Training zones and FTP in Cycling

Reviewer The worked example is what makes this -- plug in your own FTP and heart rate and you're done.

Moderator Entirely about calculating training zones from an FTP number -- walks through the standard 7-zone model with exact power and heart-rate percentage breakpoints, runs a full worked example with real numbers, then lays out the coach's own extended zone system. No digression; this is the sub-skill itself, delivered as a how-to.

Reviewer Clean, correct, complete - exactly how you explain zones to someone new to a power meter.

Moderator This is the textbook version of the skill - power meter basics, the 20-minute FTP test, and a clean walkthrough of all seven Coggan zones with exact percentage ranges and a worked wattage example for each. Nothing else competes for the video's attention; this is training zones and FTP, full stop.

Reviewer Specific and actionable -- a plan you could actually run this week.

Moderator Direct continuation on using zone 3 (tempo) as an FTP-building strategy -- a specific, actionable protocol tied to training zones.

Reviewer One of the more substantive explainers on why zones are structured the way they are.

Moderator Deep dive specifically on zone models (3-zone vs 6/7-zone), explaining the lactate threshold physiology behind them.

Reviewer Useful nuance most zone/FTP videos skip.

Moderator Explains multiple FTP testing protocols (5+20, ramp test, Half Monty) and how FTP relates to lactate threshold and zone placement.

Reviewer Rare to get this level of real physiology explained this clearly - excellent.

Moderator Directly explains the three-zone vs five-zone model and where the thresholds/zones come from physiologically - this is the sub-skill itself.

Reviewer Well-reasoned, evidence-based advice on how to actually raise FTP over time.

Moderator Squarely about raising your FTP specifically, not just what it is - training plan structure and workout examples for FTP progress.

Reviewer Genuinely useful for anyone without a power meter or heart rate strap.

Moderator Squarely about zone training, demonstrated live for each zone with a tech-free (feel-based) approach.

Reviewer Clear explanation of why zone training works the way it does.

Moderator Opens by defining FTP for newcomers, then builds into a periodization framework for using training zones effectively.

Reviewer Good, accurate discussion -- useful if you've hit the wall with FTP testing.

Moderator In-depth discussion comparing FTP testing (5+20 min protocol) against critical power testing (3+12 min), directly about how to establish training zones/threshold.

Reviewer Solid, balanced explainer covering both HR-based and power-based zone setting.

Moderator Squarely on topic - explains zones, HR vs power methods for setting them, and how to test HR max and FTP.

Reviewer Clear, accurate intro to FTP and power zones.

Moderator This is the FTP/zones explainer from the ground up - what FTP is, how to test it, why zones matter.

Reviewer Genuinely useful - explains why easy miles build your FTP, not just that they do.

Moderator Explicitly about Zone 2 and its direct relationship to FTP gains - squarely the sub-skill.

Reviewer Good simple starting point if the science-heavy versions feel like too much.

Moderator Direct explainer on training zones and how to find your FTP, aimed at making it simple.

Reviewer Great real-world proof that sweet spot work moves the needle - concrete and convincing.

Moderator Sweet spot is a specific FTP-adjacent training zone (88-95% of threshold), and the video explains it precisely with a real case study.

Reviewer Watching the numbers move zone to zone teaches more than a static chart ever will.

Moderator This is literally a live demonstration of training zones on the bike - he shows his actual wattage/HR/cadence and walks through zone 1 (active recovery), zone 2 (endurance), into zone 3 (tempo), explicitly tying each zone to a percentage of lactate threshold power. Lactate threshold power is the same concept FTP is built on. The whole stated purpose of the episode is 'to show you what training zones are about,' so this is squarely on the sub-skill, not a tangent.

Reviewer Good, honest breakdown of common FTP mistakes.

Moderator Conversational coaching content on why FTP plateaus -- training to wrong numbers, insufficient base rebuild after time off, etc -- directly about FTP.

Reviewer Good starting point if all the zone talk out there has you confused.

Moderator Simple framework (no back-to-back intensity days) tied directly to a concrete zone 4/FTP example with real numbers, aimed at reducing confusion for people new to structured training.

Reviewer Good real-world coaching nuance on managing FTP progress long-term.

Moderator Detailed Q&A on FTP training periodization, VO2max block placement relative to FTP/endurance work - squarely about how to use the zone/FTP system in training design.

Reviewer Correctly debunks the 'zone 2 is useless' take while explaining why this guy's zone 2 block still failed him — good stuff.

Moderator Directly about training zones and FTP — a case study of an athlete who trained zone 2 only for a year without progression, discussing what happened to his FTP and lactate profile. Squarely in the skill.

Reviewer Normalized power over average - small detail that actually changes your number.

Moderator The whole segment is FTP: the 20-minute test protocol, normalized vs average power, the 0.95 conversion factor, and a real comparison of results across months. That's squarely inside training zones and FTP - it leans toward the testing/interpretation side rather than zone definitions themselves, but FTP methodology is exactly what this skill covers.

Reviewer Blunt, a little cocky, but the alternative test he gives is legit — worth the watch.

Moderator Entirely about how to correctly establish FTP and why common shortcut tests overestimate it. This is the core of the skill — determining your training zones accurately.

Reviewer Good coach-level explanation of the 'why' behind base training - useful mental model.

Moderator Doesn't teach the zone system itself, but it's squarely about WHY endurance/base riding matters for FTP and VO2max, which is core zones-and-FTP territory. Physiology explanation (mitochondria, glycogen, lactate clearance) directly supports the sub-skill even if it doesn't say 'zone 2' explicitly.

Reviewer His blown first test next to the controlled second one teaches pacing better than any checklist.

