Leonard!! What a Triple A video post for 1st day of 2021! that was a Sterling effort that has me chomping at the cycling bit far more than anyhing else I've watched on here. It was really interesting to watch ya go thru ya paces. Chris is a great feature, be good to see ya being pushed thru some turbo session by her in this format. Ya presentation, filming/camera set up and editing is superb!!! Happy New Year
I’m a bit skeptical about short tests . I can hold 385w for 5 minutes on a good day, but I can assure you that I can’t hold any 85% of that for an hour. My best hour power last year was 297, and that was as close as I could come to emptying the tank. I’m guessing 75% is a safer conversion if you don’t want to set your zones too high
Yeah totally agree with you mate , no way his ftp is that high as a beginner , if he did the 20 min test based on this show his ftp would be around 220 to 230
My best 20' power was 341w, that should put me around 320w for the hour and I can guarantee that is never happening, my best hour was at 305w and I don't think I could have gone any harder. So yeah, I would set my zones a bit lower and train according to that, should you see that those are set too low, you can always up them a bit.
Well done Leonard and what a great Friend you have in Kris she was so encouraging to push on through. I am going to do one of these tests Sunday on my ride, it will have to be perceived effort I don't have a power meter but a long gentle climb I know will help add the pressure to my effort . Good work. HNY ..
Happy new year! Good for you! I saw 1000+ watts for you! I did my first FTP this year, outside on an uphill course for 20 mins. I almost threw up when I finished. My FTP is 220. Not bad for an almost 60 year old female! You did great and now you know what you have to do to improve. Don't get too caught up in it though... I did and it made mycycling not so fun.
Good to see this done. The FTP is bandied about, and useful in some settings, but not a realistic marker for many, especially older and less fit riders. Your exertion helped put this into perspective. Really good to see. Length of the video is powerful in putting the FTP into perspective. Many edited versions remove the full impact of what it represents.
@@jollygoodvelo I dare say that most riders couldn't get past the warm up. Actual mVO2 is hard to measure consistently, and proxy measures add lots of variability to that. The sheer athleticism you called upon demonstrated how tough it is to get good numbers. Watching you being asked to do math while you were trying to get air was pure art.
Great effort Leonard. When I took up cycling 18 months ago your videos were my go-to reference to learn the ropes and I’ve been watching since. FTP tests aren’t pleasant - top job
That was hard Leonard so chapeaux for doing it online for us all to see. I need to do an FTP test, haven’t done one for about 2 years and my ftp then was 184-I have lost about 10kilos since then, now weigh 64k-oh, and I’m 72. The only issue I see for me is that I have attacks of tachycardia-had one today-heart rate at 224 for a couple of minutes going up hill-I need to keep an eye on that. We share a liking for Titanium, I also have a Tempest, in fact watching you wax lyrical about yours encouraged me to pull the trigger on mine.
Happy New Year and Decade. I almost ignored this because of all the stuff I've seen elsewhere and how it doesn't relate to my level of cycling. Then UA-cam autoplay did what it does best. I am pleasantly surprised. I was breathing in with you during your 5 minute FTP. Your coach is a gem, she added the spice to the struggle. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Leonardo, and Happy New Year. This is fascinating stuff - thank you so much for putting the numbers on screen for us to watch, that was very helpful. I'm only just beginning to figure this stuff out myself so I appreciate that you're able to demystify a lot of it for us. Next step might be to look at 'watts per kg' in so far as it matters (or does it matter?) to heavier chaps like myself (yes, welcome New Year Resolution, welcome). Thanks too for the excellent camera angles and editing in this vlog. Bravo! "Oh, so soon!".... that made me laugh!
@@jollygoodvelo Wow, deep man. Groovy! (But, yeah, you’re dead right). Best not to get too hung up on this stuff and just go out there and ride your bike for the fun, the thrill, the adventure, the freedom, etc.Thanks man. 🙏
Congratulations on completing your first FTP test! Your recovery gave me some perspective. You brought your power way down and your heart rate fell quickly, showing good fitness. The fatigue, however, refused to leave the party, showing that you weren’t holding back! It shows that sprints aren’t free and to keep it controlled and steady on long, endurance rides. On my next FTP test (I prefer the ramp method), I’ll pay close attention to my difference between heart rate recovery and fatigue recovery. I fully expect to be whipped long after my BPM returns to normal. Maybe I’ll time it. (This is where young pros - not me! - are amazing. They can go 110% and recover so quickly.) Thanks for sharing, inspiring motivation, and providing insight!
257! That's GREAT. I've never done a 5 minute but I have done the 20min a few times and listening to your effort, it sounded like an FTP test! When I describe an FTP test to folks, the things I mention is that at the end you experience time dilation, the seconds take FOREVER, its like the clock stopped. And, at the end, you either throw up or are close to it! With the 20 minute FTP you'll reach your max HR for sure. In any case, great job and thanks for the motivation. I haven't been on the trainer for awhile but I'm heading over to it now, after watching this (gonna do a nice level Zwift session). Again, thanks for the motivation!
This video came up in my recommended. Informative video and great work! That looked like a mighty effort. I would love to see the progress you make. Keep it up! 👍🏽
Leonard .. thanks for the reply. I truly enjoy your Tubes and just want you riding and posting for years to come.. I can relate to you. Cheers Mate! Katt
Well done. Tough session. I am going to do a new FTP test on Monday, not looking forward to it. Don’t be disappointed with 250, it is a decent number + you will often find the real world ftp power is higher than your in door trainer. I get 277 on my garmin outdoors but that drops to 260 indoors and 250 at the moment because I’ve been slacking 😀
Well done, Leonard! Hats off to you for posting this. I've recently started cycling again after almost a 20 year break and did a 20 minute FTP test on the turbo trainer a couple of days ago. Was almost physically sick after it, and also got a very low result - I was pretty disappointed. This 5 minute test would've probably been better for me.. 20 mins was practically torture!!
