Climbing Tempo
60 min · 44-54 TSS · IF 0.69 · 70-85% FTP · Zone 3
What this workout does
Find a long, gradual climb and ride it at tempo. Climbing at tempo builds specific fitness for sustained efforts on the road.
Sustained climbing at 76-85% FTP builds the aerobic engine plus the muscular endurance to hold force against gravity for long stretches. The steady seated effort at 80-90 RPM develops climbing-specific economy that flat-road tempo can't fully replicate. Ideal in base and build phases, especially when your goal events go uphill.
How to ride it
Indoor / trainer
Warm up 15min. Find a 15-30min climb. Ride it at 76-85% FTP, seated, steady cadence 80-90 RPM. Recover on the descent. Repeat if time allows.
Outside
Find a long, gradual climb (15-30min at 3-6%). Settle in seated at 76-85% FTP, cadence 80-90 RPM - working, but able to speak in short sentences. Descend easy and repeat if time allows.
Workout structure (60 min)
- Warm-up 15m 55% - Climb 30m 81% 85rpm - Cool-down 15m 55%
Targets are a percentage of FTP. This is the same shorthand the free workout builder understands — paste it there to edit any step, or download the workout for Zwift, Garmin or any smart trainer.
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