Setting Records and Adjusting 4DP

Training
#1

How should one use the records on the passport page with their training?

I’m just back into cycling and my 4DP was super low. In the 3 weeks since with the all purpose road i’ve bumped up 19 points on FTP and 22 on MAP, as far as the records state.

I assume I shouldn’t bump up the FTP numbers based new records according to what I’ve read.
But, would be great to have a little explanation of what the records mean, how they are calculated, and how to incorporate them into training. Did Tool shed today and got a new ftp record even though I was all over the place in terms of power out put, so wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Apologies for asking something that has been asked before.

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#2

Welcome!

The 4DP metrics aren’t the same as your best power numbers over a certain duration. The 1 minute power comes after sprints, max 5 min and 20 min efforts so it really shouldn’t be the best 1 minute you can do, so it’s quite normal to have higher records in your passport than 4DP values. The same is true of the 20 min effort, abs your best 20 min effort isn’t the same as your FTP.

That’s said you’ve almost certainly improved so good work! Half Monty is usually written into the plans, and that will update your MAP and FTP. I’d probably hang on to changing numbers until then.

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#3

Hey there.

The short answer is we shouldn’t use these for anything. They’re ‘interesting’ and a bit of ‘info’ for us as much as anything. But they don’t really play a part in the training cycle.

Often the 5 and 20 will mirror FF results. Often if someone’s smashes a 1min interval in one of the workouts the 1min will be that. Same for 5s. I guess to an extent, a bit like seeing max numbers in Training Peaks / Intervals.icu or similar logging software it can be interesting to see if they go up over time fir some people who are getting stronger/faster and are repeating the same workouts where those were set.

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#4

@Andrew_Dunn As Martin and Alistair have noted, the records are just there to admire. However, check out this guide as it may address your question about what to do before you test again:

How To Get the Most of of Your Workout

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#5

Given that the 5s effort in FF comes before any other stresses, it would seem pretty harmless to update your workout settings to match a new record at this duration. It’s just…I’m rarely pushing hard enough to set that particular record outside of FF.

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#6

Thanks everyone, extremely helpful advice. I’ll keep pushing ahead on the current plan. I can tell its yielding results. Will trust the system. Hope you all have a nice weekend.

#7

Good advice!

Tool shed sparked a type of frustration that led to suffer-rage, pedal-crushing in a way that 4DP never could. I’ll count it.