Agree. If you can grit your teeth and dig deep anaerobocally to stick out another 30 seconds on the ramp test, it can meaningfully impact your FTP.
I think my FTP is over stated for this reason. I’m still in base phase tho, so have not yet done the higher intensity 0.92 or 0.93 IF workouts to really test me.
@Chad & @Bryce, Just being reading this thread. Especially like the @trpnhntr comment. I think there are two separate issues here;
Is my FTP right (or right enough) that I can do the individual workouts. I suspect this effect is different given different workout types (sweet spot/FTP/VO2 max) (also contains immediate motivation effects)
What is the overall effect of the FTP being a bit off (either way) on the training effect (Longer term real improvement)
(There is possible a third (3) perceived or actual difference between TT and road and inside and out. I will ignore this as we are focusing on the - see below)
I can imagine that if my FTP was too low, I would (1) (relatively) breeze through workouts. and (2) not get the training effect.
I imagine if my FTP was even 10-15W too high (Mine is around 238W Rg bike) I would (1) struggle with some workouts like long sets at FTP but it would not make a great deal of difference to VO2 max ones.
Given my week (Sustained build mid-volume) consists of different types of workout, too high an ftp would have different effects…
a) Aerobic endurance (probably not too sensitive to FTP)
b) VO2max/Anaerobic (Would push system harder and make last few intervals more difficult)
c) Tempo 85% ftp. (Would make these a bit nearer sweet spot)
d) Threshold & over/unders (Would make these quite hard - possibly demotivating)
e) Threshold over FTP (Would make these really hard - or a powerful training effect.
f) Group ride - where I am working hard to stay on the wheel of much faster, ligher and fitter riders. (who cares - just survive 
)
So I suspect there is a matrix that is something like type of workout down the side… and How far out your FTP is along the top… with the areas that become red flags (for session and overall training effect) differing with type of workout. And peoples’ comments reflect these differences in different boxes.
It might even vary with the Training plan, and time of season, but that is a level beyond my thinking.
I was wondering this recently because I have chosen to ignore the move from road to TT bike in my FTP setting and just to the sessions with my overall FTP on my TT bike. (I moved from Rd to TT bike in the new year). This is because I want to push a decent FTP on my TT bike and be efficient.
I did Avalanche Spire last night with some apprehension beforehand. Your ‘in-workout’ comments on this chimed with my thinking, chad, (But to be frank I was too focused on holding my cadence and completing the session intervals, to read all your comments and take it all in).
Does this make sense?
Agree, and I would add that there is something to it regarding when that TOO HIGH FTP shows up in your plan and what your previous training has been. For example, if you OVER test coming out of Base and your Build is significantly different, you are more likely to struggle because you haven’t been training those physiological systems.
For example and in my case, coming out of Traditional Base MV and testing high going into General Build MV, those over/unders and VO2 max repeats felt foreign and shocking to the system. My body was wondering where were the long SS and endurance intervals that I’ve been building for the past 3 months.
If I would’ve gone into SPB, SSB1 or SSB2 which my body had been cultivating, I wonder if my FTP wouldn’t have felt too high?
Conversely, If I would’ve gone into SPB would the effect even been sooner and more drastic?
I’m sure there are many variables but some plans ease you into the work while others throw you to the wolves immediately.
@PhilSJones, I think you are correct on most of the above. I’m reading right out of bed, so I need to re-read it to be sure.
But for clarity, I’m not Coach Chad Timmerman. So some of what you are asking is better directed at him via his @chad tag.
I’m just the resident forum rat that spends a bunch of time here.
Well put 
Me too. I just really underperform in the VO2 range, and that makes my ramps a little undercooked. I usually just manually add about 5 watts after the test.
No problem @PhilSJones, it’s not the first (and most likely not the last) time that people make that mixup. I just try to make sure people know that I am not THAT Chad.
Absolutely. This is what I tell people all the time. I can tell by HR and RPE during SS intervals where I am at. It just takes time of listening and learning your body’s signs over the years.
I seem to have accidentally created a second thread on this. Not intended. No idea how I did it. Sorry. @mcneese.chad
No sweat. It was an easy fix.
I edited your prior post with the same tags to Chad and Bryce, so they should be notified and may have a look at your post.
Still puzzled what I did. Thanks anyway.
I think this was my experience exactly;
I ended up doing 18 weeks of SSBMV (probably not recommended for someone training for criterion type efforts) and then Short Power Build literally punched me in the face with my lack of V02Max/ Anaerobic fitness.
