Learn how the latest scientific research in strength training for cycling can significantly improve your cycling speed and performance, without compromising your endurance on the bike.

Hello! I really admire your work! My name is João, I'm a physical education professional and strength and conditioning coach here in Brazil. My undergraduate thesis focused on how resistance training aids in movement economy for cyclists. Your training approach is excellent and aligns well with what the literature recommends; however, I would just like to offer a note of caution regarding "core" training. Currently, there’s very little in the literature that supports "core" training as beneficial or necessary for athletes who are already performing compound movements like squats and deadlifts. I put "core" in quotes because there's considerable debate among researchers regarding the exact definition of the "core." Additionally, there's difficulty in quantifying progressive loading (when it even exists) in this type of exercise, making it unnecessary for anyone who can already perform a squat or deadlift with moderate to heavy loads. Exercises like planks may serve as coordination exercises for beginners or for people who experience discomfort when performing compound lifts with weight, but even so, these are techniques more related to physical therapy than to training itself. Is there any harm in performing core exercises? Definitely not! However, they take up time in training sessions that could be better dedicated to something more functional for the athlete. In summary, congratulations on bringing this kind of content for free here on YouTube. Best regards!

I have followed many suggestions to strengthen my legs and it seems a failure for me to maintain my existing running routine. Any leg day makes my muscles too fatigued. My legs obviously weren't trained all round and suffered especially from progressive overload. Took me 5 days to be able to even walk without soreness let alone run. Many times this happened.

My secret recipe was to stop listening to advice from universal programs and adopt my own. Doing 2 - 4 sets max of legs, not with heavy weight either, everytime I went to the gym with atleast a day  in between. That means if I do a heavy compound exercise like squat I only do 2 sets. Thats it. Or if I do a low weight leg exercise like single leg squat  I'll do 2 sets , then barbel split squat with low weight for 2 sets. That's it.

Hit my legs often but light, and never have a full leg day at the gym.

This enabled me to continue running during the week without too much soreness.

I've since been able to build up my strength. I can see my gains in lift weight and not lost any momentum in running capacity.

From this its taught me the general gym fallacy of progressive overload on the target muscles of the athletes profession is not suited to athletes like runners and cyclists. The gym and strength training is important to growth but is supplementary to compliment but not dominate. I think its the reason many athletes don't strength train at all. They have no one guiding them right.

I think your program above looks like it might be ok after buildup and adaptation but even then I'm not convinced by half squats. Why not emphasize strength where its most needed and is most exhausting - like deep squats or barbell split squats. Most of the power needed is from glutes. They are underlooked and given cyclists are sitting so much, I think thats going to be the weakest link.

I like that you have mountain climbers. Good exercise. I think another few to add: burpees, side planks, deep bent rows from floor (more to help imbalanced back)

How to tighten your hamstrings - half squat.

After years of cycling I've been back in the gym for about a year now. It's been beneficial for my riding and general life. Nice way to vent some stress too. Love it. Thanks for the tips!

Without the best vlog on strength training i've seen on social platforms period 👏👌. Added it in 2014 after we found hip FAI and a massive difference in left/right strengh balance. Took awhile to find the sweet spot with riding and gym but had a brilliant physio/coach that helped me out. If done correct it is great, we are training for strength no trying to be a bodybuilder or pro track sprinter.

just letting you know, your tail light is not completely turned off.

Seriously good videos Coach.  I’m currently following one of your plans in preparation for my next event in October.  I wish I could get an hour or so of your time, but it gets very expensive. 😢

I wish I could balance all of this with my work schedule. I ride my bicycle to work - already putting in 40mins/day of riding without specific sessions. Top it off with daily life, locations of where the gym is relative to work/home and.... my weekends get 1 heavy lifting session and 1 Big Ride. My ride to work is just enough to prevent good recovery unless I ride painfully slow :(

Re pedal stroke...how does this fit with the research that shows for the most part, simply pushing down is considered best practice now against the 4 part pedal stroke concepts once considered best practice?

What about the strategy of stacking intensity. I see a lot of college track athletes that do the hard intervals in the morning and strength at afternoon session

Hi, i don't agree with one thing, why you suggest an half squat instead of a complete squat. Because, if you do a complete squat (in agree with mobility) you can develop more strenght on quads and glutes that will help you during cycling, there is also research that say so. bye

It’s too easy to think that half squats mimics the movement in cycling and hence is good enough. Not true. Muscles get their biggest stimulus in the max stretched position, hence when you go ass to grass. I get that not everyone can do an ass to grass squat, me first. But you should go as low as possible while maintaining good technique because full ROM is the best thing you could do for your muscles. If you want to do a half squat, then you should focus on the lower half, not the upper half

Why would you use weights for the arms? Pushups and all its variants would do the same wouldn't they? If you're weaker you can start with australia pushups or knee push ups? The good thing is it also works on your core

Please define, “ a highly trained athlete.”

What’s the best and safest way to determine the 1rep max for these exercises?  I’m an older cyclist (>60) so I don’t want to make a foolish error and get hurt.

leg press has to be apart of the rotation imo

doing it immediately after riding will help add to your endurance too, you should definitely be warmed up

Half- or even 1/4-squats are the most dumb and jointdisturbing ways to do a squat...