Strength Training for Cyclists

Written by Jon Bula: Masters Athlete, Cat 2 Cyclist, MSc in Exercise Physiology

With the Fondo and bike park seasons coming to a close it’s time to start thinking about getting back into the gym and lifting some weights! Yes, cyclists absolutely need to strength train. 

The reasons behind why cyclists should lift weights are well established. If your goal is to ride more, ride faster, remain injury free, improve your performance, shift your body composition, combat the effects of aging, have more endurance, be stronger at the end of a ride/race then strength training is for you. 

There has been ample research done on the benefits of strength training for endurance athletes and cyclists specifically. Here are a few examples:

• Improved leg strength and power. In this study a group of cyclists training for 12 weeks and then participating in a racing season for 13 weeks were divided into two groups based on training. One group only did endurance training, while the other included strength training as well. During the competition phase, those who did strength training had significantly greater improvements in leg strength power as compared to the other group.
• Faster, more powerful race finishes. In a similar study, cyclists were again separated by endurance training only and endurance along with strength training. The test at the end of the training period was an endurance ride ending in a sprint. Those who strength trained had lower heart rates and rates of oxygen consumption during the sprint. They also had more power (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19903319/).
• Increased force, efficiency, and endurance. Another project measured several other factors in two groups that used either endurance or endurance and strength training for race preparation. The strength training group saw big improvements in cycling economy, work efficiency, time to exhaustion, and development of force. All of these were significant compared to the control group and helped improve cycling performance 

As we age, strength training becomes increasingly important. We know that muscle force production decreases with age and lifting weights is key to minimizing this decline. Stronger muscles create more force which equals more watts!

Strength training for cyclists doesn’t need to be complicated, in fact I would encourage you to keep things relatively simple. Focus on free weights and fundamental movement patterns. Squat, lunge, step up, hip hinge, push up, pull up, planks and side planks are great examples of foundational type exercises. 

It makes sense to focus a little more on strength training in the colder months when you are riding less. Some road cyclists may find that during the heavy volume summer months they quit strength training entirely. This is fine for the most part. I would still recommend maintaining flexibility and core strength work.  For mountain bikers due to the physical demands of technical trails, I would recommend that you continue strength training year round. More volume of lifting in the off season with maintenance work during the riding season. 

Exercise technique is paramount when lifting weights, and the heavier you are lifting the more critical it becomes. I highly recommend getting some professional help from a qualified trainer to dial in your lifting techniques. High load strength work has a really positive effect on strength gains as well as improved levels of key hormones involved in recovery and muscle building. 

It is extremely difficult to get ‘bulky’ from lifting weights a few times per week while maintaining endurance training. Typically the opposite is true; weight training promotes fat loss along with some lean muscle gain. This has shown to both increase power and endurance for cyclists. 

The tendency for most cyclists is to ride more in order to improve their fitness and speed, but if you add some proper strength training you will be in a much better position to actually make these improvements happen. If you find yourself stuck and unable to improve your cycling fitness/endurance, add in some more weight training and I guarantee you will push past some of those current upper limits.

If you are looking for expert training advice, or to work with trainers experienced in helping endurance athletes book a free consultation.

Time to get strong!

VO2 Max: The Longevity Unicorn

Written by Jon Bula: Masters Athlete, Cat 2 Cyclist, MSc in Exercise Physiology

A high VO2max has an almost unbelievable positive impact on improving longevity. Increasing VO2max not only decreases cardiovascular mortality but it is associated with risk reduction of all-cause mortality at any age!  Pretty amazing. With aerobic fitness (VO2max) the higher the better.

What is VO2max? Simply put, it is the maximal amount of oxygen that a person can use during intense exercise. It is directly related to the body’s ability to deliver oxygen to the working muscle and the muscle’s ability to use it. It is one of the best indicators of aerobic performance and cardiorespiratory fitness. You will see VO2max values expressed in L/min or when comparing between individuals (adjusted for body mass) it’s shown as ml/kg/min. 

VO2max has been shown to decline with age, but this decline can be mitigated by regular exercise, Zone 2 and Zone 5 (see previous blog posts). There are many field tests that can indirectly measure VO2max, but the gold standard happens in the lab using a metabolic cart.  Finding out your VO2max can be helpful, but it doesn’t change the fact that in order to be healthy and keep disease at bay, cardiovascular exercise is key.

