A Training Plan to Become a Better Cyclist in 5 Weeks

As a triathlete, your calendar year should not be a linear build of balanced swim, bike, and run sessions. Rather, dedicated training blocks focused on one specific discipline can help you improve your weak spots and become a stronger, well-balanced triathlete. If you’re looking to become a better cyclist, this five-week training plan to get faster on the bike will help you do just that.

A few reasons why you would want to add a bike-focused phase into your training schedule include:

1. You feel you are under-performing or are feeling weak on the bike in general.
2. Your “A” race has a demanding bike course.
3. Despite a strong cardiovascular engine and top run fitness, you have not been able to run well off the bike (increased strength and efficiency on the bike will leave you with more energy for a stronger run).
4. One particular aspect of your cycling is not up to par, such as your climbing.
5. Your key race(s) is a long-course event that is late in the season, and you’d like to ramp up the training volume for that occasion.

Typically, the bike segment of triathlon is the longest leg time-wise, and it is critical that you are in peak riding form for your goal race(s). Training on hills can be very effective and efficient in helping you achieve this peak form with your cycling. Hilly routes amplify a deficiency and are also prime opportunities to make gains in cycling competency and fitness. Hill climbing is central to this plan.

About the Training Plan

This program places an emphasis on cycling while still helping you maintain swim and run fitness. It is important to do the sessions in the order listed. There are some optional sessions and duration ranges for athletes of differing abilities, time availability and accumulated fatigue levels. If you started racing in April or May, you should plan for a mid-summer block of limited racing or no racing at all. If you’ve already done your “A” race for the year, you should take an off-season of rest and recovery before trying to improve your bike leg for next season.

This five-week program targets athletes who are racing Olympic-distance or half-Ironman events and have been swimming, biking and running at least two to three times per week. You will build your triathlon training schedule around your bike focus, with 50–60% of your allotted training time being in the saddle. You should be comfortable running a minimum of 75 minutes and riding more than two hours, with some interval work or racing under your belt. Be more conservative if you have done less training. If you are racing longer, increase volume and decrease intensity slightly, while following similar principles.

By the end of the five weeks, you will be riding hills stronger than ever!

Types of Hill Sessions

Low cadence climbing or simulated climbing: Riding at a lower cadence in a big gear recruits more muscle fibers per pedal stroke and builds cycling-specific strength. Slowing the cadence allows you to focus on being efficient. This can be done on an evenly graded hill, on the flat into a headwind or on a trainer using a large gear.

Hill accelerations: Hill accelerations are short, dynamic climbs that start by accelerating quickly out of the saddle and then pedaling seated, with speed for the duration of the interval. They are done at approximately 85–90 percent of top speed for the listed duration. They build leg speed, efficient central nervous system recruitment of muscle fibers and lactic acid tolerance.

Classic hill intervals: These intervals are done at or above race effort for one to five minutes. Typically athletes ride up and down the same stretch of hill to gauge progress and create a repeatable effort across the set. The last half of the interval set is challenging and trains lactic threshold. You will build strength and an ability to sustain a harder effort for a longer duration.

Hilly base ride: Riding on hilly terrain guarantees you will get some quality work in and will give you a chance to practice your climbing and descending skills. Ride the hills with confidence and let your heart rate creep up a little on the ascents. Remember that this is primarily an aerobic effort. Practice keeping some pressure on the pedals on the descents as well.

Climbing Technique Tips

Seated:

• Sit farther back in the saddle to gain leverage on the pedals.
• Bend elbows slightly to maximize biceps effectiveness.
• Avoid rocking side to side or back and forth.
• Keep your upper body “quiet” and utilize core muscles.
• Pedal full circles, pushing forward in the shoes and back at the bottom of the stroke.
• Practice and employ proper gear selection to maintain a high cadence whenever possible.

Standing:

• Accelerate for three to five pedal stories when transitioning from sitting to standing.
• Keep your chin down and your butt up.
• Keep elbows bent to maximize biceps’ pull on handlebars.
• Rock the bike just slightly from side to side, but paint a straight line up the hill with your tires.
• Employ a quick and light cadence: think, “Dance on the pedals.”

Other factors to help you climb:

• Pump your tires and oil your chain. Low tire pressure and a gritty chain will add resistance and slow you down.
• Practice shifting. Carrying momentum into and over a hill means timely shifting. Shift too early, and you spin out;’ shift too late, and the hill overcomes you. Timely shifting as you crest the hill helps you accelerate faster over the top.
• Invest in a power meter. Learn your optimal power vs. cadence vs. heart rate on different hill grades to gauge efficiency. Or simply start chasing higher wattage outputs while climbing your favorite hills.

Coaching Abbreviations/Terminology

A Training Plan to Become a Better Cyclist in 5 Weeks

Week 1

Performance Pointers: Pedal in smooth circles, distributing the work evenly between the hamstring and gluteal muscles, and tune in to how that perfect circle carries the bike forward. avoid piston-style (quad-dominant) pedaling. On longer hilly rides, gear down before the hill to prevent the buildup of lactic acid early in the ride.

Week 2

Performance Pointer: Stay seated on long climbs. You will use 10% less energy by staying in the saddle, meaning less work for your core and back muscles. Use the larger gluteal and hip muscles to your advantage.

Week 3: Recovery Week

Performance Pointers: A short aerobic set at a slightly higher than average cadence is a great way to promote blood flow to healing muscles to help recovery. Hills provide less aerodynamic resistance, and you actually generate more power sitting up in the saddle. Hands should be on top of the bars, relaxed in grip and wide enough to allow good chest expansion for breathing.

Week 4

Performance Pointer: The uphill set on Tuesday should start strong and be very intense by the last 3-4 intervals. The treadmill is a great tool for working on cadence. During warm-up, count your strides on one leg for 30”. Aim for 45 strides or more, which is equivalent to a 90+ cadence, a good measure of efficiency. On long steep climbs, alternate sitting and standing to use different muscle groups. Just before you stand, shift to the next harder gear, then shift one easier when you sit again. These gear changes will help you maintain a steady pace during grade and cadence changes. When climbing moderate-grade hills, keep your cadence optimally at 75+ RPM. On a long ride, there is less strain on the joints with the higher cadence and it’s easier to fall into a good rhythm for carrying momentum up the hill.

Week 5

Performance Pointer: Shorter hills and more relative recovery means you should strive for a harder output and higher heart rates compared to last week.