If your goal is to get faster on the bike, improving your FTP is one of the most effective places to start.

A higher FTP will mean you can ride harder and faster for longer, improving your speed on the flat as well as how fast you climb. 

Zwift includes workouts and plans designed specifically for improving your FTP, from structured training plans to power-based workouts. So let’s take a look at exactly what FTP is and how you can start improving it with the help of Zwift.

What is FTP – and Why Can Zwift Improve It?

FTP, or Functional Threshold Power is the amount of watts that a cyclist can sustain for an hour. In cycling, watts are the measurement for the force a cyclist puts through the pedals.

It acts as a base indicator for how fit you are (similar to how a runner would view their 5k time). But cycling isn’t quite as simple as running. Things like road conditions, wind and hills mean that it’s much more accurate to measure the power put through the pedals, than your riding speed.

FTP is a general fitness measure that looks specifically at your ‘threshold’. This is the zone described as ‘comfortably hard’, approximately an 8 out of 10 perceived effort, and is a pace you can sustain for 20-30 minutes. As cycling is mostly an endurance sport, FTP is the easiest and most reliable predictor of your cycling fitness.

Where does Zwift fit into all of this? Well, with Zwift, you have all of the tools you need to improve your FTP.

From multiple FTP tests, to specific FTP-building workouts, to entire training plans that work on improving your cycling fitness. Everything is easy to follow, with onscreen prompts and guidance from coaches and pros.

Plus with Zwift Ready smart trainers and the help of ERG mode (this means the trainer will automatically set your power for you), all you have to do is hop on the indoor trainer and pedal.

The Best Workouts To Improve FTP

Over-Unders

Time: 33-minutes

Stress Points: 44

Effort: 3.5/5

This is a classic workout that specifically works at improving your threshold power – the zone of your FTP.

The concept is straightforward. Ride an effort above your FTP, followed by an effort below your FTP.

This workout works your threshold by taking you just above your FTP, followed by riding just below. The result is getting familiar with consistently riding at a power above your FTP, without much recovery.

Longer sustained efforts like these push you to improve your threshold power.

For this workout to be effective, make sure your FTP is set accurately in the game. So if you haven’t tested in a few months it’s wise to take another FTP test.

2×20 FTP Intervals

Time: 1 hour 20-minutes

Stress Points: 101

Effort: 4.5

Again working in your threshold zone, the 2×20 workout works specifically on improving your threshold power.

This one is tougher than the Over – Under workout, because you’ll spend more time working in your threshold zone. The benefit of this is you’ll improve your efficiency riding at and around your FTP.

Settle into your target power, keep fueled and hydrated throughout the session, and make sure you use the 10 minute break between efforts to fully recover.

This is a tough workout, so try this workout no more than once a week, and make sure you’re fully rested between rides.

Ella Harris – Climbing Power

Time: 52-minutes

Stress Points: 67

Effort: 3.5

A workout from former Canyon-SRAM professional Ella Harris, this is a climbing-focussed workout that tests shorter bursts of higher power with added surges – ideal for going uphill.

This is a variation of the Over – Under workout, which features two 10-minute blocks where you’re working hard. During those 10-minutes you’ll ride 4-minutes at a moderate cadence below your FTP, then you’ll start a 1-minute effort at a higher power but with lower cadence. This mimics the steep section on your local climb and you’ll need to dig deep!

Adding cadence work develops your pedalling efficiency, key to improving your FTP, and your overall cycling fitness. 

Devedeset

Time: 1 hour

Stress Points: 62

Effort: 2.5/5

While the workouts so far have worked mostly on your threshold, this workout keeps you just below, in your ‘sweet spot’ zone.

Sweet spot is an intensity above your ‘endurance’ pace and below your ‘threshold’. It combines being intense enough to get a sweat on but doesn’t fatigue you too quickly either. This makes it a very efficient training zone, perfect for building fitness.

The workout is simple, three blocks of 10 minutes at your sweet spot. So line up your favourite podcast or playlist and gear up for a time-efficient FTP-building session. If you want something a bit easier, there is also ‘Devedeset Lite’ which is 32-minutes.

Tabata Time

Time: 40-minutes

Stress Points: 49

Effort: 3/5 

In stark contrast to Devedeset, ‘Tabata’ is all about going as hard as you can, followed by complete rest. 

