I’ve been reading a lot of different articles over the past while trying to see exactly what’s the best way to approach Strength and Conditioning to support my cycling training over the winter and into the future. I am 50 now and on week two of SS Base medium. There seems to be so much varying views on weight training and it’s benefits for cycling. I didn’t want to start a strength and conditioning plan that would negatively impact my results from the TR Plans I intend to follow over the next six months so decided to start small and light and build. Here are the notes I made up. May by useful or just a point for feedback or discussion. Any advice is welcome.
Weight Training Programme for Cycling
Summary
Phase 1 – Transitional Phase (2-3 timer per week)
- 2-4 weeks.
- Start Day 1 with 1 Set 12-15 reps / Day 2 Two Sets / Day 3 Three Sets.
- 90 Sec recovery between set.
- Cover 5 body areas – 1 exercise on each.
- Body weight or low weights only.
Phase 2 Hypertrophy (2-3 timer per week)
- 3-4 sets 8-12 reps (1st set light for warm up)
- Cover 5 body areas – 1 exercise on each.
- 1.5 to 2 min rest between set.
- Reps 12 – 10 – 8 – 8 (Slightly increase weight each set till 8)
- nearly complete recovery between sets.
- steadily improve once every two weeks
Phase 3 – Building Strength (2-3 timer per week)
- 4-5 sets 8-12 reps (1st set light for warm up)
- Cover 5 body areas – 1 exercise on each.
- 1.5 to 2 min rest between set.
- Reps 12 – 10 – 8 – 8 (Slightly increase weight each set till 8)
- nearly complete recovery between sets.
- Aim for PB in 8 Rep Max
- Introduce some basic plyometric jumps.
Phase 4 – Time to Build Power
- Fast explosive power – slightly lower weight.
- Plyometric/Jump training is a MUST.
- 4-5 sets 8-12 reps (1st set light for warm up)
- Cover 5 body areas – 1 exercise on each.
- 1.5 to 2 min rest between set.
- Reps 12 – 10 – 8 – 8 - EXPLOSIVE
Detail:
Phase 1 Transitional Phase (Getting the body used to it!) (Maybe x3 per week)
- This should be easy for 2 weeks with body weight or light weights.
- Concentrate on form.
- Start each exercise with One Set 12-15 Reps (Day 1). Then 2 sets day 2 and 3 sets day 3.
- 1.5 mins recovery between each set.
- Five areas – (1 of each to start) Upper Body Pushing/ Upper body pulling/ Lower Back/ Abdominals/ Lower Body.
- Strength and Power comes later…. (Higher weights/Lower reps).
After two weeks of break-in, riders should move to free weights or some resistance machines to work the same muscles in slightly different ways.
Increased strength, which does not mean creating larger muscles, is necessary in order to improve your power, or speed-strength.
Phase 2. Hypertrophy or Muscle Cell Growth. (Maybe x3 per week)
- 5 Exercises each at 3-4 sets at 8-12 reps.
- It’s not necessary to do the same exercises each workout, but do train the same muscle groups.
- It really makes no sense to build an extensive workout that duplicates effort through similar exercises.
- Warm UP start with something relatively light, about 50 to 60% of your best and do twelve reps.
- 10RMax by 130%, which provides a ballpark figure for a 1RMax.
- 1.5 to 2 min rest between sets.
- Reps should be 12 – 10 - 8 – 8 (slightly increase weight).
- It’s designed to be anaerobic, with nearly complete recovery between sets.
- A quick spin on the bike can be used for warm-up and cool down immediately adjacent to the resistance training session.
- Serious aerobic training, on the bike or otherwise, should be undertaken several hours prior to or after the weight training session.
- Keep a training log.
- Make it a point to steadily improve once every two weeks or so, but be certain that perfect exercise technique remains a priority.
Phase 3. – BUILDING STRENGTH - Continue to build load… (Maybe x3 per week)
Still, with recommended reps in the eight to twelve repetition range, cyclists are not necessarily gaining actual strength. Much of what has happened over the past two months is a simple matter of neural adaptation, or learning how to contract muscles against a load.
- If the season isn’t started yet continue two above pre-season gradually increasing weights.
- However, this period, start with one twelve-rep set for warm up with about 60%, followed by one ten-rep set with 70-75%, and finish up with at least two, possibly three, sets with an intensity around 80% that allows for eight repetitions. If eight repetitions are easily and regularly accomplished, increase the weight slightly.
- Use perfect technique.
- During this period cyclists should aim to improve their 8RM personal records in all major exercise categories.
- Although some cyclists claim their legs are exhausted after a weightroom session, the program offered here should not result in that reaction. For example, four or five sets of squats, which are all that is needed to show marked strength gains in an endurance athlete, should not create an exhausted state. After all, only the final set may be a repetition maximum effort.
- Of course, if a rider decides to work harder on each set or to add sets or to add additional leg exercises, then yes, the legs may be shot after the workout. It is again emphasized that such additional effort in the gym is simply not needed in order for riders to improve their cycling performances.
- We are still in the process of preparing the body’s muscles for the more intense strength and power work to follow.
- While Power training is still some time away. Riders should now begin to work in some elements of plyometric (jump) training.
- beginning or ending a weight workout with five to ten minutes of jumping keeps a rider aware of their type II (so-called fast twitch) fibers.
- E.g start small – vertical jumps etc and build.
Phase 4 - TIME FOR POWER - Speciality Bike Phase parallel. (Maybe x2 per week)
*As we are working on fast explosive power the weight max may drop slightly to enable the burst action.
Quit lifting now and muscular strength gains earned over the past few months are lost. This is particularly true for master athletes and females, both of whom must maintain some form of weight training throughout the year in order to optimize benefits.
- It’s not yet time for peak performance on two wheels.
- it is a mistake to turn our backs on weight training at this stage.
- We have been focusing on strength building phase. NOW it’s time to focus on POWER.
It’s important to remember that in order to train and improve power, you must focus on both increased strength and improved speed of execution.
Improved strength by itself is unlikely to result in better cycling performance.
- Plyometric, or jump, training is a must at this time of the year, but again, the volume does not need to be excessive.
- INTENSITY should be at it’s GREATEST.
- Training power means movements need to be performed quicker than strength phase.
- A squat, for instance, would involve lowering slowly to the point where the thighs are parallel to the ground, then blasting upward as rapidly as possible.
- There’s still a need to focus on exercises that affect upper and lower body, along with core musculature.