@Alex so when and how should I build my training for 2025 starting fall / winter 2024? Would love to hear your advice and plan ahead.
Never said that, but a 20% increase in FTP is probably not going to happen. Unless you have been training very inefficiently over the last decade…
Structured work and focus on weaknesses will still yield results, volume will always result in better durability but FTP is very unlikely to grow massively. It is not uncommon to gain quite a bit of VO2max without significantly changing FTP.
I’ve said it before, FTP isn’t the holy grail. There’s much more to increase performance but those things aren’t captured in a single number. They show when competing , and results are in my opinion still more important then one singel ‘bragging’ number.
Also people get can get a little stronger each year. Pros for example are good if they gain a couple of watts in the FTP more FTP/Weight ratio. So each year you just make micro gains. Also if you happen to do exactly what your body needs you can see a bigger grain.
If you want to be the best you can, then I personally believe you do what you know works for the best. Base+build+peak+race (you are in the race period now, where you just maintain your fitness). We are be fans of Zone 2 around here with a super big aerobic base which might help or at the least you can feel amazingly fresh and strong at the peak outdoor season.
A normal schedule starts in October or so… Yes, as MedTechCD alluded to, that FTP is just a number and you can play a game and make the number the max possible but that does not make you the strongest cyclist you can be unless you happen to be a 40k or 1 hour flat land TT racer and rather than ramp tests you are doing 20 minute or even better 40+ minute FTP tests…
Your aerobic system can benefit from non-cycling but doing as much volume as you can is good but it sounds like you are doing a lot. You also should do more variety. If you do base or base+ in CJ and set a 6 month event date starting in October with CJ it should be good. If you research and believe in Zone 2 or Maffetone style then you could just use our heart rate feature for a base period. You want to feel super fresh and hungry after a base period and lose some FTP but gain some power vs hr ratio.
Also when I say variety that can mean a period of zone 2 (base). During a build and peak period workouts like SFR and Dynamic Force are totally different than other workouts. Getting some quality threshold time and some VO2max time… All this variety. If your really trying to squeeze out a few percent then skills work can make a difference and really for performance maximizing your aero will likely make a bigger difference then FTP boosts.
Cadence work can help a little especially when done over a long period of time. Coach Andrea recommends motor pacing but I don’t know if that is legal but the pros all do it it as part of cadence work. Again for you now if you can squeeze 1% here and 2% there you could end up with another 5-6%+ next year which starts to really make a differences after a few years.