Lifting for cyclists

There are typically two camps out there when it comes to weight lifting during the winter for cyclists; those who do and those who don’t. Every cyclist can benefit from an organized weight plan. During the course of a race season, a cyclist’s power diminishes as fatigue accumulates and bodily resources get spread thin. Many cyclists begin their racing season somewhere around March or April and continue with minimal breaks straight through September or October.

Completing a fully thought out and periodized weight training program over the winter will help to increase on the bike power and allow you to maintain power later into the season.

It has been my experience that most cyclists, because of the energy demands required, cannot maintain a lifting program throughout the race season. Thusly, (over) the winter is a good time to combine lifting with your bike program. The right weight program will synchronize with your riding to create a tolerable workload that works towards the overall goal of entering the next season with a higher level of power than the previous.

Beginning with a relatively easy adaptive period will introduce your body to a new exercise modality and signal your muscles, tendons and ligaments to adapt accordingly. Additionally, you will begin to establish the neuromuscular pathways required to complete your lifts effectively and efficiently while reducing the risk of injury. This period will also allow you do “dial” the moves so that when you get into the big meat (read maximal weights) you will be ideally prepared.

After you’ve completed an adaptive period you’re ready to get into the fancy dancy, more complex and specific moves. The appropriate plan will address the complete athlete and any weaknesses will be identified. Addressing these weaknesses will help to “bullet proof” the athlete going forward. That is, the types and duration of potential injuries would be reduced or eliminated.

You’re switching person from ‘you’ to ‘athlete.’  Get consistent.

Appropriate lifts will train the musculature of the legs, core, gluteals and low back to perform at a higher level and, under stress, extend the period before fatigue levels become too great to continue. Much like your training on the bike, your lifting program should be graduated in sets, reps and weights. Keeping records is highly recommended so you can track forward progress and identify if you’re at a plateau. If you’re anything like me, keeping track in your head starts out great but, that system breaks down rapidly! Working with a personal trainer or your coach will help you to avoid plateaus.

Other benefits to lifting are balancing left to right inequalities and shoring up core strength. Solidifying these two elements will create a greater ability to produce sustainable power as well as create better posture while on the bike. I’ve been accused of having the “cyclist slouch” more than once. If you think about it, the major muscles of the pedal stroke, the quadriceps and hamstring, are anchored at the pelvis. And core musculature is what stabilizes the pelvis. So, having this element tuned up is advantageous in many ways.