8-Week FTP Training Plan for Cyclists

This 8-week training plan is designed to increase your FTP through progressive overload, combining sweet spot training, threshold intervals, and adequate recovery. Before starting, test your current FTP using our FTP Calculator.

Plan Overview

Prerequisites:

• Current FTP tested within past 2 weeks
• Power meter or smart trainer
• Basic fitness (can ride 60-90 min comfortably)
• 6-10 hours weekly available for training

Week 1: Foundation

Goal: Establish training routine, introduce sweet spot work.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Sweet Spot Intro

• 15 min warm-up
• 2 x 15 min @ 88% FTP (5 min recovery)
• 10 min cool-down
• Total: 60 min, ~55 TSS

Wednesday: Endurance

• 60 min @ Zone 2 (65-75% FTP)
• Total: 60 min, ~45 TSS

Thursday: Active Recovery

• 45 min very easy (Zone 1, <55% FTP)
• Total: 45 min, ~25 TSS

Friday: Rest or easy spin (30 min)

Saturday: Long Endurance

• 90-120 min @ Zone 2
• Include 2 x 10 min @ sweet spot if feeling good
• Total: 90-120 min, ~70-90 TSS

Sunday: Endurance

• 60-90 min @ Zone 2
• Total: 60-90 min, ~50-70 TSS

Weekly Summary: 5-6 hours, ~300-350 TSS

Week 2: Foundation (continued)

Goal: Increase sweet spot duration slightly.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Sweet Spot Development

• 15 min warm-up
• 2 x 18 min @ 88-90% FTP (5 min recovery)
• 10 min cool-down
• Total: 65 min, ~60 TSS

Wednesday: Endurance + Openers

• 60 min @ Zone 2
• Include 3 x 30 sec at 120% FTP
• Total: 60 min, ~50 TSS

Thursday: Sweet Spot

• 15 min warm-up
• 2 x 15 min @ 90% FTP (5 min recovery)
• 10 min cool-down
• Total: 60 min, ~55 TSS

Friday: Active Recovery

• 45 min Zone 1
• Total: 45 min, ~25 TSS

Saturday: Long Ride with Sweet Spot

• 2 hours total
• Include 2 x 20 min @ 88% FTP
• Total: 120 min, ~95 TSS

Sunday: Recovery Endurance

• 60 min easy Zone 2
• Total: 60 min, ~45 TSS

Weekly Summary: 6-7 hours, ~330-380 TSS

Week 3: Development

Goal: Push sweet spot durations, introduce longer intervals.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Extended Sweet Spot

• 15 min warm-up
• 2 x 22 min @ 90% FTP (5 min recovery)
• 10 min cool-down
• Total: 75 min, ~70 TSS

Wednesday: Endurance

• 75 min @ Zone 2
• Total: 75 min, ~55 TSS

Thursday: Sweet Spot

• 15 min warm-up
• 2 x 20 min @ 90-92% FTP (4 min recovery)
• 10 min cool-down
• Total: 70 min, ~65 TSS

Friday: Active Recovery

• 40 min Zone 1
• Total: 40 min, ~20 TSS

Saturday: Long Sweet Spot

• 15 min warm-up
• 2 x 30 min @ 88-90% FTP (5 min recovery)
• 15 min cool-down
• Total: 95 min, ~85 TSS

Sunday: Endurance

• 90 min easy Zone 2
• Total: 90 min, ~65 TSS

Weekly Summary: 7-8 hours, ~360-420 TSS

Week 4: Development (Peak Loading)

Goal: Maximum sweet spot volume before recovery.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Sweet Spot

• 2 x 25 min @ 90% FTP (5 min recovery)
• Total: 75 min, ~75 TSS

Wednesday: Endurance + Tempo

• 90 min, including 30 min @ 80% FTP
• Total: 90 min, ~70 TSS

Thursday: Sweet Spot

• 2 x 20 min @ 92% FTP (5 min recovery)
• Total: 70 min, ~70 TSS

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Long Ride

• 2.5-3 hours endurance
• Include 2 x 30 min sweet spot
• Total: 150-180 min, ~120-140 TSS

Sunday: Recovery

• 45-60 min very easy
• Total: 45-60 min, ~30-40 TSS

Weekly Summary: 8-9 hours, ~400-450 TSS

Week 5: Threshold Introduction

Goal: Reduce volume, add threshold intensity.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Threshold Intervals

• 15 min warm-up
• 2 x 12 min @ 100% FTP (6 min recovery)
• 10 min cool-down
• Total: 55 min, ~60 TSS

Wednesday: Endurance

• 60 min Zone 2
• Total: 60 min, ~45 TSS

Thursday: Sweet Spot

• 2 x 20 min @ 90% FTP (5 min recovery)
• Total: 65 min, ~60 TSS

Friday: Active Recovery

• 40 min Zone 1
• Total: 40 min, ~20 TSS

Saturday: Long Endurance

• 2 hours Zone 2
• Total: 120 min, ~90 TSS

Sunday: Endurance

• 60 min Zone 2
• Total: 60 min, ~45 TSS

Weekly Summary: 6.5-7 hours, ~320-370 TSS

Week 6: Threshold Development

Goal: Extend threshold intervals, maintain sweet spot.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Threshold

