What is a good FTP for a recreational cyclist?

For a recreational cyclist with 6–12 months of regular training, a good FTP is 2.5–3.2 W/kg. A 75kg cyclist in this range would have an absolute FTP of 188–240 watts. This places you in the "Fitness" to "Sportif" category in Coggan's power profiling, comparable to Category 4–5 racing fitness.

The standard FTP test is a 20-minute all-out time trial on a turbo trainer or flat road. Your average power for 20 minutes × 0.95 = your FTP. The 0.95 correction accounts for the fact that 20-minute power is slightly higher than true 60-minute threshold power. A proper warm-up (10–15 minutes building to 90% effort) and a 5-minute max effort before the 20-minute effort improves accuracy.

What is a good FTP for a woman?

Female FTP norms follow the same W/kg framework as male cyclists, typically 8–12% lower in absolute watts due to differences in muscle mass and haemoglobin levels. A well-trained female recreational cyclist typically has an FTP of 2.2–3.0 W/kg. Female cat 3 racers average 3.0–3.5 W/kg. Elite women professionals range from 4.5–5.5 W/kg.

How often should I test my FTP?

Test FTP every 6–8 weeks during a training block, typically at the start and end of each structured phase. FTP changes most rapidly in the first 3–6 months of structured training. Elite cyclists who have trained for years may only see meaningful FTP changes of 3–5% per season. Avoid testing within 72 hours of a hard training session or race.

Can you increase FTP significantly?

Yes, especially if you are new to structured training. Beginners can improve FTP 20–40% in the first year. Intermediate cyclists typically gain 5–15% per training year. Elite cyclists may improve 2–5% annually. The most effective training for FTP improvement is "sweetspot" (88–93% of FTP) and threshold (95–105% FTP) intervals, supported by sufficient Zone 2 aerobic base volume.

FTP Cycling: What Is a Good Score? (W/kg Chart by Ability Level)

What FTP Means (and Why W/kg Matters More Than Watts)

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is defined as the highest average power output you can sustain for approximately 60 minutes. It represents your lactate threshold — the boundary between aerobic and anaerobic metabolism.

Why watts per kilogram (W/kg) rather than absolute watts:

Because cycling involves moving body weight uphill and through air resistance, a 60kg rider with a 240W FTP (4.0 W/kg) climbs faster than an 80kg rider with the same 240W FTP (3.0 W/kg). On flat terrain, absolute watts matter more. On any significant gradient, W/kg determines pace.

FTP in context:

FTP (W/kg)	Absolute FTP at 70kg	Absolute FTP at 80kg	Context
2.0 W/kg	140W	160W	Beginner / first year cyclist
2.5 W/kg	175W	200W	Recreational, regular riding
3.0 W/kg	210W	240W	Trained, Cat 4–5 race fitness
3.5 W/kg	245W	280W	Competitive amateur, Cat 3
4.0 W/kg	280W	320W	Serious amateur, Cat 2–3
4.5 W/kg	315W	360W	Cat 1 / Elite amateur
5.0 W/kg	350W	400W	Professional / National-level
5.5 W/kg	385W	440W	WorldTour domestique level
6.0+ W/kg	420W+	480W+	Tour de France GC contenders

Coggan Power Profiling: Full W/kg Classification

Andy Coggan's power profiling system (widely adopted in cycling coaching) classifies riders by the best 5-second, 1-minute, 5-minute, and 60-minute (FTP) power relative to body weight:

Category	FTP (W/kg) men	FTP (W/kg) women	Description
Untrained	<2.0	<1.8	No structured training
Fair	2.0–2.5	1.8–2.2	Beginning regular cycling
Fitness	2.5–3.0	2.2–2.7	Regular riding, some intervals
Sportif	3.0–3.5	2.7–3.2	Strong club rider, Cat 4–5
Trained	3.5–4.0	3.2–3.7	Cat 3–4, competitive amateur
Domestic Elite	4.0–4.5	3.7–4.2	Cat 1–2, national-level amateur
International	4.5–5.0	4.2–4.7	Professional continental level
World Class	5.0–5.7	4.7–5.4	WorldTour professional
Exceptional	>5.7	>5.4	GC Tour de France contenders

Record FTP Values in Context

Athlete	Estimated FTP	W/kg (race weight)
Chris Froome (2015 Tour)	~420W	~6.1–6.2 W/kg
Tadej Pogačar (2021)	~430–440W	~6.4–6.7 W/kg
Anna van der Breggen (2020)	~310–320W	~5.4–5.6 W/kg
Strong Cat 3 amateur (75kg)	~255–285W	~3.4–3.8 W/kg

These values are not directly lab-confirmed (pro teams are private), but derived from competition data and VAM calculations.

The FTP Test Protocol (Step by Step)

The most widely used FTP test:

Equipment: Power meter or smart turbo trainer (without power, the test is not meaningful)

Protocol: 1. 10-minute easy warm-up (Z1–Z2) 2. 3×1 minute at ~120% of estimated FTP, 1 minute recovery between 3. 5 minutes easy recovery 4. 20-minute all-out effort (aim for as even a pace as possible) 5. 10 minutes easy cool-down

FTP calculation: Average power from the 20-minute effort × 0.95 = FTP

The 0.95 factor corrects for the fact that 20-minute best power is typically 5% higher than true 60-minute threshold power, because the aerobic system can sustain higher intensity for 20 minutes than 60.

The 7 Power Training Zones Based on FTP

Zone	Name	% of FTP	HR zone	Description
Z1	Active Recovery	<55%	<68% HRmax	Easy spinning, recovery rides
Z2	Endurance	55–75%	68–80%	Aerobic base, fat oxidation
Z3	Tempo	75–88%	80–87%	Comfortably hard, just below threshold
Z4	Sweetspot	88–95%	87–92%	Most bang for training buck
Z4+	Threshold	95–105%	92–96%	At or slightly above FTP
Z5	VO₂max	105–120%	96–100%	5–8 minute intervals, hard
Z6	Anaerobic	>120%	Max	30s–2min all-out efforts

Training to Improve FTP

The most efficient protocols for FTP improvement (ranked by time-efficiency):

Protocol	Zone	Duration per session	Frequency	FTP gain (12 weeks)
Sweetspot intervals	Z4 (88–93%)	2–3 × 20 min	2–3×/week	+6–10%
Threshold intervals	Z4+ (95–100%)	4–6 × 8 min	2×/week	+5–8%
Short VO₂max intervals	Z5 (105–120%)	4–6 × 4 min	2×/week	+4–7%
High-volume Z2 alone	Z2 (55–75%)	12–15h/week	Daily	+3–5%

The practical prescription: For most athletes with 8–12 hours per week, a combination of 2 sweetspot sessions + 3–4 Zone 2 rides produces the best long-term FTP progression. Pure Z2 requires very high volume to move the needle without higher intensity work.

Peaking for a Target Event: The Taper Effect on FTP

A properly executed taper (reducing training volume by 40–60% for 10–14 days before a target event) typically produces a 2–3% FTP increase measured on race day. Research by Bosquet et al. (2007) found that this magnitude of volume reduction while maintaining intensity specificity is the optimal formula for performance peaks.

For FTP-based events (gran fondos, time trials, climbs), this means your "race day FTP" is measurably higher than your training FTP — account for this when setting race power targets.