This session will help you develop your hill climbing ability and leg strength.
Each Wednesday I’ll post a Windtrainer Workout that you can do in about 60 minutes to enhance your cycling. See a previous post about training intensity (Levels) to know how hard to work. If you are working directly with Coach Ray he will in most cases prescribe either a Power Zone or Heart Rate Zone to work within if you are training with these tools.
5x 4min Hill Reps
- 10min Warm Up Level II;
- 5x 4min Level V high resistance, 4min RI Level I;
- 10min Cool Down Level I-II;
- 10min Stretching
The warm-up should be done at an intensity that is steady but not overconsuming at Level II.
The main set includes a set of five repetitions of four minutes hard at Level V against a resistance to simulate a hill. Try and keep your cadence high as you ‘dance on the pedals‘ to ascend the hill. After the four minutes is up, ride easy against minimal resistance and in a small gear for a Rest Interval (RI) for four-minute.
Once all repetitions have been done commence a cool down at a low intensity for ten minutes.
Finish with 10 minutes of stretching to assist with your recovery. This isn’t necessarily included in the 60-minute workout and can be conducted whilst showering post-workout.
This session can also be done out on the road just as easily as on a wind trainer. Doing this session will also assist develop your ability to descend as well as develop confidence riding on hills. If you are doing it on the road you need to choose a hill that will take a good five minutes of riding to get to the top. Warm up as you ride to the hill. If the hill is within 10 minutes of your starting point, extend the warm-up so that it lasts a minimum of 10 minutes. Commence the first repetition at the bottom of the hill and after riding the first rep, turn around and descend back to the bottom of the hill prior to commencing the second or subsequent rep. It might not be exactly a four-minute descent as you would get on the wind trainer, but it will be of a similar duration. Prior to the first rep take a mental note of a key feature or mark that you can use as your ‘start point’. Whether it is a letter box, power pole, manhole cover, or something else, try and start each rep from the same point. With each rep try and push yourself further up the hill to cover more ground.
Feel free to comment below where your favorite hills can be found to do this session. Mine is Kaiti Hill in Gisborne.
If you would like further advice feel free to contact me.
I am the Head Coach & Director of Qwik Kiwi – Endurance Sports Consultant.
I specialise in assisting first-timers and recreational athletes to achieve their sporting goals. I can be contacted at coachray@coachray.nz and 021 348 729.
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If you enjoyed this workout, here is a similar session I published previously.
Wednesday Windtrainer Workout: 2min/2:30min/3min/3:30min/4min
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