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Why I’m Hoping This Strength Session Will Turbo-Charge My Training

Global Cycling Network

203,656 views

Si is preparing for the UCI Gravel World Championships in Western Australia, but with a maximum of 12 hours a week to train, he needs every session to count. In this video, Si breaks down his gym routine and discusses with high-performance coach Simon Jones how strength training improves cycling economy and efficiency on the bike. Learn how to structure heavy lifting around intense interval sessions without burning out your legs.

Chapters: ⏱️
00:00 - Introduction: Preparing for UCI Gravel Worlds
00:48 - Why I Started Gym Training for Cycling
01:50 - Managing Time Constraints & 12-Hour Weekly Training Cap
02:50 - High-Intensity Intervals & "High-Intensity Meditation"
04:27 - My Exact Gym Routine: 5 Sets x 5 Reps
06:07 - Why Strength Training Improves Cycling Economy with Coach Simon Jones
07:56 - Scheduling Gym Sessions on Hard Riding Days
11:04 - Has Strength Training Made Me a Better Cyclist?
12:25 - Should You Add Strength Training to Your Routine?

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Do you incorporate heavy strength training into your cycling routine, or do you find it leaves your legs too fatigued for weekend rides? Let us know in the comments below!

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20 Comments

@gcn Creator 2 weeks ago Pinned

Do you incorporate heavy strength training into your cycling routine, or do you find it leaves your legs too fatigued for weekend rides? Let us know in the comments below!

@cweaver225 2 weeks ago (edited)

Former HW powerlifter here (best deadlift was 375kg, squat 330kg) turned cyclist. I'm probably the far extreme example, but my years of heavy training have made my transition into cycling very successful. Not just sprints, but overall durability and recovery. It took awhile for my cardio to catch up, and now I'm focused on dropping some weight. I'll never be an Andrew Feather, but if I can maintain a decent level of strength while dropping the weight I reckon I'll continue to see improvement for the foreseeable future.

@baiku600rr 2 weeks ago (edited)

One thing I know for sure is that the weights start shaking in their boots when they see the man, the myth, the legend Si Richardson walk in through those doors.

@williamsmith1453 2 weeks ago

For 58 year old me, strength training has help me cycle better and much more. At 50, my childern do not need dad as much. I had extra time and that old man in the mirror was 170lbs and out of shape. So my goal was set, and major changes need to be made. My new life path was to change my life style. I started slow setting goals cycle 1 mile, then 2, then 3, change my foods to health and nutrition, and start the gym to strengthen my body. 8 years later I feel fantastic. The three basic block of cycling, eat healthy, and weightlifting have improve my life drastically. I now as I said 58years old and now 130lbs. I believe I now am in the best shape of my life sent I was in my 20s. I mentally am loving life.

Side note, while dress after a shower, I walk by my wife to get a shirt. She suddenly yells "oh my God!"
Of course thinking something was wrong I asked, what's wrong.
She said, "you got a six pack!!"
Yes, for the first time in my life, I do have 6 pack abs. My year was make.

@ZoeNewsam-h9n 2 weeks ago (edited)

A quick note on technique... You're squatting your Deadlifts Si - the hip hinge movement (Deadlift) is incredibly beneficial in all sorts of ways, but only if done well. Doesn't need to be perfect by any means - but learning the movement is important. Get someone to coach that one specific move so you can nail it. You should be able to deadlift significantly more than you can squat. And yes, I lift in the gym to get stronger on the bike but also just for general health: as a 51 year old woman it feels incredibly important to stay strong, but I also always feel better when I'm lifting weights regularly.

@BeauGrant1970 2 weeks ago

Biggest improvement I ever saw was incorporating walking up steep hills 2 miles out and back wearing a weighted pack. Even the downhill worked the muscles. Hiking is fun and the gym sucks so it was nice to get outside

@Calfasaurus 2 weeks ago

Six weeks ago, I joined a local small-group training gym led by a personal trainer. There is a maximum of six clients for each hour session. I go every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8 a.m. It is the best thing that I’ve ever done for myself. I don’t understand why more endurance athletes don’t take advantage of the easy gains.

@tomfield2292 2 weeks ago

Currently 72 yo. Have been doing 1 strength session a week. Single leg leg press, deadlifts, overhead press, pullups, pushups and seated row. Plan to up it to twice a week during base phase this year.

@randomname8442 11 days ago

Si, looks like you’re using the ‘tricep pushdown’ bar for pulldowns, try using the wider one. Oh, and tuck your elbows in slightly on those overhead presses, you’ll move more weight.

@andreaslindenthal6654 2 weeks ago

TrainerRoad in a recent video sifts through its data and the effect of weight training on cycling gains.

They are notable. More so for women and in general the older you get the more it helps.

@Bike-yogi 2 weeks ago

Strength training is crucial overall health and fitness, also need to fit in mobility and strething especially as you age :)

@Your_Paramour 2 weeks ago

When I was cycling a lot I often enjoyed riding in that sweet spot - threshold zone because it would totally shut off the constant background brain noise that I have, and that feeling is what I really miss now that im barely cycling anymore. So I understand what you mean by high intensity meditation.

@sandgroper1970 2 weeks ago

The only times I’ve found the gym detrimental to cycling, is when I have had a gym session especially if I have done legs, the day before a ride.. The legs feel rather second hand on the ride and have had to use easier gear ratio than normal …

@jesuspascualcamino 2 weeks ago

High Intensity Meditation. HIM. You could start a movement there.

@andrewpenny2569 2 weeks ago

As an old timer at 64 I adopted the gym once a week in the Season and twice in the winter using leg specific exercises for over 2 years now and it has certainly helped me improve 🚴‍♂️💨

@cjmwrites 9 days ago

I had a cycling coach for 30months training for the UCI gran Fondo in Cambridge. He included 2 gym sessions each week. I now have 2 routines using the Hevy app - see Dan Lloyd - not just for cycling but to try and maintain muscle mass into older age. I find it invigorating and worthwhile.

@Gaborik560 2 weeks ago

Sport-specific training will always be the biggest driver of performance, but strength training is very unlikely to negatively affect your results as long as you have a structured recovery plan in place.

Take me as an example. I've spent years powerlifting and still train that way today, with a lifetime PR of nearly 500 lbs on an ATG squat. I started cycling only three years ago, yet people constantly comment on how strong I am on the bike despite riding just once a week.

The reason is simple: compared to a heavy squat, each pedal stroke represents a very low RPE for me. Because of that, I can produce more power, sustain higher wattage for longer periods, and maintain my output with less relative fatigue than someone who hasn't developed the same strength base.

@Atamanxxxvii 2 weeks ago

I'll always keep strength training and cycling in my rotation. If soreness from weight training is interfering with your cycling then you need to look up the RIR scale and make sure you're leaving 2-3, maybe even 4 reps in the tank on your top sets(or all your sets). This will drastically help you cut down on DOMs without taking too big a loss to your gym gains.

@jonathanbenn2241 2 weeks ago

I mow two lawns a week in season, rake leaves in season, shovel snow in season and walk every day on top of cycling about 14 hours a week-At 67 I think that's enough.

@martinlundqvist 2 weeks ago

"High intensity meditation". Spot on! I agree with that feeling. I always feel mentally fresher after some serious intervals. It's like flushing the brain from all that stress crap I build up at work and dealing with all family business.
I do some of that strength training too sometimes. The Swedish the word for it is "periodare". Best translation I found is "on-and-off training". I do almost the same exercises but I also include some core training. I feel it gives me a better general well-being but also that little extra on the bike at the back end of the rides. It gives me a better punch when someone in my little team thinks he can out-sprint me on our way home.