8 Weeks to Stronger Climbing! Intermediate Cyclist Training Plan
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Plan Description
You need your climbing legs, and FAST! Questions? Please visit us on the web at HumanVortexTraining.com or email Coach Brodie directly at: Brodie@HumanVortexTraining.com.
Designed by exercise scientist, expert coach and athlete Menachem Brodie, BS, CSCS this program brings you his knowledge, experience, and expertise from coaching endurance athletes from around the globe the last 9+ years.
Our Intermediate 8 weeks to Stronger Climbing! Program will help you maximize your climbing abilities by not only giving your energy systems a kick, but also helping to expand the "tools" you have to use on the climbs.
From cadences, to your mental toughness, this program is the real deal!
What kind of riding is in this program?
This program is focused on high intensity intervals during the mid-week rides, Especially the VO2 Max Energy System, along with 1 group ride, and a longer endurance ride on the weekends. Total Ride time per week is 8-10 hours, although weekend rides may be extended up to 60 minutes, should your fitness and schedule allow.
What time of year is this program best for? Base? Build?
An excellent question that we often receive for this program! This program is built to allow you to use it either during your Base Period, or your Racing period leading up to your peak (This program should end 1 week before your peak race). For use during your Racing period/season (build), simply trade out the "Group Ride" for a Road Race or Crit on your calendar. For most Category 2/3/4's you'll see that the Time on the bike, and even the TSS ranges will be fairly comparable. You can decrease the second days ride so as to meet the same TSS for the weekend. While you'll get a different mix of energy systems (due to racing), you'll stay in range for the program to build you up!
Can I reuse this plan through my season?
Sure can! As long as you take 1 week to de-load after the last week of the training program, you can jump right back in and re-use this training plan numerous times throughout the season!
For more information about this plan, please DOWNLOAD the Description Document.
Stats
Average Weekly Breakdown
| Workouts | Weekly Average | Longest Workout |
|---|---|---|
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9:16 hrs | 3:30 hrs |
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| Workouts Per Week | Weekly Average | Longest Workout | |
|---|---|---|---|
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9:16 hrs | 3:30 hrs | |
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—— | —— |
Training Load By Week
Sample Day 1
Today we get an idea of your baseline fitness via a field test. This may be completed on the trainer, or outside.
This field test should be done on a FLAT course, as the purpose of this training plan is to help boost your power and abilities on the flats.
8 min w.u. (Wam up)
3x 1 minute Fast Pedaling (1x ea on bar tops, hoods, and drops). These should be done by keeping your arms nice and relaxed, with a firm, but relaxed grip on the handlebars.
HOW TO DO IT: Using a gear that allows you to ride at endurance, over the first 15 seconds of the effort raise your cadence up to where you are just shy of bouncing in the saddle, and hold that cadence for the remainder of the effort.
5 min endurance
5 min ALL OUT (Push hard!)
10 min Endurance
Then 2x 10 min Lactate Threshold efforts. For these, your legs should begin burning around 2.5 minutes in, and you should be able to maintain that burning sensation for the rest of the effort.
8 min easy riding in between efforts
5 min c.d. (cool down)
Sample Day 2
As we have just 8 weeks to improve your climbing, today we will execute a Sweet Spot workout, which will allow us to hit the Lactate Threshold energy system back to back, but without completely draining you.
These sweet spots should be done at 88-94@ of your FTP, based on what you've been able to average for the END of the short SSI workouts.
Focus on smooth pedal stroke and power to the pedals, while keeping your upper body nice and solid throughout.
Sample Day 4
Today we focus in on the VO2 Energy Systems from 4-8 minutes in length. This will help us begin to raise your lactate threshold, as well as your ability to push harder on the climbs.
The descending nature of todays efforts allows you to gradually increase the intensity as you ride. This is extremely important in our 8 week journey to increase your climbing power, as teaching you to push hard, especially towards the end when it REALLY hurts, will help begin to mould you into a fiercer competition on the slopes.
This one is going to hurt. So come ready!
Sample Day 5
Todays ride is a Foundational Miles Ride.
These are done with a slightly higher power range than Endurance Rides (at times touching on 80% of you Lactate Threshold).
This makes it much easier, and much more enjoyable to do in a group setting.
Make sure to keep your pedals turning 90% of the time, and that you are focused on a smooth, even pedal stroke, especially on rolling terrain, and when you hit those slight inclines.
Cadence 90-100 on Flats/rollers
Cadence 85+ on climbs!
-YES EVEN IF THAT MEANS SMALL RING+ SMALL COG!!!!
Sample Day 6
A shorter than "normal" endurance ride today, as we want to ensure that we are allowing you to build your fitness.
Week one should be about 70-80% of your usual ride volume, but with much higher intensity.
Make sure that you are staying in YOUR endurance pace range!
We'll finish todays ride with 2x 10 min Climbing Repeats, helping to gain more time on the slopes, especially under a little tiny bit of fatigue.
Aim to keep your cadence between 85-100 for the ride today, except for the Fast Pedals
Sample Day 8
Learning to deal with multiple efforts at Lactate threshold with short recovery periods is a fantastic way to not only boost your Lactate Threshold abilities, but also to improve your ability to ride smooth and strong in a group.
Sample Day 9
To help us consolidate all the work we have been doing, and to allow you to feel the good ol' burn of the legs for a longer period of time, we now have a Sweet spot workout.
These sweet spots should be done at 88-94@ of your FTP, based on what you've been able to average for the END of the short SSI workouts.
Focus on smooth pedal stroke and power to the pedals, while keeping your upper body nice and solid throughout.