Originally Posted by
CharlyAlfaRomeo
I like to build strength and anaerobic endurance on the bike by doing hill repeats in a gear that I have a hard time turning over by the end of a 1 km hill. I'm 195 lbs and find 53/21 is usually the right gear for the job, YMMV of course.
I wind up to 35-40 kph on the approach and try to keep the gear turning over as long as I can while staying seated. Once the real cadence is done I grind it out as long as possible while staying seated and transition to standing once I can't grind it out in the saddle any longer.
Turn around at the top, coast down and spin easy for 5-10 minutes and then repeat. I do 2-3 one day a week in the early season and progress to 5 or 6 as strength and recovery allows. When it gets easy go up a gear and keep at it.
Hills are good natural builders of anaerobic power. But power means speed, also on hills. What you are doing, trying to go up te hill in the heaviest gear possible is not the best exercise for anaerobic power. You would be immediately faster up the hill if you would use lower gears and that means you are producing more power.