Bodyweight exercises can be done anywhere, from your home, gym or office, while exercises incorporating weights are best done in a gym setting with proper footwear, form and spotters if needed.

The primary focus when it comes to strength training for cyclists is to train in a similar motion to cycling with the lower and upper body while increasing overall core strength and muscular endurance. The main goal of strength training is to create a stronger support system for your prime movers while on the bike.

Additionally, the more potential you will have for increasing power. The exercises below are performed with kettlebells and dumbbells. An Olympic bar or dumbbells can be substituted for front squats and single-leg deadlifts.

For weight guidelines, if you cannot complete the minimum number of reps and sets or your form is lacking, then lighten the weight, even if that means using zero weights. When you can complete the minimum number of reps and sets for two consecutive workouts easily, challenge yourself by adding light weight if zero weight is being used or increasing the current weight lifted.

Upper body weight increases of lbs, and lbs for the lower body is a general rule of thumb. Planks are one of the simplest exercises in the book and one of the most effective at increasing core strength. Planks can be done anywhere and can be used year-round.

Planks target your shoulders, abdomen, and lower back. Lifting one leg can add a degree of difficulty to each set and further target the lower back. Start with hold times of seconds per round and progress to second hold times as you go through offseason training.

Lunges are very cycling-specific since they are worked one leg at a time, targeting your quadriceps, hips and hamstrings. It is highly advised to start without weight in order to practice good form. If you are a little more apprehensive, then hold a dumbbell in your hands and complete a Goblet Squat.

Aim to squat to 90 degrees in order to reach the range of motion in which you produce power in your pedal stroke.

Additionally, think about really pushing up powerfully during your squats. Cycling is a sport that requires concentric power. Dumbbell Thruster Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, place two dumbbells in a front rack position: one end of the dumbbells resting on each shoulder.

Lower yourself down into a squat position, then power upward and push the dumbbells overhead. Just like the squat this will target the quads and glutes, but will also add an element of speed or power. The ability to produce this type of power will be especially important anytime you need to sprint or get on top of the pedal stroke.

Additionally, the overhead press element of this exercise will help to work the pectorals, deltoids, and traps which can help to control the bike if you are a sprinter or mountain biker.

Single-leg Romanian Deadlift With a dumbbell in each hand, and arms by your side, keep a flat back, and hinge at the waist keeping only one foot on the ground, and allowing your arms to stay pointing downward as your body goes horizontal.

This exercise works on the back muscles, hamstring, and glutes. The hamstrings will play a key role in the pull portion of your pedal stroke, and while often forgotten, make a huge difference in your ability on the bike.

Additionally, this exercise requires balance and stability requiring stabilizing muscles such as the glute medius to activate. Bulgarian Split Squat With dumbbells in your hands, place the top of your back foot up on a bench, your front foot should be out as if you are going to lunge, and then complete a split squat.

This exercise can feel like the ultimate leg burner because it can really get all of the muscles firing. It can easily show you what muscles may be your limiter. The single-leg aspect makes it especially relevant for cyclists.

Dumbbell Renegade Row With your hands on dumbbells in a pushup position, complete a single am row while maintaining that position. No sport or physical activity is perfect, of course, and there are some ways that cycling can be harmful or cause pain or injury:.

Cycling is sitting, and sitting too long anywhere can cause problems. Sitting can trigger muscle imbalances, tight hips, and a rounded posture. Although it is easy on the joints, overuse can occur and cause knee and joint pain or injuries. The posture and positioning on of the spine and neck on a bike forces you to be craning your head up, which may result in head and neck pain.

Learn more about overtraining injuries and how they can be prevented and rehabbed. None of these issues have to stop anyone from riding.

It just takes a little corrective work to minimize pain, prevent injuries, and improve mobility, form, and strength. If you have clients who cycle, help them address current problems and prevent future issues by trying some of these corrective exercises.

One of the biggest focuses of training off the bike for cyclists should be strength training. As with any sport, your clients are bound to have some imbalances if cycling is their number one activity. Any kind of regular, overall strength training, hitting all the major muscle groups will be helpful.

It strengthens the legs for more power when riding, helps build bone density, counteracts overuse, and can correct any imbalances in the body:. Plank and boat pose. Add these core moves to your client's routine to strengthen the abs and lower back.

This will help improve posture and reduce fatigue on the bike and reduce lower back pain. Glute bridges and hamstring curls. It's important to have good balance between the glutes, quads, and hamstrings to prevent injury, but most cyclists have much stronger quads.

