Weight Training in Off Season

[rockdude]

With over 20 years of training athletes my wife who is a personal trainer has her first competitive cyclist who wants her to set him up with a one day a week weight training program. His current goal is to build endurance for high intensity short rides (45 minutes). She did some investigating and found several articles and research on weight training for Cyclist. I told her it would be good to get real life feedback from die heart Cyclists. So what does a good weight training program for a cyclist look like.

Thanks,
John..

[pdxbikeboy]

My two cents: I weight train four days a week during the off season. I do core-strengthening exercises two of those days. I would recommend a two day-a-week program. Focus on abominal training, lower back, and hip work on the first day. On the second day, include leg extensions, lying leg curls, leg press, and calf raises. It is very important to follow both days with ample time for stretching. This program would be a good start. As an experienced lifter, I incorporate full squats, dead lifts, and power cleans to increase my explosiveness. Start slow, focusing on good form and increasing range of motion. There was a great fitness article with fred rodriguez in VeloNews about 3 weeks ago. It stresses the importance of strengthening the body's core to provide a solid base, which I strongly agree with.
Best, PdxBikeBoy

[Climb01742]

As an experienced lifter, I incorporate full squats, dead lifts, and power cleans to increase my explosiveness. Start slow, focusing on good form and increasing range of motion.

+1
and do it under the guiance of a very good trainer. form is everything.

[Fat Robert]

more info, please.

is this guy only riding 45 minutes at a time, or is he preparing for 45-minute long crits, but training 10+ hours a week? is he competitive or recreational? how many years of weight training, of cycling training, and/or of general fitness does he have behind him? what are his strengths and weaknesses as a cyclist? what does he think he can gain by 1 weight workout a week? why is he starting weight work in january? when does he want to reap specific benefits from this training?

I don't think one trip a week to the weight room is worth anything -- that time would be better spent with a balance ball for core work, some pilates, and some occasional push-ups....

if your wife is an experienced trainer, she should just look at Tudor Bompa's work and design a periodized program that would accomodate his athletic history, current fitness, limited weight room time, and goals. all that said, it would probably just amount to doing lots of light reps on squat and hamstring curl, and then some core work with the balance ball. going to the weight room only once a week would limit him to working in the adaptation stage...and there isn't much point in that, truth be told. better off with the balance ball and just do the stuff at home once he learns the techniques.

[Grant McLean]

more info, please.

is this guy only riding 45 minutes at a time, or is he preparing for 45-minute long crits, but training 10+ hours a week? is he competitive or recreational? how many years of weight training, of cycling training, and/or of general fitness does he have behind him? what are his strengths and weaknesses as a cyclist? what does he think he can gain by 1 weight workout a week? why is he starting weight work in january? when does he want to reap specific benefits from this training?

I don't think one trip a week to the weight room is worth anything -- that time would be better spent with a balance ball for core work, some pilates, and some occasional push-ups....

if your wife is an experienced trainer, she should just look at Tudor Bompa's work and design a periodized program that would accomodate his athletic history, current fitness, limited weight room time, and goals. all that said, it would probably just amount to doing lots of light reps on squat and hamstring curl, and then some core work with the balance ball. going to the weight room only once a week would limit him to working in the adaptation stage...and there isn't much point in that, truth be told. better off with the balance ball and just do the stuff at home once he learns the techniques.

Great post.

I'm a long time recreational road cyclist, not a competitve racer. For me,
the winter is (most years, just not this one!) a good time to do something else,
while i'm mostly off the bike due to weather and darkness. A generally fit
cyclist can get strength benefits by doing some weight training programs,
but that may or may not make the cyclist faster.

A competitive cyclist should be working with a coach who knows much more
about the specific details of the individual and their goals. A generic approach
is useless, in my opinion, and can be a waste of time better spent on the bike.

g

[Climb01742]

more info, please.

is this guy only riding 45 minutes at a time, or is he preparing for 45-minute long crits, but training 10+ hours a week? is he competitive or recreational? how many years of weight training, of cycling training, and/or of general fitness does he have behind him? what are his strengths and weaknesses as a cyclist? what does he think he can gain by 1 weight workout a week? why is he starting weight work in january? when does he want to reap specific benefits from this training?

