How can it make me a better cyclist?”
The short answer is 20 minutes of pain = smarter training. The long answer we've written up for you down below. But first, a few fundamental questions that need answering:
WHAT DOES FTP STAND FOR?
FTP stands for Functional Threshold Power.
SO WHAT IS AN FTP TEST?
It’s the maximum average power (wattage) that you can hold for 60 minutes or 95% of your average power for a 20 minute test. In short it’s a great cost effective test that measures your current cycling fitness. From a practical point of view we use a 20 minute test to measure your cycling effort on one of our Wattbike’s with the primary aim to go as fast as you can for the entire duration. When you finish, you should walk away from the test feeling like you have given everything, 110% effort and no less. You don’t want to finish and say I wish I had gone a little harder.
As you cycle, the Wattbike measures a number of key performance metrics including power output (watts), cadence (rpm), heart rate (bpm) and speed to calculate your specific training zones. These training zones will be the foundation on which all your training will be based upon in our Wattbike classes and on the road. Whether you road race, are an endurance cyclist or sportive rider, triathlete, ironman or ultra-distance endurance athlete or simply a fitness fanatic, these zones will define your training structure in order to derive maximum benefit and see the biggest improvements to your training and on race day!
Your FTP power output will change according to your fitness levels and training frequency so we do recommend regular testing to track progression in your numbers and adjust your training programmes accordingly. We recommend re-testing every 6-8 weeks unless you are training particularly hard for a specific cycling event then potentially every 4 weeks. If you are unsure then speak to one of our coaches who would be happy to advise accordingly.
"No matter where you stand with your current training, FTP tests are a good benchmark of your current cardiovascular fitness."
Once you have learnt to ride a bike, pedalling becomes second nature to you. However, when was the last time you really considered how you pedal? Have you ever thought about what your pedalling technique shows you about the way you cycle or ultimately how your pedalling technique can affect your cycling performance?