The new SSB MV2 Tuesday workout progression looks like it was re-designed to better address that specifically.
My next go-around through SSB, if I am still feeling un-balanced with regards to these energy systems I may:
Start with SSBMV1, but switch the Tuesday SS progression workouts in SSBMV1 to the Tuesday V02Max progression workouts from SSBMV2.
Then, move to SSBMV2, but switch all the Tuesday workouts to the Tuesday workouts from Short Power Build MV.
OP UPDATE
1/15: Ramp Test result 287 (8% increase)
1/22: Week 2 of GBMV
I over performed on my FTP test, it’s too high realization.
1/23: Down adjusted FTP to 276 (-4%), or half of my original increase
This is what I needed to get my training back on track, increase my morale and keep motivation high. Amazing what 4% can do. Thanks for all the advice.
YES YES YES YES … I have had my doubts but been afraid to air them.
Fairly advanced competitive cyclist of several years, started Zwift last year and TR last autumn, my career path is as follows:
Ramp test of 330W without going quite full-bore, forgot that I can quit whenever during the minute. 6 months prior, Zwift had me at 342W
Breezed through SSB1 LV, apart from Palisade.
Ramp test of 366W - erg mode had accidentally been turned off but I have scrutinized the data and don’t think that tossed it off.
Limped through SSB2 LV Reduced my FTP almost immediately to 355 and have almost always knocked a further 7% off that, resulting almost exactly in my previous FTP of 330. Sweet sport, threshold and VO2max alike, I don’t stand a chance of completing a workout with my “real” FTP.
I am balancing cycling with XC skiing and prep on the SkiErg and gym, but have accounted for this by stretching out the programme by doing no more that 2 quality workouts (programmed) per week and supplementing with easier ones.
I am no stranger to endurance training and firmly believe that for a 40-year old, even with an extensive background, the Ramp test returns results that are too high and that 3 high-quality workouts per week are simply too much.
I think they’ve addressed this before, but it has to depend on a lot of individual factors and can’t be generalized too well.
All of that said, I think they’ve published blog posts in the past that say 2-3% gain per block is reasonable. That can be enough to drive a 10-20% increase in a year, done consistently, which is pretty significant.
this is the advantage of being 60, fat and slow, I have fully embraced the suck.
It sounds like you might have physically done some damage that needs to be rebuilt. Probably best to set the ftp back to 330 until you are breezing through workouts again. Sometimes you need to go slow to go fast. You know what the ceiling is, if you feel like things are easy, bump your ftp up 4% and see what happens. I know one thing for sure, if I get a big jump in ftp on a test, I’m not going to accept the proffered value. At least not right away in one jump.
It’s not like you are a beginner that doesn’t really know yourself. You were getting a pretty decent training effect from the lower intensity, so don’t ruin it by pushing yourself too hard.
I’m not sure whether this counts as over testing, but for me the first week of a new plan is always brutal. Suffering to get through the workouts. Then by week 4-5 is when I start failing workouts. Week 5 I’m failing them consistently, week 4 is intermittent and dependent on the program. I would consider a fail to be having to take a 30 second breaks here and there during the workout.
I’m always doing mid volume plans and I’m 35 y/o.
Happy to see this thread. I’ve been struggling with failing ramp tests after the recovery week.
I’ve had it twice now where I’ve been smashing power goals the final week of my plan, then recovery weeks rolls around and it doesn’t seem to do what it should do, then ramp test comes around and I end up where I was.
So I guess the question I had is - is that by design? You would test higher final week of say a build plan and by the time start of the next plan hits you’ll have dropped back a bit.
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The other thing is that the ramp test is very hard and I feel slightly dangerous - I don’t particularly like pushing my Hr to 205 very often (especially indoors where I’m not busy smashing a hill)
I have a few years of experience with TR. 38 years old, 77kg.
8% FTP improvement after SSB1 low vol. Twice.
Ramp test done for the fourth time since it was introduced. This time it was 265W.
SSB2 Low vol Week 3, workout 3 - Palisade. HR 177bpm during OVER parts and around 170 during UNDERS. Interval 2, I’m struggling like never before, gasping for air. I lowered intensity by 3% half way through the third interval and just survived the workout.
Is it possible that certain types of riders, the ones that are more of a sprinter or more of a time trialist (not sure here), consistently test too high with Ramp Test?
sorry