[soulsurfer104]

i do very well on long medium climbs where i can stay seated and spin fast and can hang with many of the faster guys in this area, and i can drop a majority of riders i encounter. for some reason though, they all kill me on shorter, steeper, out-of-the-saddle climbs. why is this? do i need to do some weights for the quads or what? what are the best training techniques to improve your climbing, both on and off the bike?

 

[bimini]

How are your sprints?

The short climbs are anerobic events like sprints. They use a different type of muscle fiber than aerobic efforts. A lot of the same sort of intervals used for sprints are good for the short intense climb.

Do sets of short duration very high intensity intervals a couple of times a week. There are many to choose from. One good for hills is to find a steep short hill and climb up it in the highest gear you can possibly climb it in, low RPM high pressure. Focus on keeping the intensity up until you are up and over the hill. Spin the legs out for several minutes and repeat a few times. Take it easy the next day since anerobic muscles are built during the recovery process.

 

[team_sheepshead]

Might be too much info but...

Here's one report: www.apolloct.com/Intervals1.pdf

Looks like you need to work on your ATP-PCr system. The point being you do different types of intervals to work different metabolic systems. Good luck!