• 2 x 15 min @ 100% FTP (6 min recovery)
• Total: 60 min, ~70 TSS

Wednesday: Endurance

• 75 min Zone 2
• Total: 75 min, ~55 TSS

Thursday: Sweet Spot + Over-Unders

• 20 min @ 90% FTP
• 3 x (3 min @ 105% + 3 min @ 85%) = 18 min over-under
• Total: 65 min, ~65 TSS

Friday: Active Recovery

• 45 min Zone 1
• Total: 45 min, ~25 TSS

Saturday: Long with Threshold

• 2+ hours with 2 x 12 min threshold climbs
• Total: 120-150 min, ~100-130 TSS

Sunday: Endurance

• 75 min Zone 2
• Total: 75 min, ~55 TSS

Weekly Summary: 7-8 hours, ~370-420 TSS

Week 7: Peak Loading

Goal: Final hard week before taper.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Threshold

• 2 x 18 min @ 100% FTP (6 min recovery)
• Total: 65 min, ~80 TSS

Wednesday: Endurance + Openers

• 60 min Zone 2 with 4 x 30 sec hard
• Total: 60 min, ~50 TSS

Thursday: Sweet Spot + Threshold

• 20 min @ 90% FTP + 15 min @ 100% FTP
• Total: 70 min, ~75 TSS

Friday: Active Recovery

• 40 min Zone 1
• Total: 40 min, ~20 TSS

Saturday: Long with Threshold

• 2+ hours with 2 x 15 min threshold
• Total: 130-150 min, ~120-140 TSS

Sunday: Endurance

• 60 min Zone 2
• Total: 60 min, ~45 TSS

Weekly Summary: 7-8 hours, ~390-450 TSS

Week 8: Taper & Test

Goal: Recover fully, test FTP.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Openers

• 45 min easy with 3 x 1 min @ 110% FTP
• Total: 45 min, ~40 TSS

Wednesday: Rest or very easy spin (30 min)

Thursday: Active Recovery

• 40 min Zone 1
• Total: 40 min, ~20 TSS

Friday: Rest

Saturday: FTP Test Day

• Full warm-up protocol
• 20-minute FTP test
• Cool-down
• Calculate new FTP with 20-Min Calculator
• Total: 60 min, ~80 TSS

Sunday: Recovery

• 45 min very easy
• Celebrate your new FTP!
• Total: 45 min, ~25 TSS

Weekly Summary: 4-5 hours, ~200-250 TSS

Key Workouts Explained

2x20 Sweet Spot

The foundation of this plan. Two 20-minute blocks at 88-92% FTP with 5 minutes recovery. Builds aerobic capacity and lactate processing without crushing recovery.

See more workouts: Best FTP Workouts

Threshold Intervals

2x15 or 2x18 at 100% FTP. Directly targets the intensity you're trying to improve. Hard but essential during the threshold phase.

Over-Under Intervals

Alternate between 95% (under) and 105% (over) in 3-minute blocks. Teaches your body to recover while still working and handles the surges common in racing.

Long Rides with Blocks

Weekend rides combining endurance volume with structured sweet spot or threshold blocks. Simulates race fatigue while accumulating specific training stress.

Nutrition During the Plan

Daily Requirements

• Protein: 1.6-2.0 g/kg body weight for recovery
• Carbohydrates: Scale with training load (5-8 g/kg on hard days)
• Hydration: 2-3 liters daily, more on training days

During Workouts

• <60 min: Water only
• 60-90 min: 30-60g carbs per hour

• 90 min: 60-90g carbs per hour

Recovery Windows

• Within 30 min post-workout: 20-30g protein + 1g/kg carbs
• Continue fueling throughout the day after hard sessions

Monitoring Progress

Weekly Check-ins

Track these metrics:

• Resting heart rate: Should stay stable or drop
• Sleep quality: Aim for 7-9 hours
• Motivation: If dreading workouts, you may need recovery
• Workout RPE: Sessions should feel "hard but doable"

Use TSS Tracking

Monitor weekly Training Stress Score:

• Week 1-2: ~300-380 TSS
• Week 3-4: ~360-450 TSS
• Week 5-6: ~320-420 TSS
• Week 7: ~390-450 TSS (peak)
• Week 8: ~200-250 TSS (taper)

Expected Results

With consistent execution, expect:

• Beginners: 10-15% FTP improvement
• Intermediate: 5-10% improvement
• Advanced: 3-6% improvement

The actual gain depends on your starting point, genetics, and execution quality.

After the Plan

Once you've tested your new FTP:

1. Update your training zones
2. Take a recovery week
3. Plan your next training block
4. Consider focusing on other limiters (VO2 max, endurance, race tactics)

Related Articles

• Complete FTP Guide - FTP fundamentals
• What is a Good FTP? - Set realistic goals
• FTP by Age - Age-adjusted expectations
• Sweet Spot Training - Key workout details
• Best FTP Workouts - More workout options
• How to Improve FTP - Training principles
• Why FTP Dropped - If things don't go as planned