Power on the uphills separates good skiers from great ones. This session uses repeated, high-intensity climbing efforts to build the explosive leg strength and neuromuscular drive that translate directly into a more powerful and efficient skiing stride.

Session facts

Training effect

Climbing power repeats develop the specific neuromuscular strength that skiing’s uphill demands require, particularly the ability to generate high force repeatedly through the legs and glutes over a short time window. Alternating between seated and standing efforts recruits different muscle fiber patterns and closely mirrors the switching between diagonal stride and double-pole techniques in classic skiing. This session also builds the mental resilience to sustain maximal effort when the body is already fatigued, a quality that decides races on the final climbs.

Warm-up — 20 min

• 15 min easy spinning on flat terrain in Z1–Z2
• Ride to the base of your chosen climb
• 2 × 1 min at moderate effort on the lower slopes of the climb to feel the gradient before the main session begins

Main session — 40–50 min

• Ride 6–8 × 3 min on a steep climb at Z4–Z5 — maximum sustainable effort for the duration of each rep
• Take full recovery between reps: ride or freewheel back down to the start of the climb — do not begin the next rep until you feel genuinely ready
• Alternate between seated and standing efforts across the reps:
• Seated reps: big gear, low cadence (60–70 rpm), driving force through the entire pedal stroke — this builds raw muscular strength
• Standing reps: slightly lighter gear, explosive out-of-the-saddle effort, engaging the glutes and core fully — this mirrors the explosive push of the skiing stride
• Keep the upper body as quiet as possible during standing efforts — power comes from the legs and hips, not from rocking the bike
• If your chosen climb is shorter than 3 minutes, ride past the top and continue on flat terrain to complete the rep duration

Cooldown — 15 min

• 10 min easy spinning on flat terrain, allowing heart rate and breathing to return fully to normal
• 5 min stretching: quads, glutes, hip flexors and calves — pay particular attention to the glutes, which absorb significant load during steep climbing efforts

Note: The low-cadence seated efforts in this session will feel unfamiliar if you are used to spinning at high rpm. That discomfort is the point; you are training your muscles to produce force, not just turning the pedals quickly. Think of each seated rep as a strength session disguised as a bike ride. Over several weeks, you will notice this strength showing up in your skiing, particularly on the steepest climbs where raw leg power matters most.

Also Read
CYCLING TRAINING: VO2max intervals – expanding the ceiling of your endurance engine
CYCLING TRAINING: Hill climb intervals – building the strength to power through every climb
CYCLING TRAINING: Sweet spot ride – the most efficient effort in your training week

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