Spring has arrived. Many cyclists are ready to ride the open roads, but building climbing power remains a vital challenge for the season ahead. Research shows that successful climbers need more than lightweight gear. They must sustain high power output through their climbs. Your power-to-weight ratio proves more valuable than losing a few pounds. This ratio comes from dividing your functional threshold power (FTP) by your weight in kilograms.
The right cycling workout can help you conquer those challenging ascents. We've created three early-season workouts that will enhance your climbing skills. These workouts will prepare you well, whether you tackle local hills or plan mountain adventures.
Cycling uphill efficiently remains one of the biggest challenges in cycling. You just need a unique mix of physical traits and mental toughness. The game changes completely once the road points up - from how you pedal to the way your body uses energy. Getting better at climbing starts with understanding these changes.
Elite climbers stand out from other cyclists in several ways. They excel at keeping steady power throughout a climb. This comes from their well-developed muscle endurance that helps them avoid form breakdown as they tire.
Threshold capacity plays a key role - both lactate threshold and Functional Threshold Power (FTP). A higher threshold lets you generate more power throughout your climb. That's why threshold-focused training is valuable not just to improve climbing but also to boost overall cycling fitness.
The sort of thing I love about climbing success is how anaerobic capacity matters so much. Power file analysis of pro cyclists shows that knowing how to attack hard for 30 seconds to two minutes and recover quickly often determines who wins on climbs. Two riders might have similar power-to-weight ratios, but the one with better anaerobic abilities can create gaps on steep sections that steady-state riders can't close.
Strong climbers also keep their performance level high on steeper slopes. Average climbers might lose 16% of their power on 4-8% grades, but elite climbers only drop about 7% even when the road gets really steep. This strength on steep terrain often determines who drops whom as the gradient increases.
Body position makes a difference too - good climbers know exactly when to sit or stand. Recent research shows that standing creates more force with each pedal stroke, which helps on intense gradients. Switching between positions works best because it uses different muscle groups and helps reduce fatigue.
Cyclists battle three main forces while climbing: rolling resistance, air resistance, and gravity. Gravity becomes the main force to overcome as the slope gets steeper. This explains why your power-to-weight ratio matters most for climbing performance.
Power-to-weight ratio (watts/kilogram) shows how much power you can produce compared to your body weight. You can find yours by dividing your FTP by your weight in kilograms. A 75kg rider with 300 watts FTP has a power-to-weight ratio of 4.0 w/kg.
Weight affects climbing speed significantly. Each extra pound needs about two more watts to move uphill. Here's a real-life example: a rider weighing 10kg less than another (both producing 300 watts) would have a power-to-weight ratio of 4.6 w/kg versus 4.0 w/kg. This could mean finishing a two-mile climb two minutes faster.
Steeper grades make this even more obvious. A 7% gradient at 16kph requires an 80kg rider to maintain 298 watts (3.73 w/kg), while a 70kg rider needs only 266 watts (3.80 w/kg) for the same speed. The lighter rider maintains a slightly better power-to-weight ratio despite producing 32 fewer watts, showing why this metric matters so much in the mountains.
Weight loss isn't always the answer though. Many cyclists actually produce more power at a slightly higher weight. Losing weight too fast or dropping below your ideal range can hurt your muscle mass, immune system, and power output. The best approach balances weight management with power development.
Structured workouts build the foundation you need to become a better hill climber. Random riding won't cut it - you need targeted climbing workouts that develop specific energy systems and change how your body responds to hills. Research shows you can boost your climbing fitness with just three hours of focused training each week.
Climbing workouts give your cardiovascular system an excellent workout. Your heart becomes stronger as you push through sustained climbs. Your blood vessels work better, and your lungs can handle more air. These improvements matter because climbing demands long periods of hard work.
The benefits go beyond just becoming a better climber. Regular hill cycling helps you control your weight better, reduces blood pressure, and cuts your risk of heart disease. Your body works harder on hills than flat ground. You burn more calories and get a better cardio workout because more muscles are working.
Your cardiovascular capacity grows fastest with threshold workouts at 98-104% of your Functional Threshold Power (FTP). These efforts change your aerobic energy system, which powers all your sustained efforts lasting more than three minutes.
Your muscles' ability to keep working over time might be the biggest factor in successful climbing. Structured climbing workouts build this quality by targeting hill-climbing muscles and gradually increasing how long you can sustain effort.
