Here you will find a good overview of Power Zone based Training and the importance of the FTP Test.
Peloton Power Zone rides use your personal power ranges (Zones 1–7) so the same class scales appropriately for beginners through advanced riders. Instead of “ride at 45 resistance / 90 cadence,” instructors cue effort by zone, and you match that zone using your Output number (watts) and on-screen zone bar show in mPaceline Pulse.
FTP (Functional Threshold Power) is your baseline number used to calculate zones. Peloton’s system is built around an FTP test and then assigns your zone ranges as percentages of FTP.
Peloton’s FTP test is commonly described as a 20-minute test effort used to establish your current training zones. Once you set FTP, your zones update automatically from that value. See Settings -> Cycling FTP in mPaceline Pulse. This is where your FTP Test will translate to your zones.
Each zone targets a different training adaptation—easy aerobic work, sustainable endurance, threshold development, and short high-intensity capacity. That’s why Power Zone training is so effective for structured progress: it gives you repeatable intensity targets that evolve as you improve.
Retest periodically (or whenever training feels “too easy” or “too hard”) so zones stay aligned with current fitness.
During zone work, most riders do best aiming for the middle of the zone rather than constantly chasing the top edge.
Expect your first FTP test to be a learning experience—pacing is a skill.