Weight lifting for cyclists -Advanced



                                                                                                                          * ALWAYS SEEK PROFESSION/MEDICAL HELP BEFORE STARTING OR CHANGING ANY EXERCISE REGIME. 



Because the pro's do!

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Weight lifting has many benifits and not just for the elite. If done properly it will:



1)  Prevent injuries through correcting muscle imbalances meaning less time off the bike

2) Increase strength allowing you to increase your ave power and sprints/acceleration

3) Keep you motivated on those dark, cold wet days when its too unsafe or unkind to ride (especially if you don't have a turbo)​





The first is probably the most important and is the reason used the least. Remember it doesn't have to conventional weight lifting. Pilates is a great way to increase strength while correcting imbalances, improving range of motion and stability of both joints and muscles. 



WHY ARE CYCLIST SO WEAK

The second makes such a difference. I was quite shocked when i began cycling at how slow they were when accelerating. I was riding with the 2nd fastest group in SPR (ave 32kph for 60km rides) and i was able to out accelerate the majority in flats and most certainly on one of the cheaper bikes. I had only been riding a few months.  A TT or road race i would have certainly been towards the back end of results so it was not a case of me being a better rider. 



Clearly all the time in a gym had paid off, being able to squat 100kg for 10 reps and having a powerful set of abs seemed to put a long way ahead of of where i should have been. ironically i am not that strong, not in comparison to the athletes i train with in the gym or played rugby with. 

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FLATTER HILLS

The one advantage that gives me (and i need this) is the ability to get onto peoples wheels. On big hills im happy out the saddle at 15% for hours and will work up the hill putting in attacks or setting the pace. but If we climb hills with flatter sections in them i will always get closed down by the faster riders if i have any type of gap. (that's without them working together).

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If i can accelerate to get on wheels as attacks come before the flat section i will be there at the end and (depending on how tired my legs are compared to the others) will be racing it out for the win. However if dropped before the flat section i will see 6-10 riders disappear into the distance. 





Of course other riders know this so its only a matter of time before the attacks come

 



SPRINT

 

With regards to sprinting over 1km most of the riders in the group would beat me comfortably. Obviously tactics come into play, but again being able to accelerate to get the wheel while others get dropped means being in a good position for the final sprint. Im not going to say i ever won one of our group sprints but to be there at the end  (in 2nd, 4th, 6th) with 25 riders way way behind,  was riding well above my level. A straight sprint (without getting on wheels) would see me 20th at best every time.







FITNESS TRAINING

To me the strength work in the gym is not about the overall power, its the ability to accelerate. this of course is not just down to strength. Being Extremely Fit and Training specifically over 30 sec to 2 minutes at high intensity also helps massively. 





Besides spending long good hours on the bike, hit the gym and train over shorter burst to allow you to accelerate fast!