Many people would argue that a 20 min test is more accurate but a couple of people have also compared the results from this five minute test with their results from their 20 minute test and there isn’t much of a difference
Just watched your video as I'm about to my FTP test on my new trainer. I see a few comments that doubt your FTP numbers 'for a beginner'. Well I bet your 40 years of cycling helped with this. I think those commenters just assumed you were a beginner just because you don't look like a stick insect. Anyway my hat goes off to you for putting this out there and I can only hope my FTP will be anywhere near yours.
Thanks for that it’s always fun watching someone else suffer an ftp test .I’m sure you’ll be even better on your next one,pacing a test takes practice plus you now have a target.Don’t get too addicted to sweet spot training , long zone 2 rides are also important. I’m doing an ftp boost plan at the moment. I snapped the tendon above my knee and have found targeted training amazing for recovery .Currently we have the same ftp ,I’ll race you to 300🥵
@@jollygoodvelo I’m not so sure your packing some useful fast twitch fibres,but I’m determined to get 300 as it would put me beyond my pre operation ftp .See you on the other side of 300😀
1000W momentarily on your warm up. Sat down that's bloody impressive. I much prefer a Ramp Test for FTP. I never tried a 5 minute test but the 20 minute test is very hard to pace perfectly, and they aren't something you really want to do often. The Ramp test guarantees that you can find your maximum, whereas the 20 minute test can leave you wishing you had gone harder from the start, or not so hard. It's not something you can compensate for in the final minute. I did a perfect 20 minute test just once, but previous tests left me knowing roughly what I needed to aim for. I held 310W for around 18 minutes then almost died trying to hang on to 302 W (I just wanted to stay above 300 and I knew I'd fade). That gave me 287Watts at 54 years of age and I know I'll never get that high again.
Well done Leonard for sharing this. Whether or not the testing protocol is optimistic or not it’s a good starting point. The key will be to complete progressive sweetspot workouts over the coming weeks and if you struggle over the later intervals then just reduce the intensity. I have been doing sweetspot intervals as my main base building for many years before moving onto higher intensities (VO2 max) as I approach races / major events. I use TrainerRoad for my training and this has enabled me to maintain / improve my FTP over the years as the ravages of time take their toll, I will be 59 in a few days with power to weight ratio of 4watts/kg. Good Luck on your journey.
All on 6 to 7 hours a week. Set yourself a Strava segment as benchmark for your improvements , something with a some incline. I live at Hundred Acres, the climb up from Newtown would be a good test.
Well done 👏 ✔️, I've just started on an indoor trainer, haven't a clue what my ftp is, haven't sighed up to any apps yet 😳 but just got a nice wahoo kicker v1 so l have no excuses 🤭😊 ,looks painful and well done again 👏 👍 regards mike.
Careful with threshold work. It is very efficient, but also very taxing. If you have to make every minute of training count, then emphasise threshold/sweet spot work - but only for a short block, rather not for a full training year. If you have more time, a polarized load distribution (lots of low intensity plus some high intensity stuff, while mostly avoiding threshold work) allows you to tolerate a much higher total workload and will give better performance. In short: threshold work gives best bang for the buck; polarized load distribution gives higher absolute return (and less chance of burn-out). btw: great effort. Myself, I'd always prefer the 20 minutes test over a 5 minute max effort. The timeframe between 4 and 10 minutes max effort probably is the most painful place there is on earth.
Wow impressive Leonard great job. I learned for myself in doing Martial Arts for 14 years in my 30s and 40s, that it is more important for me to breath out than it is to breath in. It pushes out more CO2 opening the way for more O2 and allows me to control my breathing and heart rate better. I focus on that when I do 30-50 mile off road gravel runs in 3-4 hours on my bike these days. At 63 it is very important for me if I want to finish. Thought I would share . Cheers.
Yes, that is a great tip. Expel as much carbon dioxide as possible to take in as much oxygen as possible. I’m trying my best to do this on my rides at the moment.
Fair play Leonard, that looked really hard work. I've only just bought a trainer and signed up to Zwift. I was planning on doing an ftp test in the next few weeks on ce I've got used to the new kit. I new it would be hard, but its even more daunting having watched you suffer through - well done. 👍
Well done Leonard, good going buddy! I find it a lot easier to get my HR up on a hill climb on the road than on my trainer so I don't compare the two if that makes sense.
Great video. If you watch it yourself you will see the”queen of mean” laughing and smiling while she is whipping you. She loved it. Toughest 5 minutes you ever spent on a bike. If you had to come home to that “abuse” every day you would hop on your bike and just ride away.....the real bad news is you have to repeat the torture!. TMI for me.... too much info....I just ride for the pleasure and push myself to the max each ride depending on how I feel.my buddies are hating me already for how fit I am....I don’t want to piss them off anymore. Happy healthy and prosperous New Year and once again thanks for your great work.
Hi Leonard, Happy New Year to you and your family. Like you I haven't done an FTP test yet, but after seeing this vid I'm going to do one sometime soon (maybe after completing the 2021 Tour de Zwift). BTW I did complete the Festive 500 all on the turbo and it was hard, getting a saddle sore on the first ride certainly didn't help.
Recently did mine on a ramp test after years of resisting the technology/data aspect of cycling... now, I am going down that rabbit hole of seeking gains. Thanks for sharing.
Nice job, Leonard! FTP tests are brutal, but they're something of a love/hate challenge. They're not fun at all, but seeing fitness improve with a higher number is really satisfying. The downside, though, is that once you have that higher number, all workouts based on your FTP get harder! I would agree your HR estimate of 188 is way too high. I'm 46 and mine is around 175. Since you have videos about cycling over 50, I have to assume you're at least 51, so you're likely a few beats below me.
You should release the pressure for a brief moment when you jump from small to big ring. It cost you twice in this test. And it puts strain on your equipment.
Very interesting video Len, although I can't say it was pleasurable to watch. Only the Marquis de Sade could say that. All the best with your goals for 2021.
