The Coggan Power Zones: All 7 Levels Explained (% of FTP)
Andrew Coggan's 7 power zones, each as a percentage of FTP: the watts range, what it trains, how it feels, and how to set yours from an FTP test.
The Coggan power zones are seven training levels, built by exercise physiologist Dr. Andrew Coggan and coach Hunter Allen. Each is a percentage of your FTP (functional threshold power), from recovery spins to all-out sprints. Almost every platform (TrainingPeaks, Zwift, Garmin, Wahoo) uses them or a close variant.
Where the zones come from
The model appears in Training and Racing with a Power Meter by Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan. Coggan chose seven levels as the minimum needed to describe the full range of physiological responses a competitive cyclist trains.
Every zone is a percentage of your FTP, the highest power you can hold in a quasi-steady state for roughly an hour. Our FTP calculator estimates it from a short test.
The 7 Coggan power zones
- Active Recovery, under 55% of FTP. Recovery between hard days. Almost soft-pedaling.
- Endurance, 56–75%. Aerobic base and fat metabolism. All-day, conversational pace. Most of your hours go here.
- Tempo, 76–90%. Aerobic efficiency and muscular endurance. "Comfortably hard."
- Lactate Threshold, 91–105%. The zone that raises FTP itself. Sustainable for roughly an hour.
- VO₂max, 106–120%. Maximal aerobic power, in 3–8 minute repeats.
- Anaerobic Capacity, 121–150%. 30 seconds to 2 minutes of high power.
- Neuromuscular Power, maximal. Sprint power lasting seconds. All-out.
Three things to know:
- Zone 4 is the goal of most structured training. Lactate threshold power is the single best predictor of endurance cycling performance.
- Zone 7 isn't tied to FTP. Sprints are so brief and so far above threshold that a percentage of FTP is meaningless. Some setups only show a Zone 7 boundary after a short sprint test.
- The boundaries are guidelines. Coggan stresses the levels are approximate and overlap.
How to train with them
A well-structured plan is heavily weighted to the bottom:
- Most of your hours in Zone 2 (Endurance).
- A focused block in Zone 3–4 (Tempo / Threshold) to lift FTP.
- A small, sharp dose of Zone 5–7 for top-end power and VO₂max.
That "mostly easy, a little very hard" shape is the polarized model expressed in watts. For the cross-sport picture, see the training zones reference.
FTP
250W
Sweet Spot
220–235W
88–94 % FTP
| Zone | Bereich | Was es trainiert |
|---|---|---|
| Z1 | Aktive Regeneration ≤ 138 W | Erholung; kurbelt die Beine ohne zusätzliche Last. RPE 1–2, sehr leicht. |
| Z2 | Grundlagenausdauer 139–188 W | Aerobe Basis, Fettstoffwechsel, Dauertempo. RPE 3–4, Gesprächstempo. |
| Z3 | Tempo 189–225 W | Aerobe Ausdauer und muskuläre Effizienz. RPE 5–6, angenehm hart. |
| Z4 | Schwelle 226–263 W | Laktatschwelle, FTP-Arbeit – die nachhaltige Obergrenze. RPE 7–8, 10–30 min Wiederholungen. |
| Z5 | VO₂max 264–300 W | Maximale aerobe Leistung; 3–8 min Intervalle. RPE 9, sehr hart. |
| Z6 | Anaerobe Kapazität 301–375 W | Anaerobe Kapazität; 30 s–3 min Belastungen. RPE 9–10, nahezu maximal. |
| Z7 | Neuromuskuläre Leistung ≥ 376 W | Sprint- und neuromuskuläre Leistung. RPE 10, All-out-Sprints. |
Z1 · Aktive Regeneration. Erholung; kurbelt die Beine ohne zusätzliche Last. RPE 1–2, sehr leicht.
Z2 · Grundlagenausdauer. Aerobe Basis, Fettstoffwechsel, Dauertempo. RPE 3–4, Gesprächstempo.
Z3 · Tempo. Aerobe Ausdauer und muskuläre Effizienz. RPE 5–6, angenehm hart.
Z4 · Schwelle. Laktatschwelle, FTP-Arbeit – die nachhaltige Obergrenze. RPE 7–8, 10–30 min Wiederholungen.
Z5 · VO₂max. Maximale aerobe Leistung; 3–8 min Intervalle. RPE 9, sehr hart.
Z6 · Anaerobe Kapazität. Anaerobe Kapazität; 30 s–3 min Belastungen. RPE 9–10, nahezu maximal.
Z7 · Neuromuskuläre Leistung. Sprint- und neuromuskuläre Leistung. RPE 10, All-out-Sprints.
- Andrew Coggans Sieben-Zonen-Modell drückt jede Zone als Prozentsatz der Functional Threshold Power aus. Der Sweet Spot (220–235 W, 88–94 % FTP) liegt zwischen Tempo und Schwelle und liefert einen hohen Trainingsreiz bei mäßiger Ermüdung.
- FTP ist die Leistung, die du theoretisch etwa eine Stunde halten könntest. Teste alle 4–6 Wochen neu; eine veraltete FTP macht jede Zone falsch.
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Coggan power zones vs. heart-rate zones
Power is what you produce: instant, objective, unaffected by heat, sleep or caffeine. Heart rate is how your body responds. It lags by seconds to minutes and drifts upward over a long effort at steady watts. A 5-second Zone 7 sprint barely moves it.
For cyclists, power is the more precise tool, which is why the Coggan levels are power-based. If you train by pulse, start with heart-rate zones. For a model that adapts the top end to your physiology, see Critical Power.
Setting your zones accurately
- Test honestly. A 20-minute test (take 95% of average power) or a ramp test. A guessed or stale FTP gives confident but wrong zones.
- Let the calculator do the math. Enter your FTP in the FTP calculator for all seven ranges in watts.
- Re-test every 4–8 weeks of focused training. Every zone shifts up with FTP. Training off last season's number under-loads you.
Every formula here is unit-tested against its source. See the methodology.
FAQ
How many power zones are there? Coggan's classic model uses seven. Some systems collapse them to five or six, and Coggan's later WKO software adds individualized "iLevels", but seven is the standard most platforms ship with.
What FTP percentage is Zone 2? 56–75% of FTP. Zone 2 is the endurance zone, where you spend the most total time.
Are Coggan zones the same as Zwift or Garmin zones? Most platforms default to the Coggan percentages, though some rename the levels or merge the top zones. Check that the % boundaries match the table above.
Do I need a power meter to use them? Yes, to train by them. Without one, train by heart rate or pace, which use the same easy-to-hard logic anchored to a different number.
Start by finding your FTP, or browse every calculator to set zones for your sport.
Sources
- Allen, H. & Coggan, A. Training and Racing with a Power Meter (2nd ed., VeloPress, 2010)
- Coggan, A. Cycling Power Zones Explained (power training levels), TrainingPeaks