For the past six weeks, I've been following the Zwift FTP Builder plan. This program was designed as four workouts a week, with the goal of building up sustained power on the bike. With my FTP threshold set at 210 watts, I've been slowly building up my base. The primary goal for this 6 week block for me wasn't so much about really improving my wattage, but really just following through on a workout program over six weeks. As a reminder, everyone say it with me, consistency is the key to fitness.

23 out of 24 workouts hit!

Overall, I am pretty satisfied with my effort. I was able to complete 23 out of the 24 workouts as prescribed. The only workout I missed was when I seriously screwed up my back shoveling during the January Blizzard of 2019. Missing that workout really hurt, but in hindsight, I'm glad I took a couple of easy days because I really did need it.

This program worked for me. The flexibility of scheduling, the desire to complete all my workouts, the consistency of the workouts and knowing what to expect from the different types of workouts (Tempo, Threshold, Foundation, Recovery), all made this plan really work for me. The thumbs-up interactions when I set a segment best, and seeing huge packs of cyclists doing group workouts was all very motivating.

So, my review of Zwift so far. After completing a real 6 week training block, I highly recommend it. Indoor biking on a trainer can be pretty awful. I can't go more than ten minutes on a bike at the gym. At home with Zwift? I finished an hour and twenty minutes without problem. Zwift makes it interesting, and I can imagine buying a smart trainer would make it all-the-more immersive. If you own a trainer and struggle to use it, give Zwift a shot.