Great effort, Leonard. I'm not qualified to compare one form of FTP test to another (your coach clearly knows her stuff). But if you use the same one each time you do a test then you'll see a measured, relevant direction of travel for your fitness (i.e. better or worse); which is arguably more important than the accuracy of an FTP score for this or that type of FTP test. Another poster has mentioned a higher powered fan & comfort, but as someone in a very similar situation to you regarding a recent move to a smart trainer, I have found it significantly more comfortable to use a fan whose output increases with mine (it adjusts to my HR - you no doubt know it, rhymes with "woodwind"). Not cheap but worth the investment. You never have to get off and readjust when you get really hot, nor will it blast you with cold air in winter (until you want it to - i.e. not at the start). Thanks for the video. Enjoy your season.
Well done and, yes, it can be a real eye opener to see what your actual levels are. I’m not yet ready to go that hard; rather, I’m using this time on my Elite Suito, using RGT not Zwift, to get a rhythm of riding as often as possible. I’ll start building up after 2-3 months, maybe sooner as I start to get more comfortable and competent with clip in pedals and get my “pain cave” fully kitted out. Cheers!
Great job Leonard. I'd guess you gave away quite a few watts in your first minute just getting to a decent cadence in the right gear, along with going considerably over your average in the middle. People improve significantly just by having better pacing when you know roughly what you can handle. I'd bet you could start at and maintain 302-305 and still have room to push harder in the last 30 to 60secs to drive that number up to 310+. secs. Good luck on your journey!👍👍
I did my 20 min FTP 4 weeks ago and I’m still trying to acclimatise to my new zones. My score was 188 and I thought that was high enough! Well done to you Leonard - thanks for sharing your pain. 🥵
I have done many FTP tests: 5min, 20min, ramp up etc. As much as it is important to know your FTP for the purpose of structured training I have doubts if I (or anybody) can really do the 1h ride with the FTP that came from 5min/20min or ramp up - I think only 1h FTP test is the real test of one can do for 1h. But again: the most important is to chose the FTP test and while repeating it later, keep the same procedure again - even 5min might not be comparable to 20min or to ramp up. FTP (in my case at lest) is also very often used by me when I do the "normal" rides outdoor - I can easily look into my average power and calculate i.e. if I am going for 2h ride then I can do it with such power, but if I go for 5h ride then the average power has to be different. Or if I go for just 30min ride. So what is next my friend? The answer is simple: next is the power sensor for outdoor riding ;-) Well done brother - btw 5min max effort is for sure very close to 95+ % of your HR - in my case I reached HR max in 5min max efforts.
Yes, consistently it the test is very important. No point in getting one set of numbers from one test to potentially get a different set from a different test and then compare them.
@@petinka721 I like the ramp up test - it is very demanding and the muscles are seriously being burnt when you increase the power every minute having already few minutes done ;-)
Problem with the one hour is that a lot of it is dependent on how well you pace yourself and you'll see improvements each time solely based on better pacing. So you don't get a good measurement of actual improvement. Pros and very experienced racers can probably use it reliably but I doubt most amateurs can.
This. 5 Minute is next to useless as an FTP estimate. Great job mate! And really, if you're training with power, forget HR. Its next to irrelevant. >1000w seated is awesome!
Indeed, with all due respect, looking at his body shape there is a fundamental reason why he’s not keen on doing a 20min let alone an hour ftp test. I would subscribe if he could hold 250watts for 20 mins let alone an hour.
It will definitely take a few efforts before you more or less know the exact power it will take to flatline pace a 60 minute FTP. The funny thing is if you stay in one gear the whole time; it’s quite likely you can have a higher FTP by adjusting slightly up or down a gear and modifying the RPM’s accordingly. An FTP test is also an efficiency test which may help with “optimal” cadence discovery.
Yeah this 5 minute ftp "test" is WAY too short. Its wildly off the charts innaccurate. It rewards way too much power and not nearly enough aerobic. Rewarding 85% of this tiny 5 min sample as a 1 hour ftp is laughably out of the realms of reality. A 20 minute or longer test is also so much harder not only aerobic wise but mental toughness wise as well. Rubbish test but kudos to the man for recording it at any rate. Did very well for his age and shape.
It’s not really “going” full gas. It’s evenly spacing the EMPTYING of a full tank of gas to hit zero at exactly 60 minutes. Pacing properly will require multiple efforts but once you’ve got it, the number is as pure as can be.
@@jollygoodvelo Interesting comment from Nick. I have heart palpitations but they're paroxysmal in nature. My cardiologist couldn't find anything wrong with me really, so I ride. Sanje Gupta M.D. of Yorkshire Cardiology suggests that if there's nothing structurally wrong with the heart, than exercise is the best treatment for palpitations/flutters, etc.
Well done Leonard. It looked alot like interval or HIT training to me. Actually I was impressed with your heart rate numbers. Your were working hard and your HR was fairly consistent in the 130's. That speaks volumes to your years on a bicycle. Good job and a better 2021.
Good effort Leonard. I did my first ftp ramp test on zwift today but chose the ramp lite by mistake so it ended at 250watt. Ah well live and learn, I'll do the main ramp test on Monday :)
@@jollygoodvelo I did the full ramp test today, got an ftp of 235watts. Been cycling less than 5 months and at 54 years old, quite pleased with that. Failed half way through 340 watts :) Look forward to your next video, keep up the good work and keep cycling :)
Enjoyed watching this, I suppose the 5min test average multiplied by 0.85 seems fair enough. Kris is very supportive and assured which I think important.
Hi, just doing a 5 minute power is really not a good basis for calculating your 60 minute FTP. I would recommend Wahoo - The Sufferfest Half Monty ramp test or their 4DP Power Profile test. This will give you a much better assessment (especially the 4DP).
Nice work - looked hard work. I've found with my 30 minute test that I did get better over the first few, simply because I got better at pacing the effort over that time. Any reason why you're basing your HR on HRmax? I've found Lactate Threshold HR to be a good fit for my running (I'm an experienced runner and a newbie cyclist), and it's a lot safer to go all-out for 30 minutes on the bike or on foot, than it is to all-in and click my watch just before passing out! Having just hit 50 myself, I don't want to stress-test the ticker too much!
Fair play Leonard! FTP tests rate up there with visits to the dentist for me. Found it a necessary evil at this time of year to stop the slide and start the prep for the pending summer events.
