# Good hill workouts



## JasonHolder (26 May 2014)

Hey guys

Starting a hill period now to add a bit more to the leggies.

Any favourite hill workouts you enjoy and provide a good return?

Personally have found unbelievably steep hills give the best returns, but I'm pacing this 4 weeks slowly building up and would like to try some new workouts from this decade 

Personally a fan of riding a moderate 4-6min climb, 
1repeat of (eg) 39-28 
2nd repeat of 39-25 
3rd repeat of 39-23 and so on- to failure. 

any thoughts on spending 2 weeks working on force development-low cadence

And then transitioning to using high cadence with the newly acquired strength for the remaining 2 weeks?


----------



## Kies (26 May 2014)

you lost me after "hey guys"


----------



## Davos87 (26 May 2014)

You no speak Eeenglish?


----------



## 400bhp (26 May 2014)

Norfolk En Idea


----------



## Trevor_P (26 May 2014)

Find the hill that kills you. Stick on a rucksack. Add weight. Add more weight. Add even more weight. When your up to 160LB and can still climb it, your done.


----------



## ayceejay (26 May 2014)

Is this up or down the hill Jason, downhill is a killer for developing cadence.


----------



## JasonHolder (26 May 2014)

ayceejay said:


> Is this up or down the hill Jason, downhill is a killer for developing cadence.


Going up  after trials and finding its better to recover down hill than pedal. I soft pedal and tuck up descending. Good idea to up the cadence though. Nice one


----------



## 400bhp (26 May 2014)

Soft pedal


----------



## JasonHolder (26 May 2014)

400bhp said:


> Soft pedal


Youre most annoying because youre an incedibly fast guy and yet talk shite rather than spread your wisdom.


----------



## 400bhp (26 May 2014)

Mate-soft pedal cracked me up

I find it hard to take you seriously.


----------



## JasonHolder (26 May 2014)

400bhp said:


> Mate-soft pedal cracked me up
> 
> I find it hard to take you seriously.


Whats so funny about soft pedalling? Having little tension on the drive chain but still turning the legs is hilarious!!! I see your point funny man.


And accept/decline my strava request if you would be so kind.


----------



## fossyant (26 May 2014)

My bail out is a 39 x 24.... Heh heh.


----------



## fossyant (26 May 2014)

Just ride your bike. That's the best training for just riding.


----------



## JasonHolder (26 May 2014)

fossyant said:


> Just ride your bike. That's the best training for just riding.


Ive "just ridden my bike" 1600miles in 7 weeks. 

Training is starting


----------



## uclown2002 (26 May 2014)

JasonHolder said:


> Ive "just ridden my bike" *1600miles in 7 weeks*.
> 
> Training is starting


Is that all?


----------



## JasonHolder (26 May 2014)

uclown2002 said:


> Is that all?


alright, not everyone has a fountain of youth in the backyard! Haha and i will be reducing even that mileage now


----------



## screenman (26 May 2014)

One that my DIL uses as a recent national champion, oops! Sorry I forgot I am not allowed to post replies to your posts.


----------



## Rob3rt (27 May 2014)

I don't understand what a "hill period" is.


----------



## Hacienda71 (27 May 2014)

Rob3rt said:


> I don't understand what a "hill period" is.


It is a ladies thing Rob, best not to ask......


----------



## KneesUp (27 May 2014)

JasonHolder said:


> Personally a fan of riding a moderate 4-6min climb,
> 1repeat of (eg) 39-28
> 2nd repeat of 39-25
> 3rd repeat of 39-23 and so on- to failure.


Surely you should do this the other way around - just keep doing it in as high a gear as you can (which will be lower the more reps you do in a session)


----------



## ColinJ (27 May 2014)

How about riding something with a profile like this as hard as you like uphill, and just enjoying the downhills?


----------



## jarlrmai (27 May 2014)

That's a nice warm up at the start there.


----------



## JasonHolder (27 May 2014)

Rob3rt said:


> I don't understand what a "hill period" is.


Its where I ride 50miles to search out the closest hills to train specifically on them for a 4 week period.



