Trying to get after it now. 430hrs so far this year and plan on keeping consistent through the winter.
Hopefully my schedule allows more opportunities to get some racing in next year. I’ll be eligible for 40+ too… 
After ramp testing on Saturday I’m currently sitting at 4.8 which gives me a lot of confidence going into winter. My aim over the next 2-3 months is to increase my volume from an average of under 6 hours per week to 8. FTP is currently 311, in my head I’m hoping to push that to 330 by the end of March which will put me above 5.
The 5 w/kg doesn’t mean much to me as a goal, but performance wise it should be the bump I am after.
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I used about 2 years and a bit under 1000 hours from 100% untrained (barely moved for couple of years) to 5W/kg, I kept ramping up my volume over the 2 years. Now 1 year and +750 hours later i’ve got 5,55NP over 45min as my best result in race.
I can’t sprint for shit (0-30sec is terrrrrrrrible).
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Crazy. I swear there is something wrong with me. Everyone I ride with reports much higher FTP’s and I ride, train and race as much as most amateurs. I’ve been at this and riding and training consistently for 15 years and was a Div1 athlete in college 30 yeas ago so a long cardiovascular history.
My absolute best FTP test via the 20 minute protocol was 315W. The best TR ramp test yielded a 311W FTP early this year. And my best 60 minute effort was in the 280W range. These wattage numbers are basically unchanged since I started training with power in 2007.
I had an opportunity to do a VO2max gas analysis 2 years ago at 49yo expecting a low value which would confirm my low FTPs over the years. The result at 75kg=69ml/kg/min.
The journey continues I guess. Maybe some new wheels will help.
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What does your training look like?
@stevemz Like I’ve spent too much time money on this hobby.
Seriously though, since starting with power in '07 I’ve been coached by Steve Campo and Barney King, I’ve done canned plans from Fascat/Frank Overton, some TR last year coming into this year, and some years doing more volume and getting intensity with group rides/races.
I was more writing in for those like me that are in awe of those of you who can go from no history to 350-370W FTP in a couple years. Pushing past 4.5 and close to or past 5w/kg.
Friggin hats off to you. I fully understand from a race perspective the limitations to FTP but, I’m still seriously impressed with the numbers being reported.
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Incredibly I read almost everything in this forum, I will report a little now what is going on with me, and how it will be from now on, I’m from Brazil, I practice cycling for about 3 years, 2 and a half years with power or less than that.
When I started a 3 years a go I was 86 kg and hit a ftp of 282 if I’m not mistaken, so today I am currently hitting 74 kg and 347 ftp.
Ok, I had a coach from training peaks, I didn’t pay a monthly fee or anything, so we ended up broken and I’m currently without a coach, doing some things on my own in terms of training.
I’ve used traineroad a few times, today I try to help a friend from Germany train through TR, and I’ve seen that there are some training plans.
I don’t like criterium racing very much, but I do very well in Time trial and gravel, events over 100km to be exact.
Well what I mean is, I have a few races within a month, and then there won’t be any more, I’ll have about 3/4 months to just focus on training.
I am currently training 18,000 km / 590 hours.
I want to reach 5.0kg / w . so I will try to lose 4kg I have already marked a nutritionist, but in part of training just following the TR plans, what would be the indications?
sorry for any disagreement in my english
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I lowered my Zwift race weight 
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I think we need a thread for people like us! No div 1 anything for me but I’ve been racing for 30 years and am at about 280 watts for a 40 k tt too. I’d like to know if anybody in our point in life has ever increased their FTP 30 or 40 Watts. I think it’s a lot different with young guys in their first few years of training.
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There are quite a few comments about riders expressing disappointment because they aren’t where they think they should be despite riding consistently.
Maybe you’re not at 5 w/kg but I’d wager that if you do ride a lot you’ve probably got more skills and abilities in your locker that are just as useful.
We are all built differently and we all have different commitments to overcome to be able to ride our bikes. I average less than 6 hours per week but I’m at 4.8 w/kg which is way north of some of my club mates that average 10 hours. I always feel that if I could do 10 hours per week I’d be about 5.3-5.4 so we all have those same frustrations too!
5 w/kg is a nice goal but as long as you feel you are progressing then that’s all that matters. Sometimes you just have to change things around to force adaptation, I don’t think a lot of people like going super hard, sometimes you need to.
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I’m always sceptical of reported FTPs! An awful lot of people out there who have a ramp test number that they would struggle to hold for 30 minutes. Or who are still reporting their lifetime best FTP that they recorded in a single test 3 years ago and haven’t come close to since. Or who just straight out lie. And that’s before you get into all the possible sources of error from power meters that don’t get zeroed regularly or are just plain wrong. A friend who I would be highly confident of beating over any distance or terrain on a bike doesn’t have a PM but has a smart trainer that’s recorded him pushing 400W for an hour during a Zwift race! I would guess that’s out by at least 100W based on his outdoor performances.
Nothing you can do about anybody else’s numbers, and there are plenty of people who are going to be jealous of your 280W.