I don't think one trip a week to the weight room is worth anything -- that time would be better spent with a balance ball for core work, some pilates, and some occasional push-ups....

if your wife is an experienced trainer, she should just look at Tudor Bompa's work and design a periodized program that would accomodate his athletic history, current fitness, limited weight room time, and goals. all that said, it would probably just amount to doing lots of light reps on squat and hamstring curl, and then some core work with the balance ball. going to the weight room only once a week would limit him to working in the adaptation stage...and there isn't much point in that, truth be told. better off with the balance ball and just do the stuff at home once he learns the techniques.

very good points. if a rider isn't willing to devote enough time to a weight training program -- or to any sort of training program -- then the results will reflect that.

for the last four months, i've been weight training with a truly knowledgeable strength coach 3 days a week. i thought i knew how to train in a gym. i now know i knew nothing. the changes and progress i've made have been dramatic, for me anyway. i have a newfound repect for what weight training -- done right -- can do. one example: if a cyclist can get their glutes stronger and firing better, that is directly beneficial to their riding.

but robert is right. a few light quad curls once a week won't benefit anyone. except maybe the gym owner. :D

[toaster]

Weight training for cyclists is somewhat controversial. A one day a week workout is a joke, might as well do no weight training.

A personal assesment of the client is paramount. If he is a skinny roadie with little upper body strength or low body mass then it certainly be beneficial. If he is an older Masters athlete and age is a factor in losing muscle and gaining fat because of reduced hormonal levels then weights are important as a way to stem the aging process and get better bone density to boot.

Generally, weight training will not convert to better performance on the bike. As a cross training strategy it has some good points, one being little risk of injury when lifting correctly and second as a way of strengthening other muscles that get little stimulation on a bike such as upper back, core, triceps, and the rest of external musclature.

My personal belief system is about light circuit training with high reps and perfect form for the endurance athlete. The program should be repeated at least three times per week. A periodized progression should occur with weights getting heavier and reps coming down in number, increased time (rest) between sets and concentration on compound movements design to increase strength and power in the hips and knee joint and additional work on flexibility and strength in chest, back, shoulders to conteract the weakening effect the bike exerts on these areas.

As long as the athlete commits to at least a six week plan it should be helpful. I think it might be best to go 3 months with three different programs each 4 weeks and then concentrate on the bike and forget the weights but continue core and flexibility and yoga.

[Climb01742]

one interesting idea that two strength coaches told me was: increased flexibility without stability is actually worse for you. it's been pounded into us to work on stretching and to try yoga. which is good. but the other half -- stability -- is rarely mentioned. if greater flexibility leads to greater instability, then we're worse off.

i can't quote chapter and verse about all the stuff my coach has been telling me -- cause my brain is usually quite oxygen starved :D -- but he says there is increasing research that any athlete -- even endurance athletes like cyclist and marathon runners -- can benefit from strength training. but not the "traditional" notion of training. example: my coach is training a runner peaking for the boston marathon, and one key thing they're doing is strengthening how the runner's legs/hips handle deceleration from 26.2 miles of foot strikes. this ain't your father's quad curls. the world of high level training is being revolutionized. and it's being lead by folks with masters and PhDs in human kinesiology, not "trainers" who are simply glorified gym rats (and this isn't aimed at any poster here!) it's just frustrating how many folks hang out a "trainer" shingle yet they have precious little training themselves.

[swoop]

dead lifts, squats, core work, plyometrics, individual leg incline press, hip flexors cable work.

have her watch some cyclists and break down how the muscles are engaged in and out of the saddle. have her think about the support muscles and have her look for even-ing out imbalences on both sides of the body.

have her track down a guy named jacques devore. he probably has done more thinking about cycling and weight lifting than any person i know.

[rockdude]

Thanks for all the great replys. Here is a little more information. She has not had her evaluation with him yet, so some of the important data she needs to know to layout effective plan is unknow. I think the goal is to set him on a 2-3 days a week workout, but she will only work with him one day a week.

My wife has trained many different top level athletes in several different fields including endurance athletes like marathoners. She just has never trained a Cyclist. She understands utlizing periodized program and core strenght. She keeps up with the latest research and Journals. And Toaster is right that Weight training for cyclists/endurance is somewhat controversial, if you look at the research. She has mention to me before that weight training does something to the mitochondria which could hurt your endurance performance (that is all above my hard head). She has also mention to me that if I want to get good at a specific sport than I need to train sport specific.

Climb01742, I think my wife would like to here what your workouts consist of. she needs to hear what type of workouts cyclist have used and liked. I think the bases of her workout plan will be based on the research but she is open to adding pratical elements that the people have use and thought had helped their cycling.

Swoop, Great Idea, I will suggest to her to watch him on a trainer and to lookup jacques devore.

