Your 7 Coggan training zones with watt targets
Based on FTP of 300W
| Zone | % of FTP | Watts | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z1 Active Recovery | < 55% | < 165W | Very easy spinning for recovery between hard days |
| Z2 Endurance | 56–75% | 168–225W | Conversational pace — builds aerobic base |
| Z3 Tempo | 76–90% | 228–270W | Comfortably hard — improves lactate clearance |
| Z4 Threshold | 91–105% | 273–315W | Race pace for ~1 hour — the key training zone |
| Z5 VO2max | 106–120% | 318–360W | 3-8 minute intervals — boosts oxygen uptake |
| Z6 Anaerobic | 121–150% | 363–450W | 30s-2min bursts — develops high-end power |
| Z7 Neuromuscular | > 150% | > 450W | Max sprints <15s — pure neuromuscular power |
FTP
300W
Sweet Spot
264–282W
Endurance Ceiling
225W
VO2max Floor
318W
Marginal gains matter now. Dial in nutrition timing, sleep quality, and heat/altitude adaptation. VO2max and anaerobic work yield the biggest returns at this level.
Your sweet spot range is 264–282W — 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 225W (Z2 ceiling). Going harder on easy days is the most common training mistake — it adds fatigue without the adaptation stimulus of true interval work.