I switched to AI Detection a few months back, and I’ve never been able to get it to provide an accurate FTP estimate from a workout recommendation standpoint. Before switching, the old algorithm assigned me an FTP of 212, and I could do workouts with SS at 3+, Threshold at 2.0, and VO2max at 5+. With AI, my FTP was switched to 189. I thought it was fine, since the FTP calibration was based on completing threshold 3.0 workouts.
With the new FTP, I could complete threshold 4.6 and SS 5.9 workouts. Interestingly enough, AI continues to assign my FTP to 189. Is there a reason for that?
If you are asking for permission to view my calendar, I agree. If you are looking for me to post details, I can do that too. It’s ok to post what you’ve found on this forum. Perhaps others can benefit from the discussion.
It looks like we keep suggesting an FTP of 189 because you keep changing it to 212. I can see 18 manual entries of 212 since the start of the year.
The last threshold workout that you completed with your FTP set to 212, where you didn’t have to lower the workout intensity, was on April 11th, and that was a level 2.0 workout.
The week before that, you rated a level 1.9 as hard, two weeks before that it was a level 1.6, then a 1.4, 1.0, etc.
This tells me that your FTP is very likely lower than 212.
My suggestion moving forward is to accept the FTP we give you and stick with it for a while, rather than bouncing back and forth between two different numbers.
It’s better to climb up to higher-level workouts with an FTP that’s slightly too low than to get stuck with really low-level workouts with an FTP that’s too high.
That’s likely going to be the most productive way for you to train.
The suggested workouts at FTP 189 were too easy. Initially, I manually adjusted it back to 212 for the SS and Threshold workouts. But recently, I stayed at 189 for these workouts, and either adjusted the intensity (went up to 112%) or selected a higher level of workout (Threshold 4+). It’s harder to estimate the appropriate increase for Endurance, and so I moved back to 212 for one workout.
I will stay at 189 for a few weeks and adjust the intensity as necessary. I will wait for the next FTP detection result.
On a separate topic, when I used an FTP of 212, I found I had more difficulty in doing Threshold workouts. I could hit SS at 4+, but I could only manage Threshold 2.0. Does this show a training issue?
Which workouts were too easy? The ones that were supposed to be hard, or the easy ones?
I wouldn’t switch your FTP back and forth depending on the style of workout you’re doing. We adjust your progression in each training zone independently, so we’ll catch on if you’re particularly strong in one zone.
Based on everything I can see in your training history, your FTP should be closer to 189, so I’d accept whatever TR gives you and stick with your training for a while to see how things feel.
Adjusting the workout intensity is a good way to fine-tune your effort, but I always recommend getting through a whole set before making changes, as the effort can sometimes build over the duration of the workout.
The fact that you struggled with threshold workouts isn’t surprising. They’re definitely taxing in a different way than sweet spot, and if your FTP was too high, then you’re starting to push into that highly unsustainable power range, which is really hard. This is just another sign that 212 is too high of an FTP for you right now.
I can lose fitness with lower-level workouts. And I don’t know how long AI will take to adjust to the correct level of FTP. If it’s one or two weeks, that’s not bad. If it takes 4 to 5 weeks, I am not so sure.
True. But you can also lose fitness by training too hard and not recovering properly. Unless you’ve got an event in a few weeks, I’d let the program run its course.
I’d be happy to take a closer look. Just let me know if you’re cool with discussing your training details here in this thread.