Heart Rate Training?

CyclingObsession

Just completed a session of hill repeats, i was trying to train with my heart rate to push me on, I was going up 2000ft of elevation, I could only get my HR up to 155 when climbing as my legs could not take anymore, I took one hill and sprinted up half way and legs gave out and had to slow down, how do I improve my leg stamina? I currently do weight training 3 times a week, hill repeats twice a month and have a good base mileage. Advice is greatly appreciated

DavidJB

If legs are giving out before heart rate is high then you're fatigued and should rest. Rest is very important.

CyclingObsession

I usually do a hill of 1km dist and use the downhill as recovery, is it possible to gain more stamina in the legs

maryka

CyclingObsession wrote:

Just completed a session of hill repeats, i was trying to train with my heart rate to push me on, I was going up 2000ft of elevation, I could only get my HR up to 155 when climbing as my legs could not take anymore, I took one hill and sprinted up half way and legs gave out and had to slow down, how do I improve my leg stamina? I currently do weight training 3 times a week, hill repeats twice a month and have a good base mileage. Advice is greatly appreciated

Take the time that you spend in the weight room and instead spend it riding 20 min intervals near threshold. Don't mash big gears but rather pedal smoothly in your preferred cadence. A lot of people find riding long hills or into a headwind best for putting out a decent effort and improving muscular endurance.

imposter2.0

CyclingObsession wrote:

how do I improve my leg stamina? I currently do weight training 3 times a week, hill repeats twice a month and have a good base mileage. Advice is greatly appreciated

Assuming cycling is your priority - switch these two around. Or better still, give up the weights completely.

sloppyschleckonds

Hill repeats 3 times a week? I feel sick.

imposter2.0

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Hill repeats 3 times a week? I feel sick.

Hill repeats 3x per week is probably a bit OTT, that's true. Conversely, gym work 3x per week is certainly not going to help his cycling much.

CyclingObsession

Well I do weights do develop a decent core, I don't think anyone will do hill reps 3 times per week, I might try sprint intervals also

danowat

CyclingObsession wrote:

how do I improve my leg stamina?

Train properly? :roll:

maryka

CyclingObsession wrote:

how do I improve my leg stamina?

The short answer is, leg stamina will not be improved by hill repeats (unless they are long ones) or time in the gym.

Only time on the bike, riding for 20-60 min at a time hard and steady, will improve your muscular endurance. Hill repeats depending on the length (how long are the ones you do?) will do other things for you like improve your Vo2max (5 min climbs) or short term power (1 min climbs) but if you want more muscular endurance, or the ability to ride 5 min cimbs 10 times in a row without dying by rep 5, then build your FTP and get more muscular endurance.

CyclingObsession

This is the usual route that I do I record it on strava
https://www.strava.com/activities/45646599

imposter2.0

CyclingObsession wrote:

Well I do weights do develop a decent core,

Unless your core is functionally deficient, it is probably fine as it is. I would try spending more time on the bike...

inseine

You might want to spend more than one minute warming up...

maryka

CyclingObsession wrote:

This is the usual route that I do I record it on strava
https://www.strava.com/activities/45646599

So those are what, 5-8 min efforts? That's training Vo2max if you're hitting them hard which I'm guessing you are as your first effort is the hardest and then you fade for the rest.

You'd be better off doing the 5km segment x3 instead. But yes, you need to do them (or equivalent) more than twice a month. You should be able to do these 2-3 times a week if you have no other restrictions on your time (weather, daylight, etc.). If you ride them slightly under threshold (Google Sweet Spot Training) then you should be able to do them that often without burning out mentally or your legs crying out in pain on every one.

Another tip, don't smash the first one so your subsequent efforts are 15% slower. Ride the first one slightly easier, build with the next ones and make your final one the hardest and fastest if you can.

CyclingObsession

I use those hills as they r beside me and I don't really have a lot of time to practice them, there is one hill a bit further away that's about 3km stretch of A Hill I like to try now and again, when the weather is nice on my commute I go up those hills in morning and evening, I know with running hill repeats work wonders for your speed, is it the same with cycling?

DavidJB

CyclingObsession wrote:

I use those hills as they r beside me and I don't really have a lot of time to practice them, there is one hill a bit further away that's about 3km stretch of A Hill I like to try now and again, when the weather is nice on my commute I go up those hills in morning and evening, I know with running hill repeats work wonders for your speed, is it the same with cycling?

They help you go up hills faster but only as part of a proper structured training plan. This involves riding most of the time in recovery or tempo zones (look this up) with short bursts of power (intervals) not spending your entire time caining hills. By rest I mean days off the bike doing no exercise.