Training Tip

Hill Training for Strength
By Troy Jacobson

The bike leg is arguably the most important segment of any triathlon and your results at the end of the race are closely tied to your riding abilities. If you want to raise the bar and place higher in the standings, you absolutely need to focus on your cycling.

A well conceived bike training program includes a variety of factors such as aerobic foundation development, spinning technique / neuromuscular conditioning, increased power output at threshold and strength training specific to cycling. This last component, strength training, is easily addressed by doing 'hill repeats'.

Hill repeats are an advanced training method that should be done only after a fitness base is well established. Done too early in the season or training cycle, when muscles, tendons and ligaments aren't yet prepared, hill repeats can lead to injury and overtraining.

There are many hill repeat variations but one of the more effective is as follows:

Step 1: Warm up for 15-20 minutes at an aerobic heart rate and at a cadence of 90-100rpms


Step 2: Find a hill on a low trafficked road with a 7-10% grade at least 400 meters long or one that will take you at least one -- two minutes to ascend.


Step 3: Start at the bottom of the hill in a gearing that will be difficult to sustain all the way to the top and that will allow for an average cadence in the 50-60 rpm range.


Step 4: While seated, start climbing aggressively (HARD!) from the bottom and 'hold the effort' all the way to the top or to the end of your interval.


Step 5: Once at the top, roll back down the hill and do the next rep as soon as you are at the bottom. Do the planned number of reps.


Step 6: Cooldown for 15-20 minutes and rest.

Each rep should be done seated and with a big effort. Start with four reps and build to a total of 10 reps over several weeks, adding a rep or two each week. Make sure that the day following your hill repeat day is a recovery day.

Done properly, your legs will gain incredible cycling-specific strength from doing hill repeats that will carry over to faster bike splits on race day.

A former pro triathlete and creator of the Spinervals Cycling DVD series.

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