Great effort Leonard and very interesting test. Taking everything into consideration I bet you would record a respectable time for a 4000 metre track time trial. Cheers John
Brilliant work there, Len. It looked brutal. Your max recorded heart rate of around 160bpm was lower than I expected. My heart rate goes through the roof at around 175bpm on steep climbs and efforts; I’m 51 years old and weigh in at only 62kg
Don't feel bad with your first FTP number, I started riding a little over a month ago after multiple heart attacks and I finally did my first FTP test today, I was expecting somewhere around 100-150, but it ended up only being an 83 which was extremely disappointing. I was able to get it up to 400 watts at one point, but I can not maintain it at that level.
Kris was a great guest and task master. Strong effort, how about doing a Zwift Ramp test then a Zwift 20 FTP test to compare the power numbers? I don’t imagine you feel like it.👏👏👏👏 Happy New Year Leonard.🍾
The easiest ftp estimate I made is the one I made using my newly purchased Garmin fenix5 + where I only cycled in zone 2. It then calculated my heart rate and watts and it matched well with the 20 minute test. Well done Leonard!
Wow Leornard, that looked painful to me. Its great watching your videos. Very brave of you to go through this for all to see. Im 63 and trying to get back to cycling fitness. I'm not sure i should do this as I don't want to blow a gasket or have a coronary 😂. Thanks for sharing, much respect. 👍 💪💪💪
Leonard, will you use this info to build a weight loss program? Those numbers look useful for that. Happy New Year and stay healthy. I’m addicted to your videos! Thanks
Chapeau 🎩 Ftp tests are brutal! I’ve done quite a few ‘20 minute tests’ in TrainerRoad and every time the sweat stings my eyes and the feeling of suffering towards the end is horrible. Now a days I let my Garmin or Zwift tell me my ftp and set my ftp accordingly just because ftp tests are just intense suffering.
@@jollygoodvelo Will you be doing some more? I trained with a couple of lads that did 2 ftp tests a year. One in Jan and one Oct and they ‘adjusted’ their ftp values by adding 2 watts per week until the training became too tough to do and they backed off 2 watts and stayed there for 2 weeks and tried increasing it again. They said that ftp was not like a shoe size lol
Anybody who would put themselves through a recorded FTP test gets my applause 👏🏽 . Well done mate
Thanks
@@jollygoodvelo what is the sweet spot training she is talking about ?
@@fionawalsh1418 It’s the power output that is between 88 and 94% of your FTP.
I'm okay with sharing. blow up after 21:10 . have fun :P
ua-cam.com/video/afzaPIc83h0/v-deo.html
Well done! I appreciate the fact that your willing to put it all out there for everyone to see. Good, bad or indifferent. Happy new year.
Happy New Year Jeffery
Leonard!! What a Triple A video post for 1st day of 2021! that was a Sterling effort that has me chomping at the cycling bit far more than anyhing else I've watched on here. It was really interesting to watch ya go thru ya paces. Chris is a great feature, be good to see ya being pushed thru some turbo session by her in this format. Ya presentation, filming/camera set up and editing is superb!!! Happy New Year
Glad you liked it.
I’m a bit skeptical about short tests . I can hold 385w for 5 minutes on a good day, but I can assure you that I can’t hold any 85% of that for an hour. My best hour power last year was 297, and that was as close as I could come to emptying the tank. I’m guessing 75% is a safer conversion if you don’t want to set your zones too high
Yeah totally agree with you mate , no way his ftp is that high as a beginner , if he did the 20 min test based on this show his ftp would be around 220 to 230
I agree, my 5 min test is not 0.85 of my hour ftp and I regularly ride for 3 hours. The only accurate test is to go hard for 60 mins.
@@andrewwhiteside7721 yeah yr right 20 mins I’m 288 1 hour I get 276
My best 20' power was 341w, that should put me around 320w for the hour and I can guarantee that is never happening, my best hour was at 305w and I don't think I could have gone any harder.
So yeah, I would set my zones a bit lower and train according to that, should you see that those are set too low, you can always up them a bit.
@@andrewwhiteside7721 20 minute test is generally pretty accurate
Well done Leonard and what a great Friend you have in Kris she was so encouraging to push on through. I am going to do one of these tests Sunday on my ride, it will have to be perceived effort I don't have a power meter but a long gentle climb I know will help add the pressure to my effort . Good work. HNY ..
Kris is a great instructor. Check out her channel: Ikigai UK
I like the banter between you two. Another great video!
Happy new year! Good for you! I saw 1000+ watts for you! I did my first FTP this year, outside on an uphill course for 20 mins. I almost threw up when I finished. My FTP is 220. Not bad for an almost 60 year old female! You did great and now you know what you have to do to improve. Don't get too caught up in it though... I did and it made mycycling not so fun.
Well done. FTP is a great place to start to improve.
Awesome!
Good to see this done. The FTP is bandied about, and useful in some settings, but not a realistic marker for many, especially older and less fit riders.
Your exertion helped put this into perspective. Really good to see. Length of the video is powerful in putting the FTP into perspective. Many edited versions remove the full impact of what it represents.
Just imagine how hard a 20 minute or even an hour one would be.
@@jollygoodvelo I dare say that most riders couldn't get past the warm up. Actual mVO2 is hard to measure consistently, and proxy measures add lots of variability to that. The sheer athleticism you called upon demonstrated how tough it is to get good numbers. Watching you being asked to do math while you were trying to get air was pure art.
Great effort Leonard. When I took up cycling 18 months ago your videos were my go-to reference to learn the ropes and I’ve been watching since. FTP tests aren’t pleasant - top job
Thanks Peter. Glad you are enjoying the channel.
That was hard Leonard so chapeaux for doing it online for us all to see. I need to do an FTP test, haven’t done one for about 2 years and my ftp then was 184-I have lost about 10kilos since then, now weigh 64k-oh, and I’m 72. The only issue I see for me is that I have attacks of tachycardia-had one today-heart rate at 224 for a couple of minutes going up hill-I need to keep an eye on that. We share a liking for Titanium, I also have a Tempest, in fact watching you wax lyrical about yours encouraged me to pull the trigger on mine.
