Turn a known FTP into a complete seven-zone training breakdown — the training purpose, % FTP and watts for every zone.
| Zone | % FTP | Watts | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z1 · Active Recovery | 0–55% | 0–138 W | Easy spinning that promotes recovery between hard efforts. |
| Z2 · Endurance | 56–75% | 140–188 W | Basic aerobic conditioning — the foundation of endurance fitness. |
| Z3 · Tempo | 76–90% | 190–225 W | Moderate, sustained effort that improves aerobic efficiency. |
| Z4 · Lactate Threshold | 91–105% | 228–263 W | Race-pace effort at or near FTP that raises sustainable power. |
| Z5 · VO2max | 106–120% | 265–300 W | Hard intervals that improve maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max). |
| Z6 · Anaerobic Capacity | 121–150% | 303–375 W | Short, very hard efforts that build anaerobic power. |
| Z7 · Neuromuscular Power | 151+% | 378+ W | Maximal short sprints for peak power and technique. |
Don't know your FTP yet? Estimate it first with the FTP Calculator, then enter it here for a detailed zone breakdown.
Power zones divide the full range of cycling intensity into bands — from easy recovery spinning to maximal sprints — each defined as a percentage of your Functional Threshold Power (FTP). Training plans use these zones to prescribe exactly how hard a given workout should be, independent of terrain, wind or how you happen to feel that day.
This calculator uses Andrew Coggan's published seven-zone model, which scales every zone as a percentage range of FTP:
Take a rider with a 250 W FTP:
That's 3.34 W/kg FTP for a 165 lb rider. Enter your own FTP above to see all seven zones scaled to your number.
FTP is a single number — the reference point everything else is built from. Power zones are what you actually train and pace by day to day. If you haven't estimated your FTP yet, start with the FTP Calculator, which also includes a quick zone preview; this page is the detailed version once you already know your number.
Heart rate responds slowly and drifts with heat, fatigue, hydration and caffeine, which makes it a poor pacing tool for short, hard efforts. Power zones respond instantly to effort and aren't affected by those factors, which is why most structured training plans built around a power meter default to power zones — though heart rate still has value for gauging long, steady aerobic effort.
Consider retesting your FTP periodically during structured training — often every several weeks, or after a noticeable fitness change — and recalculate your zones whenever your FTP meaningfully changes. Training with outdated zones after a fitness gain means every workout gets progressively easier relative to your real capability, which blunts the training effect.
Percentage-of-FTP zone boundaries are a modeling convention, not a precise physiological cutoff — the transition between, say, tempo and threshold intensity is a continuum for any individual rider, not a hard line at a specific watt number. Treat zone boundaries as useful guides for structuring training, not exact physiological thresholds.
