Indoor Training for Outdoor Climbs: Workouts That Build Real Climbing Power

You're staring at your trainer on a rainy Tuesday night, wondering if grinding away indoors will actually help you conquer those climbs you want to conquer.

Here's the truth: done right, indoor training is absolutely a viable way to make you a stronger climber, and certainly better than endless outdoor unstructured miles.

The key phrase here is "done right."

Most cyclists treat indoor sessions like boring endurance slogs. But when you understand how to replicate, even amplify, the specific demands of climbing, your trainer becomes your secret weapon for climbing success.

Plus, if you're time-pressed with unpredictable weather, indoor climbing workouts become even more valuable. You can target exact physiological adaptations without worrying about traffic, weather, or finding suitable hills.

Why Indoor Training Works for Climbing

Controlled intensity is climbing's best friend. Outdoor climbs force you to work with whatever gradient and length nature provides. Indoor training lets you precisely target the energy systems and muscle fibre types that climbing demands.

The consistent, repeatable stresses of structured indoor interval training can improve climbing performance more effectively than unstructured outdoor riding of equal volume.

This is because the variables of outdoor riding are eliminated so that you can focus on pure physiological targeting.

Your indoor climbing sessions can simulate everything from short, punchy 2-minute efforts to sustained 20-minute Alpine-style climbs.

You control the recovery, the intensity, and the progression – elements that are nearly impossible to replicate consistently outdoors.

The Three Essential Indoor Climbing Workouts

Workout 1 - VO2 Max Hill Repeats

These target your maximum oxygen uptake – crucial for sustained climbing power.

These replicating the lung-burning sections where you're fighting for oxygen while your legs scream for mercy.

The How: 4-6 x 4 minutes at 110-120% FTP with 4-minute recoveries

- Cadence: 85-95 RPM throughout

- Resistance: High enough to challenge your legs

- Focus: Maintaining power when breathing becomes laboured

Workout 2 - Threshold Climbing Simulation

Build your ability to sustain hard efforts for 15-30 minutes.

The How: 3 x 12 minutes at 95-105% FTP with 6-minute recoveries

- Start each interval at 95% FTP, build to 105% in final 3 minutes

- Cadence: 75-85 RPM (slower than normal to simulate climbing)

- Resistance: Moderate to high

Workout 3 - Climbing-Specific Sweet Spot

Builds up your aerobic base to a higher level that is fundamental to supporting all climbing efforts.

The How: 2 x 20 minutes at 88-94% FTP with 10-minute recovery

- Cadence: 80-90 RPM

- Focus: Sustainable power you could theoretically hold for an hour or more. 

- Resistance: Moderate

All three of these workouts teach your body to clear lactate efficiently while maintaining substantial power output – exactly what long climbs demand.

Zwift Specific Climbing Training

Zwift is a great option and offers unique advantages for climbing preparation. The visual feedback and virtual gradients provide good mental engagement that pure trainer riding lacks.

The gamification elements in Zwift can push you harder than solo trainer sessions. So you can this to your advantage… but don't let the virtual achievements replace structure to your training and goals.

And make sure you set specific power targets for Zwift climbs rather than chasing other riders. Your goal should be physiological adaptation, not virtual bragging rights.

Making Indoor Training Translate Outdoors

Specificity matters more than you think. Your indoor position should mirror your outdoor climbing setup and it’s a good idea to adjust your trainer position to replicate your climbing posture.

Pay attention to climbing when outdoors build that nuance into your trainer position. Commong tweaks include: slightly more forward and hands on hoods or tops.

Cadence simulation is crucial. Outdoor climbs often force lower cadences due to gear limitations and gradient changes. Practice sustaining power at 75-90 RPM during indoor sessions to prepare for this reality.

Progressive overload drives adaptation. Increase just one of either intensity, duration, or frequency at a time by 10-15% every week.

You can increase more than one, but keep the % smaller. Your body adapts well and quickly to consistent stimuli, so its important to progress.

Environmental Factors That Matter

Whilst indoor training can be excellent, there are some things that can unravel the whole effort very quickly…

Ensure you manage your heat generation! Poor ventilation and hydration leads to premature fatigue, long recovery times and less than ideal gains.

You can overcome this by having proper cooling: multiple fans, breathable clothing, and adequate hydration.

And you need a strategy for mental engagement, to prevent the dreaded trainer doldrums and boredom.

Some things to consider include:

• Using structured workouts with specific goals, rather than aimless "zone 2" spinning,

• Gamified trainer platforms (like Zwift etc),

• The tried and true old-fashioned listening to music / a podcast or watching a movie / TV show.

• Note: If you’re doing the latter, make sure you have a regular eye on the goals and metric of the trainer session. Thats the whole point of being there!

The Final Step - Integration with Outdoor Riding

Indoor training supports, it doesn’t replace, outdoor climbing practice. Use indoor sessions for targeted physiological development and outdoor rides for technique refinement and real-world application.

A balanced approach might include 2-3 indoor sessions and 1-2 outdoor rides per week during base building phases.

As climbing events approach, shift toward more outdoor specificity while maintaining indoor intensity work.

The cyclists who excel at climbing combine the precision of indoor training with the unpredictability of outdoor practice.

Your trainer isn't just a bad-weather backup… think of it as you climbing ‘laboratory’ ;)

Your trainer is waiting to make you a stronger climber.

The question isn't whether indoor training works – it's whether you're ready to use it strategically.

Enjoy The Climb!

Adrian

Can indoor training really make me better at outdoor climbs?

Absolutely. Indoor training allows precise targeting of climbing-specific energy systems without outdoor variables. Greater improvement can be achieved with an indoor trainer compared to unstructured outdoor riding.

What trainer resistance should I use for climbing workouts?

Moderate to high resistance that allows 70-90 RPM cadence at target power. The goal is to simulate the muscle tension and force application of actual climbing. But make sure you have a solid aerobic base to support this!

How often should I do indoor climbing workouts?

2-3 times per week during base building, reducing to 1-2 times as you approach climbing events. Balance with outdoor riding for technique development.

Do I need a smart trainer for effective climbing training?

While helpful, it's not essential. Any trainer that provides consistent resistance can work. Smart trainers offer better progression tracking and workout variety.

How do I prevent boredom during long indoor climbing sessions?

Use structured workouts with specific targets, engage with apps like Zwift, or break longer sessions into intervals with clear goals. Even the tried and true method of watching a movie or listening to a podcast works too. Mental engagement is crucial for quality training.