Strength While Cycling

As we head into the spring and summer and we cyclists get out on the road more frequently, many might be wondering how a strength training routine fits in between ride.

I often hear from riders that they’re focusing on riding and not avoiding strength training as they’re concerned that lifting weights or doing more strength training will limit their performance on the bike. Some are worried about fatigue leading to worse performance on the bike while others cite concern for “bulking up” from lifting.

So what is a rider to do? Drop the weights and pick them up come next winter? Less time in the gym? Change the workout? Let’s take a look at what the research says and then see how we might build a strength program that makes sense for riders looking to maximize their performance and enjoyment this riding season.

Will strength make me gain too much weight or make me too bulky?

No, one of the biggest misconceptions that many cyclists (and non-cyclists) have is that by doing a few sessions of weight or resistance training they will end up looking like Mr. or Ms. Universe. Gaining mass while training is actually a very difficult thing to do and part of the reason why many bodybuilders and strength athletes spend nearly as much time on their nutrition and calorie intake as they do on their training. The strengthening that cyclists or other endurance athletes perform will lead to noticeable gains in power production, balance, and endurance but will result in negligible (if any) mass gain.

Will strength training make me too tired to ride?

Not when the strength programs are structured effectively and overall training plans continue to account for appropriate rest and recovery. A mistake I’ve seen is a rider adding strength training, often pretty intense strength training, only on the days they are not riding. These tend to be their recovery days. This leads to a training plan that was initially 4-5 days of intense cycling with 2-3 rest/recovery days becoming 4-5 intense cycling days and 2-3 intense strength days. This will certainly lead to fatigue and difficulty performing on and off the bike.

Strength training should be incorporated as part of the overall program. This may mean that a rider does a long/intense effort ride followed by a moderate exertion resistance training session in the same day to allow for recovery days. It may mean tapering back effort on the bike one day to allow for strength training. Circumstances vary greatly based on a cyclists specific goals, but often maintaining a strength regime in addition to a riding regime will improve performance and decrease risk for injury over the course of a season.

Can I just coast on the strength training I did all winter and focus on riding?

Unfortunately this isn’t the way our bodies work. You will begin to lose some some of the strength gains accumulated from off season training without ongoing resistance training. Even if focusing on higher resistance on the bike (“big ring riding”, low cadence, etc) the demands on our neuromuscular system are so different that we won’t see the massive benefits that resistance training provides.

Should I just keep doing the same workout I was doing all winter?

Like many things, it depends. If an offseason program can be continued while ramping up riding time outdoors and still allowing for approrpiate rest and recovery, than yes it likely will be okay. Now is a good time to look at your program though and see if anything can be shifted or changed. There are whole books written and debated about what type of resistance training is best (heavy weight low rep vs. lighter and higher rep, explosive vs. controlled, etc) but in general it is always good practice to vary your resistance training from tie to time. This is called periodization and allows for our bodies to always be adapting to new challenges and continue to improve.

So the TL;DR of this question is just keep doing what you’ve been doing if it allows you to rest and it feels challenging. If you’re in a rut, seek help to mix things up.

If you’re a rider who has questions beyond the answers above regarding your off the bike training regimen or if you are just starting to think that maybe some strength training makes sense for you, be sure to reach out for more individualized answers. Remember Cycle Life PT offers complimentary 30 minute virtual consults for your to see how we can help you!