The efforts are short. Just 20-seconds of full power followed by 10-seconds rest, repeated until you’ve completed eight rounds. This forms an intense four minute effort. 

This is ‘High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)’. Whilst working in your VO2 max zone (the intensity above your threshold), Tabata training has been used more widely to improve aerobic fitness.

A hard interval session like Tabata Time, carried out once a week will help improve your FTP.

Zwift Training Programmes To Boost Your FTP

Zwift has structured training plans designed to build your FTP. We’ve highlighted a selection of plans across different difficulty levels that align especially well with FTP improvement.

That said, the reality is that any Zwift plan will help strengthen your engine. The key is choosing the plan that fits your goals, your current fitness, and the time you have available to train. Here’s a quick overview of Zwift’s best FTP-focused plans:

FTP Builder

Length: 6 weeks

Hours per week: 5

Level: Beginner

The FTP Builder plan is ideal for newer cyclists who are exploring the world of structured training, riding with power, and understanding FTP.

Workouts are simple yet effective, with most sessions under an hour. The four workouts a week (with a bonus fifth ride if you’re up for it) focus on your aerobic engine, with lots of time spent at a tempo or endurance pace.

If you’re not sure where to start with training indoors then this is the plan for you.

Build Me Up

Length: 12 weeks

Hours per week: 5

Level: Intermediate

As the name suggests, Build Me Up is about taking your training to the next level. With workouts that focus on understanding the concepts of training whilst improving your fitness. 

If you find it difficult to maintain consistency with your training, then this plan is a great fit. With four or five sessions per week, across a 12 week period, Build Me Up is a great option for riders looking to improve your FTP.

This plan features workouts with a little more intensity than FTP Builder, with sessions like Uphill Battle including lots of time working at your FTP. It also includes Devedeset, a sweet spot workout ideal for improving FTP.

TT Tune Up

Length: 8 weeks

Hours per week: 8

Level: Advanced

TT Tune Up is an advanced plan for cyclists who already have a strong base fitness, but want to push themselves ahead of a goal event.

It’s designed specifically for individual races against the clock, also known as time trials. However since it’s a similar effort, this plan works just as well for riders looking to improve their FTP.

The plan asks for commitment, at six workouts per week, but will pay back significant top-end fitness gains. If your FTP has stayed the same for a while, but you’ve still been riding and training regularly, give this programme a go and you might find those watts.

Final Tips for Improving Your FTP with Zwift

1. Test Your FTP Regularly to Stay on Track – But Don’t Overdo It!

If you’re looking to improve your fitness, it’s vital to make sure your FTP is up to date. This is so your sessions are the correct difficulty for you.

So if you haven’t trained for a while, or you’re new to indoor training, make sure you take a test before trying one of Zwift’s FTP workouts or plans.

Finding your FTP is easy. Simply choose from one of Zwift’s three FTP tests.

The classic test is a 20-minute all out effort. Your result is then multiplied by 0.95 to estimate your hour result.

You can also opt for either the Ramp Test or Ramp Test Lite (for smaller riders). This is more beginner-friendly, and works by adjusting resistance every minute until you can no longer pedal. The result is your best one-minute power multiplied by 0.75. It’s much less intensive than the classic test, meaning you won’t carry as much fatigue into your training.

Zwift also detects changes to your FTP. So if you’ve had a good race performance or made an effort up a climb, then Zwift will notice any performance increases and update your FTP value for you.

One word of caution is not to test too often. FTP tests are hard and you need to allow enough time to recover and train in between them. You won’t get faster purely from testing your FTP. A good rule of thumb is to test every 6 weeks – before and after a Zwift training plan works perfectly.

2. Use ERG Mode – Especially For Longer Efforts

ERG mode is a cyclist’s best friend, especially when riding workouts that aim to improve FTP.

A lot of the workouts in this article include riding at a moderate intensity, holding your power for longer periods of time.

With ERG mode, the trainer will set the number of watts you need to hit and you can focus on keeping the pedals turning.

3. Fuel Up

Last but not least, you need to make sure you’re fully fuelled and hydrated for FTP-building sessions. They demand a lot and your body needs to be fueled to carry them out.

Keep a couple of bottles with you while you train indoors – at least one of them being water. You can experiment with fuelling strategies. Some riders like to use gels or add some carbohydrate mix to their bottle. If you’re starting to feel flat towards the end of sessions then consider taking in more carbohydrates before and during the workout.

Improve your FTP with Zwift…

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