New to FasCat, but jumping into SSB 4 as I’ve done a lot of base/build work in TrainerRoad this year. Just to check where I am I did an indoor 20 min FTP test. FTP came out at 255 (NP over the 20 minutes was 269). My average HR over the 20 minutes was 159. For HR, do I enter 159 in TP or do I take 5% off that number too. And I think I also choose Coggan 5 zone for HR. Is that correct.
Thanks and looking forward to FtfP!
Hi Sandy,
We can do that for you if you like since you have the subscription.
However just use your heart rate of 159 bpm as your threshold heart rate. With only a 20 minute effort most of the time it takes the heart rate a few minutes to come to the true effort so you shouldn’t take 5% off of the average. The average of the whole 20 minutes is a better true representation of your threshold heart rate.
Here is how you set up the zone! But yes use Coggan 5 zones for HR.
Hi Jake, thanks for the quick response. And I think I’m all set. I used 159 and did the Coggan 5 zones. Just wanted to make sure I was doing it right. Power Zones should all be right.
And I think in I heard Frank say in a podcast it is a lot of work (and probably not worth the effort) to fiddle with an indoor FTP and outdoor FTP. So to stay consistent with field testing, I will stick to the indoor test format I used. I will likely do a lot of the weekday rides indoors anyway. Outdoors will mostly be on the weekends for the longer rides.
Yeah it is a lot of work to fiddle with both. They shouldn’t be too far off from each other, though there will be a difference. Some greater than others. If you do start doing hard weekend rides and hitting long durations over your FTP you might want to look at adjusting it. We can look at your data after a few weekend rides to help you determine what you should do.
You are doing sweet spot 4 right now and the most intense workouts come on Wednesday when you will be indoors so it will be very good to use that indoor FTP. Shooting for a target that is too high would be detrimental to the workout. With these Vo2 max intervals it is important to stay on target the entire time and not going out too hard.
Thanks @Jake. One last question (for now 
). Do you guys recommend erg or resistance mode on the trainer. For almost all of my TrainerRoad workouts, I’ve done erg. But don’t know if the way you structure your workouts or the objectives of the workouts make resistance better. Thanks again for all your help.
I recommend not using erg so you can go off of feel. If you are doing full gas workouts, or workouts with burst you absolutely do not want to use erg. But if you are doing tempo or sweet spot intervals and don’t want to think you can absolutely use erg mode. I personally don’t like it, but plenty of athletes we coach use it and like it. Power is power. But sometimes it is just good to feel that effort on your own.
I try to sleep. That counts right?