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Ha, meanwhile your power is about my goal. Everyone is always looking upwards. (I’m your height and weight)
As a mere mortal I feel 5w/kg is always going to be unattainable.
At 98kg even with a 5% weight drop would require a genuine 370 FTP just to get to 4w/Kg - which is one of my ‘aspirational’ medium to longer term goals.
Getting to 5w/Kg would mean hitting a 460 FTP at the reduced weight, which is completely unrealistic at my age when accounting for other lifestyle demands.
My interest in this thread comes from the process that people have adopted to get to the 5w/kg mark - there seem to be plenty of good take aways relating to predominantly consistency, application and thoughtful training plan formulation that can only help someone like me improve - albeit at a much lower level.
Thanks for the insights 
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That’s my aim too and why also have this thread tagged, thanks all. I’ve managed to get the weight down to your possible target weight and it appears to be settling at that level… 92-93kg. I’m sure if I watched what I ate and did a little upper body exercise I could achieve 90kg, but I enjoy my snacks/ sweets, just one of my life enjoyments. Rather do what I do and look for that extra 10W from my legs!
I am though interested in to what I can achieve ftp wise and where my ceiling is. Have both a Quarq power meter, which gets zero’d before tests and also the power meter on the smart hammer trainer (calibrated monthly). So I believe in the numbers as they read the same ± 1% of each other. I’m looking at a target of 375W and after the winters training schedule I hope I’ll get close, though I may plateau before then.
As for getting to 460 FTP I agree, completely unrealistic for us both.
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I’ll second the skepticism on ramp tests. Although Xert and the Strava power curve are pretty close for me (they are both 5w over my best Hour of Power), I’ll do a flat-out hour every 8 weeks or so, just to keep my FTP number honest. I am an old time trialist, so it’s an odd sort of pleasure for me, but yeah – the true test is to hammer it for an hour.
And for what it’s worth – a multiple-time national champ in this area pokes fun at me (in a friendly way) for how much I train at 53. He rides his bike a few hours a week. Then he craftily sucks wheels, reads the moves, and is always in position to launch his 1400w sprint (at about 175-180lbs, far over his old race weight of around 150). That’s why he’s a former national champ, and I’m a guy who, for almost 40 years, has always been in the break but never on the winner’s step. Race sense and skill, they matter.
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375W would be a hell of a lot of power on a flat course though! Especially if you get yourself some nice cross and head winds.
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[quote=“cartsman, post:379,
topic:11045”]
Nothing you can do about anybody else’s numbers, and there are plenty of people who are going to be jealous of your 280W.
[/quote]
Well I hear you there! At 85kg and good flexibility, flat TTs are my best event and I went 54:25 on 280 watts norm at our state 40K and I wonder where are all these 350 watt FTP guys? They should be wiping the floor with my 280, right?
Still, like everybody I wonder…wouldn’t another 30-40 watts be fantastic! LOL
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Well this one’s not at 350W yet and may never get there! Though he’s on the other side of the pond, enjoying his one and only mountain bike, doing the occasional Audax and the odd rare Zwift race (probably <10 in 2 years)…in which I’ve yet to get near the podium 
I’m also one who doesn’t train to race, we all have different reasons for training. Maybe some could wipe the floor if they raced, and maybe they wouldn’t, as some have mentioned before it’s not all about power. Even TT, it’s position, cda, pacing and probably far more I wouldn’t even know about but sure you would. I have twice done the Zwift Bologna Time Trial, first attempt my NP was 333W, second time tried different pacing and NP was 317W. That second attempt was 10 seconds faster and that’s messing with just one variable.
My FTP, probably like majority of others on here, is one created now by the Ramp test and only used for setting the correct training zones. When I switched from the 20 minute test (Zwift to Trainerroad) my FTP reduced from 310 to 299, but I’m only using it for setting levels for TR workouts so no issue for me. I think the honest hour test as mentioned by @RobertK would probably fatigue myself and affect my planned workouts if done on a regular basis. Regular hour FTP rides, Kudos to you… At some point I would love to verify that figure and wouldn’t be surprised if it was at least 5% out and maybe more. One day I’ll find out, I’ll have to be mentally strong for that attempt.
We all know the the ramp uses 75% of your last minutes power to give you a virtual hour power (FTP), where in real life no two people would be the same and that 75% could be easy 76.45% for one person and 71.432% for another. I would agree a lot more people would be below the 75% and would put myself there too… but majority of the time that FTP given works for me on TR workouts and when it doesn’t I always have the intensity minus button!
Non humble brag post:
Aged 48 (in Nov 
)
5w/kg in peak season at 55kg and 280w based on 30’ TT Friel protocol
- ex cat 1 in 90s
- must be close to 4 w/kg off the couch
- do sweetspot most days from January (3x12 building to 3x30’) through winter with periodic recovery as required - 8 h/week
- when weather improves move to longer steady rides plus VO2 (110% ftp 4x7’ or 3x8’). 10h per week
- training for mountainous Euro fondos
This formula works for me year in year out
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Yup - once we reach a certain level, we immediately look to the next one!