Beyond FTP: Why Great Coaching Looks Beyond Training Zones

For more than 20 years, Functional Threshold Power (FTP) has been one of the most widely used metrics in endurance training. It provides a simple benchmark for assessing performance and has become the foundation of many training plans and workout prescriptions. The challenge is that FTP only represents one point on an athlete's performance profile.

While FTP can be useful, it does not fully describe how an athlete produces power across different durations, how they respond to training, or what types of efforts are most likely to drive adaptation. Yet many athletes and coaches still build entire training programs around percentages of FTP.

The "Problem" with FTP Based Training Zones

Traditional training zones assume that athletes with similar FTP values will respond similarly to the same workout prescription. In reality, athletes can have dramatically different physiological profiles despite sharing the same FTP. Some athletes excel at sustained efforts and long climbs. Others have exceptional anaerobic capacity and short duration power. Some athletes can maintain power for long durations with minimal decline, while others rely more heavily on anaerobic contributions during hard efforts.

These differences become increasingly important as intensity rises. The farther we move away from threshold and toward higher intensity efforts, the greater the variation between athletes. A workout prescribed as 120% of FTP may be highly effective for one rider and completely ineffective for another. This is where individualized coaching becomes essential.

Looking Beyond a Single Number

Tools such as WKO5 allow coaches to examine an athlete's entire Power Duration Curve (PDC), providing a much more complete picture of performance capabilities.

Rather than focusing on a single FTP value, we can evaluate how an athlete performs across a wide range of durations and intensities.

This helps us answer important questions:

• What type of rider are they?

• Where are their strengths?

• What are their limiters?

• Which training stimulus is most likely to create the adaptation we want?

The answers are often very different from what FTP alone would suggest.

Same Workout, Different Athletes

Consider an athlete with a strong time trial profile. This rider may have a well developed aerobic engine, strong stamina, and the ability to sustain power for long periods of time. If we prescribe a set of 5 minute VO2 intervals at 120% of FTP, the target power may align closely with their actual physiological capabilities and provide the intended training stimulus.

Now consider a rider with a strong sprint profile and high anaerobic capacity. That athlete may have the same relative FTP based prescription, but their actual 5 minute power capability may be substantially higher. In this case, prescribing 120% of FTP could result in an effort that is too easy to meaningfully challenge the aerobic system or drive VO2 adaptations.

The workout appears correct on paper, but the physiological stimulus is completely different. This is one of the reasons why two athletes can complete the same workout and experience very different training outcomes.

The Power Duration Curve Tells the Story

At BaseCamp, we use metrics such as iLevels and optimized interval targets as starting points, not final answers. The real value comes from examining the athlete's unique Power Duration Curve and understanding what their historical data reveals about their performance. For example, when prescribing intervals, we do not always simply assign a percentage of FTP.

Instead, we may evaluate:

• Recent best performances

• Medium term performance trends

• Long term performance history

• Fatigue state

• Training goals

• Athlete feedback

If an athlete has consistently demonstrated the ability to ride at a certain power for 30 minutes, that information is often more valuable than a generic percentage based calculation. For newer athletes, we frequently use Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) alongside power targets to better understand current capabilities and calibrate future training.

Data Informs the Process, It Does Not Define It

One of the core principles of the BaseCamp Performance Ecosystem is that data helps us make better decisions, but it does not make the decision. Metrics, models, and software platforms are valuable because they help us understand patterns, identify opportunities, and reduce uncertainty. However, every model is ultimately an approximation of reality. As statistician George Box famously said:

"All models are wrong, but some are useful." The goal is not to blindly follow a model. The goal is to use the model alongside athlete feedback, coaching expertise, training history, and performance objectives to make better decisions.

The Takeaway

FTP remains a useful metric, but it should never be the only lens through which we view performance. The most effective training programs are built around the athlete, not around a percentage table. When we look beyond FTP and evaluate the complete performance profile, we can better match workouts to the athlete's physiology, create more effective training stimuli, and ultimately produce more meaningful adaptations.

Performance is not built from a single number. It is built through a process that integrates data, coaching expertise, and athlete feedback to create the right training stimulus at the right time.

---

Meet the Coach: Rob Wakefield

Rob Wakefield is a BaseCamp Endurance Coach based in North Devon, United Kingdom, with 16 years of endurance training experience and 12 years of coaching experience across road, time trial, gravel, mountain bike, ultra endurance, and multi day events. After experiencing firsthand how structured training transformed his own performance, Rob became a coach in 2014 and has since coached hundreds of athletes, led training camps, managed youth racing programs, and guided riders at major European events. His background in both competitive cycling and the corporate world gives him a unique understanding of how to balance performance goals with the demands of work and family life. Rob has completed many of cycling's most iconic events, including Tour du Mont Blanc, Marmotte, Maratona dles Dolomites, Paris Roubaix, Mallorca 312, and Traka 200. His coaching philosophy aligns with the BaseCamp approach of using data, athlete feedback, and coaching expertise to build meaningful and sustainable performance.

At BaseCamp, we believe that every cyclist has the potential to achieve greatness, no matter where they start. Our mission is to create a community-driven training environment where cyclists and triathletes of all levels can train together, support each other, and grow stronger, faster, and more confident in their abilities. Our cycling training programs are expert driven and tailored to your needs. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just getting started, BaseCamp is where you belong.