Strength training can help with your training and performance as a cyclist. Time focusing on building a stronger body can make the time outdoors on your bike even more fulfilling.
The benefits of incorporating strength specific training can help all athletes. For my own experience it has transformed how I feel and can train on the bike. To put it simply, being stronger is always better. However, finding a balance between the two is key.
How strength training can specifically help cyclists
By strengthening your muscles you are not only going to make the muscles you use in cycling stronger, but the muscles that support these muscles. You become a much more efficient machine, so you can move around the bike more.
You recover better.
You are at less risk of injury. Again as you will not need to rely on a limited range of muscles, you won’t wear out those limited muscles so much.
Cycling is a power movement. If you can put more power into your pedals you will move the bike faster and get up the hills more efficiently. It still needs to be trained on the bike, but your potential for better performance is higher.
You can improve your posture on and off the bike.
You will improve your flexibility.
Your muscles start to degenerate by the time you hit 30 so strength training is even more important as you age.
How Strength Training has helped me as a cyclist
I have been a cyclist for longer than I have been strength training. Strength is one of those things that you don’t know what you have been missing until you find it. I used to be a lot skinnier, it would get me up the climbs, but my performance was very inconsistent. I did not know from one day to the next how I was going to feel on the bike. Ultimately missing out on quality training and not performing well on a race day. I can now train very consistently through a program.
Initially the strength I had was like getting a new pair of wheels, I really did feel the bike move faster. The more I train in the gym I feel my core engaging with all my muscles as they put power through the pedals, it’s continually emerging. I think the best part is the excitement I feel in my muscles. After a heavy session in the gym, everything feels so light in comparison.
Strength training can be done at home or in the gym. Check out my future posts on help of how you can get started with strength training.
How do you think strength training could help you as a cyclist?