KneesUp said:


> Surely you should do this the other way around - just keep doing it in as high a gear as you can (which will be lower the more reps you do in a session)


Theoretically correct there kneesup if I wasn't doing 4 weeks here, I'd be doing that for the most time under tension in a workout- however its easier to remember what you were spinning on the 3rd Rep by doing it this way. Much more progressive. Not to mention less painful.


----------



## Rob3rt (27 May 2014)

Seems all rather binary to me...


----------



## 50000tears (27 May 2014)

One approach I like is to train on mid length hills that take 4 mins+ to climb with a 6-8% gradient. Warm up first, then start hill in your normal cruising speed, around 80% max effort. Then at a fixed point, lamppost or drain or change of road surface, knock it up a gear and sprint to another fixed point. Then change back to your spinning gear and cruise the finish.

If hill is long enough you can do a couple of efforts like this per climb. If too short then you can spin until 1 min from finish then attack til over the crest.

With steeper hills I tend to just get up them as fast as I can. I experiment with trying steady efforts, starting hardish and trying to hold it as long as possible or starting easy and trying to speed up near the top. This is more to find the best way to climb a given hill as much as traning though.


----------



## ColinJ (27 May 2014)

jarlrmai said:


> That's a nice warm up at the start there.


Indeed ... That's the Keighley Road out of Hebden Bridge and I only get 300 metres of riding in before I hit it! 

It's nice coming home that way though. That's the profile of my forum ride from yesterday and I bombed back into town with @Kestevan on the 7 km descent.

(If I were serious about going up that hill quickly, I would warm up on my gym bike before setting off.)


----------



## JasonHolder (27 May 2014)

50000tears post: 3103183 said:


> One approach I like is to train on mid length hills that take 4 mins+ to climb with a 6-8% gradient. Warm up first, then start hill in your normal cruising speed, around 80% max effort. Then at a fixed point, lamppost or drain or change of road surface, knock it up a gear and sprint to another fixed point. Then change back to your spinning gear and cruise the finish.
> 
> If hill is long enough you can do a couple of efforts like this per climb. If too short then you can spin until 1 min from finish then attack til over the crest.
> 
> With steeper hills I tend to just get up them as fast as I can. I experiment with trying steady efforts, starting hardish and trying to hold it as long as possible or starting easy and trying to speed up near the top. This is more to find the best way to climb a given hill as much as traning though.


Superb effort! Hill fartlek sounds good. Cheers for that!

Yeah as youve seen I've been playing around alot finding out what's the fastest way to the top of steep things and back down lol!


----------



## Cold (27 May 2014)

JasonHolder said:


> Its where I ride 50miles to search out the closest hills to train specifically on them for a 4 week period.
> 
> 
> Theoretically correct there kneesup if I wasn't doing 4 weeks here, I'd be doing that for the most time under tension in a workout- however its easier to remember what you were spinning on the 3rd Rep by doing it this way. Much more progressive. Not to mention less painful.




As your in Gloucester why don't you just go up and down Portway or Birdlip hill.


----------



## JasonHolder (27 May 2014)

colderuk said:


> As your in Gloucester why don't you just go up and down Portway or Birdlip hill.


Went up birdlip Friday after my challenge duel up painswick here with smashing a cocky little SOB on strava... Now which hill is port way?
Cheers

Ps-50mile round trip to bird lip/painswick


----------



## MikeG (27 May 2014)

JasonHolder said:


> ...............smashing a cocky little SOB on strava... .




You do understand the word "irony", do you?


----------



## JasonHolder (27 May 2014)

MikeG post: 3103255 said:


> You do understand the word "irony", do you?


Yes i believe @vickster schooled me in the meaning weeks ago  haha


----------



## 400bhp (27 May 2014)

What exactly are you training for?

Loving the avatar


----------



## Peter Armstrong (27 May 2014)

I find a hill that that 30 sec /45 secs to climb. Hit it hard as possible roll down and repeat.


----------



## Cold (27 May 2014)

JasonHolder said:


> Went up birdlip Friday after my challenge duel up painswick here with smashing a cocky little SOB on strava... Now which hill is port way?
> Cheers
> 
> Ps-50mile round trip to bird lip/painswick




Portway is the hill if you go through Upton St Leonards heading towards Matson take a left go up the road called High Street.

http://www.strava.com/segments/677837


----------

