Cyclists usually go out to ride a bike several times a week, especially when they are going to prepare for competition, they have to train efficiently and very strictly in order to meet their desired goals.
In this sense, the worst nightmare of a cyclist are those steep climbs where they have to give their best, even exhausting all their energy to be able to complete the climb. Therefore, we recommend that you put these 3 bicycle training routines into practice to master the climbs .
How to conquer a bicycle climb?
In general, experienced cyclists compete in many mountain races, in which they encounter many gigantic climbs, some even as long as an hour, where they have to do their best to avoid being halfway.
If you train on your own it is much more difficult to be able to push yourself to the fullest, so it is advisable to have a coach who motivates you and inspires you to complete your goals. Even training with some partners can be beneficial to complete the climbs.
A key factor in cycling climbing workouts is keeping a good time; while the other is to maintain a good rhythm when climbing. It is generally recommended to climb at a pace where you can keep your breathing controlled – this will prevent your muscles from feeling less fatigued.
Workouts can generally range from 20 to 30 minutes. Short hill sets are also recommended, at least several of maximum 12 minutes at a good intensity.
Exercises to train climbing in cycling
These exercises serve to produce more aerobic energy , at the same time, they administer lactic acid and produce more energy at the threshold, in addition they also reinforce your motivation and thoughts of improvement, since it is just as challenging to complete these exercises for both your mind and for your muscles.
The following hill repeats will address all of your climbing needs. For best results, do at least one of these exercises once or twice a week, with enough rest time to keep your legs “fresh.”
Also, while hill biking exercises are designed to be tough, they are not designed to destroy you. Your speed, intensity, and / or power should be within target range for each rep. If either of the two drops by 20%, you’ll be close to giving up.
It is recommended to warm up for about 15 minutes before starting interval exercises and finally cool down your body for a few minutes when finished.
3 climbing workouts for cyclists
1. 20 second uphill sprint
Cyclists have to be able to increase their performance and recover after a tough challenge. To do this, you can run this exercise:
- Find a hill that takes 10-15 minutes to climb to the top.
- Start pedaling uphill.
- After 2 minutes, start sprinting for a duration of 20 seconds.
- Repeat at least every one to two minutes (depending on your fitness level) until the end of the hill. Do the exercise one or two more times.
2. Two-minute power ups
This exercise is perfect for moving forward with sufficient strength and momentum on undulating terrain. It is recommended to practice it for 2 minutes. For it:
- Find a hill or series of climbs that takes an average of two minutes to reach the top.
- Before you hit the climb, increase your pedaling pace.
- Climb at a good pace for 90 seconds. Go as fast as you can during the last 30 seconds before reaching the top.
- Repeat this exercise 4-6 times.
3. Repetitions with little rest
This exercise is perfect for runners to feel like they are in a real climbing race, where there is practically little rest time before reaching the top.
- Find a hill that takes you at least 10 minutes to reach the top (it can take even more than 10 minutes).
- Increase your pedaling intensity at a good pace that you can easily master.
- Maintain a steady pace for 6 minutes.
- Turn around and recover for at least 3 minutes.
- Repeat the climb for a total of 4 ascent intervals.
- You can alternate this climb for 3 repetitions of 8 minutes in length, with 4 minutes of rest.
conclusion
Cyclists prepare for a long time to complete a long race, therefore it is important to take into account all the obstacles that may come their way. The most difficult are the uphill climbs, so it is recommended to train quite rigorously to be able to reach the top. Therefore, we recommend these exercises that, surely, will make you a better climber on a bicycle .
References
- Selene, Y. 4 Hill Workouts That Will Help You Crush Climbs. For Bicycling [Revised July 2019].