Work the glutes with bridges and the hamstrings with curls to improve strength in these muscle groups. Add in this move for overall leg and glute strength. And, because cyclists only move in the sagittal plane, also throw in some variations, like lateral and curtsy lunges.

These will work on the legs and glutes while also strengthening the core. Try sliders with lunges too, to get an even greater range of motion. This exercise will strengthen the gluteus medius, a muscle that is important in preventing knee pain. It helps keep the knee in alignment and prevents it from tracking in or out.

To do a clamshell, lie on one side with legs together but bent at the knees and all joints stacked on top of each other. Lift the top knee up and squeeze the muscle before releasing. We too often neglect the foot and ankle, but these joints and muscles are necessary for all kinds of movement, including cycling.

Achilles tendonitis, painful inflammation in the Achilles tendon, is not uncommon in cyclists. The way to prevent this condition is to improve mobility in the ankle joint. Improved dorsiflexion takes some stress away from the tendon to reduce the likelihood of inflammation.

To improve dorsiflexion, try this exercise for a couple of minutes at a time: Put one foot up on a high step with the sole of the shoe flat against the surface. The angle between the calf and thigh should be just less than 90 degrees. The other foot should remain on the ground. Push the knee forward to stretch the ankle and then back again.

You can add a weight for progression, holding it against the bent knee. Repeat on the other side. The hip flexors, especially the psoas in the front part of the joint, shorten and tighten when we are in a sitting position for too long, including when cycling.

With a straight back, lean back from the hips until you feel abs engage. Keeping heels on the floor and arms close to body, twist from the waist to the left.

Twist back to the center. Then twist to the right. Then back to center. Continue alternating. Why it works : This exercise targets your entire back to counteract the stretching and weakening effect of all the time cyclists spend sitting in hunched-forward position whether over your handlebar, steering wheel, keyboard, or phone.

How to do it: Lie facedown on mat, arms extended out straight overhead, legs straight and feet about hip-width apart. Engage glutes and back to slowly lift feet, legs, chest, and hands off the floor.

Lift right arm and left leg higher. Then lift left arm and right leg higher. Why it works: Your triceps help prop you up on your handlebar. They can get pretty sore on long rides unless you take steps to keep them strong. How to do it: Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair or bench.

Place hands shoulder-width apart on either side of hips. Slide hips off the chair, legs bent or extended out in front of you the straighter your legs, the harder it is. To do the move, bend elbows and lower hips toward the floor until arms are bent 90 degrees.

Press through palms to straighten arms. Why it works : This exercise builds core and upper back strength , which helps you maintain good posture on and off the bike.

This move also improves your ability to transfer the power you generate from pulling on your bars into your legs to push the pedals, especially when climbing hills.

How to do it: Start in a high plank position with wrists under shoulders, hands on two dumbbells. Position feet shoulder-width apart the further apart they are, the easier the move.

Bend elbows and lower body to floor in one straight line , then push yourself back up to perform a push-up. Then, keeping back straight and hips level, pull the right dumbbell up to right ribs.

Return dumbbell back to floor. Pull left dumbbell up to left ribs. Continue alternating with the push-up between rows. Why it works : This exercise covers two motions many cyclists miss: lateral side to side and overhead—both of which you need for general life function.

Tackling movement patterns you do on the bike can also help correct muscle imbalances, which helps with injury prevention. How to do it: Stand with feet hip-width apart, dumbbells racked at shoulders.

Lunge left by taking a big step to the left and sending hips back and bending left knee. Keep knee tracked over toes. Press through foot to stand back up. Then press the weights overhead. Repeat, this time lunging to the right. Why it works : This is a great go-to move to strengthen nearly every muscle of the body, get the benefits of a little impact from plyometrics , and it gets your heart rate up when time is tight.

How to do it: Stand with arms at sides. Squat down, placing hands on floor, shoulder-width apart. Jump legs back into high plank position, then drop chest and hips to floor at the same time.

Push back up to a high plank. Then jump legs back in toward hands in a deep squat position. Extend legs and jump straight up, exploding off the floor and raising arms overhead. Images: Julia Hembree Smith ; Video: David Monk, Josh Wolff.

Why Cyclists Should Lift Heavy Weights. Weighted Sit-Ups Will Strengthen Your Core. How to Build Glutes as a Cyclist.

