Because cyclists use their legs so much, it’s easy to think they don’t need to work out those same muscles when they’re not riding. But, when you think something…
Durability and endurance are the two most important benefits of strength training. Getting stronger will help you stay on the bike longer without getting tired as quickly.
Jen Whalen hosts How to Ride Faster, where you’ll learn why the strength part of your training might be the key to going faster. Your time on the bike should get better, not worse, with strength training.
What You Will Learn
In How to Ride Faster: Strength, Jen Whalen, and our experts explain:
- How to fit a variety of workouts into your schedule, including moves that only use your body weight or a band
- Why you should eventually “lift heavy,” especially with exercises like deadlifts, rows, and kettlebell swings to build strength, which leads to speed.
- How to use the 4-week off-season plan with two full workouts each week to build the most strength in a month
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What Strength Training Can Do for Cyclists
In short, there are three good reasons why cyclists should do strength training off the bike:
- Stronger lower body muscles make it easier to push the pedals, and a stronger upper body makes it easier to control the bike for speed and handling.
- Cycling doesn’t work all of your muscles equally, so doing a full-body strength workout two to three times a week will help you get stronger and denser bones, which is important for your health and well-being, especially if you want to live a long time.
- Doing a range of strength exercises will help you keep your body’s strength even. If you only use cycling to build strength, some muscles will get stronger while others will get weaker. This is likely to lead to injury.
How to Plan Strength Workouts the Best Way
You want to start lifting weights, then. Good! But how much is right?
We are glad to have plans to help you. Our 4-Week Strength Plan to Crush Hills is a great way to learn how to do strength exercises and plan your workouts around your rides.It will help you stick to a good routine, and you’ll notice a difference when you’re on your bike. Plus, if you stick with it, you’ll see progress every week.
To ride your bike for longer distances, you need to have strong upper body muscles. —Coach Jen Kates
These aren’t the only moves you can do after four weeks of this plan, though. There are dozens of strength workouts you can do on a bike that will help you get the most power out of your ride. Here are some specific cycling goals that you can reach with a little bit of strength training that will help you ride faster.
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Read More Focus on these strength workouts to build upper body strength.
Your legs have to work harder and can’t focus on pushing the pedals faster if your upper body gets tired while you ride. Your upper body needs to do its part to help you ride faster. This will make it easier for you to stay in the saddle longer.
Goal: Keep Your Back from Getting Tired
Another way to make sure your legs can do the work needed to power up hills and spin fast on flats is to ride with good posture. Core strength makes you more efficient and helps you stay in place on the bike.
Goal: Make Your Hip Flexors Stronger
If you ride your bike a lot, you’ll spend a lot of time hunched over with your hip flexors in a tight position. Sadly, this can limit your pedal stroke, which can not only slow you down but also hurt a little. This is why you should work on strengthening and stretching your hip flexors. Your hips extend to push the foot down to start the revolution and flex to pull it up to finish it every time you pedal. That means that the hips are very important for every turn of the pedal. To get the full range of motion and keep your pedal stroke smooth and powerful, you need to be strong and flexible.