Happy new year my friend ✌️and many thanks for your new guest she is great 👍
Happy new year
nice one Leonard!
Thanks Francis. Training with power is a whole new thing for me.
Happy New Year and Decade. I almost ignored this because of all the stuff I've seen elsewhere and how it doesn't relate to my level of cycling. Then UA-cam autoplay did what it does best. I am pleasantly surprised. I was breathing in with you during your 5 minute FTP. Your coach is a gem, she added the spice to the struggle. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Samuel. Glad you stuck with it.
Great job man! I'm currently doing a sweet spot 6 week block myself. Gains are definitely noticeable, you got this!
Thanks Leonardo, and Happy New Year. This is fascinating stuff - thank you so much for putting the numbers on screen for us to watch, that was very helpful. I'm only just beginning to figure this stuff out myself so I appreciate that you're able to demystify a lot of it for us. Next step might be to look at 'watts per kg' in so far as it matters (or does it matter?) to heavier chaps like myself (yes, welcome New Year Resolution, welcome). Thanks too for the excellent camera angles and editing in this vlog. Bravo! "Oh, so soon!".... that made me laugh!
It only matters if you want it to matter
@@jollygoodvelo Wow, deep man. Groovy! (But, yeah, you’re dead right). Best not to get too hung up on this stuff and just go out there and ride your bike for the fun, the thrill, the adventure, the freedom, etc.Thanks man. 🙏
Well done! An FTP test will never, ever, ever get any easier!
Congratulations on completing your first FTP test!
Your recovery gave me some perspective. You brought your power way down and your heart rate fell quickly, showing good fitness. The fatigue, however, refused to leave the party, showing that you weren’t holding back! It shows that sprints aren’t free and to keep it controlled and steady on long, endurance rides.
On my next FTP test (I prefer the ramp method), I’ll pay close attention to my difference between heart rate recovery and fatigue recovery. I fully expect to be whipped long after my BPM returns to normal. Maybe I’ll time it. (This is where young pros - not me! - are amazing. They can go 110% and recover so quickly.)
Thanks for sharing, inspiring motivation, and providing insight!
Thanks for the tips. Good luck with your next test.
Leonard, Happy New year! I have learned so much through your videos. Thank you!
Thanks Candace. Happy New Year.
257! That's GREAT. I've never done a 5 minute but I have done the 20min a few times and listening to your effort, it sounded like an FTP test! When I describe an FTP test to folks, the things I mention is that at the end you experience time dilation, the seconds take FOREVER, its like the clock stopped. And, at the end, you either throw up or are close to it! With the 20 minute FTP you'll reach your max HR for sure.
In any case, great job and thanks for the motivation. I haven't been on the trainer for awhile but I'm heading over to it now, after watching this (gonna do a nice level Zwift session). Again, thanks for the motivation!
Time dilation is a very real thing!
1,000 watts... 😳… Happy New Year Leonard… 🙌🏽💪🏽🍻
Thanks Mark. Happy New Year to you too
Very interesting Leonard. It makes forking out for a power monitor all the more appealing, and Happy New Year.
I’ll be reviewing a budget one soon so stay tuned!
This video came up in my recommended. Informative video and great work! That looked like a mighty effort. I would love to see the progress you make. Keep it up! 👍🏽
Glad you liked it
Great effort Leonard, I’m just starting a similar journey on Zwift and your ftp is way higher than mine. Keep it up 👍🚴🏻🚴🏻
Leonard .. thanks for the reply. I truly enjoy your Tubes and just want you riding and posting for years to come.. I can relate to you.
Cheers Mate! Katt
Well done. Tough session. I am going to do a new FTP test on Monday, not looking forward to it.
Don’t be disappointed with 250, it is a decent number + you will often find the real world ftp power is higher than your in door trainer. I get 277 on my garmin outdoors but that drops to 260 indoors and 250 at the moment because I’ve been slacking 😀
I’m interested to see how I fare out on the road with a power meter. Good luck with your test.
Well done, Leonard! Hats off to you for posting this. I've recently started cycling again after almost a 20 year break and did a 20 minute FTP test on the turbo trainer a couple of days ago. Was almost physically sick after it, and also got a very low result - I was pretty disappointed. This 5 minute test would've probably been better for me.. 20 mins was practically torture!!
Many people would argue that a 20 min test is more accurate but a couple of people have also compared the results from this five minute test with their results from their 20 minute test and there isn’t much of a difference
Just watched your video as I'm about to my FTP test on my new trainer. I see a few comments that doubt your FTP numbers 'for a beginner'. Well I bet your 40 years of cycling helped with this. I think those commenters just assumed you were a beginner just because you don't look like a stick insect. Anyway my hat goes off to you for putting this out there and I can only hope my FTP will be anywhere near yours.
Happy New Biking Year Leonard. Well done. Felt your pain, but afterwards its rewarding experience 😁
Happy New Year
Thank you Leonard, have learnt a lot and I love this 5 minute test. Although hard, thank you for your inspiration.
Give it a try!
@@jollygoodvelo I certainly intend too. 🚴🏿👍🇬🇧🇺🇸
@@paulblake1061 Good luck.
Great job Leonard. I've only done a Zwift FTP ramp test but the pain looks similar!
I think it probably was!
Nicely done Leonard! You have been through Hell and back. Keep up the nice work and Happy New Year!
Happy Nee Year
That looked absolutely brutal. WELL DONE 👏🏻 You have inspired me to keep on going and work harder towards my own goals.
Amazing effort Leonard! Well done
Thanks for that it’s always fun watching someone else suffer an ftp test .I’m sure you’ll be even better on your next one,pacing a test takes practice plus you now have a target.Don’t get too addicted to sweet spot training , long zone 2 rides are also important. I’m doing an ftp boost plan at the moment. I snapped the tendon above my knee and have found targeted training amazing for recovery .Currently we have the same ftp ,I’ll race you to 300🥵
I think you might beat me!
