How to increase your Functional Threshold Power
Do you yearn to stay with the lead group on club rides? Want to shave another minute of your 40km TT? To go faster on a bicycle for any length of time there is one absolute thing you must do: Raise your Functional Threshold Power, or FTP.
There are lots of ways to raise FTP. My workout today is one of them. Try this and your FTP will go up. Simple as that. Yes, it really is fairly simple, but it's also fairly painful. Especially at the end. But do this workout every once in a while and you will be rewarded.
Here's the recipe for my FTP raising workout today:
Just spin up normally to warm up the legs. When you're good and warmed up settle into a reasonably comfortable wattage level around 10% under your current FTP. Mine is currently about 265 watts, so I started out at around 240 watts.
Now here's the kicker: Hold between this wattage level and your FTP for an hour. Anywhere between 90-100% of your FTP wattage is fine. Do not let your watts go higher than your FTP, however. That's pointless and you risk not finishing your workout. Besides, how embarassing would it be not making the selection in your own private workout?
When you're done you'll feel amazing. Once the endorphins kick in and the nausea clears you'll get an incredible feeling of accomplishment. A job well done.
what?
You don't do the sacred Coggan approved 2x20s?
Coggan 2x20 intevals
Sure I do! This was just a variation on the standard Andy Coggan 2x20 interval workout:
All kidding aside, during the workout I distinctly remember breaking it down into 20 minute segments.
I seem to recall doing a
I seem to recall doing a workout like this once...I think it was last years state TT!
except I had a 3 second recovery period at the turn around...man that was refreshing!