How to Do a Reverse Fly Properly. How to Do a Single-Leg Deadlift. Cycling Posture and Mood. Another solid alternative to cycling that you can incorporate as a low-impact training tool is the kettlebell. Kettlebell swings , when done properly, utilize your lower body and core, both of which are crucial for cycling success.

Lastly, incorporating upper-body exercises like push-ups helps maintain overall body strength and balance. Again, this will largely be predicated on an individual basis, taking into account numerous things such as experience, goals, cycling load, and training regime, just to name a few.

Accounting for the above exercises, a good starting point and rule of thumb is as follows:. The squat is an excellent lower-body strength builder.

This exercise can be performed as a bodyweight movement or by adding additional weights such as dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells. Over time, many athletes and cyclists begin to develop muscle imbalances, especially when it comes to lower-body strength.

Performing lunges can help you ward off leg strength imbalances, which can be vital to cycling longevity. A good starting point is performing this exercise with dumbbells or a trap bar before moving on to a barbell.

When done properly, all plank variations do a wonderful job of working more than just the rectus abdominis the washboard muscles of your core as they work out your entire core. Engaging your quads, glutes, and lats is an added bonus to truly maximize the exercise. A wonderful exercise to improve rotational power, the Russian twist is a simple exercise that can be done with your own body weight or by holding onto a dumbbell, medicine ball, or anything weighted.

A dynamic movement that is low-impact, this is an ideal exercise for all cyclists to utilize. Almost everything cyclists do improves lower-body and core strength.

Lest we forget about the upper body, though, something as simple as a bodyweight push-up is an effective and simple movement when it comes to cycling exercises.

While taking spin classes, hitting the open road on your road bike, or heading slightly off-grid for some mountain biking are all excellent workouts in and of themselves — and like we said, the only way to actually get better at biking is by biking — adding in some supplemental strength exercises can ultimately maximize your bike workouts.

These strength-training exercises for cyclists are some of the best of the best around. Add them to your routine and give them a try!

Doing so can help you get super fit and develop lean muscle mass. This will give you the strength you want while also sculpting the fit body you aim for.

Each movement is straightforward and effective, making it easy for you to apply these workouts without any stress or fuss. For many gym newbies, knowing the right equipment can be a dilemma. If you fall into this category, chances are that you are probably using some workout equipment because they are available, not really because you understand what it helps to achieve.

Next, lunges help develop leg stability and balance while engaging multiple muscles. Deadlifts are effective in building posterior chain strength, including the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. Additionally, core exercises such as planks and Russian twists strengthen the abdominal muscles, promoting stability and proper posture while riding.

Another solid alternative to cycling that you can incorporate as a low-impact training tool is the kettlebell. Kettlebell swings , when done properly, utilize your lower body and core, both of which are crucial for cycling success.

Lastly, incorporating upper-body exercises like push-ups helps maintain overall body strength and balance. Again, this will largely be predicated on an individual basis, taking into account numerous things such as experience, goals, cycling load, and training regime, just to name a few.

Accounting for the above exercises, a good starting point and rule of thumb is as follows:. The squat is an excellent lower-body strength builder.

This exercise can be performed as a bodyweight movement or by adding additional weights such as dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells.

Over time, many athletes and cyclists begin to develop muscle imbalances, especially when it comes to lower-body strength. Performing lunges can help you ward off leg strength imbalances, which can be vital to cycling longevity. A good starting point is performing this exercise with dumbbells or a trap bar before moving on to a barbell.

When done properly, all plank variations do a wonderful job of working more than just the rectus abdominis the washboard muscles of your core as they work out your entire core. Engaging your quads, glutes, and lats is an added bonus to truly maximize the exercise.

A wonderful exercise to improve rotational power, the Russian twist is a simple exercise that can be done with your own body weight or by holding onto a dumbbell, medicine ball, or anything weighted. A dynamic movement that is low-impact, this is an ideal exercise for all cyclists to utilize.

Almost everything cyclists do improves lower-body and core strength. Lest we forget about the upper body, though, something as simple as a bodyweight push-up is an effective and simple movement when it comes to cycling exercises. While taking spin classes, hitting the open road on your road bike, or heading slightly off-grid for some mountain biking are all excellent workouts in and of themselves — and like we said, the only way to actually get better at biking is by biking — adding in some supplemental strength exercises can ultimately maximize your bike workouts.

