FTPist Magazine

To create a training plan that actually works, you need to balance three hard days of "quality" work with plenty of easy riding and one full week of recovery. You don't need a complicated spreadsheet; you just need to focus on your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and listen to your body’s "Traffic Light" signals. First, […]

In Zwift, jersey colors represent the leaders of specific segments during your current riding session. If you see someone wearing a bright green, polka-dot, or orange jersey, it means they currently hold the fastest time for a sprint, a climb, or a full lap on the leaderboard you are currently looking at. Think of these […]

Zwift’s internal testing and support documentation suggest that for most workouts and general riding, the small front ring provides a superior experience.Flywheel Speed: Using the small ring keeps your trainer’s flywheel spinning at a lower speed. This reduces noise and vibration, making it friendlier for apartment living.Faster Resistance Changes: Most smart trainers respond more quickly […]

Interval progression is simply the art of making your hard workouts slightly more challenging each week so your body keeps adapting. Instead of doing the same 3×10-minute intervals every Tuesday, you gradually increase the total time you spend at your target power before you ever think about turning up the intensity. Think of it like […]

Weight is the single biggest factor in how fast you go uphill once the road tilts above a 6% grade. When you're climbing, you aren't just fighting wind resistance; you’re fighting gravity, and gravity cares deeply about every extra pound you’re carrying. As a general rule of thumb, losing one kilogram (about 2.2 lbs) will […]

Aerodynamics can save you anywhere from 30 seconds to over 5 minutes over a 40km (25-mile) ride, depending on how much you optimize your setup. While high-end gear helps, the biggest time savings actually come from your body position, because you represent about 80% of the total wind resistance. Think of it this way: if […]

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is the single most important number in your cycling life because it defines how hard you should be working in every single session. Think of it as the "size of your engine"—it’s the maximum power output you can sustain for roughly one hour without blowing up. If you don't know this […]

Think of your body like a high-performance engine. You can have the most expensive carbon frame, the deepest aero wheels, and a perfectly tuned drivetrain, but if you put low-grade fuel in the tank—or worse, let the tank run dry—you aren't going anywhere fast. Nutrition is often called the "fourth discipline" of cycling. It’s the […]

If you want to get faster on a bike, you have to stop just "going for a ride." You need to start doing intervals. Interval training is the single most effective way to improve your fitness. It’s how you take your current FTP (Functional Threshold Power) and move it from "pretty good" to "the person […]