Moderator Centers on FTP tracking over time (Oct/Nov/latest tests) and explicitly ties the power meter to establishing training zones and pacing. It's a personal vlog rather than a structured lesson, but the substance - the FTP test process and comparing pacing strategy between two attempts - sits squarely inside training zones and FTP.

Reviewer Short clip but the numbers are specific and correct -- could actually copy this set.

Moderator Squarely on the sub-skill -- LT1, Zone 2/3, %FTP are exactly the vocabulary of training zones. The caption lays out an actual structured main set, more than most of this batch offers.

Reviewer Nuanced, credible take on a real training question from someone who's clearly coached a lot of riders.

Moderator This is really about executing VO2max intervals by heart rate vs power - it touches zones/thresholds throughout but the core topic is VO2max interval execution, one level more specific than 'zones and FTP' generally.

Reviewer Shows what a 20-minute test feels like and gives the 0.95 formula plus some good focus cues. It's more diary than lesson: no warm-up plan or pacing guidance, and the average fading from 260 to 249 W shows why pacing matters.

Moderator First-person diary of a 20-minute FTP test after a nine-week block: FTP is 95% of your 20-minute average power, hold back in the warm-up, relax the arms and shoulders, keep the pedal stroke smooth, and the result resets all your training zones. They go from 3.3 to 3.6 W/kg. Squarely on FTP testing, told as a story.

Reviewer Useful rules, but there's a fair bit of sponsor content mixed in.

Moderator Covers the seven-zone model and recommends FTP testing before starting HIIT, with a progression plan through the zones -- on topic but a meaningful chunk is a sponsor pitch for a specific power meter brand.

Reviewer Sensible recipe: base miles in zone 2, structured sweet-spot and VO2 sessions, three rides a week minimum, leg strength. It's one rider's story with no session details and no help setting zones.

Moderator Four things behind a 226 to 307 W FTP gain in two years: a big aerobic base of long zone 2 to low zone 3 rides, structured sessions like sweet spot and VO2 max instead of hammering every ride, at least three rides a week, and strength work for the legs. About using zones to raise FTP; it doesn't explain what FTP is or how to set zones.

Reviewer Good guest, but you'll wait a while for the actual training-zone substance.

Moderator A podcast interview that's supposed to cover training zones, FTP, weight loss and endurance for ultra cycling, but the visible portion is mostly intro/credentials chat before getting into substance.

Reviewer Smart high-level training philosophy, not a zones/FTP tutorial.

Moderator Frames itself against training zones ('forget training zones') and touches on the concept, but the actual content is about consistency and specificity as training principles rather than teaching zones or FTP mechanics.

Moderator Makes the case for judging rides by power and heart rate rather than speed and distance, since wind, traffic and hills distort speed. An FTP test then measures current fitness and sets power-based zones. It's the why behind zones, not a how-to, and it ends by asking viewers to comment 'FTP' for the explanation.

Reviewer Fair argument for watts and heart rate over speed, and a good nudge to test your FTP. But it stops at the pitch, with no test protocol and no zone breakdown.

Moderator A rider does a 20-minute FTP test on camera: 12-minute warm-up with surges, then 20 minutes all-out, with the average power setting new training zones. Starting from a 269 W FTP, the rider finishes 18 W up. Shows the format; light on what to do with the number.

Reviewer Good for seeing what a 20-minute test looks like (warm-up with surges, then all-out), but there's no explanation of the maths, pacing or how to set zones from the result.

Reviewer Good 'why' on zone 2, but it won't tell you how to find your own zones.

Moderator Solid physiological grounding for what zone 2 actually is (fat-max, lactate accumulation onset) — relevant to understanding training zones, even though it never mentions FTP directly. Caption mentions 30/15 @120% FTP intervals, which is a completely different zone and doesn't match what's actually taught in the clip — judging the transcript, not the caption.

Reviewer Fine reminder to retest, but don't expect much depth.

Moderator On topic — specifically about FTP testing and why you need to periodically retest it to keep your zones accurate. Doesn't dive into what zones actually are, but stays squarely in the FTP-maintenance lane.

Reviewer The zone 2 section alone - why it's not junk miles - is worth the watch.

Moderator Zones and FTP percentages are the language the whole video runs on - sweet spot pinned at 90% FTP, anaerobic reps at 130-140% FTP, a zone 2 section, over-unders built around threshold - but the actual lesson is which session TYPES are worth your time, not what the zones are or how to establish them. Someone who doesn't already know their zones/FTP would be lost. It uses the skill more than it teaches it, so this reads as a supporting topic rather than the core subject.

Moderator Coach explains to a rider why zone 2 suddenly feels harder: after an FTP update, zone 2 now starts at 1.3 W/kg instead of 0.8, so the same zone demands more effort until the body adapts. The suggested fix is lower cadence while it settles. In Filipino, and about resetting zones after a new FTP.

Reviewer Good reminder that your zones move when your FTP does and zone 2 will feel harder at first. It's a client-specific talk in Filipino, and the low-cadence fix is one coach's call rather than a rule.

Moderator A pro-level coach on where zone 2 fits: right for building general fitness if you're not a professional, but pro cycling needs extra specific work on top. A short opinion on one training zone rather than a guide to zones or FTP.

Reviewer Balanced take: zone 2 is right for general fitness, but racers need specific work on top. Good perspective, though it's a quick opinion clip with no how-to.

Reviewer Correct concept, zero actual teaching in 6 seconds -- just a keyword-stuffed flash card.

Moderator Directly on-topic -- lactate threshold work just below FTP is textbook Zone 3/threshold training, exactly what 'Training zones and FTP' should cover. The substantive part of the caption is legitimate cycling science.