Cycling Power Zones Calculator

Enter your FTP to get all 7 Coggan power training zones in watts — recovery, endurance, tempo, threshold, VO2 max, anaerobic, and neuromuscular.

Don't know your FTP? Enter your best average power from a 20-minute all-out test and we'll estimate FTP as 95% of it.

Quick Facts

Model
Coggan 7-zone system: each zone is a fixed % band of FTP
FTP ≈ 20-minute test power × 0.95. Zones scale linearly with FTP.

Your Power Zones

Calculated
FTP used
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Functional Threshold Power
ZoneName% of FTPPower range (W)

Ready

Enter your FTP and press Calculate to see your zones.

About cycling power zones

Power-based training splits your effort into zones defined relative to your FTP (Functional Threshold Power) — the highest power, in watts, you can hold for roughly an hour. Because different zones stress different energy systems (aerobic base, threshold, VO2 max, anaerobic capacity), pinning a workout to the right watt range is what makes structured training work. This calculator uses the widely adopted 7-zone Coggan model from Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan's Training and Racing with a Power Meter.

The formula

Every zone is simply a fixed percentage band of your FTP, so the math is linear: zone watts = (percentage of FTP) × FTP. The Coggan bands are:

  • Zone 1 — Active Recovery: ≤55% of FTP. Very easy spinning, flushing the legs.
  • Zone 2 — Endurance: 56–75%. All-day aerobic base; conversational pace.
  • Zone 3 — Tempo: 76–90%. "Sweet spot" and steady sustained efforts.
  • Zone 4 — Threshold: 91–105%. Right around FTP; time trials and threshold intervals.
  • Zone 5 — VO2 Max: 106–120%. 3–8 minute hard intervals to raise aerobic ceiling.
  • Zone 6 — Anaerobic Capacity: 121–150%. Short 30 s–3 min repeats.
  • Zone 7 — Neuromuscular Power: >150%. Sprints and maximal short bursts.

Finding your FTP

The most common field test is a 20-minute all-out effort: ride as hard as you can hold for 20 minutes, take your average power, and multiply by 0.95 to estimate FTP. The 5% haircut approximates the drop from a 20-minute best down to a true one-hour power. A full 60-minute time trial or a ramp test are alternatives. For a 250 W FTP, threshold (Z4) runs 228–263 W and VO2 max (Z5) runs 265–300 W.

Reference points

  • A recreational rider often has an FTP around 150–250 W; a strong amateur 250–350 W; elite road pros commonly exceed 380–420 W.
  • Power-to-weight (W/kg) at FTP matters more than raw watts for climbing: ~2.5 W/kg is untrained, ~4 W/kg is competitive amateur, and 5.5+ W/kg is world-class.
  • Because zones scale linearly, a 4% FTP gain shifts every zone up by 4% — a 10 W FTP bump moves a 250 W threshold ceiling from 263 to about 273 W.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is FTP and how do I find it?
FTP (Functional Threshold Power) is the highest average power in watts you can sustain for about one hour. The most common field estimate is a 20-minute all-out test: take your average power for those 20 minutes and multiply by 0.95. A ramp test or a full 60-minute time trial can also be used. Enter your FTP directly, or drop your 20-minute power into the optional field and this tool estimates FTP for you.
Which power zone model does this calculator use?
The classic 7-zone Coggan model: Z1 Active Recovery (≤55% FTP), Z2 Endurance (56–75%), Z3 Tempo (76–90%), Z4 Threshold (91–105%), Z5 VO2 Max (106–120%), Z6 Anaerobic Capacity (121–150%), and Z7 Neuromuscular Power (>150%). Some platforms use 5- or 6-zone variants, but the underlying percentages of FTP are very similar.
How often should I retest and update my zones?
Retest FTP every 4–6 weeks during focused training, or after any block that noticeably changed your fitness. As FTP rises, all seven zones shift up proportionally, so training in stale zones leaves watts on the table. Recalculate here each time you get a new FTP number.
Are heart-rate zones the same as power zones?
No. Power zones are instantaneous and based on FTP; heart-rate zones lag effort by seconds to minutes and drift with heat, fatigue, and hydration ("cardiac drift"). Power is the more precise dial for prescribing intervals, while heart rate is useful for gauging overall strain. They are anchored to different thresholds (FTP vs. lactate/threshold heart rate) and should not be used interchangeably.

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