Half Monty: The Easy one. We recommend this fitness test for newer riders and for those who are mid-plan or who just want to get a sense of where their fitness is.
This is, we’re quite certain, the best ramp fitness test in the world. While it’s not as comprehensive or as accurate as our main fitness test, Full Frontal, it’s far more approachable and easier to pace for new riders. It also doesn’t require any special preparation - you just need to feel relatively fresh. Based on more than a year of research (and after dozens of lab tests and thousands of online tests) and through a completely unique combination of power and HR data, as well as sophisticated data analysis, Half Monty is far more accurate than standard ramp tests.
It also tells you more about yourself. Half Monty provides you with your FTP, Maximal Aerobic Power (MAP) and Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR) all of which we use in setting your workout targets after the test. If you’re still using the 4DP estimates when you set up your account, Half Monty will also refine your AC and NM estimates (but will not do so if you’ve done Full Frontal or manually adjusted your estimates). Only Full Frontal provides you with fully accurate AC and NM, as well as your Rider Type, Strengths, Weaknesses and training plans adjusted to those Strengths and Weaknesses.
I did my first FF test last weekend and was very pleased with the result. What helped the most to get through it was having done a HM test a couple of weeks earlier, which gave me target FTP and MAP numbers to aim for.
So I went into FF with the mentality of at least matching my recent HM results. 10 mins into the 20 min segment I really felt like giving up, but just kept telling myself I could hold my HM number. In the end I matched it to the exact Watt! I’m pretty sure I would have backed off in those last 10 mins had I not had that target to aim for. It was soooo tempting to drop my power by 20W for the last 10 mins, but I refused to cave in!
I think it goes to show how much of a mental test FF really is. If my life had literally depended on it, or there was a million pounds prize, I’m sure I could have found at least another 10W. Although I was shattered at the end, I don’t think I was really very close to death! So I must have held back a little
I find fear and dread comes from concern about results. A 5 min effort, 20 min effort, 1 min effort, we do those all year round training, so the doing it should be OK. I try to keep stress low just by focussing on what I am doing at the time, i.e. pedalling. Having said that I do try to avoid the test, only doing it wholeheartedly if I think the numbers need changing, so that was 4 times in the last 12 months
Try and think of Full Frontal as the piece of the puzzle which brings all of your training together.
Doing your best on Full Frontal is only going to help you train better in future (or bring more suffering ) as it means that all the other workout targets will be set more accurately for your training and allow you to keep achieving great things.
I think it is all about pacing and staying close to the metric you are given during the test. Don’t run like a cheetah in the beginning and spend all that energy up. Pace yourself and be realistic. I think people watch the watts way too much and try to keep them high and over the defined base given and just wear themselves out.
Performance increase and better numbers come with regular riding pushing yourself a little each time.
Hmmm, maybe I have a fear of full frontal after all. Failed again today - currently 50% of FFs end in failure. Always the same place - 5 mins into the FTP section. This time I was aiming to hit targets from last weeks HM, pretty close for MAP but couldn’t hold it for FTP and ground to a halt. Tried to restart but mentally couldn’t get in the right place.
I’ll come back to it in a few days, going to see if I can find the right combination of level mode, cadence and gear on some practice rides first.
Just throwing this out there for those that fear Full Frontal.
How about substituting Full Frontal for one of your other workouts during training but do it at a reduced intensity; perhaps 90%, so that you get over the mental bit.
Get through a couple of those without failing then jack the intensity back to 100 and give it a go.
Another thought is if it’s the 20 minute bit that brings forth the visions of a grim reaper do the GCN Aerobic Endurance workout which is a 2 by 20ish but do it at your self selected cadence to mimic the 20 minutes of Full Frontal.
It’s hard to directly compare FTP results from HM to FF. Based on previous staff and coach feedback, it is known that certain rider profiles tend to score a higher FTP in HM than in FF. So, for those riders it may not be a good idea to try to pace FF with the same FTP they achieved in HM. It may be mentally easier for these riders to start off the 20-min section in FF at a lower target and then slowly and gradually increase it to lower the chances of burnout and increase their chances of reaching their HM FTP by the end of the 20 minutes. Otherwise, trying to hit their HM FTP target from the start tends to cause these riders to blowup early.
Let’s just face it, pacing a 20 min effort perfectly at threshold is HARD!
If you are unsure about making a gain relative to your previous FF or HM it is probably better to start out at your previous FTP and then ramp up from the halfway point if you are feeling good. 10 mins still gives you a long time to push up your numbers and you probably wouldn’t lose much overall had you started out a bit higher.
