What FTP do I need for 3 W/kg?

Multiply 3 by your body weight in kilograms. A 65 kg rider needs 195 W, a 75 kg rider needs 225 W, and a 90 kg rider needs 270 W. That is why two riders quoting the same FTP can sit a level apart — the heavier rider needs substantially more power for the same ratio.

What FTP do I need for 4 W/kg?

A 65 kg rider needs 260 W, a 75 kg rider needs 300 W, an 85 kg rider needs 340 W, and a 95 kg rider needs 380 W. Four W/kg is the conventional gateway to competitive amateur racing, and the table on this page has the figure for every common body weight.

How do I convert FTP to W/kg?

Divide your FTP in watts by your body weight in kilograms. A 250 W FTP at 75 kg is 250 ÷ 75 = 3.3 W/kg. If you weigh yourself in pounds, divide the pounds by 2.2046 first. The W/kg calculator does both steps for you.

Five W/kg sits at the entry to elite-level power-to-weight and is well beyond most amateurs. Domestic-elite and professional riders sustain figures around and above this. It is not a realistic target for the majority of riders, and there is nothing wrong with that.

How much can W/kg improve?

It depends on your starting point. Newer riders can make large gains by raising FTP through consistent training, sometimes 0.5–1.0 W/kg over a season. Trained riders improve far more slowly — a rider at 3.5 W/kg may spend a year or more reaching 4.0. Losing excess body weight also raises the ratio, but it should be gradual rather than aggressive.

Benchmarks & standards

Watts Per Kilogram Chart

Every power-to-weight level from novice to elite — and the exact FTP each one takes at your body weight.

FTP

Body weight

Weight units

Power-to-weight

3.33W/kg

Experienced (3.0–3.5 W/kg) — Consistently trained and comfortably strong on fast group rides, including on rolling terrain.

How to reach 3.5 W/kg →

Watts per kilogram chart by level

The power-to-weight ratios behind each rider level. Most riders sit between two bands rather than neatly inside one.

Cycling power-to-weight levels by watts per kilogram
Category	W/kg	What it means
Novice	Under 2.0	New to cycling or returning to fitness. Power-to-weight climbs fastest from here — consistency alone moves the number.
Recreational	2.0–2.5	Rides regularly for fitness and enjoys social and endurance rides, but drifts back when the pace lifts.
Intermediate	2.5–3.0	Trains with some structure and holds the wheel on most club rides. The band where most committed hobbyists land.
Experienced	3.0–3.5	Consistently trained and comfortably strong on fast group rides, including on rolling terrain.
Advanced	3.5–4.0	A dedicated amateur who makes the selections on hard club rides and climbs well for their size.
Competitive	4.0–4.5	The conventional gateway to amateur racing — competitive in regional road races and criteriums.
Elite amateur	4.5–5.0	Front of the amateur field. Reached through years of structured training, and rare outside racing.
Elite	5.0+	Domestic-elite to professional power-to-weight. Not a realistic target for most riders, and that is fine.

What these numbers are: Coaching-convention orientation bands on a 0.5 W/kg grid, anchored on the widely used power-profile framing in which roughly 4 W/kg marks the gateway to competitive amateur racing and about 5 W/kg the entry to elite. The numeric ranges here are referenced to trained male recreational and amateur cyclists — the population the underlying coaching convention was built around. Female cyclists should not read them as a percentile or reference table: the physiology differs, and we do not publish separate numeric ranges for women because we do not yet have a source we consider solid enough to stand behind. Full methodology and sources.

The FTP you need at every body weight

The number most charts leave out: what a given W/kg target actually costs you in watts. Find your weight down the left, your target across the top.

FTP in watts required to reach each watts-per-kilogram target, by body weight
Weight	2.0 W/kgRecreational	2.5 W/kgIntermediate	3.0 W/kgExperienced	3.5 W/kgAdvanced	4.0 W/kgCompetitive	4.5 W/kgElite amateur	5.0 W/kgElite
55 kg121 lb	110 W	138 W	165 W	193 W	220 W	248 W	275 W
60 kg132 lb	120 W	150 W	180 W	210 W	240 W	270 W	300 W
65 kg143 lb	130 W	163 W	195 W	228 W	260 W	293 W	325 W
70 kg154 lb	140 W	175 W	210 W	245 W	280 W	315 W	350 W
75 kg165 lb	150 W	188 W	225 W	263 W	300 W	338 W	375 W
80 kg176 lb	160 W	200 W	240 W	280 W	320 W	360 W	400 W
85 kg187 lb	170 W	213 W	255 W	298 W	340 W	383 W	425 W
90 kg198 lb	180 W	225 W	270 W	315 W	360 W	405 W	450 W
95 kg209 lb	190 W	238 W	285 W	333 W	380 W	428 W	475 W

Read it either way. A 90 kg rider needs 315 W for 3.5 W/kg, while a 65 kg rider needs only 228 W for the same ratio — an 87 W gap for identical power-to-weight. Work out your own figure with the W/kg calculator, or see what each W/kg number actually gets you on the road.

