Weight Training for Cyclists – Part One
By Mat Millns
When it comes to strength training for cyclists, simplicity is key. Many cyclists get caught up in complex gym routines that don’t translate well to performance on the bike. Being overly strong in one area can create muscular imbalances that are as detrimental to your performance as no training at all. The reality is that cycling is a sport that requires endurance, strength, efficiency and balance—attributes best developed through targeted, balanced, foundational compound movements rather than overly complicated isolated exercises. A well-structured, simple strength program ensures that cyclists can build muscle in a way that complements their riding, rather than detracting from it.
Power Efficiently
Strength training should enhance your ability to produce power efficiently, maintain a strong posture on the bike, and prevent common overuse injuries. Overcomplicating the process with excessive machine-based isolation exercises which don’t facilitate the use of synergist muscles or intricate rep schemes can be counterproductive. Instead, focusing on foundational compound movements that target the key muscle groups used in cycling—legs, core, and upper body stability—will lead to better long-term results. By sticking to simple, tried-and-tested exercises, cyclists can maximise their time in the gym while ensuring that every session contributes directly to improved on-bike performance. With the added bonus that keeping it simple means you’re more likely to do it.
How Strength Training Supports Cycling Performance
Cycling requires a combination of endurance, power, and stability, with specific muscle groups working together to generate force through the pedals, maintain posture, and control the bike through the twists and turns of a ride. Strength training helps cyclists by reinforcing these movement patterns, reducing injury risk, and improving overall performance. The body moves within fundamental patterns, a set frame work, governed by our muscular skeletal structure. These form the basis of all athletic and everyday movements. Understanding these patterns and their muscular demands helps in designing a strength program that is built around the requirements of cycling. These movements are:
1. Push
- Movements: Push-ups, overhead presses
- Cycling Benefit: Supports stability when gripping the handlebars, particularly during sprints and climbs. A strong upper body helps maintain control and reduces fatigue on long rides.
2. Pull
- Movements: Pull-ups, rows
- Cycling Benefit: Strengthens the back and arms for better posture, handling, and endurance— especially useful for technical descents and long rides where fatigue sets in.
3. Hinge
- Movements: Deadlifts, kettlebell swings
- Cycling Benefit: Targets the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back—critical muscles for efficient power transfer through the pedal stroke, particularly during acceleration and climbing.
4. Squat
- Movements: Barbell squats, Bulgarian split squats
- Cycling Benefit: Builds strength in the quads, glutes, and core—key muscles for pushing down on the pedals and sustaining efforts over long climbs or sprints.
5. Twist/Rotate
- Movements: Russian twists, sandbag pull-throughs, landmine twists
- Cycling Benefit: Enhances grip strength and full-body endurance, reducing upper body fatigue and improving long-ride efficiency.
6. Carry
- Movements: Farmer’s carries, weighted carries
- Cycling Benefit: Improves balance, posture, and control when shifting body weight, cornering, or adjusting position in the saddle.
Each of these movement patterns aligns with the main muscular requirements of cycling. The lower body (quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves) drives the pedal stroke, while the core stabilises the torso and improves power transfer. The upper body plays a crucial role in handling, posture, and endurance, particularly for long-distance rides and technical terrain. Strength training enhances these functions, leading to a more efficient, powerful, and injury-resistant cyclist.
By incorporating these fundamental patterns into your training routine, you build well-rounded strength that directly translates to improved cycling performance.
Thank you for reading our latest blog, Weight Training for Cyclists. If you have any question please Get In Touch.
Read Part 2 of Mat’s blog next week!