In modern training, workouts are structured around different intensity levels based on the maximum power you can sustain for one hour.
This is your personal, functional threshold power. For cycling, this is called FTP (Functional Threshold Power), or FTPa (Functional Threshold Pace) for running.
In the following section, we’ll dive into the details of FTP. However, this also applies to the FTPa (which roughly corresponds to your 10K personal best time).
In the past, cycling often used heart rate to determine intensity. But with the widespread adoption of power meters on bikes (e.g., in pedals or cranks), more and more cyclists are switching to power-based training.
Taking an FTP test (YouTube video) is therefore the starting point for all structured training.
Power-based training typically uses seven training zones based on your personal FTP
(Functional Threshold Power):
- <=55%: Active recovery
- <=75%: Endurance
- <=90%: Tempo
- <=105%: Lactate threshold
- <=120%: VO₂ max
- <=150%: Anaerobic capacity
- >150%: Neuromuscular power
A requirement for determining your FTP is power measurement, such as via a power meter on your bike or via a smart trainer with built-in power measurement. The icTrainer app includes several workouts (FTP tests) to determine the FTP in a hard training session. You can find more information on this topic on our YouTube channel, in the Tour magazine website, or in the definitive guide Training and Racing with a Power Meter by Hunter Allen and Dr. Andrew Coggan.
We also offer advanced performance tests in our app, especially for short high-intensity efforts, so training intensities are better tailored to each rider’s personal strengths and weaknesses.
For heart rate-based training using your personal maximum heart rate, the zones are:
- <=60%: Very light/Recovery
- <=70%: Light/Aerobic/Fat burning
- <=80%:Moderate/Tempo
- <=90%: Hard/(Anaerobic) Threshold
- > 90%: Maximum effort/Speed, red line zone (you should stay in this zone for a maximum of 30–60 seconds at a time)
Speed and distance don’t matter in performance-oriented indoor training—workouts are defined by power (watts) and duration (time). For this reason, power data is the primary focus in icTrainer, which can take some adjustment for outdoor cyclists. Target power is typically maintained in training programs as a percentage of your personal FTP (e.g., ride 10 minutes at 80% of your FTP). Trust us—a 45-minute HIIT session at the right intensity will improve your fitness far more than adding another 100km of “junk miles” to your annual totals.
But you can also simply ride routes in icTrainer (either real routes with video or your own GPX tracks) and see exactly what power you achieved and how fast you were riding.