The fact that your brain comes up with the excuses while your body keeps Suffering, to me, shows that SUF is doing what it’s supposed to: Making you awesome on the bike.
Bravo on soldering on through young kids & studying alike, making the Nation proud.
To improve your ability to suffer, I do heartily endorse you doing the mental toughness program again. If you cannot do all of it, the “Positive Thinking” module will help the most.
In addition, “The Bat” workout is designed to help reinforce those lessons.
I got off the bike an hour ago from doing the full frontal. I was a little anxious going into it, but more excited by the idea that once I’d done it, every effort I do in the upcoming training plans would be more beneficial. Long term gain for short term pain.
Having done it, there is a learning curve. You have to know how to pace yourself and how to set the resistance so you can go for it and keep the cadence up.
My results came out exactly as I was expecting, lower than I wanted for 5 minute and 20 minute, but about where I expected. I managed to pace it better than I was expecting and I didn’t leave anything in the tank at the end of it.
Overall, well worth doing, and I feel like I have a few extra watts “free” the next time I do the full frontal as I’ll be better at pacing and setting the gears/level so my results will be better.
Call me a sadist, but I’m looking forward to the half monty in 6 weeks, and the full frontal again in 12 weeks at the end of the road all round training plan.
In addition to the comments about the possibility of getting different numbers from HM vs FF depending on your rider type, you could also just have been having a great day when you did HM, and a less good day when you did FF.
For FF, I’ll try to get an estimate of my MAP from the 5 minute test from seeing what power numbers I’m able to hit during that interval, and then start the 20 minute test at about 80% of that number, and then adjust up or down based on how I’m feeling. The 80% is based on my experience with my normal MAP/FTP ratio. That approach seems to help me with pacing the 20 minute interval, rather than trying to hit a target from a previous workout.
@emacdoug thanks for the advice about easing into the sections. ‘Reset’ my approach to FF today with the following
Using SUF soundtrack (previous versions I’d used my own specific cadence, but couldn’t get it to work well consistently)
Easing into 5m and 20m sections, and targetting a negative split
Not worrying too much about following a plan leading up to it, just do it when I’m feeling fresh
Great results today, almost exactly my HM results, and with a new 5s PB (4 figures - whoop!), consistent power delivery with negative split on the longer sections, and nothing left at the end of each section - couldn’t have gone harder
Time for a few beers to celebrate (great FF and getting rid of 2020!)
I just finished a FF after failing last week trying to hit my HM targets (and taking it slow the past three weeks). I’m a Sprinter type, so that probably inflates my HM from the beginning.
I tried to go for a target just below my HM numbers and even that was a bit too hard which meant I had to ease off on both FTP and MAP.
Overall an increase compared to FF in october, but am still a bit dissapointed as it feels like step back from my HM. Next time I’ll try to pace like you wrote, starting with previous FF and adjusting halfway in.
I think the coaches recognise that some people can overperform on HM vs FF. If that’s your situation, then there’s no reason to be disappointed about FF being a step back from HM, it’s just the reality of how you are able to perform on these two different methods of testing MAP and FTP.
I have my 2nd FF Sunday. I’m already getting performance anxiety.
Mine stems from a fear of failing. To me that is not increasing my 5 and 20 minute power. I’m not as concerned about my 1 minute and NM efforts. Most of my riding is century’s and small groups.
My goal is a 10% increase but I’ll be happy with a 5% increase. Both of my numbers are still below my numbers from 5 years ago so I don’t feel my expectations are crazy.
I do need to change my mind set to the test being a picture of my fitness on that day and there is no faking if you left it all out there.
I recently kicked AVDP I the butt and finished strong. I also finished hell hath feeling strong a few days later.
I really find the 20 minute effort hard to pace. I’ve been tempted to use erg mode and control my trainer but I’ll avoid that and do the test correctly.
@mb207 I know the feeling about Full Frontal jitters. I just completed it on Sunday. Here are my pre-ride notes - hopefully you find them helpful:
5 min / MAP: Start around existing MAP and push up through the 1st minute. Use a higher cadence. Get to 2 1/2 minutes and then start attacking - coming in and out of the saddle. Sprint at the end.
20 min / FTP: For 1st 10 min aim for 80% of the 5 min effort. Adjust up after 10 min. Avoid surge at end (means didn’t go hard enough). Hold at the cadence that feels right (probably 90 to 100 RPM).
My plan for the 20 min FTP test went better than the 5 min MAP and some of that was gearing. Next time I will do more work planning the gears / level mode I want to be in via an Open 15 or 30 video before the test. I did some of this but it wasn’t enough. Good luck!
) as it means that all the other workout targets will be set more accurately for your training and allow you to keep achieving great things.
