What's a Good FTP (and Watts per Kilogram)?
A "good" FTP is relative, but the honest, useful answer is in watts per kilogram. As rough guideposts at FTP, around 2.5 to 3.0 W/kg is a typical recreational rider, 3.5 to 4.0 W/kg is a strong club racer, and 4.5 W/kg and up puts you in the top few percent of cyclists. Women's bands sit a little lower at each level, mostly because of body composition. The single most important point: raw FTP in watts alone means almost nothing without your body weight. A 300-watt FTP is elite for a 60 kg rider and merely solid for a 95 kg rider. With that out of the way, here is what these numbers actually mean and how to find yours.
What is FTP?
FTP stands for Functional Threshold Power. It is, roughly, the highest steady power output you can sustain for about an hour without fading. Think of it as the ceiling on your sustainable effort: ride below it and you can hold on for a long time, push above it and fatigue accumulates fast. FTP is the anchor most power-based training is built on, because your training cycling power zones are calculated as percentages of it. If your FTP is wrong, every zone above and below it is wrong too.
FTP is closely related to, but not identical to, Critical Power. Critical Power comes from testing several maximal efforts of different durations and fitting a curve, which makes it more physiologically precise but more work to measure. FTP is the practical, widely used shorthand.
What is watts per kilogram, and why does it matter more than raw watts?
Watts per kilogram (W/kg) is simply your FTP divided by your body weight in kilograms. A rider with a 280-watt FTP weighing 70 kg has a power-to-weight ratio of 4.0 W/kg.
W/kg matters because most of the moments that decide a ride are about moving your body mass, not just spinning the cranks. On a climb, gravity is the main thing you fight, and gravity scales with weight. Two riders with identical 300-watt FTPs will climb at very different speeds if one weighs 65 kg and the other 90 kg. That is why W/kg predicts climbing and sustained performance far better than raw watts do. On a flat time trial, where aerodynamic drag dominates, raw watts matter more, which is why heavier, powerful riders often excel there. But for general fitness comparison and for climbing, W/kg is the number that travels. You can work out yours with the watts-per-kilogram calculator.
What are the approximate category ranges?
These ranges are approximate and population-dependent, drawn from the widely cited Coggan power profile. Treat them as a map, not a verdict.
For men, at FTP:
- Around 2.0 to 2.5 W/kg: untrained or new to structured riding
- Around 2.5 to 3.0 W/kg: typical recreational rider
- Around 3.0 to 3.5 W/kg: fit enthusiast, regular training
- Around 3.5 to 4.0 W/kg: strong club racer
- Around 4.0 to 4.5 W/kg: competitive amateur racer
- 4.5 W/kg and up: the top few percent; the pro peloton lives well above 5.5 W/kg
For women, the same descriptions apply with the bands shifted down by roughly 0.3 to 0.5 W/kg, so a strong female club racer might sit around 3.2 to 3.7 W/kg. These are not hard lines. They overlap, they vary by testing method, and they say nothing about how much you enjoy riding or how much you can improve.
How do I find my FTP?
You have a few practical options, from most demanding to easiest:
- The 20-minute test. After a thorough warm-up, ride as hard as you can sustain for 20 minutes, take your average power, and multiply by 0.95. The 0.95 factor estimates the slightly lower number you could hold for a full hour. This is the classic field test and the one most training plans assume.
- The ramp test. You ride a steadily increasing power until you cannot continue, and software estimates FTP from your final minute. It is shorter and less pacing-dependent, which makes it friendlier for beginners, though it can read a little high or low depending on your physiology.
- A smart-trainer estimate. Many smart trainers and platforms estimate FTP automatically from your ride data over time. It is the lowest-effort option and a fine starting point, but it is an estimate, so confirm it with a real test before you trust your zones to it.
Whichever you choose, retest every 6 to 8 weeks rather than chasing a number every week. Plug your result into the calculator below to turn it into W/kg and training zones.
FTP
250W
Sweet Spot
220–235W
88–94% FTP
| Zone | Range | What it trains |
|---|---|---|
| Z1 | Active Recovery ≤ 138 W | Recovery; spins the legs without adding load. RPE 1–2, very easy. |
| Z2 | Endurance 140–188 W | Aerobic base, fat oxidation, all-day pace. RPE 3–4, conversational. |
| Z3 | Tempo 190–225 W | Aerobic endurance and muscular efficiency. RPE 5–6, comfortably hard. |
| Z4 | Threshold 228–263 W | Lactate threshold, FTP work, the sustainable ceiling. RPE 7–8, 10–30 min reps. |
| Z5 | VO₂max 265–300 W | Maximal aerobic power; 3–8 min intervals. RPE 9, very hard. |
| Z6 | Anaerobic Capacity 303–375 W | Anaerobic capacity; 30s–3min efforts. RPE 9–10, near maximal. |
| Z7 | Neuromuscular Power ≥ 378 W | Sprint and neuromuscular power. RPE 10, all-out sprints. |
Z1 · Active Recovery. Recovery; spins the legs without adding load. RPE 1–2, very easy.
Z2 · Endurance. Aerobic base, fat oxidation, all-day pace. RPE 3–4, conversational.
Z3 · Tempo. Aerobic endurance and muscular efficiency. RPE 5–6, comfortably hard.
Z4 · Threshold. Lactate threshold, FTP work, the sustainable ceiling. RPE 7–8, 10–30 min reps.
Z5 · VO₂max. Maximal aerobic power; 3–8 min intervals. RPE 9, very hard.
Z6 · Anaerobic Capacity. Anaerobic capacity; 30s–3min efforts. RPE 9–10, near maximal.
Z7 · Neuromuscular Power. Sprint and neuromuscular power. RPE 10, all-out sprints.
- Andrew Coggan's seven-zone model expresses every zone as a percentage of Functional Threshold Power. Sweet Spot (220–235 W, 88–94% FTP) sits between Tempo and Threshold and gives a high training stimulus for moderate fatigue.
- FTP is the power you could theoretically hold for about an hour. Re-test every 4–6 weeks; a stale FTP makes every zone wrong.
A PDF with your personalized results, plus a QR code to reopen them anytime.
You can also return to the FTP calculator any time to recalculate after a new test.
How do I improve my watts per kilogram?
There are exactly two levers, and they work on the same fraction. You can raise the top number (FTP) or lower the bottom number (body weight).
Raising FTP means building the engine: consistent volume, well-structured threshold and tempo work, and enough recovery to absorb it. Lowering weight raises W/kg only if the weight you lose is genuinely excess and you keep your power intact. The honest caveat: for most riders, building the engine beats cutting weight. Aggressive dieting tends to cost you power, energy, and health, which can drag FTP down faster than the weight comes off, leaving your ratio flat or worse. Chasing a low number on the scale can also tip into disordered eating. If you have excess weight to lose, gradual, well-fueled fat loss can help, but train first and let body composition follow.
Sources
The definitions of FTP and the power profile categories used in this article come from Allen and Coggan, Training and Racing with a Power Meter.