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FTP Test by Garmin is totally wrong and not the Standard Protocol?

f|33tStA
over 4 years ago

i am not sure, but i think, the Garmin FTP Test is totally wrong and not like the Standard FTP Test Protocols, or?

in the 20min phase, the Garmin Test change the Target of the Power every 4 minutes higher, the first 4 minutes are arround my actual FTP and then Garmin increases the value, after 8 minutes to a value where it's impossible for me, to hold till to 12 minutes, same after the next step, the target is now so high, more ore less 100 Watt over my actual FTP, it's impossible to hold it so long.

Why all other to the FTP testing different, like Zwift, in Zwift you get the message after 10minutes, you have now a average of e.g.210 Watt, try to increase it, so you cqan hold it for the next 10 minutes?

i know, i do cycling for fun and i am near 50 years old, but is this Testing really right?

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to f|33tStA

    Thanks. I hope they will respond to you. I am from Austria too btw. but I am sure others have the same problem.

    I think my settings are still fixed to that FTP value of 236, that it set right in the first week after I was running outdoors. Although I set the FTP manually to 160, the watch still acts as if it were 236. and the FTP test never adapts.

    Thanks for your effort and I hope Garmin will react some time. I once sent a request to Firstbeat about another issue and got a response immediately the next day. I sent the same request to Garmin and never got a response, only "we will look into it". But this problem seems to be a Garmin software problem, not a Firstbeat issue.

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    I've experimented with the function quite a bit and am convinced that you need an ftp of at least 175 to complete the test. Lowering the user settings never gets the starting wattage below 170. My flat ftp is 167. The average watts needed in the first couple stages of the test is about  180. According to Strava i can only hold that for about 10 minutes so the test always crashes out before I get to stage 4.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Dogbalou

    I've tried the test last week, and it finished before the last stage (I don't know why).

    when I stopped and saved the activity, the FTP value was updated, but not appeared anything when the test finished.

    I think the test wasn't completed.

    I'll try to repeat it this week...

    My Garmin is a 830 with fw 6.20 and my FTP autodetected in the device before the test, is about 225

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to CarlosRiv

    i have a ticket on Garmin for this case since a long time, they are still searching for a solution, but last week i found something interesting:

    i made a lot of low base rides arround 105-110bpm in the lowest FTP aerobic zone, so my vo2max decreases during this workouts from the blue Zone to the green Zone, that means my vo2max goes down to  43.

    When i look in the FTP Test, the targets changed to lower values, this are targets i think i can handle, but as soon as my vomax goes back to over 44 then theTargets changing to impossible targets for me!   

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to f|33tStA

    some unsolicited advice: if your VO2Max is 44 and your FTP is below 200, don't obsess with those metrics and do some ground work and get those long base endurance k's done. particularly ftp isn something that shouldn't concern you if you can't hold > 220 watts for an hour...

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to maxkobe

    Thank you, sounds very logical, but i think Garmin would have to manage that, the vo2max is calculated based on age, i.e. the ratios, or?

    i am a 50, so i am in a different vo2max range as a youngsta Stuck out tongue winking eye

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to f|33tStA

    VO2 max is the maximum amount of ml oxygen per kg per min you can consume. Best way to tweak it is losing weight... Wouldn't put too much worth on that value. The best scores are typically held by pro tour climbers, xc skiers, skimountaineers, trailrunners.
    Doesn't really depend on age, though naturally decreases with age.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to maxkobe

    sure, i know, atm i try to loose some weight, the W/kg increase, anyway, my BMI is with 22 not so bad atm

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to f|33tStA

    If will go with intervals aftee that base, then Vo2max should increase

    For example I had 59 vo2max now I am at 53 ,but put some kg ..

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to krazyeone

    do you think if i lower my hr max by 5bpm that i can also lower the vo2max with it?

    seems the new Garmin Suggested workout on FR945 Beta calculating the Threshold Training wrong too now with to high vo2max ?

    They seems the same way to high like the FTP Test!