Your 7 Coggan training zones with watt targets
Based on FTP of 160W
| Zone | % of FTP | Watts | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z1 Active Recovery | < 55% | < 88W | Very easy spinning for recovery between hard days |
| Z2 Endurance | 56–75% | 90–120W | Conversational pace — builds aerobic base |
| Z3 Tempo | 76–90% | 122–144W | Comfortably hard — improves lactate clearance |
| Z4 Threshold | 91–105% | 146–168W | Race pace for ~1 hour — the key training zone |
| Z5 VO2max | 106–120% | 170–192W | 3-8 minute intervals — boosts oxygen uptake |
| Z6 Anaerobic | 121–150% | 194–240W | 30s-2min bursts — develops high-end power |
| Z7 Neuromuscular | > 150% | > 240W | Max sprints <15s — pure neuromuscular power |
FTP
160W
Sweet Spot
141–150W
Endurance Ceiling
120W
VO2max Floor
170W
Add one Z3/Z4 session per week alongside your Z2 rides. Sweet spot intervals (88-94% FTP) are the most time-efficient way to build fitness at this stage.
Your sweet spot range is 141–150W — 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 120W (Z2 ceiling). Going harder on easy days is the most common training mistake — it adds fatigue without the adaptation stimulus of true interval work.