What Is a Good FTP? W/kg by Age and Level

A good FTP is best judged in watts per kilogram (W/kg), not raw watts. On the widely used Allen and Coggan ratings, about 2.8 to 3.9 W/kg rates as “good” for men and about 2.4 to 3.3 W/kg for women, and the typical number drifts down with age. The comparison that matters most, though, is your FTP today against your FTP last season.

Why W/kg matters more than raw watts

Your functional threshold power (FTP) is roughly the highest power you can hold for about an hour. If you’re new to the idea, start with What Is FTP?. On its own, though, an FTP number says little about how fast you’ll actually be.

A 90 kg rider with a 280 W FTP and a 65 kg rider with a 230 W FTP aren’t on equal terms on a climb. Going uphill, you’re lifting your own body and your bike against gravity, so the power you can produce for each kilogram you carry decides your speed. That’s why W/kg is the standard way to compare riders of different sizes, and to compare yourself across seasons if your weight changes.

Raw watts still matter. On flat roads and in time trials, most of your effort goes into pushing air out of the way, and air resistance depends far more on your size and position than on your weight. That’s why bigger riders with high absolute power often shine on flat courses even when their W/kg is modest. If your goals are flat races or time trials, track both numbers.

How to calculate your W/kg

Divide your FTP in watts by your body weight in kilograms.

• 250 W ÷ 75 kg = 3.33 W/kg
• 200 W ÷ 62 kg = 3.23 W/kg

To keep the number honest over time:

• Use a recent FTP, measured or estimated the same way each time.
• Weigh yourself in a consistent way, for example in the morning before eating.
• Convert pounds to kilograms by dividing by 2.2046.

FTP ratings by W/kg

The table below is the FTP rating scale Garmin uses in its devices. Garmin credits it to Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan’s Training and Racing with a Power Meter (Garmin, n.d.).

Treat these as rough bands, not grades. Two things blur the edges:

• How the FTP was measured. A 20-minute test, a ramp test and an estimate from your rides can give different numbers for the same rider. One study found that FTP from a 20-minute test and the power riders could actually hold for 60 minutes shouldn’t be treated as interchangeable for an individual (Borszcz et al., 2018).
• The table doesn’t adjust for age. A 60-year-old at 3.2 W/kg sits in the same “good” band as a 25-year-old at 3.2 W/kg, but relative to their age group the 60-year-old is doing something much more impressive.

FTP by age: what one large rider dataset shows

The training platform A Faster You published FTP results from 1,710 riders who completed its power test, using each rider’s best valid test (A Faster You, 2026). Here are the medians, meaning half of the riders in each group were above the number and half below:

These numbers are useful, but read them with the limits the authors themselves point out:

• These riders aren’t typical. They chose to buy and complete a performance test, and the authors say the group sits well above the general cycling population. A median of 4.3 W/kg for men in their 30s is far above what most recreational riders hold.
• Few women. Only 193 of the 1,710 riders were women, so women 40 and older are grouped into a single band.
• FTP is modeled. Threshold power was calculated from measured power with a model, not measured in a lab.
• It’s a snapshot, not a lifetime. The data compares different people of different ages at one time. It can’t show how much any one rider’s FTP falls as they age, and part of the age trend comes from differences in body weight.

The takeaway: if you’re anywhere near these medians, you’re a very strong rider. If you’re well below them, you’re in good company with most cyclists.

How much does FTP drop with age?

Some decline is real, but it’s smaller and slower in cycling than many riders fear.

A review of master athletes found that endurance performance declines by roughly 8% to 15% per decade, depending on the sport, the event length and sex (Lepers & Stapley, 2016). In triathletes, cycling performance declined less with age than running or swimming did. The same review notes that maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) falls by about 10% per decade after age 30 in healthy sedentary adults, which is a main driver of the decline. Riders who keep training are working against a smaller headwind.

A single rider’s career can be revealing too. A case study of one cyclist’s 488 time trials over nearly four decades found that his performance stayed relatively stable from age 37 to 52 (Dyer, 2020). It noticeably declined from 61 and dropped sharply around 70. The author concluded that chasing personal bests can remain realistic until relatively late in life. One rider can’t speak for everyone, but the pattern is encouraging.

What this means for you:

• In your 30s and 40s, consistent training usually matters far more than age. Many riders set lifetime bests in this window.
• In your 50s and beyond, expect your FTP to need more consistency to hold, and recovery to deserve more respect. Gains are still very possible, especially if you’re returning to structured training.
• At any age, a long break costs more than a birthday. See How Fast Do You Lose Cycling Fitness?

If you have heart, blood pressure or other health concerns, check with your doctor before adding hard intervals to chase a higher FTP.

FTP for women

Both data sources above show women’s W/kg bands sitting below men’s. In the Allen and Coggan ratings, the threshold for “good” starts at 2.36 W/kg for women versus 2.79 W/kg for men (Garmin, n.d.). In the A Faster You data, women under 30 had a median of 4.07 W/kg against 4.95 W/kg for men in the same age group (A Faster You, 2026).

The practical point: compare yourself against the women’s column, not the men’s. A woman at 3.4 W/kg is in the “excellent” band.

The best comparison is your past self

Ratings tables and age charts are fun, but they can’t tell you whether your training is working. Your own trend can.

• Track FTP and W/kg over months, not days. A single number can wobble with fatigue, heat or the test you chose.
• Keep your method consistent. If you switch test protocols, expect your number to shift even if your fitness hasn’t.
• Watch the whole picture. Can you hold the same power longer? Do climbs feel easier at the same pace? Those count as progress even before your FTP moves.

This is the idea behind WattAscent’s Adaptive FTP. Instead of waiting for test days, WattAscent checks your FTP every two weeks using your best efforts from WattAscent workouts and tests, and from Strava if you connect it, along with whether you’re finishing your hard workouts. Raises are capped at 6% per check so one great day doesn’t push your targets out of reach.

How to raise your W/kg

There are two ways to raise W/kg: more power or less weight. More power is the better place to focus, because it makes you faster everywhere, flat roads included.

• Build your aerobic base with plenty of easy riding. See Zone 2 Training for Cyclists.
• Add structured work around threshold, such as sweet spot and threshold intervals. Our guide to cycling power zones explains each zone.
• Be consistent for months, and progress the work gradually. The full playbook is in How to Increase Your FTP.

Be careful with the weight side of the ratio. Eating too little to train well tends to cost you power, recovery and health. If you want to change your body weight, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian first.

Track your W/kg as it climbs

WattAscent builds your training around your current FTP and keeps it up to date as you get fitter, so your targets always match where you are now. Plans adapt to your schedule, your recovery and your goals. If you’re ready to see your own number climb, start training.

Frequently asked questions

Is 3 W/kg a good FTP?

For men, 3.0 W/kg falls in the “good” band (2.79 to 3.92 W/kg) on the Allen and Coggan ratings. For women, 3.0 W/kg is also “good” and close to the “excellent” band, which starts at 3.33 W/kg. Either way, it’s a solid level for a recreational rider.

Is 4 W/kg a good FTP?

Yes. For men, 4.0 W/kg is in the “excellent” band (3.93 to 5.04 W/kg). For women, it’s comfortably “excellent” (3.33 to 4.29 W/kg). Most riders who reach 4 W/kg have trained consistently for years.

Does FTP decline after 40?

Endurance performance does tend to decline with age, but the review cited above found cycling declines less than running or swimming. One long-term case study showed a rider’s time trial performance stayed relatively stable from 37 to 52. Consistent training matters more than age for most riders in their 40s.

Should I lose weight to improve my W/kg?

Focus on raising your power first, because power helps on every kind of terrain. Cutting food intake while training hard often hurts your power and recovery. If you’re considering a weight change, get advice from a doctor or registered dietitian.

How often should I check my W/kg?

Every few weeks is plenty. Your FTP changes slowly, and day-to-day weight swings can make daily checks misleading. Look at the trend over a training block or a season.

References

1. A Faster You (2026). FTP by Age Chart: Watts per Kg (1,710 Riders). A Faster You. link
2. Borszcz, F., Tramontin, A., Bossi, A., Carminatti, L., & Costa, V. (2018). Functional Threshold Power in Cyclists: Validity of the Concept and Physiological Responses. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 39(10), 737–742. link
3. Dyer, B. T. J. (2020). An aging cyclist’s time trial performances over four decades: a case study. Journal of Science and Cycling, 9(3), 23–28. link
4. Garmin (n.d.). FTP Ratings, citing H. Allen and A. Coggan, Training and Racing with a Power Meter (VeloPress, 2010). Garmin Venu X1 Owner’s Manual. link
5. Lepers, R., & Stapley, P. J. (2016). Master Athletes Are Extending the Limits of Human Endurance. Frontiers in Physiology, 7, 613. link