So you want to really push yourself, in a short space of time?

Hill reps will get your heart beating hard, and help you to build explosive muscle power that you’ll be thankful for when you want to sprint, ride flat out, or blast it up a hill. All this in a short 30 minute session*!

Hill reps work your legs, as well as your arms (if you’re out the saddle), back, and core – just be careful if you’re nursing any niggles, because we are going for intensity here.

• Warm up – do a full 10 minutes, this is NOT a waste of valuable time, you’re going to work hard in your intervals and your muscles need to be ready
• Find a steep hill (we’d use a longer, shallower hill for endurance efforts, but you did ask for short!)
• Ride up it, as hard as you possibly can, for anywhere between 20-60 seconds. Note – there’s a big difference between 20 seconds, and 60. The shorter end will be providing you with explosive power, the longer end will be going into more of an endurance effort. Both will be beneficial, but consider your goals.
• Ride back down – this is the recovery. Then, turn back round – and get back up that hill! Focus your eyes on the brow of the hill – it helps!
• Cool down over 5-10 minutes

(*You might need to do it a few times, perhaps once a week for a month!)