A clear cycling plan, built with declared rules

The information that shapes a plan

A useful plan starts with constraints, not an idealized calendar. FTP500 combines what you want to achieve with the time and training capacity you can consistently support.

• Goal, target event, date, priority, and course demands
• Available training days, weekly hours, preferred long-ride days, and strength-training preference
• Experience, recent sustainable training load, FTP or heart-rate reference, and completed rides
• Health or schedule changes that require the work ahead to be reduced or rearranged

Periodization before individual workouts

The engine first builds the season structure: preparation, base, build, peak, recovery, taper, and event weeks. It then assigns weekly targets and selects sessions that fit the athlete's available calendar.

A workout is not selected because it sounds impressive. It must serve the phase, fit the weekly load, respect the athlete's experience, and leave enough space around other demanding days.

Rules the plan is not allowed to ignore

The planning engine has explicit limits and a validation gate. A block that fails validation is not quietly shown as a finished plan.

• Progressive weekly load with planned easier weeks
• Caps on hard days and demanding interval dose
• Recovery spacing between key sessions
• Race-specific work and a reduced taper before the main event
• Completed sessions and the near-term schedule are protected when future work changes
• Clear advisories when the requested schedule cannot safely deliver every preference

Updates use completed training, not a black box

When rides or session logs are available, FTP500 uses them to estimate current load and compare planned work with what was actually completed. A schedule change is previewed before it is applied.

The system changes the minimum necessary work ahead. It does not repay missed training by stacking hard sessions, and it does not rewrite completed days.

Evidence, conventions, and limits

FTP500's educational guides and calculators distinguish published evidence from practical coaching conventions. Sources and important limitations are shown on the relevant page.

Training software cannot diagnose health, injury, or readiness for intense exercise. Stop and seek qualified medical care for chest pain, fainting, unexplained shortness of breath, or other warning symptoms. Product guidance does not replace an individual medical assessment or a coach who knows you personally.