Climbing FTP Improvement: 8-Week Progressive Threshold Climbing Training Plan

Introduction

Taiwan is a paradise for climbing training: from Pinglin and the Beiyi Highway near Taipei, to Wuling and Hehuan Mountain in central Taiwan, to Wutai and the Alishan Highway in the south, natural power training grounds are everywhere. Climbing training is particularly effective for FTP improvement because climbing naturally limits your speed, making it hard to “slack off,” while gravitational resistance allows precise control of climbing intensity.

The Relationship Between Climbing Training and FTP

When you climb steadily at a consistent power output, your body relies almost entirely on the aerobic system, and the sustained resistance from gravity allows you to maintain effort near the lactate threshold for extended periods—this is precisely the optimal stimulus for improving FTP.

Research shows that regular threshold climbing training (twice a week, accumulating 20–40 minutes of threshold intensity per session) can improve FTP by approximately 5–12% after 8 weeks, outperforming flat-road training of equal duration.

8-Week Training Plan Overview

Detailed Weekly Workouts

Weeks 1–2: Adaptation Phase

Goal: Help muscles and the cardiorespiratory system adapt to threshold stress on climbs.

Tuesday Workout:

• Warm-up 20 minutes (including 3 × 30-second spin-ups)
• 3×12 minutes Sweet Spot Climbing (88% FTP), 5 minutes easy descent between intervals
• Cool-down 15 minutes

Saturday Workout:

• Long aerobic climbing 90–120 minutes (Zone 2, 70% FTP)
• Maintain cadence at 70–80 rpm, do not chase speed

Weeks 3–4: Build Phase I

Goal: Introduce threshold intensity to directly stimulate FTP gains.

Tuesday Workout:

• Warm-up 20 minutes
• 2×15 minutes Threshold Climbing (95% FTP), 6 minutes easy descent between intervals
• Cool-down 15 minutes

Thursday Workout (optional):

• Sweet Spot Climbing 2×12 minutes (88% FTP)

Weeks 5–6: Build Phase II

Goal: Extend threshold duration to improve the quality of each stimulus.

Tuesday Workout:

• Warm-up 20 minutes
• 2×20 minutes Threshold Climbing (97% FTP), 8 minutes between intervals
• Cool-down 15 minutes

Week 7: Overload Phase

Goal: Highest weekly load of the plan, preparing for the subsequent taper and supercompensation.

• 3×15 minutes Threshold Climbing (100% FTP), 6 minutes between intervals
• Note: After completing this week, ensure full recovery in Week 8

Week 8: Taper and Retest

• Reduce training volume by 40–50% for the first 5 days, but keep 1–2 short threshold efforts (to maintain neuromuscular activation)
• Day 6: Full FTP retest to witness the results of 8 weeks of training

Recommended Climbing Routes in Taiwan

• Northern Taiwan: Pinglin Old Street → Pinglin Visitor Center (steady 5–7% gradient), Muzha → Maokong (short hill repeats)
• Central Taiwan: Dongfeng Bike Path → lower section of Daxueshan Forest Road, Shigang → Dongshi
• Southern Taiwan: Kaohsiung Shoushan Road, Qishan → Meinong → Shanlin

Practical Tips

1. Fixed route, fixed time: Choose the same route for every session to effectively compare power improvements
2. Maintain cadence at 75–85 rpm: Avoid grinding big gears on climbs; higher cadence is kinder to your knees
3. Don’t neglect fueling: Threshold climbing burns far more energy than it feels like; consume at least 40–50g of carbohydrates per hour
4. Record average power and heart rate for each segment: If heart rate stays the same but power rises, it means your efficiency has genuinely improved
5. Move indoors in bad weather: The plan matters more than the format; a trainer works just as well

Conclusion

Eight weeks of systematic climbing training, 2–3 sessions per week, is the most direct path to improving climbing FTP for riders in Taiwan. From the light sweet spot efforts of the adaptation phase, progressively advancing to threshold challenges near 100% FTP, and finally witnessing the numbers leap in the retest after the Week 8 taper—this is the most exhilarating moment for every serious rider. Taiwan’s hills will always be there; when you’re ready, just go.

Related Reading

• Cycling FTP Training Method: 7 Core Workouts to Raise Threshold Power
• Cycling Special Feature | Building Cycling FTP: 8-Week Progressive Test (C062)
• Cycling Special Feature | Building Cycling FTP: 8-Week Progressive Test (C082)
• Cycling Special Feature | Building Cycling FTP: 8-Week Progressive Test (C022)