It’s still controversial whether weight training benefits cyclists or not. In this paper I will try to dissipate some confusion due to conflicting messages and I will explain when and how weight training can help cycling performance and why some studies did not find any improvement.
Weight Training is particularly recommended for :
Cyclists 35 years or older
Cyclists with muscular asymmetry between Left and Right side
Women
Track racers
Uphill improvements
Enhancing Power
Enhancing stability
Injury Prevention
Cyclists can benefit from Weight Training due to the following Physiological Adaptations:
Enhanced :
Neuron excitation
Size of Muscle Fiber (Hypertrophy) =>increase cross-sectional area
Force Production (Magnitude & Rate)
Neuromuscular control
Co-ordination
Faster muscle fibers activation
Makes MU (motor unit) Type I stronger =>reduce activation of MU Type II at submax load => Less recruitment of more glycol tic (lactic acid producer) fibers => may influence LT
Reduces amount of muscle activated for a given load (smaller metabolic demand)
Increases number and size of Type IIa fibers and decreases Type IIx => less fatigability
Conclusions:
Strength Training=> ? Efficiency (important predictor of performance) [Hoff, Millet]
Anaerobic Metabolism=>component responsible to enhance cycling performance
Strength Training helps to maintain Lactic Acid Tolerance during off season (low intensity cycling) [Marcinik]
The Four Phases of Weight Training for Cyclists: The importance of Specificity
Two aspects of Specificity:
1. It’s important to choose strength exercises that use the specific muscles involved in cycling, but more importantly it’s to execute them with the correct angles of the limbs to apply force in a position that simulate as much as possible the one on the bike. Example: Squats is one of the most specific strength exercise for cyclists; however, they need to be executed with feet forward and pelvis area pushed backwards to allow the tibia to be perpendicular to the floor when squatting and knee is bent at 90 degrees.
2. It’s important to know that different combinations between number of sets, repetitions and load induce different physiological adaptations. That’s why a weight program is not an easy receipt : it needs to be custom, based on the seasonal cycling goals of the athlete.
3. Same TYPE of exercise but depending on :
Current Training Status
Seasonal Goals
Age
Gender
Individual response to training
Personalize:
Combination of sets/reps/load
Sequence of these combinations
Balance between endurance & strength training
Range of motion
This is the Coach’s job!
The 4 Phases are: [figure Below]
Adaptation (neuromuscular) : 20-25 reps – 40-60% Repetition Max (RM) – Neuromuscular adaptation occurs in the first 2 weeks of the weight program.
Hypertrophy (increase in muscle mass & Cross Sectional area): 8-12 reps at 70%-80% RM -
Strength (Increase peak force – Recruit High Threshold Muscle Fibers Type II): 3-6 reps at 85%-95% RM -
Explosive Power : 3-5 reps at 85%-95% RM with very quick movement – induces recruitment of Fiber IIx
Phase 4 can be different depending on the specific cyclists goals…
The correct combination, sequence and especially Length of each of these phases are strategic for the effectiveness and the results of a custom weight program specific to each athlete’s goals.
This is the job of a good coach: Science & Art to find the “magic” combination that works for her athletes.
For Example, a pure climber has to reduce Phase 2 (ipertrophy) and focus on Phase 3. A TT racer, on the contrary, should focus on Phase 2 and a Track racer should focus on Phase 4.
What Weight Training Does NOT help
Weight Loss: it changes the Body Composition converting some of the % Fat Mass into Lean Mass
Increase in VO2max. Studies that found an increase in VO2max used UNTRAINED subjects. So, the increase in VO2max was due to the fact that these individuals became active and not necessarily to the specific weight training.
Endurance: In fact strength training, indeed, induces different physiological adaptations from endurance training and actually some of them are controversial..
Drawbacks of the Weight Training for Cyclists:
Conflicting Physiological Adaptations:
Capillary Density
Mitochondria mass
Oxidative Capacity
Cardiovascular (?Left Ventricle wall thickness vs. Left Ventricle stretching) => ?Stroke Volume=> ? Cardiac Output => ? blood delivery to peripheral muscles
Therefore,, expect to feel slower when you ride on the road during the weight program and up to 4-8 weeks after you stopped; your aerobic system is slower.
It takes between 6 and 12 weeks to transfer on the bike (to the cycling movement) the strength gained in the weight room. This is called Lag time
Is this a good reason to avoid weight training?
In my opinion NO and this is WHY ?
New indications from the Olympic Center suggest that combining the weight routine with short cycling drills soon after lifting weights helps to:
Speed up the process of transfer strength gained in the weight room to the cycling movement
Prevent excessive slowing down
Prevent muscle tightness
Keep training aerobic metabolism
Different Cycling drills for each phase of Strength Training
Each Cycling drill re-enforces the adaptation stressed during the “specific” strength exercise.
Your long endurance rides will induce those physiological adaptations compromised by the strength training and your aerobic system will be re-trained and at the end you will benefit by BOTH types of training.
Muscles involved in cycling and the appropriate Strength Training exercises for cyclists.
Knees and hips extensors: quadriceps & rectus femoris , gluteus maximum
Knee flexors & hips extensors: biceps femoris
Gastrocnemius and soleus
Core (lumbar area of the dorsal spine and abdominals)
Some shoulder and chest muscles to stabilize, for handling and positioning
Reasons why some of the research studies did not find any improvement in cycling performance after Strength Training
The strength training was added to the usual endurance training on the bike and it was not substituted. Therefore What NOT TO DO :
Training on the bike for 5-6 hours a day and then go to the gym for Strength Training.
They have not considered the “lag time” which is the time necessary to transfer the strength gained in the weight room to the cycling movement. Depending on the individual response, this time can go from 4 to 12 weeks after completion of strength training. In order to shorten the lag time:
Combine 20-40 minutes of drills on the bike soon after the strength exercises.
CONCLUSIONS: The Eight prerequisites to have positive results with strength training
Depending on the individual cycling goals, substitute at least 30% of the Total Training load with Strength training
Strength Training not less than 2 times a week
At least 3 sets per exercise
Correct combination between number of sets, repetitions and load according to the individual cycling goals
sufficient recovery between sets (90-120 sec)
custom sequence and duration of the 4 phases of the strength training depending on the individual cycling goals.
Execute the exercise using specific angles and posture that simulate as close as possible the cycling movement and the position on the bike.
combine a short drill on the bike soon after the weight exercises. Type of drills depend on the specific phase and need to be indicated by an expert coach.
Would you like a custom Strength Training Program for the new cycling season?
Contact Davanti.
Luisa Sullivan
MS Integrative Physiology
USA Cycling Federation
Certified Level II Coach