These strength-training exercises for cyclists are some of the best of the best around. Add them to your routine and give them a try! Doing so can help you get super fit and develop lean muscle mass.

This will give you the strength you want while also sculpting the fit body you aim for. In an age of marginal gains, we're all striving for that extra one per cent.

While actual riding is still the best way to boost your overall cycling fitness and finesse those key skills, cyclists are increasingly now turning to the gym to help improve their performance. Whatever you endgame, whether it's training for a strong sportive finish, or just looking to get in the mix on a local club ride, the exercises below will help increase your strength, power and ability on your bike.

Get race ready with this pro training plan for XCO … 6 min read. Listen to this podcast to find out how Mark Beaumont broke an around-the-world cycling record:.

Simple lunges work every muscle in the lower body © Alex Goodlett, Red Bull Content Pool. Lunges are a great exercise for cyclists who want to improve their on-bike strength. Simple and straightforward, lunges work every muscle in the lower body, targeting the hips, quads and hamstrings.

The humble lunge is perfect for those wanting to workout at home. There are also lots of variations, so you can mix things up and keep things interesting, such as weighted lunges and walking lunges.

Whichever variation you choose, keep the head in line with the body and the core as straight as possible, leading with the chest while trying not to let the knees come past the toes. Drive through the whole foot rather than the toes — this helps you use your whole leg rather than just your quads.

The workout: Three sets of 10 reps with a second rest between sets. From a standing position, step forward with your right leg. Bend your trailing left leg until the knee is almost touching the floor.

If it's difficult to begin with, start with the knee lightly touching the ground. Push back into a standing position using your right foot. Repeat with your other leg and then continue to alternate legs, completing 10 reps on each leg.

Essential technique: To remain balanced and prevent injury, remember to keep your spine aligned; head, body and core should be in line. Don't let the knee move past the toes.

Keep your shoulders back, your chin up and always look straight ahead. Kettlebell Swing. The kettlebell swing adds strength © Florian Falch. An explosive full-body exercise, the kettlebell swing is an effective way to improve endurance and develop a stronger pedal stroke.

The workout: Three sets of 15 reps with a second rest between sets. Pick a weight you're comfortable with and stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent.

Hold the kettlebell firmly in two hands between your legs and, in a fluid motion, swing the kettlebell up to chest height. Control the kettlebell as it falls back down, hinging your hips to allow it to swing back between your legs.

Essential technique: Aim for full hip extension on that all-important up swing. Thrust through your thighs, tightening your core and glutes as you lift. Despite what you might think, the deadlift is not to be feared. Activating your legs, back and core muscles, this simple compound exercise will develop your overall muscle strength, increasing power and supporting the key movements required to make you an efficient and fast rider.

The workout: Four sets of eight reps with a second rest between sets. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend at the knees and squat down to grip the barbell.

If you have the correct position, your forearms should be gently brushing the outsides of your thighs, with your shins lightly touching the bar. Focusing straight ahead, push your shoulders back and lift the bar until it's level with your thighs.

Essential technique: Start off light and perfect your technique. Don't jerk the bar off the ground, instead feel for the tension of the bar against the weights and then lift with a steady, fluid motion, keeping it as close to your body as possible.

Burpee step 5 © Fitbit. Burpees are a dynamic whole body exercise that you can do anywhere. Stringing together a number of functional movements, the burpee not only trains your muscles and joints, but also raises your heart rate and burns calories.

Some people love them, many people hate them, but there's no denying they are amazing for bike fitness. The workout: Three sets of 10 reps with a one-minute rest between sets. Squat down with your feet shoulder-width apart, hands on the floor in front of you.

Kick your legs back into a push-up position, then immediately hop your feet back in towards your hands, returning to a squat.

From this position, spring into a jump, throwing your arms up and leaping as high as possible. Land and repeat. Essential technique: Try doing variations on the standard burpee.

For example, add a push-up into the mix when you kick your legs back. How to improve the 4 main pillars of cycling fitness 9 min read. Goblet squat © Brad Hanson. Squats may be simple, but they're one of the most important exercises a cyclist can do. The squat works all the main muscles in the legs, including the quads, hamstrings, hips and knees, increases flexibility and aids athletic movement.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Start to lower your body into a sitting position by bending the knees and pushing the hips back. Attempt to lower yourself down as far as possible, but keep your feet flat on the floor. At the deepest part of the squat, hold the position.