FTP zones and what they reference
Power-training zones are a reference model, not a workout plan. Each zone is a band of power expressed as a percentage of your Functional Threshold Power, and each band is labelled with the physiological system it is meant to represent. Here is what FTP is, the Allen & Coggan seven zones as shares of FTP, and what each zone references — rather than prescribes.
Open the FTP Training Zones calculatorWant your own numbers? The FTP Training Zones calculator takes a single FTP value and splits it into the seven power bands described below, so you can see exactly where each boundary falls for your fitness.
What FTP is
Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is the highest power output a cyclist can sustain in a quasi-steady state for approximately one hour, measured in watts. It sits close to the intensity at which lactate begins to accumulate faster than it can be cleared, which is why it is used as an anchor for training intensity.
Because a genuine all-out hour is brutally hard to pace, FTP is most commonly estimated rather than measured directly. The best-known shortcut is to ride a maximal 20-minute effort and take about 95% of the average power from it, which approximates what you could hold for an hour. Other protocols exist — ramp tests, 8-minute tests, modelled critical power — and they will not always agree. Whatever the method, FTP is a single reference value, and every zone below is defined as a percentage of it.
The Coggan 7 zones as a share of FTP
The most widely used power scheme is the seven-level model set out by Andrew Coggan and Hunter Allen in Training and Racing with a Power Meter. Each zone is a band expressed as a percentage of FTP, and each is given a name that references the physiological system it is meant to represent.
| Zone | Name | % of FTP | System it references |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z1 | Active recovery | < 55% | Recovery |
| Z2 | Endurance | 56 – 75% | Aerobic base |
| Z3 | Tempo | 76 – 90% | Tempo / aerobic-glycolytic |
| Z4 | Lactate threshold | 91 – 105% | Threshold / lactate |
| Z5 | VO₂max | 106 – 120% | Maximal aerobic (VO₂max) |
| Z6 | Anaerobic capacity | 121 – 150% | Anaerobic capacity |
| Z7 | Neuromuscular power | > 150% | Neuromuscular |
The boundaries are approximate by design. Coggan describes the zones as overlapping ranges rather than hard walls, because the physiological responses they reference shade into one another. The percentages are the reference points; the labels are what those reference points are meant to mean.
What each zone references, not prescribes
It is worth being precise about the word references. Each zone is a label the model attaches to a range of power — it tells you what physiological system that intensity is associated with, not that you must train there.
- Z1, active recovery: this is what the model labels easy spinning that references recovery between harder efforts — not an instruction to ride here.
- Z2, endurance: references the aerobic base — the fat-oxidising, capillary and mitochondrial adaptations associated with sustained low-intensity work.
- Z3, tempo: references a moderately hard aerobic effort sitting below threshold.
- Z4, lactate threshold: references the region around FTP where lactate turnover becomes the limiter.
- Z5, VO₂max: references maximal aerobic power — the ceiling of oxygen uptake.
- Z6, anaerobic capacity: references short, hard efforts drawing heavily on anaerobic energy.
- Z7, neuromuscular power: references very short maximal sprints limited by force and neuromuscular recruitment rather than metabolism.
In every case the framing is descriptive: this is what the model labels a given band of power, not a rule that says you must spend time in it. Deciding which zones to ride, and for how long, is a training-plan decision that sits outside the reference model itself.
Why zone models disagree
The seven-zone power model is not the only scheme, and the alternatives draw their lines in different places. A three-zone polarised model splits training into easy, threshold and hard. A five-zone model compresses the seven into fewer bands. And many riders still use heart-rate zones, which respond to a different signal entirely — heart rate lags power, drifts with heat and fatigue, and is anchored to a maximum or threshold heart rate rather than to FTP.
The practical consequence is simple: a zone number from one model is not comparable to a zone number from another. “Zone 3” in a five-zone heart-rate scheme does not mean the same intensity as “Zone 3” in the Coggan power model. When you read a workout description or an app’s zone chart, check which model it uses before treating the number as meaningful.
A reference, not coaching or medical advice
Everything here describes what the Coggan model labels — it is not coaching or medical advice. FTP drifts as your fitness changes, so any zones derived from an old test go stale; re-test periodically to keep the reference honest. Before turning zones into a structured plan, or if you have any health condition affected by hard exercise, consult a qualified coach or clinician. See our editorial policy for how we source and review this material.
Frequently asked questions
Is FTP the same as my one-hour power?
FTP is defined as the highest power you can hold in a quasi-steady state for roughly an hour. In practice it is usually estimated as about 95% of the average power from a 20-minute maximal test, because a true one-hour test is hard to pace.
Do the zones tell me how to train?
No. The zones are a reference model that labels ranges of power by the physiological system each is meant to represent. They describe what a given intensity references, not a prescription for what you should do. Turning zones into a plan is a coaching decision.
Why do different apps show different zones for the same rider?
Because they use different zone models. A 3-zone, 5-zone or heart-rate-based scheme draws its boundaries differently from the Coggan 7-zone power model, so a zone number from one system is not directly comparable to a zone number from another.
Related tools and reading
FTP Training Zones calculator
Enter your FTP and see the seven Coggan power bands, with the exact watt boundary for each zone.
ToolPower-to-weight calculator
Turn watts and body mass into W/kg — the other common reference point for cycling power.
Sources
- Hunter Allen & Andrew Coggan, Training and Racing with a Power Meter — definition of FTP and the seven-level power zone framework. Checked 24 Aug 2026.
- Andrew Coggan, Power training levels — the percentage-of-FTP boundaries and physiological labels for each level. Checked 24 Aug 2026.