colnago62

fietsbob

MiPeGr

I didn't come here to have multiple people insult me to my face. I'm out...

CraigMBA

Having read the thread, I'm not sure what was insulting, but to answer your original question. Yes its possible.

I was a cheeseburger short of 300 pounds (6'3" tall) when I got separated. I started riding about nine months later, and got injured (mtb crash) three months after that which sidelined me for six additional months. Three months after I started again (and hired a cycling coach/nutritionist) I was to 317w FTP and about 230 pounds, which at that point I got injured again (another mtb crash).

So I think couch to 200w is totally doable, so long as you put the work in. I was training 15 hours a week, and riding events on weekends that might be that long (double centuries). I was doing just endurance work and my FTP kept crawling up in sympathy. When I started focusing on FTP it exploded, and at one point last year I had it up to 370w. However, that came at the cost of my endurance because I was ignoring longer rides. A balance is necessary between the two. I'm currently back to working on endurance and getting my body fat % down.

You can do this if 1) you put in the work and 2) you don't hurt yourself on the ramp up.

Good luck!

washed up

I saw a lot of good information in this thread...not sure what set off the op.

ChinookTx

Maybe the pictures of the "red couch on wheels" could be interpreted as insulting by someone who has a lot of weight to lose? I don't see much else that I would find insulting, but unless the OP says what it was, we'll never know.

colnago62

TrojanHorse

He didn't like being told his best approach would include losing weight. I'm not sure what the couch bike had to do with anything...

The internet is a cold, dark place if you get all wound up on the Clyde board.

CraigMBA

It's totally realistic, and easily acomplished. The biggest limiting factor is commitment and time, and keeping an eye on your ramp rates.

If you can do one hour a week (broke up into three 20 minute workouts), and add just 20% per week additional workout time per week, you are there in just ten weeks.

colnago62

DrIsotope

By my 6th month, I was still consistently averaging around 8-9 hours a week. Within 9 months, 13-15 hours per week, and I had a couple of 20+ hour weeks in the first year.

My second year, in 2016, I put in 717 hours, including a stretch of around 70 consecutive days where I put in around 2,500 miles. Narrowly missed 12,000 miles for the year, and completely burned myself out. Took about 4 months to recover.

Fast forward to now, and I'm content with 12-13 hours a week, and I only watch the power numbers to make sure I don't recreate the 2016 situation.

A 200W FTP should not be an issue for a bigger person. We make more power to begin with. Our W/kg will just never be very impressive. Strong little guys can have FTPs of like 4W/kg or more. I'd love to have that, but a 376W FTP seems a bit out of my reach.

CraigMBA

I agree. The enemies are gravity (the force making it so hard to get off the couch and start), inertia (see gravity), and mindset (self defeating before you try).

Cycling is not a endeavor for the lazy or unmotivated.

If you think 20% additional TSS per week is too aggressive, how about 10%? That gets you there in 20 weeks.

Given the forum we are posting on, I think we are okay on that one.

DrIsotope

Whenever I feel like I'm having a low-output day, I just remember that one of my buddies at the LBS had his girlfriend do an FTP test. She's a little thing, with the power to match. Her average 20-minute power? 81 watts. I think I need about a hundred just to maintain forward motion on level ground.

CraigMBA

Exactly.

My head works a little different than most. I went to college to be an accountant, and I used to farm for a living. There's always metrics, and there's always best practices within those metrics.

Most people coming off the couch aren't going to jump into a big serious training program (I did but I'm not most people). I did and failed miserably because I over trained. So I hired a trainer who put a muzzle on me, and limited my initial work. Pretty much all I was doing was endurance (zone 2, or sweet spot) riding. We did a FTP test and I made 245w. After six weeks, we retested and I made 317.

All I did was a ton of cardio development work, but it raised the floor, which raised my FTP in sympathy.

And I submit thats where most people are. Building fitness and improving performance so you can reach the goals that you want. In my case, that was to ride one specific event that was four months away. And I learned a few things. One of them is to not let my TSS slope get much past 10 otherwise I get sick.

Note this article:

https://www.joefrielsblog.com/2015/05...ramp-rate.html

If you pledge to do enough work to raise your TSS floor by 7 per week, you'll be at 70 at the end of ten weeks and 182 at the end of six months. Your fitness will be the best it's ever been and your weight may be enough you can't post in the forum anymore.

You can do this.