Scientists have found that mixing endurance rides with harder efforts works best to build muscular endurance. That's why most training plans combine longer threshold intervals (15-30 minutes) with shorter, intense efforts. This variety creates different signals that help you maintain power throughout your climbs.
Your muscles also learn to work more efficiently through structured climbing workouts. Repeated climbing intervals teach your body to use muscles more effectively. You'll produce the same power while using less energy, which lets you climb longer before getting tired.
The excitement of spring brings a new challenge - getting back on the road after months of indoor training. Your climbing workouts will now happen outdoors, and you'll need to prepare for this change. Moving from a controlled indoor setup to the unpredictable outdoor conditions means you'll need to adjust your training approach.
Outdoor cycling is different from indoor training in many significant ways. We focused on how resistance works on a smart trainer compared to real-life conditions - that's the main difference. Smart trainers create more inertia at the flywheel, which can lead to a relaxed pedal stroke. This doesn't work well when you're climbing outdoors.
You can make this transition easier by slowly adding more outdoor rides while keeping some indoor sessions. Start with short rides in good weather, and bring some friends along to make it more enjoyable. Your first few rides should help you get comfortable on your bike rather than chasing numbers.
Real hills create unique challenges you won't find indoors. Your rear wheel has less inertia on actual climbs, so you'll need smoother pedalling to keep your power steady. Your core, back, and shoulder muscles work harder to keep you balanced at slower climbing speeds.
Here's how to adjust your early-season climbing training:
A full bike inspection should happen before your first outdoor ride. Your bike might have issues from winter storage or indoor-only use that could affect your safety or performance.
Here are the key maintenance checks:
Note that proper clothing makes outdoor training better in the early season. You'll likely want warmer gear than usual at first as your body gets used to being outside. Pack bib tights, long-sleeve jerseys, gloves, and layers for spring's changing weather.
Safety must come first when you take your climbing workouts outdoors. Roads get busier and conditions change more often these days. Good preparation will give you safe and effective hill training sessions. Let me share some vital safety tips that will protect you during those early-season climbing workouts.
The routes you pick will affect both your safety and how well you train. We looked for roads where traffic doesn't get in the way too much. This helps maintain a steady training rhythm without stopping all the time. B roads or quieter A roads usually give you the perfect mix of smooth surfaces and less traffic.
Your climbing-specific workouts need routes with these features:
Finding great routes has become harder as traffic keeps increasing. Note that if you don't have proper hills nearby, you can still copy climbing by using higher gears and doing efforts at lower cadences (50-70 rpm) on flat ground.
What you eat and drink can make or break your climbing performance and safety. Start drinking and eating at least 30 minutes into workouts longer than 60 minutes. Hot weather means hydration matters no matter how long you ride.
You can figure out your hydration needs by weighing yourself before and after training - each pound lost means you need about 16 fluid ounces back. Your sodium needs usually run between 800-1250mg per litre of sweat lost.
During your climb, try to get 60-90g carbohydrates each hour, focusing on carbs that digest easily. Check out our other blog post about carrying your cycling nutrition while you ride!
A strong climbing foundation starts with choosing the right exercises. The life-blood of early season training is becoming skilled at basic workouts. These workouts build your aerobic capacity and climbing-specific muscle groups before you take on more challenging efforts.
The Foundation Builder workout builds aerobic endurance and climbing-specific strength. This beginner-friendly session targets three areas: aerobic development, cadence efficiency, and force application. Here's how it works:
You can maintain an effort where talking becomes challenging but not impossible - about 85% of maximum heart rate if you don't have a power meter. The workout works best on a steady gradient between 2-6%, but any hill will do. You can simulate climbing by using a larger gear at lower cadence (50-70 rpm) if you live in flat terrain.
Good climbing form makes everything work better. Your hands should rest on the bar tops or hoods so you can stay relaxed and keep your lungs open. Here's what you should focus on:
Your hands should stay light on the handlebars. A death grip wastes energy and creates unnecessary upper body tension. Your core muscles should support your upper body, which lets your hands stay relaxed. Your shoulders should stay relaxed and dropped away from your ears. Remember to release tension during hard efforts.
Beginners should aim for a steady cadence between 70-90 rpm. You should shift to an easier gear rather than force a lower cadence too early in your training if the gradient gets too steep.
Your recovery between workouts matters as much as the workouts themselves. You should wait 48-72 hours before doing another high-intensity session. Your cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems need this time to absorb training stresses and get stronger.
