300 watts FTP

I have been riding and training for a lot of years now. With purchasing a power meter in 2014, the training became more serious, but I had done structured training (Friel’s “Training Bible” type) before. I am 41 years old now and weigh around 70kg, with the lowest weight for season peaks of just about 65 kilograms.
I have been a loyal Sufferfest/SYSTM user (aka “addicted”) since 2019. However, for all the years from when I was using a power meter, my FTP has been hovering at about ~240 watts (~3,2 W/kg) with a peak of just under 280 watts in 2017. So I wonder if I would reach at least once an FTP of 300 watts (or just above 4 W/kg). And more than that, what it would take to get there.
I want to set the 300 Watts mark as my goal (“Big Mountain”) for 2022. But I wonder what training plan could get me there. Right now, I have built a somehow personalized plan with the building blocks plan. My approach here is to put a MAP block between each increasing block (from “Base” up to “Threshold”) so that I am continuously increasing the training stimulus with some polarized periodization (Base-MAP-Tempo-MAP-Threshold-MAP). I also have put in strength and yoga training to address stability and flexibility. Now in the middle of the first MAP block, I can see how my MAP increased since the last #FullFrontal (but I must admit that I feel like I underperformed a little bit then in the 5 minutes test compared to the previous Half Monty outcomes).
What would the coaches suggest? Is that approach any good for my 300 watts goal? What should I consider to do if I want to reach my goal?

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Wow that’s a solid mountain.

Looks like you’re already hitting the benchmarks I’d have thought: heavy FTP/MAP work with strength training. From a former racer perspective (and the last time I ever saw an FTP of 300+) weight is another thing to think about. How light can you safely and healthily get? 65kg is pretty light already - especially in your 40’s (I’m jealous!).

Coach used to drill into us that you can spend $1000 to trim 1kg off your bike, but costs very little to trim 1kg off your backside. Since you’re on the indoor trainer, bike weight doesn’t come into play as much - esp. if you’re on a wheels-off trainer.

Regardless, this is an intriguing goal, would love to follow your progress!

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Thank you for your answer @CPT_A . I am not that concerned about my weight. As long as it’s in the 70kg ballpark (+/- 3 kg) I don’t think I would need to actually work on it.
I have the feeling I have some kind of a ceiling/plateau at around the 250 Watts mark and would be happy to break through it. I just need some more advice on how to do that. A lot of MAP work should do a part of the trick I guess but I am still not sure if the SYSTM plans will suffice for that. Don’t get me wrong. I really think these plans work and helped me to reach my previous goals. But these goals were events. This time I want to focus on the numbers because at least once I really wanna go fast :fast_forward: :fast_forward:

Hey @Holger1980 ,
There is nothing wrong with the format you’ve laid out. Another option would be a TT plan with a FF test at the end instead of an event. My suggestions would be to add the MTP plan to your schedule, periodic testing to chart your progress, listen to The Knowledge podcasts and read pertinent articles From the Coaches, especially from @Coach.Suzie.S From The Coaches: Goal Setting
Consider a chat with a coach as you progress in your training.
Let us know how you are getting on.

Cheers,
Spencer

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It also depends on the time that you have available and wish to devote to training. If you have less time, you need relatively more intensity to make up for the missing volume, you can get plenty fast that way but the recommendations will be different and your ceiling may be different.

If you have substantial time to devote and wish to devote it, I’d suggest that your endurance, tempo and FTP work make up a greater overall proportion of your training blocks vs MAP. This is just personal experience, but I have found the benefits of for example FTP training take much longer to maximize than MAP, to the tune of like ten weeks vs two or three weeks. And you can sustain it longer.

Here’s how I did it last season, for reference:

Endurance training and weights starting in January, with MTB about twice a week. Naturally includes some intensity but unstructured.

Starting in Feb, reduced the weights and added tempo intervals to three of my weekly rides. One long block that I gradually extended, and thirty minute intervals where I gradually added more of them.

March and April were each an FTP block (3 on, one off) march focused on extending TiZ, beginning of April i retested and did the same block on the higher ftp.

May I did MAP to peak for a race. It was endurance MTB and I decided after that the MAP was not the right choice. I was too fast, crushed it off the gun but couldn’t maintain.

Taking that lesson, month of June was back to tempo but more race-specific and extending the long rides.

I overdid it in june—by the time of my A race in July I was tired—but I was happy with the result and although I wasn’t focusing on it, along the way, FTP went up to mid-300s at 68 kg.

Biggest thing I learned is to test along the way, and don’t necessarily start adding high intensity (MAP) if you’re still seeing continued improvement off of lower intensity training (eg tempo)

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:upside_down_face::upside_down_face::upside_down_face::upside_down_face::upside_down_face::upside_down_face::upside_down_face::upside_down_face::upside_down_face:

Apparently coach grunter recommends you just manually adjust your 4DP profile to the power targets you want to achieve and just keep doing sessions at that level until you can complete two weeks worth of training at your big mountain power targets.

I’ve been following this plan for two years now with a ‘set’ FTP of 500 and a MAP of 750. While it’s true I’ve only been able to complete one recovery session at those targets over the two years, grunter assures me any day now things will change!!! :volcano:🚴‍♂

I hope so, training like this is pretty intense at times!! :hot_face::grimacing::lying_face:

:crazy_face::crazy_face::crazy_face::crazy_face::crazy_face::crazy_face::crazy_face::crazy_face:

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Slightly more seriously, 300 is a pretty fair effort. Ultimately I would love to get there too.
I’m thinking solid, consistent structured training covering everything (diet, strength, yoga, mental), is the way to get there. But it won’t be easy, and there’s no guarantee, which is kind of why we want to get there no?

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