Why the same FTP lands in different bands

Same FTP, very different riders. Weight changes what a number means.

Rider A

2.6 W/kg

FTP: 250 W
Weight: 95 kg

Strong absolute power, but a heavier frame to carry — intermediate on the climbs, and formidable on the flat.

Rider B

3.6 W/kg

FTP: 250 W
Weight: 70 kg

Same FTP as Rider A, but a much higher ratio — advanced, and notably faster uphill.

Rider C

4.9 W/kg

FTP: 320 W
Weight: 65 kg

More power and less weight — elite-amateur power-to-weight on any gradient.

Riders A and B have an identical 250 W FTP, yet Rider B's lower weight puts them two bands higher by power-to-weight. That gap is invisible if you only look at FTP — and it is the whole reason this chart exists.

Why watts per kilogram matters

Watts per kilogram is your power divided by your body weight, and it is the figure cyclists reach for whenever the question involves moving your own mass.

Climbing performance. On any gradient, gravity is the main thing you fight, and it scales with weight. W/kg predicts climbing speed far better than raw watts do.
Relative fitness. It lets riders of different sizes compare engines on equal terms — a 60 kg and a 90 kg rider can finally be measured against the same scale.
Where raw watts still win. On the flat, in a time trial, or driving a paceline into a headwind, absolute power is what moves you. That is why a heavier rider with a big FTP is often the one you want on the front. FTP vs W/kg explains why gravity and air resistance pull in different directions here.

Because the ratio has both a numerator and a denominator, there are two ways to raise it — and for most amateurs one is clearly better. How to improve your W/kg covers both levers, realistic timelines, and which one to pull at your level. For the age dimension, see W/kg by age.

Frequently asked questions

What FTP do I need for 3 W/kg?: Multiply 3 by your body weight in kilograms. A 65 kg rider needs 195 W, a 75 kg rider needs 225 W, and a 90 kg rider needs 270 W. That is why two riders quoting the same FTP can sit a level apart — the heavier rider needs substantially more power for the same ratio.
What FTP do I need for 4 W/kg?: A 65 kg rider needs 260 W, a 75 kg rider needs 300 W, an 85 kg rider needs 340 W, and a 95 kg rider needs 380 W. Four W/kg is the conventional gateway to competitive amateur racing, and the table on this page has the figure for every common body weight.
How do I convert FTP to W/kg?: Divide your FTP in watts by your body weight in kilograms. A 250 W FTP at 75 kg is 250 ÷ 75 = 3.3 W/kg. If you weigh yourself in pounds, divide the pounds by 2.2046 first. The W/kg calculator does both steps for you.
Is 5 W/kg elite?: Five W/kg sits at the entry to elite-level power-to-weight and is well beyond most amateurs. Domestic-elite and professional riders sustain figures around and above this. It is not a realistic target for the majority of riders, and there is nothing wrong with that.
How much can W/kg improve?: It depends on your starting point. Newer riders can make large gains by raising FTP through consistent training, sometimes 0.5–1.0 W/kg over a season. Trained riders improve far more slowly — a rider at 3.5 W/kg may spend a year or more reaching 4.0. Losing excess body weight also raises the ratio, but it should be gradual rather than aggressive.

How to improve your watts per kilogram

Pick your current level and follow a realistic path to the next one.

2.0 → 2.5 W/kg

Build the consistency and aerobic base that turns occasional riding into steady 2.5 W/kg fitness.

2.5 → 3.0 W/kg

Add structure and intervals to push from recreational fitness to a solid 3.0 W/kg.

3.0 → 3.5 W/kg

Raise training quality and durability to break through to a strong-amateur 3.5 W/kg.

3.5 → 4.0 W/kg

Train with precision and manage recovery to reach competitive 4.0 W/kg.

Reach 4.5 W/kg

Advanced training execution and long-term consistency for the climb to 4.5 W/kg.

Reach 5.0 W/kg

What it really takes to reach an elite 5.0 W/kg — and an honest look at who actually can.

Related tools

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Watts Per Kilogram Chart

Watts per kilogram chart by level

The FTP you need at every body weight

Why the same FTP lands in different bands

Why watts per kilogram matters

Frequently asked questions

More on watts per kilogram

How to Improve Your W/kg

What Is a Good W/kg?

W/kg by Age

How Long to Gain 1 W/kg?