motion and is not a weight bearing activity, strength training can help balance out your body and improve bone density.   Finally, for some cyclists, the increase in strength can lead to an improvement in power on the bike.

Some thought needs to be put into designing that strength training program, however.   Just as your bike training program incorporates specific intervals at specific times for specific durations in order to improve your fitness on the bike, so should your strength training program.   By making a plan in advance as to how you are going to make your strength training program work with your aerobic training program, rather than against it, you will maximize your performance both in the gym and on the bike.

Tim Pelot is a Senior Coach for <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /?>
Carmichael Training Systems , Inc. (CTS).   In addition to having an M.S. in Exercise Physiology, he is also an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a
USA Weightlifting certified coach.   In addition to his work with CTS, he is an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO. To find out what CTS can do for you, visit http://www.trainright.com.