Weekly Climbing Training Plan: Combining Hill Repeats and Long Climb Tempo

Introduction

Many cyclists want to improve their climbing ability but don’t know how to structure their training. Riding one long climb on the weekend and occasionally doing intervals during the week—this kind of “random training” does produce results, but progress is far slower than with a systematic plan. This article provides a weekly climbing training framework designed specifically for Taiwanese cyclists, integrating hill repeats and long climb Tempo to help you see significant improvement within 4–8 weeks.

The Two Core Tools of Climbing Training

Hill Repeats

Choose a 1–3 km climb with a 6–10% gradient. Repeatedly sprint at high intensity (95–110% FTP), then recover by coasting downhill. This training primarily stimulates:

• VO2max improvement
• Neuromuscular efficiency for climbing (learning muscle coordination for high-intensity pedaling)
• Lactate tolerance

Sustained Climbing Tempo

Choose a continuous climb lasting 20–60 minutes, holding a steady output at 78–88% FTP (Tempo to Sweet Spot zone). This primarily stimulates:

• Lactate threshold improvement
• Climbing endurance (time sustained at moderate-to-high intensity)
• Pacing and energy management

Periodization Principles for Training Load

A good weekly plan follows a “3 weeks of overload + 1 recovery week” periodization rhythm:

Sample Weekly Plan (Based on 5 Training Days per Week)

The following plan suits advanced amateur riders with an FTP of approximately 200–260W whose goal is to improve climbing ability.

Monday: Active Recovery (60 minutes)

• Zone 1–2 (55–70% FTP), easy pedaling to promote recovery after the weekend long ride.
• Can be done on the trainer to keep the legs moving without adding extra fatigue.

Tuesday: Hill Repeats (75–90 minutes)

• Warm-up: 15 minutes progressing to Zone 3
• Main set: 6 × 3 minutes @ 105–115% FTP (climbing sprints), with 3 minutes of easy downhill recovery between each
• Cool-down: 10 minutes
• Goal: Stimulate VO2max, pushing heart rate to 90–95% HRmax

Wednesday: Low-Intensity Recovery Ride (60–90 minutes)

• Zone 2 (65–75% FTP), steady aerobic work, no high intensity.
• May include 4 × 10 seconds of high-cadence work (100–110 rpm) without compromising recovery.

Thursday: Long Climb Tempo (90–120 minutes)

• Warm-up: 15 minutes
• Main set: 2 × 20 minutes @ 85–90% FTP (Sweet Spot), with 8 minutes of Zone 2 between
• Cool-down: 15 minutes
• Recommended to perform on a real climb (5–8% gradient) for more specific training effect

Friday: Rest Day

• Complete rest or light stretching, foam rolling to let muscles adapt to the week’s stimulus.

Saturday: Long Climbing Ride (3–4 hours)

• Find a route with 1000–1500m of elevation gain, riding steadily in Zone 3–4.
• Deliberately conservative for the first 60 minutes (Zone 2–3), gradually increasing intensity in the second half as conditions allow.
• Practice fueling rhythm: eat every 45 minutes.

Sunday: Easy Ride (60–90 minutes)

• Zone 1–2, active recovery, ride easy with friends and enjoy the sport.

Training Plan Adjustment Guide

If training volume is insufficient (fewer than 8 hours per week):

• Remove Monday’s active recovery and take complete rest instead.
• Shorten Saturday’s long ride to 2–2.5 hours.
• Reduce Tuesday’s hill repeats to 4 × 3 minutes.

For advanced riders with ample training volume (12+ hours per week):

• Increase Tuesday’s intervals to 8 × 3 minutes, or switch to 4 × 5 minutes of longer intervals.
• Upgrade Thursday’s long climb Tempo to 3 × 20 minutes.
• Extend Saturday’s long climb to 4–5 hours with 1500–2000m of elevation gain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I do hill repeats and long climb Tempo on the same day?
A: Not recommended. The fatigue profiles of the two workouts differ, and combining them will reduce the quality of each session while increasing the risk of overtraining.

Q: What if I don’t have access to a real climb?
A: A trainer with incline simulation mode (non-ERG mode) can effectively mimic the feel of climbing. Set a 5–8% incline for long climb Tempo, and use a steeper incline or switch to ERG mode for interval training.

Q: How should I structure my week if I can only ride 3 days?
A: Prioritize keeping the three core training days—Tuesday (intervals), Thursday (Tempo), and Saturday (long ride)—and take complete rest on the remaining days.

Conclusion

A training plan is just a tool; consistency of execution and adequate sleep and recovery are the true drivers of progress. We recommend using Garmin, Wahoo, or Strava to record power and heart rate data for every session, reviewing it every 2–3 weeks to confirm that training stress is progressing as planned. After 8 weeks of systematic training, the changes you’ll see in your climbing will surprise you.

Related Reading

• Hill Interval Training: Designing a 5×5 Minute Climbing Workout Using Taiwan’s Mountain Roads
• Climbing Endurance: Designing and Executing a 30-Minute Sustained Workout
• Climbing Repeat Intervals: A Systematic Mountain Training Plan with Power Guidelines
• Periodized Climbing Training: A 16-Week Plan from Base Aerobic to Specific Climbing