Critical Power Test, 3 and 12 Minutes
Maximal 3 and 12 minute efforts with 30 minutes of easy riding between, used to calculate critical power and your anaerobic work capacity W'.
- Duration
- 1 h 19 min
- Effort
- 67
- Level
- Advanced
- Focus zone
- Threshold
Your values
Targets relative to your threshold values. Enter your values to see absolute numbers.
| # | Step | Length | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warm-upEndurance Easy spin, build gradually | 10 min | 45 → 72% FTP54 → 74% HRmax |
| 2 | Warm-upEndurance Steady and easy | 5 min | 60-70% FTP65-78% HRmax |
| 2 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 3.1 | Warm-upVO2max Short opener | 30 s | 110-120% FTP92-98% HRmax |
| 3.2 | Warm-upEndurance Easy | 90 s | 55-65% FTP65-78% HRmax |
| 4 | Warm-upEndurance Easy, 3 min test next | 3 min | 60-70% FTP65-78% HRmax |
| 5 | IntervalAnaerobic 3 min all out, even pace | 3 min | 120-140% FTP90-100% HRmax |
| 6 | RecoveryRecovery Easy spin, drink | 10 min | 40-55% FTP50-65% HRmax |
| 7 | RecoveryEndurance Easy endurance, stay loose | 20 min | 55-65% FTP65-78% HRmax |
| 8 | IntervalThreshold 12 min all out, even pace | 12 min | 100-110% FTP87-93% HRmax |
| 9 | Cool-downRecovery Easy spin, let the legs settle | 12 min | 60 → 40% FTP65 → 50% HRmax |
About this workout
Critical power marks the boundary between efforts you can hold for a long time and efforts that drain a limited reserve called W'. Two maximal efforts of different length are enough for an estimate. You ride 3 minutes all out, recover for 30 minutes with easy riding, then ride 12 minutes all out.
For the calculation, multiply each average power by its duration in seconds to get the work in joules. Critical power in watts is the work of the 12 minute effort minus the work of the 3 minute effort, divided by 540. W' in joules is the 3 minute average power minus critical power, multiplied by 180. A 2014 field study by Karsten and colleagues, which used 3, 7 and 12 minute efforts, found field estimates of critical power close to lab values, while W' varied more.
Critical power and FTP are related but not identical. Compare the result with a recent FTP test before you use it for power targets. The efforts can also be split across two days.
Tips
- Pace both efforts evenly, since a fast start spoils the 12 minute result.
- Use resistance or slope mode for both efforts.
- Repeat the test under the same conditions to track changes.
Origin
The critical power concept goes back to Monod and Scherrer in 1965.
Good forFTPTime trial
Season phaseAny time