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Power zone calculator

Calculate your training zones

Calculate your 7 power zones from your FTP, the talk test and your power profile. They aren’t just percentages of FTP: the upper zones are adjusted to what you can actually do over 5 minutes and 20 seconds.

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Your data

FTP W
How do you do the talk test?
  1. Start at 55% of your FTP, on the trainer or on the flat, and go up one step every 6 minutes: 55, 60, 65, 70, 75 and 80% of FTP.
  2. At the end of each step, say a short text you know by heart out loud, about 30 words long.
  3. When you reach a step where you can no longer talk comfortably, stop the test. Your talk test is the power of the last step at which you could still talk comfortably, without breaking up sentences to breathe. If you're unsure on a step, count it as not comfortable.

Your best 5-minute and 20-second power from the last 3 months. You'll find them in your power curve on Strava, Garmin Connect or Intervals.icu.

Enter your FTP to see your zones. With the talk test and your 5-minute and 20-second power, the zones fit you better.

How JSCT zones are calculated

The starting point is Coggan's 7 zones, with two changes so they fit you and not just a percentage of FTP:

  • The boundary between Z2 and Z3 comes from the talk test: the highest power at which you can still talk comfortably. Z2 covers the 15% of power below that value.
  • The upper zones come from your power profile. The top of Z5 is 5% above your best 5-minute power, and the top of Z6 is your best 20-second power.

Z3 goes up to 90% of FTP and Z4 up to 105%, as in Coggan's model. Without a talk test, Z1 goes up to 60% of FTP and the boundary between Z2 and Z3 is estimated at 75%.

That's why two cyclists with the same FTP can have very different upper zones: a sprinter has a much wider Z6 than a climber, and training both with the same numbers wouldn't make sense.

Frequently asked questions

What are training zones?

They are power ranges that group efforts with similar effects, from recovery to sprinting. They're used to plan each session and control intensity.

What is the talk test?

A simple test to find the highest intensity at which you can still talk comfortably. It's done in 6-minute steps from 55% to 80% of FTP, and that power marks the boundary between Z2 and Z3.

How are they different from Coggan's zones?

They start from the same 7 zones, but the boundary between Z2 and Z3 comes from your talk test and the upper zones from your power profile, instead of a fixed percentage of FTP.

How often should I update my zones?

When your FTP or power profile changes: after a training block, after a test or at the start of a season. As a guide, review them every 8 weeks.

JS Cycling Training