How to Break an FTP Plateau: 3 Things That Work When Threshold Intervals Stop

Most cyclists trying to raise their FTP are focusing their effort in the wrong place. It might seem logical that doing FTP intervals will raise FTP. But as most cyclists discover, this only works for a few months.

After these gains are maximised, you can hammer FTP intervals relentlessly, yet your power will not budge. Here are three approaches that will help overcome an FTP plateau.

1. Strength and conditioning

A 2021 meta-analysis in Sports Medicine found that cyclists who implemented genuine strength training improved their cycling economy by up to five per cent, meaning they could sustain the same power output with significantly less physiological strain.

The word doing the work there is genuine. Light circuits and high-rep bodyweight sessions do not produce the effect. What does is heavy, progressive, low-rep loading, which is set out in why cyclists over 40 should lift heavy.

2. Concentrated VO2max work

FTP is constrained by VO2max. It is the absolute ceiling on aerobic power. Hammering threshold work without expanding that ceiling is like rearranging furniture in a room that isn't getting bigger.

VO2max intervals, done properly and done fresh, raise the ceiling so that FTP has room to grow. The qualifier matters as much as the session. A VO2max interval performed on tired legs delivers a fraction of the stimulus for the same subjective cost, which is the single most common way this work gets wasted. Masters riders in particular should read VO2max training for masters cyclists alongside this.

3. Rest

A substantial proportion of cyclists who feel stuck at a particular FTP are not physiologically incapable of going higher. They're training in a chronically under-recovered state where the body has stopped adapting.

In this instance, more sessions are absolutely not the answer. A genuine deload is. Substantial, wholesome rest and recovery.

Remember, fatigue is more powerful than fitness. It will suppress your true potential until you let it dissipate. The same mechanism explains why a well-trained rider can arrive at a race feeling flat, which we cover in training latency and the 12 to 16 day rule.

Is it a plateau or a ceiling?

Riders who have followed an app-based plan for years often assume they are near their physiological limit. In our experience coaching cyclists around the world, that is very rarely the case. A plan that is structurally incapable of producing further adaptation looks exactly like a rider who has run out of talent, and the two are not remotely the same thing.

We set that argument out in why cyclists stop progressing, and why it's almost never your ceiling, and a worked example of what breaking through actually required in how Richard went from 280W to 350W in three months.

Frequently asked questions

Why has my FTP stopped improving despite hard training?

Usually one of three reasons: the aerobic ceiling above threshold has not been raised, cycling economy has not been addressed through strength work, or the rider is too fatigued to adapt to anything at all.

How long does it take to raise FTP?

Threshold-focused work typically produces gains for a few months before it stops paying. Beyond that, meaningful progress comes from raising VO2max, improving economy, and allowing fatigue to clear so adaptation can express itself.

Can rest really increase FTP?

Rest does not create fitness, but it makes existing fitness accessible. Riders who deload properly after a long under-recovered period frequently test higher without any new training stimulus at all.

Where to go next

If you are over 50, our free Masters Cycling Handbook carries highly personalised advice for older cyclists. If you are racing, the Racer's Guide is the one to read. To have a coach review why your FTP has stalled, book a free consultation. From pros to busy CEOs, cyclists all over the world are training the DUCHY way.