Build phase · intermediate · 8 weeks

8-week FTP training plan

Test on day one. Test on the last day. Watch the gap. Most plans that promise a higher FTP never measure it. This one opens with a 20-minute test and closes with the same test on the same protocol, so the number at the end means something.

Start this plan Test your FTP first

Free, with no trial. Pick a start date and your training days; the sessions land on your own calendar. Switch or stop at any point. Every workout in it can be ridden without an account.

Weeks8

Rides a week4

Typical week5:05

Biggest week6:15

Week by week

EnduranceTempoThresholdVO2 max● Key session

W1Test week

225

Week 1: test first, then ride. Everything that follows is scaled off this number, so ride the test properly.

W2Sweet spot into threshold

246

Week 2: three sweet spot intervals plus a first threshold session. Threshold should feel distinctly harder.

W3First VO2 touch

307

Week 3: 4×8 at VO2 alongside 3×20 sweet spot. The big week of the first block.

W4Recovery week

131

Week 4: recovery. The second half is harder than the first — arrive at it fresh.

W5Threshold and VO2

233

Week 5: threshold intervals and classic 4×4 VO2. Two genuinely hard days; keep the other two easy.

W6Extend threshold

296

Week 6: the full threshold builder plus 5×5 VO2. If a session falls apart, stop it — do not grind out a broken interval.

W7Peak

295

Week 7: 3×20 sweet spot and 4×5 VO2. Last hard week — everything after this is sharpening.

W8Retest

129

Week 8: easy days, leg openers, then the same 20-minute test you rode in week 1. Same protocol, same conditions.

Every session is a real workout you can open and ride now. Starting the plan schedules all 32 from your chosen date, on the days you pick.

Start FTP Builder

Ride this plan if

You have trained with structure before and want a number to go up.
You can ride four times a week for around six hours.
You have finished a base block, or ride consistently year-round.

What you get out of it

A re-measured FTP on the identical protocol you started with.
Threshold intervals extended from 2×15 to a full threshold builder session.
A first block of VO2 max work to lift the ceiling above threshold.

How the plan is built

In between, the work climbs the ladder that actually moves threshold: sweet spot to build tolerance, threshold intervals to raise the ceiling itself, and VO2 max work in the second half because your threshold can only sit so far below your aerobic maximum.

It asks for four rides a week and around six hours. If you have less time, the time-crunched plan runs the same logic in three sessions.

Week 1 is a test. Week 8 is the same test. Everything between is the experiment.
Sweet spot early, threshold in the middle, VO2 max layered in from week 5.
One recovery week at the midpoint — week 4.

FTP Builder: common questions

How much can I raise my FTP in eight weeks?

It depends entirely on where you start. Riders new to structured training often see 5–10% in a first block; riders with years of consistent training may see 2–3%. The test at both ends is there so you get your own answer rather than an average.

Should I test my FTP before starting a plan?

Yes, and this plan builds the test into week one. Every target in every session is a percentage of FTP, so a stale number means eight weeks of riding at the wrong intensity.

Is a 20-minute test better than a ramp test?

They measure slightly different things. The ramp test is shorter and easier to repeat; the 20-minute test is closer to a real threshold effort and tends to suit riders with good endurance. What matters most is using the same protocol every time so the numbers are comparable.

What to ride after this

Training works in blocks. These plans pick up where this one leaves off.

Build · 8 weeks · 4 rides a week

Sustained Power Build

The build block that follows base: threshold intervals and VO2 max work, holding onto the aerobic volume that made them possible.

Specialty · 8 weeks · 4 rides a week

Hill Climb Plan

Eight weeks aimed at climbing: low-cadence strength work, threshold intervals, VO2 max, and a timed climb simulation at both ends of the plan.