@@jollygoodvelo I’m not so sure your packing some useful fast twitch fibres,but I’m determined to get 300 as it would put me beyond my pre operation ftp .See you on the other side of 300😀
1000W momentarily on your warm up. Sat down that's bloody impressive.
I much prefer a Ramp Test for FTP. I never tried a 5 minute test but the 20 minute test is very hard to pace perfectly, and they aren't something you really want to do often.
The Ramp test guarantees that you can find your maximum, whereas the 20 minute test can leave you wishing you had gone harder from the start, or not so hard. It's not something you can compensate for in the final minute.
I did a perfect 20 minute test just once, but previous tests left me knowing roughly what I needed to aim for. I held 310W for around 18 minutes then almost died trying to hang on to 302 W (I just wanted to stay above 300 and I knew I'd fade).
That gave me 287Watts at 54 years of age and I know I'll never get that high again.
i am impressed with this man! i've just started cycling again and i average 100watts AFTER the warm up!
Better you than me Leonard! I really enjoy watching you exercise. Very inspiring! Keep up the great work.
Will do.
Well done Leonard for sharing this. Whether or not the testing protocol is optimistic or not it’s a good starting point. The key will be to complete progressive sweetspot workouts over the coming weeks and if you struggle over the later intervals then just reduce the intensity. I have been doing sweetspot intervals as my main base building for many years before moving onto higher intensities (VO2 max) as I approach races / major events. I use TrainerRoad for my training and this has enabled me to maintain / improve my FTP over the years as the ravages of time take their toll, I will be 59 in a few days with power to weight ratio of 4watts/kg. Good Luck on your journey.
Thanks Mike. 4 W/KG is very impressive.
All on 6 to 7 hours a week. Set yourself a Strava segment as benchmark for your improvements , something with a some incline. I live at Hundred Acres, the climb up from Newtown would be a good test.
@@willmasmile I use the segment up Edney’s Lane and the whole climb up to the very top of Grenville Hill from the Horse and Jockey.
good one Leonard. Very watchable, and sensible. Keep it going :))
Nothing but full respect, I can't even sustain a 130W power in my kicker
Inspiring me. Been afraid to do this test , might do it this weekend
Well done 👏 ✔️, I've just started on an indoor trainer, haven't a clue what my ftp is, haven't sighed up to any apps yet 😳 but just got a nice wahoo kicker v1 so l have no excuses 🤭😊 ,looks painful and well done again 👏 👍 regards mike.
Careful with threshold work. It is very efficient, but also very taxing.
If you have to make every minute of training count, then emphasise threshold/sweet spot work - but only for a short block, rather not for a full training year.
If you have more time, a polarized load distribution (lots of low intensity plus some high intensity stuff, while mostly avoiding threshold work) allows you to tolerate a much higher total workload and will give better performance. In short: threshold work gives best bang for the buck; polarized load distribution gives higher absolute return (and less chance of burn-out).
btw: great effort. Myself, I'd always prefer the 20 minutes test over a 5 minute max effort. The timeframe between 4 and 10 minutes max effort probably is the most painful place there is on earth.
Great video, fantastic and brave to share your first FTP test. These videos are inspirational for an average rider like me who wants to improve.
Thanks
Respect! Good effort. Power based training is something else. Happy New year too pal
Happy Nee Year
Wow impressive Leonard great job. I learned for myself in doing Martial Arts for 14 years in my 30s and 40s, that it is more important for me to breath out than it is to breath in. It pushes out more CO2 opening the way for more O2 and allows me to control my breathing and heart rate better. I focus on that when I do 30-50 mile off road gravel runs in 3-4 hours on my bike these days. At 63 it is very important for me if I want to finish. Thought I would share . Cheers.
Yes, that is a great tip. Expel as much carbon dioxide as possible to take in as much oxygen as possible. I’m trying my best to do this on my rides at the moment.
👍
Fair play Leonard, that looked really hard work. I've only just bought a trainer and signed up to Zwift. I was planning on doing an ftp test in the next few weeks on ce I've got used to the new kit. I new it would be hard, but its even more daunting having watched you suffer through - well done. 👍
Good luck.
Well done Leonard, good going buddy! I find it a lot easier to get my HR up on a hill climb on the road than on my trainer so I don't compare the two if that makes sense.
Makes perfect sense. Mine is always higher out on the road.
Great video. If you watch it yourself you will see the”queen of mean” laughing and smiling while she is whipping you. She loved it. Toughest 5 minutes you ever spent on a bike. If you had to come home to that “abuse” every day you would hop on your bike and just ride away.....the real bad news is you have to repeat the torture!. TMI for me.... too much info....I just ride for the pleasure and push myself to the max each ride depending on how I feel.my buddies are hating me already for how fit I am....I don’t want to piss them off anymore. Happy healthy and prosperous New Year and once again thanks for your great work.
Kris says that she loves her job. She certainly made me suffer for the dunce minutes of the test
Hi Leonard, Happy New Year to you and your family. Like you I haven't done an FTP test yet, but after seeing this vid I'm going to do one sometime soon (maybe after completing the 2021 Tour de Zwift). BTW I did complete the Festive 500 all on the turbo and it was hard, getting a saddle sore on the first ride certainly didn't help.
Well done, especially on the turbo. That was tough.
Nice work. You've made me wanna investigate mine. Happy new year
Good luck!
Awesome effort, can see you were working hard. Know the sadistic side of me wants to do a FTP test 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Awesome work. You really put it all out there!
Recently did mine on a ramp test after years of resisting the technology/data aspect of cycling... now, I am going down that rabbit hole of seeking gains. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you liked it. Good luck with your training
Nice job, Leonard! FTP tests are brutal, but they're something of a love/hate challenge. They're not fun at all, but seeing fitness improve with a higher number is really satisfying. The downside, though, is that once you have that higher number, all workouts based on your FTP get harder!
I would agree your HR estimate of 188 is way too high. I'm 46 and mine is around 175. Since you have videos about cycling over 50, I have to assume you're at least 51, so you're likely a few beats below me.
I’ve since adjusted my max HR. I’ll fine tune it when I got out and actually observe it on the road.
Great stuff Leonard...was roaring you on all the way!!!
