Dubbayoo

I'm using Coggan's suggestion of 106-120% of FTP and doing 4 sets of 5 minutes. It's hard but not quite hard enough to have me questioning whether I'm going to finish, which it seems like it should.

For level 4 I do 2 x20's at 91-110% of FTP. For Level 6 I do 5 sets of 2 min @ 121-150% of FTP. Both of those efforts seem to leave me at the right level of discomfort so I think FTP is correctly determined. It just makes me wonder if my Level 4 INT's should be longer - 2x10 or 3x7 instead of 4x5.

What say you?

Hocam

How does your 5 minute power compare to what you've been doing? It could be that your 5 minute power is high relative to your FTP so the Coggan workouts aren't speaking to your power profile.

I've been thinking of anaerobic training like weight lifting, you have your one rep maximum and everything is done in relationship to that. If you're doing fewer sets or want to increase training stress, use a higher % of your maximal power output for that period.

MDcatV

I use a 3 week progression, as at the end of 3 weeks is where I see the biggest gains from these intervals, and after I plateau.

typically I start with 3x8 (total 24' work)at the lower end of the intensity (like 110% ftp), progress to following week, 5x5 (total 25' work)a little more intensity, and finish with 3 sets 3x3 at 120% (total 27' work). = recovery for all. all feel the same, very heavy breathing, legs full of lactic acid for the last minute of each rep.

I respond big at the end of the 3 weeks, then very diminishing returns so I move on to more awc stuff in the next block of the peaking process.

Dubbayoo

Lactic acid is rarely the limiting factor for me unless I'm doing anerobic INT's of 2 minutes or less, perhaps a result of 25 years of weight training. I usually fade because I'm coughing up a lung. I probably just need a bunch more work at Level 4.

procrit

It would appear that your FTP has some good room for improvement like you suggest...

waterrockets 

I hit 5x5s hard enough that I'm just barely increasing power on each one, and my last one I either miss the power target, or barely make it. That's my goal -- sometimes I have too much in the tank for the last one and kill it. My average for the 5x5s is ~93% of my 5' power. I also get 5' recovery between each.

Stallionforce

115% of FTP in 1,2,3,4, or 5 minute intervals with equal recovery to interval duration works plenty fine for me.