Chris Carmichael's climbing repeats: three 8-minute climbs at 95–100% of FTP, with 4 minutes' recovery between them. 24 minutes at threshold in a 57-minute session. For intermediate riders who want to hold their own on long climbs.
| Target | Zone | Time | FTP 200 W | FTP 250 W | FTP 300 W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95–100% | 4Threshold | 24 min | 190–200 W | 238–250 W | 285–300 W |
| 50–60% | 1Recovery | 8 min | 100–120 W | 125–150 W | 150–180 W |
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A long climb is ridden close to your threshold, the power you can hold for about an hour. Go above it and fatigue comes fast; stay just below and you can keep going. Three 8-minute efforts at 95–100% of FTP teach you to settle at that limit and stay there, seated, with the heavier pedal stroke and slightly lower cadence a gradient asks for.
The format comes from Chris Carmichael (CTS): recovery is half the effort, 4 minutes for 8. You bank less time at threshold than with a 2 × 20, but each effort is short enough to ride cleanly and long enough to feel like a proper climb. No study has tested this exact session: it rests on a respected coach's experience and on the logic of threshold work.
Intermediate riders with a recent FTP who are preparing for a hilly sportive, a trip to the Alps or a rolling road race. If 20 minutes straight at threshold still feels a long way off, it's a good step before threshold 2 × 20. No climb long enough near you? It works on a turbo too.
Once a week, in place of another threshold session rather than on top of one, with an easy day either side and never the day before a long ride. It earns its place in the weeks leading up to a mountain event. To progress, keep the intensity and lengthen the climbs: 3 × 10 minutes, then 3 × 12 minutes with 6 minutes' recovery, the version CTS keeps for advanced riders.
5′ at 45–55% FTP + 5′ at 56–65% FTP + 5′ at 66–75% FTP
15 minutes building from 45 to 75% of FTP, in 5-minute steps. Outside, ride them on the flat or on the way to the climb: you want to reach the bottom warm, not already tired.
3 × 8′ at 95–100% FTP, 4′ recovery
Three 8-minute climbs at 95–100% of FTP, or 238 to 250 W for an FTP of 250 W, with 4 easy minutes at 50–60% between them. Pick a steady gradient of at least 8 minutes: rolling back down gently covers much of the recovery. Stay seated most of the time, and only get out of the saddle to pick the pace up on a flatter section or get over a steep ramp. On a turbo, turn on slope simulation or drop your cadence a little to recreate the feel of a climb.
10′ at 40–55% FTP
10 very easy minutes at 40–55% of FTP, ideally on the flat. If you had to ease off on the third climb, make a note: either the week's fatigue or an FTP set too high, worth checking at your next test.
Demanding, but not flat out: CTS says these efforts shouldn't reach time-trial intensity. Your breathing is heavy and steady, you can still get a few words out, and the last minute of the third climb takes some willpower. On a hill, 8 minutes always feels longer than on the flat. Guide: 8 out of 10.
A 5-minute hill forces you to turn round mid-effort, and a string of steep ramps and false flats makes the power impossible to hold. Look for a steady gradient of at least 8 minutes, or do the session on a turbo.
On fresh legs, the foot of the hill tempts you well above the range. You pay heavily over the final minutes. Hold 95% for the first minute, then settle in.
Sprinting down, or riding it tense on the brakes, doesn't let you recover. Roll down relaxed, and if the descent is short, finish the recovery on the flat. A gilet in your pocket stops you getting cold between climbs.
Heart rate takes a minute or two to rise: on an 8-minute effort, following it makes you start too hard. Ride to the watts, or by feel if you don't have a power meter.
Chris Carmichael's 'ClimbingRepeats' session (Carmichael Training Systems): 3 × 8 min for intermediate riders, 3 × 12 min for advanced riders, with recovery equal to half the effort. CTS prescribes the intensity as 95–100% of the average power from its own field test, or 8 to 9 out of 10 by feel. That test isn't an FTP test: converting it to 95–100% of FTP is an approximation. The warm-up and cool-down are Wattson choices. It's a recognised coaching source with no dedicated scientific study. Bottom line: good confidence in the structure, moderate in the % FTP conversion.
At 95–100% of FTP: 190 to 200 W for an FTP of 200 W, 238 to 250 W for 250 W, 285 to 300 W for 300 W. CTS sets the target from its own field test, or at 8 out of 10 by feel; converting that to a percentage of FTP is an approximation. If the third climb falls apart, aim for the bottom of the range next time.
Yes. The target is in watts, not gradient: 8 minutes at 95–100% of FTP is the same indoors. To get the feel of a climb, turn on slope simulation or drop your cadence a little, which makes each pedal stroke heavier. Keep a fan nearby: with no air moving over you, you'll overheat quickly.
Same intensity, split differently: three 8-minute efforts and 24 minutes at threshold, against two 20-minute blocks and 40 minutes at threshold. Eight-minute climbs are more manageable and match the length of a real hill; the 2 × 20 takes more concentration and prepares you for long efforts such as time trials or the biggest climbs.
4 minutes, half the effort: that's CTS's rule, and it keeps the same ratio in the advanced version, 3 × 12 minutes with 6 minutes' recovery. Outside, the descent usually covers a good part of it. If it's shorter than that, finish the recovery on the flat before going again.
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