Thanks Gareth. I could almost hear it!
Good effort!!! Have been watching you for a while now and have always wondered why you weren't training with power :)
Basically because I haven’t had a power meter until now.
You should release the pressure for a brief moment when you jump from small to big ring. It cost you twice in this test. And it puts strain on your equipment.
Very interesting video Len, although I can't say it was pleasurable to watch. Only the Marquis de Sade could say that. All the best with your goals for 2021.
And you.
Well done mate - doing one tomorrow - never a fun ride but definitely worth it !
Good luck
Great effort, Leonard. I'm not qualified to compare one form of FTP test to another (your coach clearly knows her stuff). But if you use the same one each time you do a test then you'll see a measured, relevant direction of travel for your fitness (i.e. better or worse); which is arguably more important than the accuracy of an FTP score for this or that type of FTP test. Another poster has mentioned a higher powered fan & comfort, but as someone in a very similar situation to you regarding a recent move to a smart trainer, I have found it significantly more comfortable to use a fan whose output increases with mine (it adjusts to my HR - you no doubt know it, rhymes with "woodwind"). Not cheap but worth the investment. You never have to get off and readjust when you get really hot, nor will it blast you with cold air in winter (until you want it to - i.e. not at the start). Thanks for the video. Enjoy your season.
Caught this today and felt inspired to do my first Zwift ramp test. Amazing work and thanks for the motivation. Chapeau
Well done.
Happy New year. Your videos as always inspiring. Looks Chris is very knowledgeable
Thanks Wael. She knows her still. I hope to have some live Q&A livestreams with her on the channel at some point
Well done and, yes, it can be a real eye opener to see what your actual levels are. I’m not yet ready to go that hard; rather, I’m using this time on my Elite Suito, using RGT not Zwift, to get a rhythm of riding as often as possible. I’ll start building up after 2-3 months, maybe sooner as I start to get more comfortable and competent with clip in pedals and get my “pain cave” fully kitted out. Cheers!
Good way of getting used to clip in pedals.
Great job Leonard. I'd guess you gave away quite a few watts in your first minute just getting to a decent cadence in the right gear, along with going considerably over your average in the middle. People improve significantly just by having better pacing when you know roughly what you can handle. I'd bet you could start at and maintain 302-305 and still have room to push harder in the last 30 to 60secs to drive that number up to 310+. secs. Good luck on your journey!👍👍
I did my 20 min FTP 4 weeks ago and I’m still trying to acclimatise to my new zones. My score was 188 and I thought that was high enough! Well done to you Leonard - thanks for sharing your pain. 🥵
Well done Sharon. It’s a place to start.
Very intersting Leonard. I learned a lot for myself from your experience.Thanks for doing on the video.
Thanks
I have done many FTP tests: 5min, 20min, ramp up etc.
As much as it is important to know your FTP for the purpose of structured training I have doubts if I (or anybody) can really do the 1h ride with the FTP that came from 5min/20min or ramp up - I think only 1h FTP test is the real test of one can do for 1h.
But again: the most important is to chose the FTP test and while repeating it later, keep the same procedure again - even 5min might not be comparable to 20min or to ramp up.
FTP (in my case at lest) is also very often used by me when I do the "normal" rides outdoor - I can easily look into my average power and calculate i.e. if I am going for 2h ride then I can do it with such power, but if I go for 5h ride then the average power has to be different. Or if I go for just 30min ride.
So what is next my friend? The answer is simple: next is the power sensor for outdoor riding ;-)
Well done brother - btw 5min max effort is for sure very close to 95+ % of your HR - in my case I reached HR max in 5min max efforts.
Yes, consistently it the test is very important. No point in getting one set of numbers from one test to potentially get a different set from a different test and then compare them.
@@petinka721 I like the ramp up test - it is very demanding and the muscles are seriously being burnt when you increase the power every minute having already few minutes done ;-)
Problem with the one hour is that a lot of it is dependent on how well you pace yourself and you'll see improvements each time solely based on better pacing. So you don't get a good measurement of actual improvement. Pros and very experienced racers can probably use it reliably but I doubt most amateurs can.
Good effort, but 5 minutes is not an accurate gauge of ftp. 20 min test at least. With lower power times it becomes more anaerobic and less aerobic.
This. 5 Minute is next to useless as an FTP estimate. Great job mate! And really, if you're training with power, forget HR. Its next to irrelevant.
>1000w seated is awesome!
Indeed, with all due respect, looking at his body shape there is a fundamental reason why he’s not keen on doing a 20min let alone an hour ftp test. I would subscribe if he could hold 250watts for 20 mins let alone an hour.
@@stickyprickle same. I wonder how he manages to maintain this physique
It will definitely take a few efforts before you more or less know the exact power it will take to flatline pace a 60 minute FTP.
The funny thing is if you stay in one gear the whole time; it’s quite likely you can have a higher FTP by adjusting slightly up or down a gear and modifying the RPM’s accordingly.
An FTP test is also an efficiency test which may help with “optimal” cadence discovery.
Yeah this 5 minute ftp "test" is WAY too short. Its wildly off the charts innaccurate. It rewards way too much power and not nearly enough aerobic. Rewarding 85% of this tiny 5 min sample as a 1 hour ftp is laughably out of the realms of reality. A 20 minute or longer test is also so much harder not only aerobic wise but mental toughness wise as well. Rubbish test but kudos to the man for recording it at any rate. Did very well for his age and shape.
Think I'd change my coach if i was advised to go full gas for an hour on a FTP test.
It’s not really “going” full gas.
It’s evenly spacing the EMPTYING of a full tank of gas to hit zero at exactly 60 minutes.
Pacing properly will require multiple efforts but once you’ve got it, the number is as pure as can be.
Reminds me of effort in cardiac stress tests. I hope you cleared with your cardiologist or internist prior to the FTP test.
I had a physical in March so, technically no. I’m fairly confident my heart health isn’t too bad.
@@jollygoodvelo Interesting comment from Nick. I have heart palpitations but they're paroxysmal in nature. My cardiologist couldn't find anything wrong with me really, so I ride. Sanje Gupta M.D. of Yorkshire Cardiology suggests that if there's nothing structurally wrong with the heart, than exercise is the best treatment for palpitations/flutters, etc.
