goose70

I’d like to hear what you do for a bike-performance-enhancing lower body weight workout and whether you find that actually improves your cycling performance. I’d also like to know whether you confine weights to the “off-season,” or build it into your regular weekly routine year-round.

I’ve looked into various “weight training for cyclists” programs online, and lifted quite a bit this winter (mostly on machines…leg press, leg extension, hamstring curl, calf press, lower-back/glutes machine....focused on hitting all the muscle groups but not really cycling focused). I then read one convincing article that said that squats are the only really effective cycling exercise in the weight room, and that you’re better off just using that time to ride if you have very limited training time.

As a result, since spring I stopped lower body weight lifting altogether in favor of more riding. I think this has made me a bit faster and with greater endurance over longer distances, but I also perceive that I may have lost some sprinting power (without a power meter, this is all a guess). My legs are also a little thinner, which is disconcerting.

jdon

TRX and plyometrics.

Try the first 5 minutes of this..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLzI1mcvIv8

and this..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQce85p6584

and while I don't care for the coaches attire, this is effective for the hamstrings..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iovv-9MN_TM&NR=1

garciawork

I actually leave my leg workouts to the cycling and trail running. I do sit ups and other core exercises, and some upper body stuff with 20lb weights (because thats what I have, and those things are EXPENSIVE!). Not to say I couldn't use a leg workout at the gym...

abstractform20

i would look into squats and olympic lifts (for explosiveness).

AdelaaR

Lifting weights seems like a bad idea.
Why would you need heavy muscles in your upper body where you don't need them for cycling?

I use a hometrainer every night before going to sleep.
I dialed in a program that is pretty hard and does thirty minutes with intervals between 230W and 400W for 3 minutes each.
I'm sweating like a pig while doing that.
My diet hasn't changed and is typical with coke, sugar, french fries, mayonaise, etc...
I went from 81kg to 77kg in a month and I feel a lot stronger too

VA_Esquire

Im fat. So I just walk around.

I_like_cereal

Squats deadlifts and good mornings. If you have a barbell.

If not a good Swiss ball TRX or carpet sliders work wonders.

goose70

I'm a big believer in interval training on the indoor trainer, too, but I'm wondering whether I could also benefit from working in a weight routine (and if so, when and how). I also do upper body, not for cycling, but because my wife detests the "TdF skinny arm" look. I compromise by doing more crossfit-type upper body, and some months focus entirely on cycling with no upper body.

But my concern now is lower body.

Blackdays

Picking my bike up to put it on the trunk rack.

goose70

Makes sense. Do you do these mainly during the winter/"off sesaon?"

philthered

My lower body gets plenty of work on the bike. So when I go to the gym I try to work my upper body to get more well rounded. Some of us are not always on a bike. As much as we'd like to be.

mpath

P90x.

kvangundy

Anarobic capacity (sprinting) is born in the gym, if you want to dominate pack sprints-- learn how to lift.

I lift 3-5 days a week with a deference given to how my body feels, when a "peak" race is coming up I back it off to once or twice a week. With the abuse a cyclist's body takes, you've got to really listen to your body.

Weight lifting should be done for the cyclist with two goals:

1.) Build "support" muscles (for example build strength in the abductors due to a gross over development of the quadriceps and hamstring) / correct muscular imbalances, to preserve your body and protect it from injury.

2.) Increase explosive muscles / build muscles that will contribute to top end speed. The explosiveness is done via explosive lifts: clean and jerks, kettle bells, etc. The top end musculature from squats, leg presses (isolations) , etc, the caveat with building mass is speed work must be done on the bike in conjunction (max cadence exercises).

I make these suggestions as a track rider/ crit specialist... so, take it all with a grain of salt.

kvangundy

Also, you use a lot of upper body climbing and sprinting (pushing and pulling)

jsutkeepspining

fattie

Mr Pink57

This is so true, after a hard ride I can feel the burn in my arms, shoulders, and back more then in my legs. This is mainly on my MTB SS though.

I do actual working out about twice a week now covering all major muscle groups and keep it light on my legs but I do still do a leg workout, I am fortunate enough to be able to get and ride just about everyday except Wed which is yoga. Flexibility is so important (and enjoying the "view" in yoga ).

surgeonstone

I "lift" my leg over the top tube and "press" the pedals down. Repeatedly. Ad nauseum. Works real good.

Steve90068

mostly my abs and back for riding. I'll throw in some upper body stuff and leg lifts now and then

withsriracha

Squats and deadlifts, once a week in-season. As mentioned above, this is to help with sprinting and general leg strength for getting out of the saddle on climbs, etc.

andrewluke

I am working back into a full routine: chest (M), biceps (Tu), abs and a longish ride (W), triceps (Th), back and shoulders (F), ride long Saturday/Sunday. Each routine is pretty quick I do short rides on Tu/Th. Wednesday is the one that hurts but it's giving me my flexibility and lower back strength quickly.

Kurogashi

Front squats and deadlifts. But yes, squats are your best friend. There's a reason why a lot of us have recommended it. It's an exercise that targets the most amount of muscles in your body. Front squats if you want to target your quads more and normal squats if you want to work on your butt (be warn you might get a bubble butt...).

Carbon Unit

Not lifting weights is a bad idea. As a person ages, they loose bone density. This leads to Osteoporosis. Cycling does not increase bone density but weight training does. Gaining muscle mass is extremely difficult so I wouldn't worry that lifting weighs is going to make you bulky. I have been lifting weights for more than 30 years and I want to bulk up, but it just damm hard.

Carbon Unit

My routine is Monday, arms and back. Three movements for each body part and three sets so nine sets for arms and nine sets for back. I do abs before I lift.

Tuesday, I ride.

Wednesday, Legs and abs.

Thursday, I ride.

Friday, chest and shoulders.

Saturday, I do a long ride.

I lift and ride all year.

jsutkeepspining

i bulk up quite easily actually. it made wrestling a hell of a lot easier and then it made losing the weight a hell of a lot harder after wrestling season.

cave12man

+100
Seriously.