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Mountain Bike Hill Repeats

Improve your mountain bike riding with these hill intervals. You’ll improve your power and technique, and it’ll make climbing less of a chore.

For: Mountain Bikers.
Time: 60 minutes.
Description: Improve your mountain bike riding with these hill intervals. You’ll improve your power and technique, and it’ll make climbing less of a chore.
Equipment needed: Bike.

Why is it we tend to avoid things we aren’t very good at? Many cyclists complain of being poor hill climbers but rarely do dedicated workouts designed to improve their climbing. Now is your chance. This workout is best done on a mountain bike on rolling terrain, but a road bike or a mountain bike on the road will work as well.

The only thing you’ll really need is a hill. Doesn’t have to be too steep, 5 to 8% grade, between one quarter to 2 miles in length. Dirt is best, but grass, concrete and asphalt will work. Focus on moving your weight forward slightly as you climb steeper terrain; don’t pull the front wheel off the ground. The intensity should be 80 to 90% of your maximum heart rate or about 6 out of 10 on the perceived exertion scale.

  1. Minutes 0 to 5: Change in to your riding gear, fill your bottles, air the tires and head out the door.
  2. Minutes 6 to 15: Gradually warm up by increasing your pedal cadence and gearing. Start in a nice easy gear and increase your speed and level of effort every two minutes.
  3. Minutes 16 to 25: Five one-minute uphill efforts, with one-minute rest between each. During each interval, sit for 30 seconds, then stand for 30 seconds, using one higher gear.
  4. Minutes 26 to 40: Five two-minute uphill efforts with one-minute rests between each. Stand for the last 30 seconds of each interval, using one higher gear.
  5. Minutes 41 to 45: Five 30-second hill sprints, with 30-second rests between each. Go hard out of the saddle on these efforts.
  6. Minutes 46 to 55: Gradually cool down by reducing your gearing and speed as you get closer to home.
  7. Minutes 56 to 60: Shower time. Don’t forget to eat something high in carbohydrates within two hours after your workout.