[Ti Designs]

the world of high level training is being revolutionized. and it's being lead by folks with masters and PhDs in human kinesiology, not "trainers" who are simply glorified gym rats (and this isn't aimed at any poster here!) it's just frustrating how many folks hang out a "trainer" shingle yet they have precious little training themselves.

Somewhere far behind the folks with all the certifications are the [un]glorified bike rats...

[nm87710]

weight training does something to the mitochondria which could hurt your endurance performance
No research has shown it helps :)
Cycling is NOT a strength based sport


I want to get good at a specific sport than I need to train sport specific.
WORD UP :banana:

[Climb01742]

Climb01742, I think my wife would like to here what your workouts consist of. she needs to hear what type of workouts cyclist have used and liked. I think the bases of her workout plan will be based on the research but she is open to adding pratical elements that the people have use and thought had helped their cycling.

rockdude, one thing i'd like to make sure you know: my rant about most trainers is directed at people like the dude who is training mrs climb right now. he has a good local rep (that's why mrs climb chose him) but after seeing him train mrs climb (and injure her) i'm stunned by his ignorance. i mean no slam on your mrs.

ok. three areas of training with my strength coach have been particularly helpful:

1. getting my glutes stronger, more balanced left and right, and firing better. three exercises stand out: box squats, deadlifts and one-leg squats. he emphasizes strength and power (strength+speed). never more than 8 reps, progressively getting heavier. i have no wattage numbers to prove an improvement on the bike but i feel stronger, with my legs powering me more evenly.

2. getting my upper back stronger and more flexible. i used hunch a lot while riding (and even while standing.) i used to try to ride and stand with a flatter back but i couldn't hold the position. stupidly, i never realized you need strength to straighten out your back (merely addressing posture isn't enough.) my coach has me doing scap wall stretches, scap push-ups, and various rows: incline, seated, standing, and this wild inverted row with rings. the change in my upper back has been amazing. my position on the bike is much better.

3. plyometrics. single and two legs. vertical box jumps with 18-21" box. single leg, side box jumps with a low box or step. lots of single leg bounding and skipping, both straight ahead and side to side. forward and backward lunges using a step. single leg stuff has been a revelation--how asymmetrical my body is.

we've also been working on core strength, doing stuff i could never explain, but he's never had me do a single crunch or sit-up. i hope this helps.

[Ti Designs]

No research has shown it helps :)
Cycling is NOT a strength based sport


Well, not if you're slow...

[Climb01742]

ps:

i did some testing this morning at the gym with my strength coach. we tested a few things:

Broad Jump went from 5-1 (Sep. 26) to 6-10.
1-leg Triple Jump - Right went from 10-4 (Sep. 26) to 13-1.
1-leg Triple Jump - Left went from 10-3 (Sep. 26) to 13-9.
Vertical Jump went from 17.9 (Nov. 13) to 18.2.

we tested vertical jump last, and i was pooped. had we tested it first, my coach thinks the gain would bewould be 2-3".

according to my coach, the broad jump numbers are most significant in terms of cycling progress, as they're indicative of the posterior chain (hams, glutes, adductor magnus, lumbar erectors) strength and power. Research has shown that elite cyclists have about 9% higher glute recruitment than their non-elite counterparts.

ed coyle (he's known as the "Father of Aerobic Metabolism" - U-Texas guy who has tested Lance Armstrong 2x/year since the early 1990s) outlined the interrelationships among all the factors contributing to optimal endurance performance and fatigue resistance. Dr. Coyle feels that lactate threshold, muscle capillary density, and gross mechanical efficiency were the best predictors of performance. Coyle noted that it often takes years for endurance athletes to learn to operate at maximum efficiency. In the case of cyclists, this relates to increasing recruitment of the glutes, whereas newbies tend to rely almost entirely on the quads. and strength training is a good way to work your glutes intensively.

[swoop]

weight training was like free dope. it was the center piece of the singe greatest improvement i made between seasons. completey changed me on the bike.

[Lincoln]

Strength training is great but be careful with the plyos. They can be beneficial but they shouldn't be done without a good base of strength training. Also a little goes a long way. Also, squats, dead-lifts and all the variations on cleans are fantastic but the technique is soooo critical (both for safety and for maximizing benefits). A very good trainer is a must with these and I would guess that most trainers are unqualified to help with cleans.

1x/week? No. 2x week? OK for a basic program. If you are incorporating more advanced techniques (plyos, Olympic lifts etc.) then you are talking 3 or 4 sessions a week.

When I was racing I felt like my winter strength training helped me ramp up the mileage in the spring much more quickly with a lesser chance of injury. Less time to catch up to the year-round racers that I was competing against.