Your 7 Coggan training zones with watt targets
Based on FTP of 130W
| Zone | % of FTP | Watts | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z1 Active Recovery | < 55% | < 72W | Very easy spinning for recovery between hard days |
| Z2 Endurance | 56–75% | 73–98W | Conversational pace — builds aerobic base |
| Z3 Tempo | 76–90% | 99–117W | Comfortably hard — improves lactate clearance |
| Z4 Threshold | 91–105% | 118–137W | Race pace for ~1 hour — the key training zone |
| Z5 VO2max | 106–120% | 138–156W | 3-8 minute intervals — boosts oxygen uptake |
| Z6 Anaerobic | 121–150% | 157–195W | 30s-2min bursts — develops high-end power |
| Z7 Neuromuscular | > 150% | > 195W | Max sprints <15s — pure neuromuscular power |
FTP
130W
Sweet Spot
114–122W
Endurance Ceiling
98W
VO2max Floor
138W
Focus on building Z2 volume — aim for 3-4 rides per week of 45-90 minutes at conversational pace. Your aerobic base is the foundation everything else is built on.
Your sweet spot range is 114–122W — the most productive training intensity for time-crunched athletes. Two 20-minute sweet spot intervals per week will steadily raise your FTP.
Keep endurance rides below 98W (Z2 ceiling). Going harder on easy days is the most common training mistake — it adds fatigue without the adaptation stimulus of true interval work.