ZONES AND FTP
To calculatorsWe count FTP from the test, lay out the power zones according to Koggan, the pulse zones from the threshold according to Friel and from the maximum according to Karvonen, add a three-zone polarized model and watts per kilogram. Everything is recalculated on the go, the link saves the introductory.
Zones are a training markup, not a medical document. If you haven't been tested for a long time, the numbers below lie both ways.
Classic: 20 minutes exactly to the maximum after the warm-up, minus 5% for the fact that the hour is still longer.
LTHR is the average heart rate for the last 20 minutes of the threshold test, not the maximum for the race. The resting pulse is measured in the morning without getting out of bed: it is needed only for the Karvonen method.
Entered manually: 250W
A strong amateur, you stay in the main group. This is a landmark, not a verdict.
Watts per kilogram is decided on the ascents, absolute watts — on the plain and in time trial. A gravel race usually looks at both numbers.
Seven zones as a percentage of FTP. The percentages are integers and fit together: the top of the zone is the bottom of the next minus one percent. There is a one percent FTP gap in watts between the lines — this is rounding, not a hole in the model.
| Zone | % FTP | Watts | What gives and what intervals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z1 · Active recovery | up to 55 % | up to 138 Watts | Very easy, conversation without hesitation. Warm-up, hitch, rollback between intervals and the day after the race. |
| Z2 · Endurance | 56–75 % | 140-188 Watts | The main volume of the week. Long 2-6 hours, fat as fuel, capillaries and mitochondria. The base lives here. |
| Z3 · Tempo | 76–90 % | 190–225 W | Fast group pace, gravel rolling. Blocks of 20-60 minutes. Expensive due to fatigue — do not turn it into a base. |
| Z4 · Threshold | 91–105 % | 228–263 W | Work on FTP: 2-4 segments of 8-20 minutes. Grows the threshold directly, but requires freshness. |
| Z5 · VO2max | 106–120 % | 265–300 W | Intervals of 3-8 minutes with equal rest. It raises the oxygen ceiling — that's what the breaks are closed with. |
| Z6 · Anaerobic | 121–150 % | 303–375 W | Segments of 30 seconds — 3 minutes. Starting accelerations, tumblers on the ascents, the struggle for the wheel. |
| Z7 · Neuromuscular | above 150 % | from 378 watts and above | Sprints 5-15 seconds with full rest. The power and technique of the jerk, the average power is not measured. |
Percentages are calculated from the pulse at the threshold. The pulse is a minute or two behind the power and goes up in the heat and dehydration - at short intervals, look at the watts.
| Zone | % LTHR | Pulse | What gives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z1 · Recovery | до 80 % | до 132 bpm | Easy twisting, recovery between jobs. |
| Z2 · Endurance | 81–89 % | 134-147 bpm | Voluminous long workouts, aerobic base. |
| Z3 · Tempo | 90–93 % | 149–153 bpm | Tempo blocks, group pace, marathon pace. |
| Z4 · Backup | 94–99 % | 155–163 bpm | Threshold segments: the pulse is pulled up to the LTHR. |
| Z5a · Threshold | 100–102 % | 165–168 bpm | Exactly on the threshold, time trial for 20-40 minutes. |
| Z5b · Aerobic capacity | 103–106 % | 170–175 bpm | The intervals are at VO2max, the pulse is almost maximum. |
| Z5c · Anaerobic | выше 106 % | from 177 bpm and above | Short angry segments, the pulse catches up with the power belatedly. |
HRSMAX190, пульс покоя 50 — 140 strikes heart rate reserve. Это другая модель, чем зоны от LTHR: смешивать их нельзя.
| Zone | % of reserve | Pulse | What gives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z1 · Recovery | 50-60 % of the reserve | 120–134 bpm | Warm-up, hitch, rollback. The pulse is almost not growing. |
| Z2 · Aerobic base | 60–70 % reserve | 134–148 bpm | Long voluminous skating, smooth breathing. |
| Z3 · Aerobic endurance | 70–80 % reserve | 148–162 bpm | Tempo blocks, strong group pace. |
| Z4 · Threshold | 80–90 % reserve | 162–176 bpm | Threshold work, it's already hard to breathe. |
| Z5 · Maximum | 90–100 % reserve | 176–190 bpm | VO2max intervals and finishing accelerations. |
Karvonen's formula: Chsspokoya + percentage of (CHSsmax − Chsspokoya). There are five zones here, not seven, and the borders do not coincide with the zones from LTHR. Choose one model and stick to it: training "in the fourth zone" in two models means a different pulse.
Seiler model: below the first lactate threshold, between LT1 and LT2, above LT2. It really lays out voluminous weeks — most of the time is at the bottom, the quality is at the top, there is little gray mean.
| Zone | Boundaries and share | Watts | What are they doing there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 · Below LT1 | до 80 % FTP · ≈80 % of the time | до 200 W | The whole volume: long rides, conversation is possible. Lactate almost does not grow, you recover along the way. |
| Zone 2 · Between LT1 and LT2 | 80–105 % FTP · ≈5 % of the time | 200–263 W | Gray middle: tempo and subthreshold. You get tired noticeably, you grow moderately. In a polarized week, there is deliberately little of it. |
| Zone 3 · Above LT2 | выше 105 % FTP · ≈15 % of the time | from 263 W and above | Threshold and VO2max intervals. Two quality jobs a week on fresh legs is enough. |
LT1 is taken here for 80%FTP, LT2 for 105%FTP. The exact thresholds are caught by lactate or by breathing in the laboratory, from FTP this is an estimate.
How many watts are needed to reach round values at the current weight, and how many percentages of the current FTP.
| Zone | The required FTP | Percentage of current | Difference and reference point |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0 Вт/кг | 225 W | 90.0 % от FTP | There is already a stock25 W. A strong amateur, you stay in the main group |
| 3.5 Вт/кг | 263 W | 105.2 % от FTP | need another 13 W. Fast amateur, fighting for the top ten in the age group |
| 4.0 Вт/кг | 300 W | 120.0 % от FTP | need another 50 W. A strong racer, an elite of amateurs |
| 4.5 Вт/кг | 338 W | 135.2 % от FTP | need another 88 W. Semi-professional level |
| 5.0 Вт/кг | 375 W | 150.0 % от FTP | need another 125 W. Professional level |
The levels are signed honestly: this is a benchmark for mass races, not a category and not a sentence. Five watts per kilogram per hour is the level that units reach, and losing weight for the sake of the denominator of a fraction is more dangerous than growing the numerator.
20-minute — warm-up for 20-25 minutes with a couple of short accelerations, then 20 minutes exactly to the maximum. A flat area without traffic lights and turns or a machine: pulse and power should not jump. The average for 20 minutes is multiplied by 0.95 — you can't keep so much in an hour, hence minus 5%.
Ramp Test — stepwise increase in power to failure, FTP is considered as 75% of the power of the last full minute. The figure is almost always different from 20 minutes: the test is short and strongly depends on the anaerobic reserve. Compare the test with the same test, not with a different protocol.
What spoils the test — uncalibrated sensor, heat, lack of sleep, coffee on an empty stomach, too fast start. The first five minutes almost always want to go faster than you can: hold back, otherwise the second half will fall apart.
How often — FTP is reviewed every 4-6 weeks, usually at the end of the block before the unloading week. More often there is no point: the zones do not have time to work out. Less often — and half of the block you will train on outdated numbers.
All these are guidelines for a healthy person, not a medical recommendation. The maximum heart rate is not calculated using the formula "220 minus age" — it is seen in a test or in a race, and the test is done to failure only if everything is in order with health.