If you want to get faster on a bike do this.

Training to improve cycling fitness and get faster up hills is not just about increasing your aerobic fitness.

Yes, I’ll agree, when you first start from a base of low fitness cycling most days will make you fitter however, it rarely makes you a stronger or faster cyclist.

I don't know about you but if I invest my time to train I want it to be effective.

So, what should you focus on in training to get fitter, improve strength, power and speed to make cycling up hills easier, faster and a load more enjoyable?

You have to think about training both your muscular and cardiovascular engines.

Muscular adaptions:
Pure strength - the base of your power and muscular economy.

Muscular and cardiovascular
Torque - muscle and pedal efficiency
Slow-twitch muscle- aerobic
Intermediate-twitch - tempo
Fast-twitch - explosive and speed

Cardiovascular:
Aerobic
Tempo
Threshold
Vo2

This is the simplest way I could think of to show you that efficient, meaningful training should include these elements if you want to get the most out of training to be a stronger, faster cyclist.

The secret sauce is how and when. That's where most cyclists fall short because they do too much of one, usually aerobic and tempo cycling and not enough of the others.

To improve your ability to ride faster, cycle up hills quicker, ride your next sportive with total confidence or claim that KOM or QOM you have to train both your muscular and cardiovascular engines.

As we head into the Autumn it's a great time to refocus your training drop the volume and be specific.

Thanks for reading

Simon

Performance & Nutrition Director
2 X Winner of Gym Based PT, and founder of VPCC