How to Train with a Power Meter

We’ve been coaching cyclists with power meters for over 20 years now and have taken thousands of athletes thru the three simple steps below.  Cyclist of all abilities can benefit from using simple and proven sport science that using a power meter provides. 

Those 3 steps are:

1. Perform a 20 minute FTP test

2. Set your Power Based Training Zones

3. Perform Workouts Prescribed in Power Zones

Once you've taken these 3 steps, you can follow a power based training plan just like the pros, easily analyze your power data and most importantly use the sport science to ride faster!

‘FTP’ is short for Functional Threshold Power or the highest average watts you can sustain for 60 minutes going as hard as you can go.  There’s good news tho (since 60 minutes is incredibly hard) you can do a 20 minute test outside on the road with your power meter, recording the data to determine your FTP.

Our AI Coach, CoachCat will automatically detect when you have set a new FTP from your field test, races and group rides. There is no complicated analysis required!

Step #2 is to set your power based training zones. 

Now that you know your FTP, you can set your training zones. With our auto FTP detection feature, we do the analysis for you.  On your own, take your average 20 minute power from your FTP test, minus 5% and enter that number into the FasCat app. 

Your FTP goes into your Training Zones as seen here:

Then your power based training zones are automatically calculated using a percentage of your FTP. 

For example, if your FTP is 294 watts (like above) your zone 4 threshold is 98-104% of 294 or 286 - 305 watts. Therefore when your training plan says do zone 4 threshold intervals you know to pedal hard enough to hold your watts between 286 - 305 watts (see below). Because you will be looking at your wattages on your bike computer on your handlebar you will know and learn how to perform intervals by power by pedaling hard and not too hard to hold your watts in between the training zone prescribed in your workout from your training plan.

Step #3 is to do power based workouts in a training plan.

Power based workouts tell you which zones to ride in for your workouts from the intervals prescribed. For example you training plan may say do sweet spot intervals today and you know from your power based zones to pedal between 247 and 285 watts (using 294 watts as your FTP, see above ☝️). 

Power based training zones also enable you to achieve precise physiological adaptations.  Want to build your aerobic endurance? Train in Zones 2, 4, & sweet spot.  What to improve your VO2 Max? Train in Zone 5. 

Training with power is like having a sport science lab on your handlebar (!) because you can achieve precise physiological adaptations by using your own training zones that are set to your current fitness (your FTP).  Training with power is the best opportunity there is to improve your cycling. All professional cyclists and amateur cyclists alike follow a training plan with a power meter to train to ride faster. 

Once you are training with power, then comes the fun part: using your power data to analyze your progress and measure your improvement.  The single greatest determinant of cycling performance is your FTP.  From step number one, you already know your FTP  and can measure your improvement from another FTP test (often times prescribed in your training plan). 

If your FTP from your field test was 225 watts and then you do another test 6 weeks later and your FTP is now 241 watts, that 7% improvement!  That is real scientific data driven proof that your cycling performance has improved. 

There are many many other ways to measure your improvement by training with a power meter like using your xPower from a hard group ride.  There are multiple ways to measure if your FTP has increased and hard group rides are wonderful pieces of data.  Power data from a race or an event is often times very informative and you can use your power data to help you identify what types of intervals you should be doing in training to prepare. 

Coach Isaiah has a video describing how you can train with a power meter to find the right training approach for your goals. 

Overall when used properly , training with a power meter can take your training to the next level because it enables you to use sport science on your handlebars during your training. Training with a power meter offers precise real time measurement of exactly how hard you are pedaling so you can follow a power based training plan. Lastly training with a power meter enables you to use your own ride data to monitor your improvement, stay motivated and achieve your goals. 

Reference

E.F. Coyle, A.R. Coggan, M.K. Hopper and T.J. Walters, “Determinants of endurance in well-trained cyclists.” J Appl. Physiol 64:2622-2630, 1988

Copyright © 2024 FasCat Coaching - all rights reserved.

Try the FasCat App for Free for 1 month and work on your cyclocross skills.  We'll build you a custom cyclocross training plan and CoachCat will guide you along with unlimited, instant training plan revisions and data analysis.