# Why do ramp tests need to start at such a low percentage of FTP? **URL:** \ **Category:** Training\ **Created:** [February 25, 2020, 4:38am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/why-do-ramp-tests-need-to-start-at-such-a-low-percentage-of-ftp/30493 "2020-02-25T04:38:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BT-7274](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/bt-7274/32/12895_2.png) [@BT-7274](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/BT-7274)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 4:38am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/why-do-ramp-tests-need-to-start-at-such-a-low-percentage-of-ftp/30493/1 "2020-02-25T04:38:59Z")
The first 13 minutes or so a standard ramp test are so easy that I can’t imagine its really doing anything but thoroughly warming your legs up. I understand there’s a need to drain your anaerobic capacity, but I wonder if simply starting the ramp after a few minutes at FTP (after a few minutes at Z2 to warm the legs up) wouldn’t take care of that. Perhaps some science is in order? ---
**Author:** ![Alen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/alen/32/4820_2.png) [@Alen](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Alen)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 4:46am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/why-do-ramp-tests-need-to-start-at-such-a-low-percentage-of-ftp/30493/2 "2020-02-25T04:46:16Z")
It’s warmup. Not everyone wants to do a 5 min warmup and jump straight to threshold and up ---
**Author:** ![BT-7274](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/bt-7274/32/12895_2.png) [@BT-7274](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/BT-7274)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 4:49am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/why-do-ramp-tests-need-to-start-at-such-a-low-percentage-of-ftp/30493/3 "2020-02-25T04:49:54Z")
You could probably afford to knock the first three or so minutes off, though. I wonder if there’s a specific reason for starting at that particular % of FTP. ---
**Author:** ![Alen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/alen/32/4820_2.png) [@Alen](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Alen)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 4:52am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/why-do-ramp-tests-need-to-start-at-such-a-low-percentage-of-ftp/30493/4 "2020-02-25T04:52:08Z")
I don’t think you’ll find any science behind it. The start was arbitrary and the ladder is a certain % of ftp per minute. Once the test was setup, they studied the riders to extrapolate the ftp formula. ---
**Author:** ![Benjamin\_Reynolds](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/benjamin_reynolds/32/20651_2.png) [@Benjamin\_Reynolds](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Benjamin_Reynolds)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 2:27pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/why-do-ramp-tests-need-to-start-at-such-a-low-percentage-of-ftp/30493/5 "2020-02-25T14:27:09Z")
You could easily skip the first 13 minutes and see how it works out for you. Just remember to report back your findings! ---
**Author:** ![Quadzilla\_Jr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/quadzilla_jr/32/81784_2.png) [@Quadzilla\_Jr](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Quadzilla_Jr)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/why-do-ramp-tests-need-to-start-at-such-a-low-percentage-of-ftp/30493/6 "2020-02-25T14:59:17Z")
It’s a uniform, repeatable warmup. You can do your own thing, but you have to make sure it’s exactly the same every time. ---
**Author:** ![Geronimo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/geronimo/32/7757_2.png) [@Geronimo](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Geronimo)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 2:23am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/why-do-ramp-tests-need-to-start-at-such-a-low-percentage-of-ftp/30493/7 "2020-02-26T02:23:23Z")
I have little doubt you could design the first ten minutes any number of ways, you would just have to do the same extended testing period to figure out the formula from there. But what would be the point? The test takes less than half an hour as it is. ---
**Author:** ![route66](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/route66/32/13551_2.png) [@route66](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/route66)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 3:51am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/why-do-ramp-tests-need-to-start-at-such-a-low-percentage-of-ftp/30493/8 "2020-02-26T03:51:26Z")
[![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/original/3X/b/3/b3f39ee117f63e901591cecce61ac18b1e534a06.jpeg "There's Something About Mary - 7 minute abs") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB2di69FmhE) I don’t know why, but I was reminded of this scene reading the topic…