Regardless of goals, resistance training should be part of an overall exercise program. Whether your primary sport or hobby is martial arts, running, swimming, or cycling, adding a couple days of resistance training into the weekly plan is going to help you get results. This complete approach will aid in injury prevention, help develop strength and power, and help to complement your cardiovascular training.
It’s All About Balance
Many of the sports we love do not necessarily put us in the healthiest postures and positions. Take cycling for example; it is absolutely a great exercise for developing cardiovascular endurance. There is very little impact on the joints and it helps develop strength while being a great stress reliever. However, there are times when we are “in the saddle” for long multiple-hour rides and end up in a less than ideal posture as we fatigue. Our arms, shoulders, and core get tired, and we begin to slouch into a poor position. A smart and well-designed resistance training program will help combat that and make your rides more productive and more enjoyable.
Full-Body Approach For Cyclists
Just because the legs are spinning, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strengthen the entire body. In addition to lower body exercises, grip improvements, core strength, and upper body pushing and pulling strength will provide benefits to any cyclist both on and off the bike.
Since the legs are certainly of primary importance for cyclists, we’ll be utilizing both unilateral (reverse lunge) and bilateral movements (hamstring curls) to ensure an effective well-rounded workout. To help develop the upper body posterior chain, postural muscles, and grip strength, we’ll add a rowing pattern into the routine. And to help strengthen the shoulders, chest and torso, the pushup and superman combo movement is a great exercise to target those areas.
Total Gym Workout For Cyclists
In this sample session we’ll be performing a 5-movement circuit training session. The circuit training format will be used because it is proven to burn fat, build muscle, and improve the cardiovascular system. These three benefits are all valuable to every cyclist (and every person for that matter).
Circuit #1
Complete 4-6 rounds in a circuit-style fashion. Rest as needed between rounds. Track your overall time so you can monitor your progress from session to session.
A) Lower – Reverse Lunge w/ overhead press | 8 reps per side
B) Upper – Seated 1-arm row | 10 reps per side
C) Torso – Lying leg lifts | 12 reps
D) Lower – Hamstring Curls | 15 reps
E) Upper/Torso – Pushups & “Superman” | 8 + 8 reps each
