It's simple: Strong muscles allow cyclists to ride faster, harder and longer. In other words, your performance on the bike increases by putting in some strength training sweat equity. It also helps riders prevent injuries. When all of the major and stabilizer muscles are strengthened, you're less likely to encounter the most nagging of cycling injuries. Implement a strength training regimen a few times a week and you'll develop into a better all-around athlete who spends less time on the bench.
Strength For Performance
There's plenty of evidence that suggests the importance of strength training for cyclists. Whether you're training for time trials or long rides, it works to enhance performance.
A Journal of Applied Physiology study evaluated a group of trained cyclists who completed three weekly strength training workouts. At the end of the 10-week program, the cyclists had increased their leg strength by an average of 30 percent. Short-term endurance and long-term cycling to exhaustion also increased.
This study showed that strength training had no negative consequences for endurance performance. In fact, the researchers asserted that a strength program can bolster performance in sports such as cycling that require the use of fast-twitch muscle fibers. This added strength will allow you to more efficiently mobilize the muscles needed to forge ahead.
