A Power Zone (PZ) ride is a highly structured form of indoor cycling training that shifts the focus from subjective effort to precise, measured power output (watts). These workouts utilize a rider’s personalized metrics to maximize training efficiency and target specific physiological adaptations. This data-driven consistency, which is often missing from classes based on perceived exertion, allows riders to execute targeted training plans. This approach is designed for tangible gains in endurance, speed, and sustained power.
Understanding the Power Zones
The Power Zone system organizes cycling effort into seven distinct training zones, each corresponding to a percentage of a rider’s Functional Threshold Power (FTP). These zones target different energy systems within the body. Zone 1, Active Recovery (less than 55% of FTP), is the lightest effort, used for warming up, cooling down, or between hard intervals. Zone 2, Endurance (56% to 75% of FTP), is primarily an aerobic effort, building the base for long rides by focusing on fat metabolism.
Moving higher, the remaining zones focus on increasing intensity:
- Zone 3, Tempo (76% to 90% of FTP): Pushes aerobic capacity at a higher intensity.
- Zone 4, Threshold (91% to 105% of FTP): The highest power output sustainable for approximately an hour, improving the body’s ability to clear lactate.
- Zone 5, VO2 Max (106% to 120% of FTP): Targets the maximum amount of oxygen the body can use to boost cardiorespiratory capacity.
- Zone 6 (Anaerobic Capacity) and Zone 7 (Neuromuscular Power): Involve very short, all-out efforts above 121% of FTP to develop explosive power and sprint ability.
Establishing Your Training Metrics
The foundation of Power Zone training rests on establishing Functional Threshold Power (FTP). FTP is the maximum power output, measured in watts, that a rider can maintain in a steady state for roughly one hour. This number represents the rider’s current fitness level and serves as the 100% benchmark for calculating all seven personalized Power Zones.
FTP is most commonly determined through a maximal effort 20-minute test. The average power generated during this segment is multiplied by 95% to estimate the power output sustainable for a full hour. This calculation provides a practical alternative to performing an actual 60-minute maximal effort time trial. Once established, the training platform automatically calculates the upper and lower wattage boundaries for each of the seven zones, customizing subsequent workouts.
The Anatomy of a Power Zone Ride
A typical Power Zone ride is distinguished by its highly prescriptive structure, contrasting with the spontaneous nature of other indoor cycling classes. The workout begins with a substantial warm-up, often 10 to 12 minutes, designed to prepare the body for the structured effort ahead. This warm-up usually includes short accelerations known as spin-ups and a gradual power build to prime the body for the main segment.
The core of the PZ ride is composed of specific intervals where the instructor cues the rider to maintain power output within a designated zone for a set duration, such as “four minutes in Zone 4.” Riders adjust their resistance and cadence to keep their wattage within the calculated target range. Work intervals are separated by recovery periods, frequently spent in Zone 1 or Zone 2, allowing for partial recovery. This alternation between work and recovery drives specific fitness improvements.