Strength Training for Cyclists: 5 Exercises to Integrate Into Your Cycling Training Plan 

Thanks!! :)

I do bulgarian squats which will hopefully help develop the strength to do one leg squats. The bulgarian squats also help work on balance and strengthening the core.

Pretty impressive. Great flexibility and strength.

bitchoflivingblah A better choice. If notice on his pistol squats, his knee moves way forward. This will, in time, destroy your knees.

@@powskier You can execute pistol squats without letting your knee cap pass your toe.

@@powskier That's false and a common misconception. Our knees are designed to for this movement and need to be trained at full range of motion. Look up knees over toes guy on youtube, he will explain the science.

I wouldn't advise doing explosive dead lifts with that setup. It would be safe with a trap bar. Also, what are you calling "type 2 fibers"?

We are all still waiting for this...

Sounds like nah

Hey Steven! We're so glad you liked the video! Unfortunately, injuries are tricky in that the proper treatment will differ based on the nature and severity of the injury. For rehab recommendations, we recommend working with an experienced Physical Therapist to get you back to 100% as fast as possible. Best of luck with your recovery!

That depends on your current cycling training plan and where you can fit them into your schedule. Secondly, the amount of reps and sets depends on your current fitness and gym experience. Frankly, start out by doing as many as you can and build from there.

Hey! The aforementioned exercises are a great routine to work into your regular training plan, but I'll pass that along to the team that athletes would like to see more structured guidance from a strength training routine! Bonus tip: do core as often/much as you'd like! Its GREAT! ;)

@@TrainerRoad Thanks! I would love to see a strength routine that works well with Cycling without overloading the body and reducing cycling performance too much. I have newbie conflicting goals - Get faster/better/stronger at cycling and put on more muscie rather than just endurance based muscular training. :) At least a guy can dream...

Check out this article to learn more about reps and progressions :) support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000087826-Integrating-Strength-Training

Hey! The benefits of core stability could still be achieved via one-leg deadlifts, just be mindful of protecting yourself post-injury. It may be a safer bet to focus on just body-wight core stability exercises while you're healing, but meeting up with a PT to get more ideas for safe strengthening exercises is probably not a bad idea!

These recommended exercises are great for cycling, but also great for your overall strength in targeting upper body as well. :)

Simon Fearby I have a few

Joe Daniels Swing This Kettlebell and Strength Care to share them?!

If you are not meeting the minimum Strength benchmarks outlined here: www.trainerroad.com/strength-training-calculator ...then it would be worthwhile to double-up on workouts so that you can fit your strength training in. You will need to be aware of the stress accumulated during both workouts because it can be easy to push a little too hard and overdo it. Be extra conscious of your recovery and be sure that your body is coping with the existing stress before adding more. Hope this helps, and good luck!

WE LOVE A GOOD POWER CLEAN! Form is so crucial to prevent injury, but low weight + high reps for this lift can be super beneficial! :)

That is so very true! I'm not a crossfitter, so while maintaining good technique I always manage UP TO 130+-lbs (60kg). Depending on the overall fatigue, however, while trying not to baffle my indoor w.o. consistency, I only go 65 to 90 (30 to 40kg) most of the time.

@@TrainerRoad BTW I'm sooooo thankful I found you TR

With slow progression and careful care towards proper form, pistol squats are a great exercise. However, done incorrectly, there can certainly be negative repercussions so be sure to focus on form first and foremost.

👍

Hi Luca! We call this 'blocking' your training. It's typically far better to: train then recover, train then recover, than to train & train then recover. Blocks can be productive, but they're risky and best left for particular times of the year, and often enough, more advanced riders. More info here! support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000087826-Integrating-Strength-Training

@@TrainerRoad Thanks 💪🏿💪🏿

Yep, he's dead.

this is an underrated comment

Just loads of cocaine instead!

Here's a relevant article that covers the reps and progressions: support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000087826-Integrating-Strength-Training

The Pistol Squat is great for cultivating single-leg strength and hip stability, which the Bulgarian Split Squat does as well! A great adaptation!

@@TrainerRoad is there one that has more benefits than the other? I can do the Bulgarian ones but not the pistol ones yet

Happy to expand upon this! It's totally normal for Pistol Squats to be difficult. A lot of athletes are either limited by ankle flexibility, or they’re simply too weak in that lowest range near the ground (which is why Chad suggest that modification in the video). Bulgarians can bridge the gap quite well, from floor to a few inches up to work towards a Pistol Squat. As far as benefit, you can almost certainly load Bulgarians more easily and work on heavy-ish loads, which is way tougher to do with pistols. That said, they each have their benefits, so you'll have to exercise some agency in choosing which is best for you, based on what you need back from them: Bulgarians for heavy loading and more cycling-specific movement patterns, pistols for strength and balance through the entire knee & hip flexion/extension/range of motion. Hope this helps!

@@TrainerRoad so kind to spend this time explaining it! Thank you! I will try to work my way to a pistol squat now!

What was wrong with his technique, coach?

Marek Pienkos his hips must get lower

"Must"? That's nonsense. You can do a perfect form deadlift without even bending your knees, which would keep your hips at the same level. It all depends what you want to target. You will engage your hamstrings more with a locked-knee deadlift, and will shift the emphasis to your lower back with a bent-knee deadlift. The important thing is to keep your back flattened and tight as you go through the range of the motion, which he does perfectly.

Stop being an elitist fool.

His deadlifts are fine because he clearly has the flexibility to execute them "Good Morning" style. Vast majority of the population would not be able to do that in their life though, and they do deadlifts in the traditional style with bend knees, starting with the 'push the floor away' cue.

That's why he said build up to it.

Misconception, don't drink the kool-aid and your knees will be healthy

Troll. Planks are great for strengthening the trunk. Tell us how much you know

@@living4adrenaline The Head Strength coach for the Australian Cycling High Performance and Olympic Team in Adelaide Australia says so. Experience has taught riders like Anna Mears and Mat Glaetzer - currently the best male track sprinter in the world not to waste their time doing wank like this.

@@raymondmenz522 I don't care If one coach believes that, doesn't make it true.

@@living4adrenaline Mark Rippetoe, Frank Zane, Athlen X. The best books on strength training make no mention of it - Mad Cow, Starting Strength, Texas Method. The Australian Track Cycling team has been a world power in the last few decades. They have found there is no value in planks or lge plastic balls. So they dont do them. Anyone who does deadlifts, squats and bench presses does not need to do "core" exercises. Maybe add power clean, hang clean, overhead press, rows, face pulls, chin ups, back extensions and leg lifts. You cannot bench press 600lb without having a strong core. For that matter what is core. Are these exercises for the core or execises to the postior (back). "Core" is a buzzword. When I left school I wore platform shoes, flares and went to discos - fashion. Planks and lge plastic balls are fashion exercises. 95% of people will never be a top athlete. They need to do something on a regular basis, lots of variety and get some fun doing it. Its a balancing act. So doing planks and playing with lge plastic balls doesnt matter. When it comes to top or elite athletes. They want the best "bang for their buck". I have strong doubts about anyone - when I see them online pushing supplements. If someone has a good diet they will not get any benefit from supplements. Planks and lge plastic balls are gimmicks to draw attention to yourself and give the gullible the impression you know what you are doing. You are just saying what you are to make money.

@@raymondmenz522 good point regarding the word core, many people think of it as just rectus abdominus, but it's the obliques and spine erectors, posterior back musculature. I have seen the Chinese Olympic weightlifting team doing variations of planks and using physio balls when training accessory movements. They must be doing something right?