How to Build Climbing Legs Without Living in the Mountains
Not everyone has a 10 km climb out their back door, but that doesn’t mean you can’t build the kind of legs that eat hills for breakfast. The secret is controlled suffering on what you do have.
Big ring, low cadence drills – Find a flat or slight incline. Stay seated, push a heavier gear at 60–70 rpm for 5–8 minutes, recover, repeat. You’re simulating the torque you’ll need uphill without the altitude.
Over-unders on a short climb – If your “hill” is 200 m, that’s fine. Go hard for the first half, back off slightly for the second, turn around, repeat. Ten of those and you’ll feel it.
Indoor trainer gradients – Crank up the resistance, stay seated, and focus on steady power. Bonus: you can target exact watts without weather messing it up.
The real key is consistency. Climbing strength isn’t built in one epic weekend. It’s built in the grind, week after week.
