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Many cyclists toss
around the idea of working out with weights to improve performance, particularly
during their Transition and Foundation training months. Indeed, an appropriately designed
strength training program can help for some cyclists build overall strength as
well as address muscle imbalances that might arise from being on the bike all
the time. However, a good strength
training program involves more than just going to the local gym, picking up some
weights, and performing a few repetitions.
In order to maximize overall performance gains, it is important that the
design of your strength training program complements your on-the-bike training.
A properly designed
program will help ensure you are being efficient and effective with your time,
so you still allow ample time to train on the bike. Remember that you are an endurance
athlete and cycling is primarily an aerobic activity, so the bulk of your
training should be directed at improving your aerobic system. Nonetheless, an appropriately designed
strength-training program can improve some individuals’ overall fitness and
improve their performance on the bike. To secure your strength
program’s success, there are a few key factors that need to be
addressed: ·
Periodization of
strength-training ·
Number of sets and
repetitions o
Amount of
resistance o
Speed of
movement ·
Number of strength training days
per week ·
Duration of strength training
workouts ·
Choice and order of exercises
Periodization of Strength
Training All effective cycling
training programs are periodized in order to focus on different energy systems
at different times of the year.
Similarly, an effective strength training program needs to be designed in
a way which allows the athlete to address different aspects of strength. Generally, the strength training program
should be split into five different periods. Adaptation is the period that allows
the body to get used to the new demands strength training places on the
body. Following that, the Foundation period places a little more
stress on the muscles to prepare the body for the heavier weights and greater
forces to come in the next two periods.
The body is then ready for the Strength period, which involves
significant amounts of weight in order to maximize muscle fiber recruitment and
improve overall strength. The Power period is then instituted in
order to improve the body’s ability to utilize those strength gains at faster
speeds. Finally, the Maintenance period helps the athlete
maintain strength gains achieved earlier in the year while allowing for
appropriate recovery so the athlete can perform optimally in his or her chosen
sport. Following is an example
of how the strength training periodization program works with the cyclist’s
aerobic training periodization program:
Number of Sets and
Repetitions Contrary to popular
opinion among endurance athletes, the strength program should incorporate
relatively high weight with a relatively low number of repetitions. This type of
program will elicit the best strength gains with very little, if any,
hypertrophy or “bulking up”. Remember that the strength training
program is designed to improve efficiency at producing force by allowing the
body to work less at a given resistance.
This is achieved by building up sheer strength, which is accomplished by
performing strength exercises with a significant amount of weight. Use the following sets
and repetitions schedule to maximize your gains while reducing the risk of
injury:
Amount of
Resistance Finding the correct
level of resistance for each exercise may take a few tries, particularly as you
move from period to period. When
starting your Adaptation period, err on the side of caution. Your muscles, tendons, and ligaments all
need time to adapt to the stress of strength training, which can be quite
different than that of cycling.
Once you’ve given your body a few weeks to get used to the new activity,
you can start to bump up the weight.
By the Foundation period of strength training, you should make sure that
the last repetition of each set is strenuous; this will ensure that the level of
resistance is appropriate. If you
can easily get through all repetitions of a set without strain, then the weight
is too light and should be increased for the next set or for the next exercise
session. Speed of
Movement The speed of your
strength training movements should be generally moderate, except for during the
Power period of strength training, when you are specifically working at using
your new strength at faster speeds.
Early in the strength training year, your muscular structures may not be
ready to produce strength at faster speeds, so minimize your risk of injury by
moderating the quickness of your exercises until your body is ready for it. At any time, if the speed of the
movement gets in the way of good technique, the movement should be performed at
a slower speed. Number of Sessions Per
Week Your strength training
program should complement your cycling training, not impede it. So, you need to
take into account your overall weekly training demands and your current period
of training. During the Transition
and Foundation periods of your aerobic training, try to devote 2-3 days per week
to strength training. The goal at
this time is to reacquire the strength lost from a demanding race season and to
develop greater strength for next season. During the Preparation period of aerobic
training, devoting 2 days per week to strength training is adequate. This will provide enough stimuli from
your strength and power workouts in the gym without zapping you of the energy
you need for your on-the-bike workouts. As you enter into your Specialization
period of aerobic training, the intensity of your on-the-bike workouts increases
and you need plenty of recovery.
During this time, one day a week of essential exercises in the gym is
sufficient to maintain your newly acquired strength throughout the race season.
Duration of
Workouts Strength training
sessions should last no longer than 45 minutes. With longer gym workouts, fatigue and
boredom begin to become a factor, and the quality of the workout will suffer.
This still allows plenty of time for the necessary exercises to be performed and
for adequate recovery between sets.
Ideally, 5-6 exercises are enough to stimulate strength development, as
long as the specific exercises are chosen well. Choice and Order of
Exercises For cyclists, the goal
of the strength program should be to increase near maximal strength and power
without hampering aerobic fitness. Therefore, your strength training program
should be designed around training movements rather than muscles. This can be done by incorporating
exercises that utilize multiple joints and muscles to perform the
movements. In addition, exercises
that require a fair amount of coordination and load multiple parts of the body
will provide more “bang for the buck” in the weight room. Try to choose free weight exercises over
machine-assisted exercises. Free
weights allow the body to move in its natural plane of motion and will often
require more core stabilization, which can transfer positively to the bike. There are a few
exercises that are ideal for the cyclist; these include free-weight squats,
Romanian deadlifts, lunges, rows, and dips. In addition, a variety of core exercises
to improve trunk stability and power production both on and off the bike should
be undertaken with medicine balls, wobble boards, and stability balls. Done correctly, these exercises will do
far more to improve your overall fitness than the traditional leg extensions,
leg curls, and bench presses. Because these exercises
involve multiple joints and a good deal of core stability, proper form is vital
to maximize the effectiveness of the exercise as well as to prevent injury. Seek out the help of a trained
professional at your gym to teach you how to do these exercises correctly. In addition, do the exercises that are
most difficult for you early on in your workout, when your body is fresh and
sharp. Save any abdominal and
core-specific work until the end of your workout, as you don’t want to
prematurely fatigue the core muscles you need earlier on for exercises such as
squats and deadlifts. Putting It All
Together A properly designed
strength training program can be beneficial for the cyclist by improving
neuromuscular coordination, core stability, and joint integrity in order to help
prevent injury. In addition,
because cycling only works in one plane of 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
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