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Ladders
:
Ladders are a
progressive increase or decrease in one of the following variables: cadence, resistance
or intensity. This drill is best employed using seated or standing flats and seated or standing climbs.
Jumps do not work well for ladders.
One can use a combination of
the following drills in any profile:
Constant cadence with increasing resistance in a seated flat or standing flat. The terrain
gradually becomes a hill.
Constant resistance with increasing cadence, in a seated or standing position. Intensity can
increas
e very quickly, so this requires close attention to your heart rate monitor. This drill is
also known as spin-ups or accelerations (see below).
Measured heart rate increases (5 beats at a time) using a combination of cadence or
resistance to elicit the increase in intensity. This is an excellent tool to practice control.
Accelerations (
Spin-Ups)
Accelerations
(also known as Spin-Ups
) are a type of ladder where riders progressively increase the
cadence over a fairly short period of time. This drill requires
a long warm-up. Accelerations
are done
in intervals and can be quite intense, but they’re an excellent way to train leg speed and improve
muscle firing patterns in the legs. It also trains muscular endurance on hills.
Accelerations help
the
to move
beyond the cadence where he/she tends to bounce.
These drills are done in intervals with ample recovery in between. The work to rest ratio should be at
least 1:2 or even 1:3. This guarantees that when
one begins the next interval, he/she is rested
enough
to give it his/her all. Insufficient recovery will hamper the
ability to perform the work interval.
On the Flats: Establish a flat road resistance at 80
RPM
at an aerobic intensity. The first drill will be
for 90 seconds, progressively raising the cadenc
e to 110 RPM. Every 10-
12 seconds, raise cadence
3
RPM. As one approaches and surpasses 100 RPM
, extra effort should be made to stay seated
deeply in the saddle without bouncing (if
one cannot do this without bouncing, he/she
should not go
beyond that
point—it will defeat the purpose).