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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 at or standing at. The terrain gradually
becomes a hill.
• Constant resistance with increasing cadence, in a seated or standing position. Intensity can increase
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 rider 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 cadence to 110 RPM. Every 10-12 seconds, raise cadence by 2-3 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).
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