How it works
Sweet spot sits at the top of Zone 3 and into low Zone 4 in Andrew Coggan's power-based model, just below your FTP. Riding here drives many of the same adaptations that lift threshold power, but costs noticeably less fatigue per minute than all-out threshold or VO2 max work. That favorable stimulus-to-fatigue ratio lets you bank more quality time on the bike before you need to recover.
Why cyclists use it
It's popular with time-crunched riders because it packs a meaningful FTP stimulus into short sessions, useful when you can't fit in long endurance blocks. The honest trade-off: it's comfortably hard rather than truly easy or truly hard, so leaning on it too heavily can crowd out the easy aerobic volume and the genuine high-intensity efforts that a polarized approach prioritizes. In moderation it's a practical tool; as your only intensity it can stall progress.
How to apply it
A typical session is 2 to 3 intervals of 12 to 20 minutes at 88 to 94 percent of FTP, with a few minutes of easy spinning between them. Most riders do well with one or two sweet spot sessions per week and keep their other rides genuinely easy. The common mistake is turning every ride into gray-zone, comfortably-hard work, which builds fatigue without the upside, so protect the easy and hard days around it.
FAQ
What percentage of FTP is sweet spot?
Sweet spot is roughly 88 to 94 percent of your FTP. That puts it at the top of Zone 3 and into the bottom of Zone 4 in Coggan's seven-zone power model, just under your threshold.
Is sweet spot training better than polarized training?
Neither is universally better. Sweet spot is more time-efficient and attractive for busy riders, while polarized training emphasizes lots of easy volume plus some very hard efforts. Overuse sweet spot and it becomes junk gray-zone work: too hard to recover from, yet not hard enough to maximize top-end fitness.
How often should I do sweet spot sessions?
One or two sessions per week is enough for most riders, with the rest of your training kept genuinely easy. More often tends to add fatigue faster than fitness, so use it deliberately rather than as your default intensity.