RideTest
20-Minute FTP Test
Warm-up, 5 min hard opener, recovery, 20 min max steady
- 1h07
- 25:00
- Very hardDifficulty 4 of 5 — Very hard
- Hunter Allen
What we typed
Warm up 20 min building from 50% to 75% FTP, including 3 × (1 min spin-up at 100 rpm, 1 min easy). 5 min hard all-out even effort. 10 min easy at 50% FTP. 20 min time trial as hard as you can hold evenly (note: FTP ≈ 95% of average power). Cool down 12 min at 50% FTP.
Fit File Forge built the steps below from these words — the same steps your watch gets.
Describe your ownThe session
Warm up
Build from 50% to 75% FTP; include 3 × (1 min spin-up at 100 rpm, 1 min easy).
Rep
Hard all-out, even effort.
Easy
Rep
Time trial as hard as you can hold evenly; FTP ≈ 95% of average power.
Cool down
Targets
Set as a share of your FTP. Your watch applies it to the FTP in its own settings, so it keeps up as that changes.
- 50–75% FTP
- 49–52% FTP
Scaled version
A ramp test is gentler for new riders — or do the 20 minutes without the 5-minute opener.
Build the scaled version in ForgeAbout this session
The story
Coach Hunter Allen's FTP test: a 20-minute time trial, with 5% taken off the average power to estimate FTP. His protocol puts a 5-minute all-out effort beforehand, so the estimate isn't inflated by fresh anaerobic capacity.
What it trains
It sets your FTP — every %FTP target in this library depends on it.
Who it's for
Any rider with a power meter or smart trainer. Retest every 6–8 weeks.
Sources
- What is FTP? — Hunter Allen Power Blog, 2013
Related workouts
Classic 2 × 20 FTP
2 × 20 min at 95–100% FTP, 5–10 min easy
1 × 40 Threshold
40 min continuous at 95–100% FTP
5K Time Trial
Warm-up + strides, 5 km all-out, cool-down
NOT HERE? DESCRIBE IT.
Describe it and it's built for your Garmin — your coach can plan the weeks around it.