If you’re a cyclist looking to improve your performance, incorporating strength training into your routine can be a game-changer.
While cycling builds endurance and stamina, it often leaves gaps in areas like muscle strength, core stability, and overall power. Strength training for cyclists not only helps fill those gaps but can also boost your pedalling efficiency, reduce your risk of injury, and even make those long climbs feel easier.
Even if you are trying to lose weight, for general health or as you are trying to improve your power-to-weight ratio, you should still strength train – don’t worry about it increasing your scale weight!
So… how do you balance strength training with your cycling sessions without overloading your body?
Why Cyclists Need Strength Training
Many cyclists shy away from the gym, worried it’ll bulk them up or leave them too sore to ride. But strength training isn’t about turning into a bodybuilder; it’s about becoming a stronger, more efficient rider. Here’s why it matters:
- Power on the Pedals: Strengthening your legs, glutes, and core translates directly into more power with every pedal stroke.
- Injury Prevention: Cycling is a repetitive motion. Strengthening supporting muscles reduces the risk of overuse injuries.
- Better Climbing and Sprinting: Stronger muscles mean you can handle hills and sprints with more ease.
- Improved Endurance: A strong core and stabiliser muscles help maintain good posture on long rides, reducing fatigue.
When to Strength Train
The key to integrating strength training with cycling is timing. Here’s a general guide to structuring your week:
1. Off-Season (Winter):
- This is a great time to focus on building strength, as your cycling volume is likely lower.
- Aim for 2-3 strength sessions per week.
2. Pre-Season (Spring):
- Transition to 1-2 sessions per week, focusing on maintaining strength and power.
3. In-Season (Summer):
- Keep manageable with 1 session per week to maintain strength without interfering with your rides.
- That said though, it does depend on your goals. I strength train twice per week all season as it gives me a balance that I really enjoy. Perfect is the enemy of good and all that. I do back off though the week before a race or event to ensure I don’t carry fatigue on the day.
4. Recovery Weeks:
- During lower-intensity cycling weeks, you can slightly increase your strength training focus.
Balancing Strength and Cycling Workouts
Finding the right balance is crucial. Here’s how to do it:
1. Plan Around Your Key Rides:
- Schedule your strength sessions on lighter cycling days or dedicated strength days.
- Avoid heavy leg workouts close to a big ride or race.
2. Keep It Short and Sweet:
- Strength sessions don’t need to last more than 45-75 minutes.
- Focus on quality over quantity.
3. Prioritise Recovery:
- Allow at least 48 hours between heavy leg workouts and intense cycling sessions.
- Stretch, foam roll, and prioritise sleep to support recovery.
Exercises to Focus On
The best exercises for cyclists target the legs, core, and stabilisers. Here are some examples:
Lower Body:
- Squats: Goblet squats or back squats build overall leg strength.
- Deadlifts: Great for hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.
- Lunges: Build single-leg strength and stability.
- Step-Ups: Mimic the motion of climbing hills.
Core:
- Planks: Strengthen your entire core for better posture on the bike.
- Russian Twists: Improve rotational strength for balance and stability.
- Dead Bugs: Great for targeting deep core muscles.
Upper Body:
- Push-Ups: Build chest, shoulder, and arm strength.
- Pull-Ups: Strengthen your back and shoulders.
- Bent-Over Rows: Improve posture and back strength.
If you have aesthetic and strength goals that go beyond just cycling, or you just want to lift for fun as well, you can of course include other exercises in your plans. I love a shoulder press more for aesthetics than for cycling!
Sample Cycling and Strength Training Weekly Plan
Here’s an example of how to fit it all together (I am not suggesting every week looks like this though, this is just one example, and it will change based on time of the year, available time and so on):
Monday: Strength Training
Tuesday: Easy Ride (Zone 1-2)
Wednesday: Strength Training
Thursday: Interval Ride (Zone 3-4)
Friday: Rest or Light Yoga
Saturday: Long Ride (Zone 2-3)
Sunday: Recovery Ride or Rest
Adjust based on your personal schedule and goals.
Tips for Success
- Listen to Your Body: If you’re feeling fatigued, skip the weights or reduce the intensity.
- Progress Gradually: Start with light weights or bodyweight exercises and gradually increase.
- Warm-Up Properly: Always warm up before strength training to prevent injuries.
- Stay Consistent: Even a little strength training goes a long way when done consistently.
Strength training doesn’t have to mean spending hours in the gym. With a smart, balanced approach, it can fit seamlessly into your cycling training plan, and routine and make you a stronger, faster, and more resilient rider. So grab those dumbbells, hit the gym, and watch your cycling performance soar!
I can help you…
I am a Fitness, Strength and Nutrition Coach for sports events and athletes – helping people like you to get fitter, stronger and faster:
