Strength Train Like a Pro

If you want to hit every cycling muscle that matters, these are your must-do moves say elite American road cyclists Joe Dombrowski and Alex Howes both of the Cannondale-Drapac pro squad.

“My favorite two moves in the gym are squats and deadlifts,” says Howes. “When done properly, they hit every muscle that matters in the lower body and really strengthen the muscles in the lower back, which is key to good form and power transfer on the bike. If you can put double your body weight on your back and move up and down and also pick that weight straight up off the ground, you’ll be stable as a rock, have plenty of core strength…and feel like a total bad ass.”

RELATED: Boost Your Cycling Power with Squats

Dombrowski adds a leg press into the mix. “I focus on three big moves: Squat, deadlift, and leg press, in that order. I often am doing them to failure, so it's best to finish with the safest move as you're more fatigued,” says the climbing specialist, who credits the routine with helping him gain functional muscle mass in the off season as well as maintain good form during the season. “It’s not healthy for us to only ride our bikes five hours a day!”

How It’s Done
Most cyclists want stronger, but not necessarily bigger muscles. That means lifting fewer repetitions of heavier weight, for instance 4 sets of 3 to 4 reps of close to your max weight with generous amounts of recovery (about 4 minutes) between sets. 

Squat: Stand with your feet hip to shoulder-width apart and toes pointed slightly out. Hold weights at your shoulders or down at your sides. Push your butt and hips back as if you were sitting in a chair and lower down as far as possible while keeping your weight on your heels. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Deadlift: Hold a barbell in front of your thighs, arms extended, palms facing in. Keep your back flat. Hinge at the hips and lower the weight toward the floor, allowing your knees to bend slightly. Keep the weight close to your body and lower it until your upper body is almost parallel to the floor. Contracting your glutes, push your hips forward to raise yourself back to the starting position. 

Leg press: Sit on the machine with your feet pressed against the footplate about the same distance apart as they are on the bike, knees bent. Holding the handles on either side, extend your legs and push the weight away, keeping your feet flat. Don't lock your knees out. Slowly let your legs relax and drop back towards you, bending your knees back to start position. Without resting, repeat

To ramp up the explosive power needed for the endless punchy accelerations that cross, crits and mountain bike courses demand, Kerry Werner of Kona Endurance Team does Olympic style power lifting, including the squats and deadlifts above, as well as plyometrics. 

“I do explosive lifting and plyometric jumping moves like box jumps, both double and single legged,” says Werner. “My goal is to help my muscles adapt to generate and tolerate lots of snap, like sprinting out of every corner in a CX race. This type of workout also improves stability by adding another dimension of movement besides the up and down of cycling.” 

How it’s Done
Before starting plyometrics you should have at least a month of strength training (like squats and deadlifts) under your belt. Proper form and technique is essential. Warm up thoroughly. Always land softly by recoiling your joints like a spring immediately as you hit the ground. Aim for 8 to 12 reps, but perform only as many reps as you can with proper form.

Box jumps 
Stand facing a 12 to 18 inch high box or step. Squat down and jump up using a double arm swing. Land firmly on box with knees soft to absorb impact. Step down and repeat. When you’ve mastered that try adding a set of one-legged jumps (using a lower box or step to start).

Thirteen time elite national cyclocross champion Katie Compton of KFC Racing p/b Trek/Panache used to hit the gym, but given her muscle-y genetic disposition, she found pushing bars and plates counterproductive, so now builds strength with body weight moves instead.

“My body is naturally strong, and I put on muscle mass easily, so I end up carrying more weight around on the bike, which doesn't make me faster,” she says. “I do yoga and Pilates for core work. I also do push ups and pull ups for general full body strength. I don’t have any one go-to move. I mix it up so I don’t get bored.” 

How It’s Done
There are many Pilates, yoga, core and body weight exercises that will build your strength and stability on the bike. Here are two—one for your back muscles and one for the front—to get you started. Aim to do them about three days a week.

Pilates Swimming
Lie facedown on a carpeted floor or mat, fingertips under your hips. Press your hipbones to the floor and draw your navel toward your spine. Bring your legs together and contract your glutes to lift your legs off the floor. Immediately, lift your torso and raise your arms above your head. Pulse your arms and legs up and down, inhaling and exhaling, for 10 repetitions.

Push Up
Assume a push up position, body in a straight line, hands on the floor directly beneath your shoulders. Bend elbows and lower your chest toward the floor until upper arms are parallel to the floor. Press back to start. For variation: Perform the move with your feet on a low step. Perform to fatigue.