Power zones for a 400W FTP

The seven Coggan power zones — the canonical zone model every power-meter-based training system uses — calculated for an FTP of 400 watts. Plus common workout targets (sweet spot, threshold, VO2max, over-unders) in watts so you don’t have to do arithmetic on the bike.

Coggan zones at 400W FTP

Zone	Name	% FTP	Watts	Purpose
z1	Active Recovery	0–55% of FTP	0–220 W	Promote recovery; shake out fatigue without adding load.
z2	Endurance	56–75% of FTP	224–300 W	Build aerobic base — mitochondrial density, fat oxidation, capillary growth.
z3	Tempo	76–90% of FTP	304–360 W	Extend endurance with a harder stimulus; race-pace for long events.
z4	Lactate Threshold	91–105% of FTP	364–420 W	Raise FTP; improve lactate shuttling and sustainable power.
z5	VO2max	106–120% of FTP	424–480 W	Increase maximal aerobic power; push VO2 ceiling.
z6	Anaerobic Capacity	121–150% of FTP	484–600 W	Develop anaerobic system; critical for surges and attacks.
z7	Neuromuscular Power	151%+ of FTP	604+ W	Train short-duration maximal efforts — sprints, jumps.

Common workout targets at 400W FTP

These are the ranges you’ll see most often in structured training. Save this page or bookmark it as a quick reference.

Sweet spot (88–94% FTP)

352–376 W

Threshold (95–105% FTP)

380–420 W

Over-unders (88% under / 105% over)

352–420 W

VO2max (106–120% FTP)

424–480 W

Anaerobic (120–150% FTP)

480–600 W

Recovery (40–55% FTP)

160–220 W

Example sessions at 400W FTP

Six staple structured sessions written out in watts for this FTP — the same template you’d see in a well-built training week, from base to top end. Every target comes straight from the prescription bands our coach trains against, not rounded guesswork.

Endurance

90–180 min steady

Aerobic base — the foundation everything else is built on.

240–300 W

Sweet spot

3 × 12 min, 5 min easy between

Most of the threshold benefit at a fraction of the fatigue cost.

352–376 W

Threshold

2 × 20 min, 8 min easy between

Raises sustainable power — the work that lifts FTP itself.

380–420 W

Over-unders

4 × 10 min (alternate 1 min over / 2 min under)

Trains lactate clearance for surges and rolling terrain.

352 W under · 420 W over

VO2max

5 × 4 min, 4 min easy between

Pushes the aerobic ceiling — the engine's top end.

424–480 W

Anaerobic repeats

6 × 90 s, 3 min easy between

Max-effort anaerobic power for attacks, bridges, and short steep climbs.

480–600 W

What a 400W FTP tends to suit

Elite amateur / pro-adjacent

Few riders sustain an FTP this high, and at typical racing weights it implies a strong W/kg. Training at this level is almost entirely about specificity and timing — sharpening race-relevant systems, defending recovery, and tapering precisely — rather than adding raw volume. Marginal gains, executed consistently.

Absolute watts don’t set a racing category on their own — what matters on a climb is power-to-weight. At 400W that works out to roughly:

60 kg rider

6.67 W/kg

70 kg rider

5.71 W/kg

80 kg rider

5.00 W/kg

90 kg rider

4.44 W/kg

How these zones are calculated

Every number on this page anchors to one value: your FTP of 400watts. The seven Coggan zones are fixed percentage bands of FTP — Endurance is 56–75%, Threshold is 91–105%, VO2max is 106–120%, and so on — so the watt ranges above are just 400multiplied through each band and rounded to the nearest watt. Change your FTP and every range scales with it. That’s why getting the FTP number right matters more than any single workout: it’s the divisor under your whole training week.

Don’t know your FTP?

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