Don’t neglect your cardiovascular exercise because nothing keeps you as healthy as being aerobically fit. 

https://peterattiamd.com/breaking-down-vo2-max/

https://peterattiamd.com/all-things-vo2-max/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29293447/

The Exercise “Drug”

Written by Jon Bula: Masters Athlete, Cat 2 Cyclist, MSc in Exercise Physiology

“Exercise might be the most potent “drug” we have for extending the quality and perhaps quantity of our years of life” – Peter Attia MD

I love this statement and all that it speaks to. The human body is meant to move and when we do we remain healthy, but when we stop moving our bodies can quickly fall apart. Like most “drugs” there is a minimum dosage required for it to have an impact. 

We mostly all want to live longer and healthier lives. This is evident when you look at all the marketing around things that make you look and feel younger. Take this supplement, do this meditation technique, take this pharmaceutical etc. You can cold plunge until you are blue in the face, infrared sauna until your skin melts, none of this matters however if you aren’t taking your minimum dosage of the exercise “drug”. 

I like to think of exercise as the power switch that activates the circuit board for your health. If you don’t turn on the power you can’t adjust any of the other dials that fine tune things for you. You have to move first and then everything else will follow. 

How big does the exercise dose need to be? I’m going to recommend what you should consider striving to achieve on a weekly basis. 

1. 3 to 4 hours of lower intensity (Zone 2) aerobic exercise – walk, jog, bike, hike, golf (walking not power cart), yard work
2. 2 x 20 minutes of higher intensity (Zone 5) anaerobic exercise 
3. 2 strength training sessions – lifting weights, some mobility exercises, and some balance/stability exercises – 30-60 minutes each

This is the volume of exercise that needs to be done for the exercise ‘drug’ to have a real and meaningful impact on your health and longevity.. Now some weeks may differ and if you need to sacrifice something on any given week I would suggest the higher intensity (Zone 5) be the first to go.  But if you don’t use it, you will lose it, so don’t make skipping the harder work a habit. 

311 ‒ Longevity 101: a foundational guide to Peter’s frameworks for longevity

Intensity is Important, Thankfully You Don’t Need Much!

Written by Jon Bula: Masters Athlete, Cat 2 Cyclist, MSc in Exercise Physiology

My previous post talked about Zone 2 training. While this training intensity should make up the bulk of your cardiovascular fitness training, the other important training zone for a healthy life is Zone 5. 

Zone 5 is your high intensity zone (think HIIT). You don’t need to train very much at this intensity, but it is still important to hit. Imagine a scenario where you have to shovel a large quantity of snow, or carry heavy luggage up a couple flights of stairs. To lead a long and healthy life maintaining the ability to do work at this intensity greatly increases the quality of those extra years you are working to gain. 

Zone 5 training is best done as interval work. Typically 1:1 work to rest. So you would run, hike, ride, swim hard for a minute then recover for a minute. Zone 5 intervals are typically done at around 4 minutes of work with 4 minutes of recovery, and somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 to 6 sets (16 to 24 minutes of work and the same time for recovery). The intensity should be hard, but not so hard that you can’t last the entire 4 minutes. Your last couple of sets should be close to the effort you can do during the first. 

Zone 5 exercise needs only be done 1-2 times a week. The main purpose is to improve the glycolytic capacity of your muscles. This has been shown to reduce with age and inactivity. Having healthy mitochondria that support efficient glycolytic capacity is highly correlated to a long healthy life. Hard work pays off!

If you are new to intervals and Zone 5 training, don’t worry about starting at 4 minute efforts right away. Keep the work to rest 1:1 and start with 60 second or even 30 second intervals. Build up to 4 minute efforts over the course of a few weeks. 

Below are a couple podcasts by Peter Attia. He is and MD and pioneer in health and longevity. I really enjoy his Podcast thedrive.  If you are interested in being healthier longer and later into life, this Podcast is for you!

How often should you be doing Zone 5 training? | Iñigo San-Millán, Ph.D. & Peter Attia, M.D.

Peter Attia on Zone 5 & Anaerobic Training Protocols