Well done Leonard. It looked alot like interval or HIT training to me. Actually I was impressed with your heart rate numbers. Your were working hard and your HR was fairly consistent in the 130's. That speaks volumes to your years on a bicycle. Good job and a better 2021.
Thanks Brian. My doctor tests my HR from time to time and she is always saying that she is not worried about that element of my health.
Good effort Leonard. I did my first ftp ramp test on zwift today but chose the ramp lite by mistake so it ended at 250watt. Ah well live and learn, I'll do the main ramp test on Monday :)
Good luck
@@jollygoodvelo cheers 👍
@@jollygoodvelo I did the full ramp test today, got an ftp of 235watts. Been cycling less than 5 months and at 54 years old, quite pleased with that. Failed half way through 340 watts :)
Look forward to your next video, keep up the good work and keep cycling :)
Well done on the FTP. Keep up the hard work, I am just starting my cycling journey. Love watching your videos for some motivation.
Good luck with your cycling.
This was very cool. Thank you both for sharing the experience.
I'm glad I stumbled on your channel as I'm a similar build to you and wil lbe good to see your progression and experience.
Glad to have you join me, Stephen.
Enjoyed watching this, I suppose the 5min test average multiplied by 0.85 seems fair enough. Kris is very supportive and assured which I think important.
She certainly knows her stuff
Badass that, I do love a good ftp test, the 20mins effort are horrid 😂 I prefer the ramp tbh. Great effort and good intro 👍
Thanks.
That's impressive dude. Good stuff.
Hi, just doing a 5 minute power is really not a good basis for calculating your 60 minute FTP. I would recommend Wahoo - The Sufferfest Half Monty ramp test or their 4DP Power Profile test. This will give you a much better assessment (especially the 4DP).
Nice work - looked hard work.
I've found with my 30 minute test that I did get better over the first few, simply because I got better at pacing the effort over that time.
Any reason why you're basing your HR on HRmax? I've found Lactate Threshold HR to be a good fit for my running (I'm an experienced runner and a newbie cyclist), and it's a lot safer to go all-out for 30 minutes on the bike or on foot, than it is to all-in and click my watch just before passing out! Having just hit 50 myself, I don't want to stress-test the ticker too much!
Fair play Leonard! FTP tests rate up there with visits to the dentist for me. Found it a necessary evil at this time of year to stop the slide and start the prep for the pending summer events.
It was certainly tough.
Great effort Leonard and very interesting test. Taking everything into consideration I bet you would record a respectable time for a 4000 metre track time trial. Cheers John
I would quite like to try that.
Brilliant work there, Len. It looked brutal. Your max recorded heart rate of around 160bpm was lower than I expected. My heart rate goes through the roof at around 175bpm on steep climbs and efforts; I’m 51 years old and weigh in at only 62kg
My HR maxed at 166 which should have been about 95%.
Well done and nicely paced!
Thanks.
Don't feel bad with your first FTP number, I started riding a little over a month ago after multiple heart attacks and I finally did my first FTP test today, I was expecting somewhere around 100-150, but it ended up only being an 83 which was extremely disappointing. I was able to get it up to 400 watts at one point, but I can not maintain it at that level.
Well done! The sprints were very impressive, almost a 1000watts seated. I almost threw up after my first one.
I did hit 1000 for a very brief moment.
@@jollygoodvelo crikey Leonard you should be on the track!
Well done Leonard love your trainer.
Kris was a great guest and task master. Strong effort, how about doing a Zwift Ramp test then a Zwift 20 FTP test to compare the power numbers? I don’t imagine you feel like it.👏👏👏👏 Happy New Year Leonard.🍾
I might do one of those at some point
Its bit like a dominatrix for cycling ! Lol
Is that what we call a viscous cycle ?
The easiest ftp estimate I made is the one I made using my newly purchased Garmin fenix5 + where I only cycled in zone 2. It then calculated my heart rate and watts and it matched well with the 20 minute test.
Well done Leonard!
I think these devices do a great job of estimating FTP. My estimates were fairly close to what this test gave me.
No pain, no gain! Very interesting and on top of all that Xmas excess! Well done!
Thanks Tim.
Also the ramp test is my fave! :D try it. BTW your power outputs are very good you should be proud!
I’m beginning to believe that only because many comments are saying that, basically, they don’t believe them!
Wow Leornard, that looked painful to me.
Its great watching your videos. Very brave of you to go through this for all to see.
Im 63 and trying to get back to cycling fitness. I'm not sure i should do this as I don't want to blow a gasket or have a coronary 😂.
Thanks for sharing, much respect. 👍 💪💪💪
Very wise. Perhaps speak to your doctor and then decide.
Great job 1000 watts :)! lovely to see!
Leonard, will you use this info to build a weight loss program? Those numbers look useful for that.
Happy New Year and stay healthy. I’m addicted to your videos! Thanks
I’ll certainly use it to try and improve my cycling performance.
You totally smashed that Leonard!! Great way to start the year
Thanks. It’s going to be a lot of hard work.
👏👏👏Well done for sharing your ftp test! 👍🚴♀️
Thank you! 😃
Mad respect for this. It's motivated me to finally do my first ftp test as well.
Chapeau 🎩
Ftp tests are brutal!
I’ve done quite a few ‘20 minute tests’ in TrainerRoad and every time the sweat stings my eyes and the feeling of suffering towards the end is horrible.
Now a days I let my Garmin or Zwift tell me my ftp and set my ftp accordingly just because ftp tests are just intense suffering.
It was every bit as hard as I thought it would be
@@jollygoodvelo Will you be doing some more?
I trained with a couple of lads that did 2 ftp tests a year. One in Jan and one Oct and they
‘adjusted’ their ftp values by adding 2 watts per week until the training became too tough to do and they backed off 2 watts and stayed there for 2 weeks and tried increasing it again.
They said that ftp was not like a shoe size lol
@@GM-vk8jw Ideally I should do a couple a year too.