Day 1 = 2x20 with <5 min between @ ~95% of FTP
Day 2 = 1x20 @ 100-105% of FTP, essentially an all out TT effort
Day 3 = Rest or VERY EASY (ie 30-60 minutes at 50% of FTP)...all small ring.

Repeat, over, and over, and over. FTP is your current FTP, not your desired FTP. On day #2 insert VO2 work every other cycle with something like 5x5 @ 110-112% of FTP with 3-5 minutes rest.

Either don't run at all, or run only very easy, if you have to. I would not recommend running between workouts 1 & 2. You gotta rest.

Should have added that I am done with running (for now) and swim 2x as a general recovery. I bike 5-6 days a week and average 160-220 miles.

Would this change your recomendations?

Wow, you went sub 60 for 40K on 2.88 W/Kg? You must be a bullet! Nice job there. How quickly you can add 15W depends on how long you have been at this/using pwr. If your first season, pretty easy with some long FTP intervals (20 mins) on the trainer/bike.

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I must be doing something horribly wrong....you weight 82 kg, and can go 40 kph off 236W?

Heck, I put out 14 more watts over an hour and there is the odd time that I break an hour and I'm assuming that at 62 kg, I must be punching a smaller hole in the wind....what's your height....maybe you are smaller and thicker and more aero!

Why isn't anyone recommending intervals at ~VO2 power?

(When I read the question I assumed the OP was already doing threshold work...and of course plenty of z2-3 time)

I did! :-)


this should be done in lieu of the 20 minutes at 100-105%

Is that three consecutive days or do you rest in between each?

Three consecutive days. People who want to see more VO2 work in there are under-estimating just how hard that block is.

I was kind of wondering the same thing. I haven't attempted to break 40kph in a TT, but at ~4 W/kg I seriously doubt that I can nail it with any sort of regularity (if at all). Either I'm riding like a parachute, or this guy's 40k TT was straight downhill. Perhaps a misprint by the OP? 3.88 W/kg? That would be somewhat realistic for a rider that's just under 61kg.

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I might do a bike focus for 3-4 months after race season in an attempt to raise my FTP. I would still want to do 2-3 easy runs a week as well as my regular swims. How would you suggest modifying your bike plan in the context of this additional workload? How about a 4 day cycle:

Day 1 = 2x20 with <5 min between @ 95% of FTP
Day 2 = Rest or VERY EASY
Day 3 = 1x20 @ 100-105% of FTP (5x5 @ 110-112% of FTP every second cycle)
Day 4 = Rest or VERY EASY

I would definitely want to maintain my swim practices, not just for the social aspect, but because I find it helps my legs recover.

It can be really tough (mostly mentally) to stick with a schedule like that for 3-4 months. I'm confident you will get much, much stronger on the bike if you were to get through it though.

Day 2, where you have 1x20 at 100-105% FTP, is that really the only main set for that session? Basically, warm-up, the 1x20 min and then cool down? So the total workout time is about 1 hour? Am I understanding that correctly?

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Yep, that is why it is ideally done at 105% of FTP, essentially and all-out 20 minute effort. If done correctly, then you likely won't be able to do another one anywhere near that effort. If you were really feeling good, then maybe rest 10 minutes and do one all out 5 minute effort. At that point, I'm sure you will want to be done.

Remember, you don't have to log long miles/hours in order to improve FTP. You just have to get the work done, AND you have to let yourself recover & absorb the training.

I agree, that is more difficult than many people think it is.

I would need a fairly good warm up before that too. Trying to go from 75% to 105 is difficult for me.

jaretj

If I did that for 3-4 months I would be hoping for 50-60W, not 15 :)

Is there a reason you are not in favor of the 6x5'x1' @ 105% FTP? Some have stated this is better than the 2x20's and considering you have the 1x20's in there also it may mix it up a bit.

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After Day 3 do you go back to Day 1 or is there one or more rest days?

Also are all watts created equal? Is 53x11 @ 60 RPM the same as 53x15 @ 80 RPM provided the watts are the same?

Which is why he has 5x5'@110% every other week in place of the 1x20@105%.

That sounds cool. Is that six, five minute intervals with one minute rest?

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I would think that 6X5'X1' @ 105% would be very difficult if not impossible for me to complete.

Now if the rest was 3 to 5 min like Flanagan suggested then it would be much better.

jaretj

for the 3 posts above me...

6x 5' @ 103-105% with 1 min rest is a FTP/LT interval

the 5' interval provided in the workout is a VO2 interval so they are not the same. To be fair I have not done the 6x5' with 1 min rest myself but have heard from others they have seen more improvement with that then the 2x20's. If it were me instead of alternating the 1x20 & 5x5 with 3-4min rest i would alternate 5x5 with 1 min rest and 5x5 with 3-4min rest at different intensities. It is hard for me to mentally grasp another 20 min workout the day after doing 2x20's.

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Ahh...missed that. Yup...that looks pretty good to me. I just know people who only do FTP and below work...and expect to keep making gains. Without the VO2 work, you're leaving something on the table.

Looks like I'm doing something horribly wrong, too. 6ft, 85kg, 291w for the 20 minute test. Best 40k (by almost 2 minutes over previous) 60:54. On a fairly flat course, but with wind.

Got a Transition, moved forward and down and am right at 25 mph for 35k. Unfortunately, I have to miss the regular 40k TT this year.

Just wait'll next year!

How long can you do this before your improvement tapers off?

Don't you need a large base (perhaps early season?) before you start this type of program? Or can you just jump into doing it?

It's basically a daniels cruise interval...

:)