Cycling Power Zone Template: Work Out Your Training Zones
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Put your threshold figures in and get your training zones back. Below are the percentages I use with my coaching clients, plus a calculator that will do the arithmetic for you and give you a page you can print.
Work out your zones now. If you already know your FTP, type it in and you will have your zones in about five seconds. If you do not, drop in a few recent rides and it will work your FTP out first, with no test needed.
Coggan power zones, as a percentage of FTP
| Zone | Name | % of FTP |
|---|---|---|
| Z1 | Active Recovery | Under 55% |
| Z2 | Aerobic Endurance | 56 to 75% |
| Z3 | Tempo | 76 to 90% |
| Z4 | Lactate Threshold | 91 to 105% |
| Z5 | VO2 Max | 106 to 120% |
| Z6 | Anaerobic Capacity | 121 to 150% |
| Z7 | Sprint Power | Above 150% |
| Sweet spot | Top of tempo, bottom of threshold | 88 to 93% |
Heart rate zones, as a percentage of threshold heart rate
| Zone | Name | % of FTHR |
|---|---|---|
| Z1 | Active Recovery | Under 68% |
| Z2 | Aerobic Endurance | 68 to 83% |
| Z3 | Tempo | 84 to 94% |
| Z4 | Lactate Threshold | 95 to 105% |
| Z5 | VO2 Max | Above 105% |
Note there is deliberately no anaerobic or sprint zone for heart rate. Heart rate lags two to three minutes behind what your legs are doing, so on efforts that short it is over before your heart rate has arrived. Use power or feel for anything under about five minutes.
Why the percentages matter less than the number you feed them
Zones are simple arithmetic. The hard part is having an accurate threshold to build them on. An FTP that reads 20 watts high shifts every zone up underneath it, so your sweet spot work quietly becomes threshold work and your easy rides stop being easy. Get the number right first and the rest looks after itself.
If your FTP is a guess, or more than eight to twelve weeks old, it is worth two minutes to check it.
Find your FTP and get your zones · How to calculate your FTP · Three free sessions to raise it
Coach James
