Trainer Difficulty under 75%

Hi,

I’m very weak and training session even on -75% are too hard.
I cannot decrease under 75%.
Does it possible to setup under 75% ?

Thanks

Hi @Bibi_Galere

Welcome to the forum.

Training is based of your FTP, I would think that maybe your FTP is set to high.

See these helpful sources:Manually Adjusting Your FTP
How to Adjust Your FTP on Zwift | Zwift Insider

Hello @Bibi_Galere welcome to Zwift forums and Zwift more broadly.

Shuji at Zwift HQ here. Gerrie beat me to it. Please see that support article and manually adjust your FTP to a value between 50 to 100 to start. The next time you start a workout, I’d suggest you leave your FTP Bias set to 100% to see if the FTP value feels about right.

By the way - FTP (“Functional Threshold Power”) is a measure of how much power you’re able to sustain for an extended period of time. This is the major adjustment to how much resistance you’ll feel in game. The FTP bias is a minor adjustment, if that makes sense?

Thanks for quick answer.

How to find my FTP ? In fact there is a main mistake in Zwift application for noob in biking at the start.
There is not a first or several exercices to check our level and setup the FTP and programs. Or maybe I miss up something.

Hi @Bibi_Galere

It may seem like an oversight, but to require a FTP test for a beginner cyclist is not the best idea, because it can be a hard workout. Should Zwift suggest doing a ramp test. before doing any workout yes that sound like a good idea.

Or Zwift should set a new rider’s FTP to 1w and auto detect it moving it up as the rider get fitter and stronger. Zwift does already track and update the FTP, but I think the start value may be to high for some riders.

So How do you test your FTP.

I would suggest setting your FTP to 100 some lower value then search for the Ramp test in the Zwift workout folder. The Link to Zwift insider show how to do a ramp test.

@Bibi_Galere
We do not require an FTP test for new Zwifters because it’s a very challenging test that you’ll ride until you’re out of breath. Very daunting for a beginner. For now - you can adjust the FTP manually starting at a moderate number between 50 - 100, and increasing by 10. Here is how to manually adjust FTP.

For new Zwifters, an algorithm sets a default FTP when you create your account and select your gender, height and weight. This sets an FTP for the “average” person, which may be too easy or too difficult for you, which is why a quick manual adjustment may be needed.

If you have a smart trainer equipped with a power meter, taking an FTP test is something we recommend once you’re comfortable with what your power numbers feel like in game. (i.e. “50 watts is a comfortable pace where I can still talk, I’m breathing hard at 100 watts, `150 watts I can do for 15 minutes before I can’t hold it, 250 watts is a sprint that I hold for 20 seconds,” etc)

Alternatively, don’t do workouts!

Just ride around and have fun for a bit. Try joining a RoboPacer. Maybe Taylor or Bernie. You’ll find a pace that suits, and then you can work out where your FTP might be*.

*if you look at the average watts that you’re doing for a 30 minute ride with the RoboPacer where you can do that comfortably, and then multiply that by 1.5 that’ll give you a decent nunber for an FTP to do workouts at.

Don’t be deterred on the training session, I agree with the others in setting the FTP lower then increasing it slightly higher if you feel the workout is a bit too easy.

Doing those workouts can be a great way of getting stronger. Good luck with it. :slight_smile:

FTP is an estimate of how much power, on a good day, you can sustain for an hour with a race effort. It says nothing about how good you are at higher powers. Yet the training programs are based on the assumption that FTP predicts how long, and how many times, you can sustain harder efforts.

In the simplest model, there is another parameter, AWC or W’, which describes how good you are at efforts over FTP. Zwift doesn’t bother with this. It assumes FTP is the one number which rules them all. This is the big problem with Zwift workouts.

So don’t worry too much if some workouts are too hard for you. Just pick shorter workouts or workouts with less intensity.