During the winter months many road cyclists think about weight training in the gym as a way to increase their performance on the road. Depending on what you read, weight training can be extremely beneficial or a waste of time. Opponents of weight training say that nothing can prepare you for road cycling like road cycling itself. I don’t subscribe to that mentality because I know that lifting makes me feel stronger and mentally better. I also know that if something makes you feel better mentally that you’ll perform better when the time comes. That’s all the reason I need.
The main goal of weight training for road cycling is not to increase muscle. Body builders have that goal in mind. Their workouts help to give them the large proportioned muscles they need to compete. The weight training techniques we’ll use are designed to recruit more of the muscle you already have and increase the density of the muscle. We’re after the neurological and cell-level changes that weight lifting can provide. We don’t want our total body weight to increase too much.
You really don’t need to spend a lot of time doing weight training workouts to gain the benefits. Weight training workouts that are specific to cycling tend to be relatively short. The total time spent lin the gym should be between 30 and 50 minutes.
The exercises that are used are designed to carry over to the bike as much as possible. These exercises tend to involve multiple joints and muscle groups instead of focusing on one specific muscle. For example, arm curls are very focused on the bicep and involve only one joint – the elbow. One of the more useful exercises for cycling is the leg press, which uses several large muscles and the hip, knee and ankle joints.
I model my weight training after what Joe Friel writes in his book “The Cyclists’s Training Bible.” He describes four phases to a weight training program. Each phase has pretty specific goals in mind. One thing you’ll notice is that your core muscles – abdominal and back – are worked in every phase. This is very important because we use these muscles quite a bit when we ride. Here’s what I do.
The first phase is called the Adaptation Phase, and it normally lasts about 4 weeks. This phase occurs during the transition and preparation phases of a typical yearly cycling training plan. The main goal is to acclimate your body to lifting by helping your tendons and joints get used to the movements you’ll be doing later with much larger loads. It’s important to concentrate on doing each exercise correctly so that you maximize the benefits of the exercise. A secondary goal is to increase overall body strength.
Weight loads are low enough to allow you to do 20 to 30 repetitions of each exercise. Two to five sets are done in a circuit-training style. This means each exercise in the set is done in rapid succession without a break in between exercises. A short 90 second rest is taken in between sets. There are 2 to 3 weight training sessions per week in this phase.
The exercises I do in each circuit-training set, in order, are the following: Leg Press, Front Lat Pulldown, Bench Press, Seated Row, Leg Curl, Standing Row, Crunches, Arm Curls, Back Extension, and Vertical Knee Raise (VKR).
After the Adaptation Phase is the Maximum Transition Phase. This phase lasts two weeks. The main goal is to increase the weight loads to get ready for the really hard work coming up in the next phase.
The total number of exercises in this routine is a bit less than the Adaptation Phase. Most of the exercises are done in supersets, and repetitions decrease to 10-15 per exercise. The supersets consist of two or three exercises that are done in succession with a two minute rest in between. Three to four sets are done. Crunches, Back Extensions and VKRs remain at 20-30 reps during this phase. Again there are 2 to 3 sessions per week.
The exercises in this routine are: Leg Press, Seated Row / Crunch superset, Bench Press / Leg Curl superset, Standing Row / Back Extension / VKR superset.
The next phase is called the Maximum Strength Phase. It lasts about four weeks, ending just as on-bike strength and force workouts begin. The goal of this phase is to train your nervous system to use as much of your existing muscle as possible to generate force. This training is carried over to the bike during on-bike strength and force workouts.
Weight loads increase during this phase to maximums that depend on your body weight. Once these maximums are reached the reps are increased rather than the weight loads. There’s a chart in the Friel book that recommends the maximum loads. For example, the maximum load for Leg Presses is 2.5 to 2.9 times your body weight.
Be very, very careful during this phase. Concentrate and perform each exercise correctly so that you don’t injure yourself. It’s quite easy to do with the tremendous amounts of weight you’ll use. You don’t want to be forced to take time off, especially since injury can be prevented.
The number of repetitions is low during this phase. Only 3-6 repetitions of each exercise are done per set with the exception of Crunches, Back Extensions and VKRs. These remain at 20-30 reps. Exercises in this routine are organized into supersets, and are exactly the same as in the Maximum Transition Phase with 3 minutes between sets. Two to six sets are done with two to three sessions per week.
The Strength Maintenance Phase is last. This phase fills out the remainder of the year until the next Adaptation Phase. The goal of this phase is to maintain what you’ve built up during the Maximum Strength Phase.
There are 6-12 repetitions in each set, with Crunches, Back Extensions and VKRs remaining at 20-30 reps. The exercises and supersets are the same as the Maximum Strength Phase, but weight loads are lowered a little bit to allow the higher number of repetitions to be completed. There is a 90 second rest between sets. Only one session is done per week.
Something that I find useful is to do some spin-ups on a stationary trainer after a really hard strength workout. The high RPMs help to continue training your nervous system and muscles to work like they’d have to when you’re riding hard. It really helps, and you’ll be surprised at how good it feels to relax and spin quickly.
If you’re not lifting weights during the off-season you should give it a try. I’m pretty sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results you get.