Sleep is your best recovery tool. Research shows eight hours or more each night gives the best results. Your body also needs proper nutrition right after your workout. Try to eat carbohydrates and protein within 30 minutes after training.
Your climbing foundation gets stronger as your fitness improves. The next phase focuses on threshold power workouts. This physiological system plays a crucial role in sustained climbing performance. The Threshold Developer workout will boost your ability to maintain high power outputs during challenging climbs.
The Threshold Developer has a two-part structure that targets different muscle fiber types. The main set follows with 4-8 hill repeats. Each repeat lasts 3 minutes at your threshold power (95-105% of FTP) with a vital low cadence of 40-60 RPM.
The complete workout looks like this:
This approach creates a powerful training stimulus. Your aerobic system fatigues first, which forces fast-twitch fibres to adapt aerobically. These adaptations are the foundations of climbing performance.
The right pacing throughout this workout maximizes adaptations. Start each interval seated and take about 20 seconds to build to threshold power. A controlled start helps you avoid early fatigue from explosive accelerations.
Make your climbing-specific improvements by keeping steady effort in each interval. Your last interval should feel as strong as your first. Choose routes with minimal interruptions for outdoor sessions. This lets you maintain steady power.
Your threshold intervals should stay between 95-105% of your FTP. This matches about 95-97% of field test heart rate or RPE of 8/10. Use power metrics whenever possible to get the best results. Your perceived effort often lags behind actual exertion during climbing.
Keep your power consistent rather than focusing on speed during intervals. Your velocity will change naturally with the gradient. Cadence works well as a secondary intensity gage. The prescribed 40-60 RPM makes sure you recruit the right climbing-specific muscle fibres.
Recovery periods make these threshold workouts work. Take breaks lasting 50-100% of your work interval duration. A 3-minute threshold effort needs 1.5-3 minutes of recovery.
Longer recovery intervals help you complete subsequent work intervals at the right intensity. Many athletes cut their recovery periods short because they feel ready. This leads to declining performance in later intervals. Focus on quality over quantity and respect your recovery periods.
Cyclists who want to take their climbing skills to the next level will benefit from the VO2 Over-Unders workout. This session helps fast-twitch muscle fibres work more efficiently with oxygen. The result is sustainable power that makes a real difference on tough climbs.
This workout is designed to enhance your ability to sustain high-intensity efforts while climbing. It improves your VO2 max (your body's maximum ability to use oxygen), lactate tolerance, and recovery from surges. These intervals mimic real-world climbing situations where you have to respond to attacks, steep sections, or changes in pace.
The key is to stay seated and maintain smooth power output to simulate real climbing efforts. Gradually decrease effort, spinning at a comfortable cadence. Include some gentle stretching post-workout to aid recovery.
Your mental game can make or break this challenging workout. When things get tough, try to separate yourself from the pain. Notice those unhelpful thoughts but don't let them affect your effort. Studies show we have about 6.5 thoughts per minute during hard efforts—many of them telling us to stop.
Picture yourself succeeding before each interval starts. This mental practice helps you handle discomfort better. Use positive self-talk like "this is making me stronger" or focus on technical cues. These tricks really help reduce how hard the workout feels.
Power output isn't the only thing to watch. Your heart rate at steady power levels tells an important story across sessions. A lower heart rate at the same power means you're getting fitter. On climbs, better fitness shows up as a lower average heart rate when other factors stay the same.
Your power-to-weight ratio is vital to track too. It's the key number for climbing performance. Each extra pound means you just need about two more watts to move uphill.
Spring is the ideal time to revolutionize your climbing abilities with well-laid-out training. Studies show focused climbing workouts at 98-104% of FTP boost power gains. This is vital during the early season period.
The Foundation Builder workout helps establish your baseline climbing fitness. Once you become skilled at basic techniques, move on to the Threshold Developer to boost your sustained power. Cyclists ready for intense challenges can take on the VO2 Over-Unders to maximize their climbing performance.
Your safety is vital when doing these workouts. Pick the right routes, stay alert to traffic, and fuel properly to ensure productive training sessions. On top of that, it's essential to track recovery between workouts. This prevents overtraining and allows your body to adapt.
Strong climbing skills come from applying well-laid-out training principles consistently. These early season workouts build your physical and mental foundations, whether you're tackling local hills or planning mountain adventures. Note that steady progression with gradually increasing workout intensity works better than random hard efforts for long-term success.
