8-week hill climb training plan

Climbing is threshold power divided by weight. This is the numerator.

Climbing speed comes down to sustainable power divided by weight. Weight is a nutrition question this plan will not pretend to answer; power is a training question, and it is the one every session here works on.

8
weeks: 4
rides a week: 5.2 h
typical week: 7 h
biggest week

Start this plan See every week Test your FTP first

Free, with no trial Scheduled on your own calendar Switch or stop at any point

The mix is deliberate. Low-cadence torque work builds the muscular endurance that long seated climbs demand. Threshold intervals raise the power you can hold for the length of a real climb. VO2 max work lifts the ceiling those threshold efforts sit under, which matters on steep pitches and repeated climbs.

The plan finishes with a timed climb simulation. Ride the shorter version in week seven and the longer one in week eight, and you finish with a number you can chase next season.

How the plan is built

A low-cadence or force session every week — the specific part.
Threshold work as the backbone, VO2 max layered in from week three.
One recovery week at the midpoint, then a build straight into the timed effort.

Ride this plan if

You have a hill climb event, a mountain sportive, or a local climb you want to beat.
You can ride four times a week for six to eight hours.
You have a base block behind you — this is not an entry-level plan.

What you get out of it

Higher sustained power on climbs lasting 10–40 minutes.
Muscular endurance for long seated efforts at low cadence.
A timed climb simulation to measure yourself against next time.

Week by week

Every session below is a real workout you can open and ride right now, with or without the plan. Applying the plan puts them on your calendar on the days you choose.

8-week schedule for the Hill Climb Plan cycling training plan
Week	Focus and sessions	Load
1 week	Torque first Week 1: low-cadence intervals and 2×20 sweet spot. Stay seated in the torque work — standing changes the exercise. Low Cadence Climb 3×6m52 min Endurance Base 1 – 60m60 min Sweet Spot 2x20min75 min Endurance Base 3 – 90m90 min	4.6 hours
2 week	Threshold enters Week 2: four low-cadence intervals and 2×15 at threshold. Two hard days, well separated. Low Cadence Climb 4×6m62 min Endurance Base 2 – 75m75 min Threshold 2x15min65 min Endurance Base 4 – 105m105 min	5.1 hours
3 week	Add the ceiling Week 3: five low-cadence intervals and 4×8 VO2. The hardest week before the break. Low Cadence Climb 5×6m72 min Endurance Base 2 – 75m75 min 4×8 VO2 Builder73 min Long Ride Zone 2 (2hr)150 min	6.2 hours
4 recovery	Recovery week Week 4: recovery. The second block is heavier — take this one properly. Recovery Spin 3 – 40m40 min Endurance Base 1 – 60m60 min Recovery Week: Short Sweet Spot40 min Recovery Week: 1hr Zone 276 min	3.6 hours
5 week	Force and velocity Week 5: the force and velocity mix, plus the full threshold builder. Two very different kinds of hard. Force & Velocity Mix76 min Endurance Base 2 – 75m75 min Threshold Builder95 min Endurance Base 5 – 120m120 min	6.1 hours
6 week	Peak load Week 6: five low-cadence intervals, 5×5 VO2, and a three-hour ride. The biggest week of the plan. Low Cadence Climb 5×6m72 min Endurance Base 2 – 75m75 min 5×5 Minute VO2 Max75 min Long Ride Zone 2 (3hr)200 min	7 hours
7 week	First timed effort Week 7: a 20-minute climb simulation early in the week, 4×5 VO2 later. Pace the simulation like a real climb. Time Trial Simulation 1 – 20m50 min Endurance Base 2 – 75m75 min VO2 Classic 4x565 min Long Ride Zone 2 (2hr)150 min	5.7 hours
8 recovery	The timed climb Week 8: openers midweek, then the 30-minute climb simulation. This is the number you are chasing. Recovery Spin 3 – 40m40 min Openers (3x1:00)48 min Endurance Base 1 – 60m60 min Time Trial Simulation 2 – 30m60 min	3.5 hours

Applying the plan schedules all 32 sessions from your chosen start date. You pick which days of the week you ride.

Start Hill Climb Plan

Hill Climb Plan: common questions

How do you train to climb faster on a bike?

By raising the power you can sustain for the length of the climb. For a 20-minute climb that means threshold work; for a 5-minute climb, VO2 max work. Low-cadence torque intervals add the muscular endurance that long seated climbs demand.

Does low-cadence training make you a better climber?

It builds the muscular side of climbing — the ability to keep producing force when cadence drops on a steep pitch. It works best alongside threshold and VO2 work rather than instead of it, which is how this plan uses it.

Can I train for climbing on an indoor trainer?

Yes. A smart trainer in ERG mode holds the exact power a climb would demand, which is arguably better practice than a road climb where gradient changes push your power around. Raising the front wheel changes the position but not the training.

What to ride after this

Training works in blocks. These plans pick up where this one leaves off.

Specialty

12 weeks · 5/week

Gran Fondo Training Plan

Twelve weeks and five rides a week for a long, hilly event: endurance volume, sweet spot and threshold power, and dedicated low-cadence climbing work.

Build

8 weeks · 4/week

Sustained Power Build

The build block that follows base: threshold intervals and VO2 max work, holding onto the aerobic volume that made them possible.