Neverpedia
Power
Sweet Spot
Training intensity at roughly 88–94% of FTP — high productivity per unit of fatigue.
Sweet Spot is training at roughly 88–94% of FTP — hard enough to drive strong adaptations, easy enough that you can do a lot of it without breaking.
How it is measured
It is a power zone defined as a percentage of FTP. In terms of perceived effort, it is hard but conversational-adjacent — uncomfortable, but not gasping. Heart rate sits below LTHR.
Why it matters
Sweet spot is the most time-efficient intensity for building aerobic fitness without the recovery cost of true threshold work. A 2x20 at sweet spot is a classic, high-value session that you can repeat 2–3 times a week if your recovery is on point.
Common misconceptions
- Sweet spot is not a substitute for true VO2 work. If you only ride sweet spot, your top end stagnates.
- "Sweet spot" is not "endurance" — it is markedly harder than zone 2 and costs more recovery.
- A 30-minute sweet spot block does not equal a 30-minute threshold block — the cost is real but different.
Related concepts
FTP, Threshold, TSS.