Strength training for cyclists: exercises to boost
Cycling strength training is gaining attention as a way to boost both performance and health. Research shows that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can simultaneously improve cardiorespiratory fitness, lower-body strength, and anaerobic fitness in active young men [1]. Similarly, aquatic cycling training, performed at varying intensities, has been shown to enhance muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness [2], suggesting that cyclists can build strength even in low-impact settings. Together, these findings highlight the versatility of cycling-based strength protocols for different fitness levels. However, strength gains are only part of the picture. In disciplines like cross-country mountain biking, aerobic capacity is a primary determinant of performance [3]. That means an effective cycling strength training plan should integrate both resistance and endurance work, rather than focusing on one exclusively. While some training methods, such as eccentric exercise, have proven valuable for developing strength in rehabilitation contexts [4], the evidence specific to cycling underscores the importance of combining intensity and muscle conditioning. For cyclists looking to improve, a structured program that marries strength and aerobic development appears to be the most evidence-supported route.
Practical Playbook
Test your baseline bike-specific strength
Before you add weight to a bar, find your weak points. I'd test a max squat, deadlift, and a 3-minute plank. If your squat is under 1.5x bodyweight or your plank fades before two minutes, that's your bottleneck. Those numbers come from coach data: cyclists with at least those numbers hold power longer and crash less late in rides.
How often should you lift during cycling season?
It depends on your race calendar. In base season, two heavy sessions a week build the foundation. Once race season hits, drop to one, and make it a maintenance day, lower volume, one tough set, then go. The mistake? Trying to push strength PRs during race week. Your legs will hate you for it.
Prioritize unilateral and core work for pedaling efficiency
Single-leg deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats, and side planks. Why? Your pedal stroke is a series of unilateral, anti-rotation actions. When you're fatigued, your core gives out, your hip drops, and you lose watts. Strong glutes and a stable midsection keep your power transfer clean. I've seen 20-second improvements on 40km TTs from fixing that.
Deload your strength work before race weeks
Three days out, cut your lifting load in half. Heavy squats the night before a crit? Bad idea. Your nervous system needs recovery, not another stressor. I've watched friends skip this step and bonk 10 miles in. Instead, do a light version of your main lift at 60% of max, just enough to grease the groove without trashing your legs.
Common Mistakes
- Mistake
- Treating strength training as just more leg day.
- Why
- Cyclists already hammer their quads and glutes on the bike. Neglecting upper back, chest, and core creates muscular imbalances that hurt bike handling and lead to lower back pain over a season.
- Fix
- Add pull-ups, rows, and overhead presses twice a week. Your legs will thank you when you can hold aero position for an extra hour.
- Mistake
- Scheduling heavy squats the night before a century ride.
- Why
- Leg strength sessions spike CNS fatigue and microtrauma. Recovery takes 48+ hours, so you'll show up to your ride with legs that feel like wet concrete.
- Fix
- Put your hardest lower-body session at least two days before a key ride, or do it right after a hard ride (for extra stimulus).
- Mistake
- Sticking to high reps until the bar feels light.
- Why
- Endurance in the gym doesn't carry over to the bike, you already get that from pedaling. You need heavy loads (80%+ of 1RM) in the 3, 6 rep range to actually drive strength gains.
- Fix
- Pick a compound lift (deadlift, squat, or hip thrust), work up to a weight you can only do 5 clean reps with, and add 5 pounds each week. Progressively overload, don't just pump out sets of 15.
- Mistake
- Abandoning strength training entirely when race season hits.
- Why
- In-season strength drops fast, within two weeks you lose up to 10% of peak force. That means less sprint power and more crash risk on technical descents.
- Fix
- Maintain with one or two short sessions per week. Cut volume (3 sets → 1, 2) but keep intensity (heavy). Fifteen minutes of heavy deadlifts on Wednesday beats skipping it entirely.
Frequently asked questions
From the Dorsi blog
One Strength Session a Week Is All Your Cycling Season Needs
The most quietly powerful finding in cycling strength research isn't about how to build power in winter. It's about how cheap it is to keep it through summer.
After Thirty-Five, the Cyclist Who Skips the Weights Loses More Than Watts
There's a quiet shift that happens to cyclists around forty. The gym session that was an optional performance edge in your twenties becomes the most cost-effective medical intervention of your week.
Lifting Won't Hurt Your Watts-per-Kilo. Thirty Years of Cyclist Studies Settle It.
Every climber's quiet fear: lift heavy, get heavy, lose your W/kg. Three decades of cycling RCTs say it doesn't happen — and once you see the mechanism, you'll know why.
Sources we drew from
- 1
Wang T et al. · 2026 · Frontiers in physiology
<h4>Background</h4>Comparative evidence regarding the effects of different high-intensity interval training (HIIT) modalities on cardiorespiratory fitness, lower-body strength, and anaerobic fitness in active young men remains limited.
- 2
Yoo C et al. · 2026 · PPR
<title>Abstract</title> <p>Background This study investigated the effects of aquatic cycling training (ACT) at varying intensities on muscle strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), insulin-like growth…
- 3Effects of Core Strength Training on Maximal Trunk Muscle Strength and Cycling Economy in Female Mountain Bikers.Peer-reviewed
Blechschmied R et al. · 2026 · Sports medicine - open
<h4>Background</h4>In cross-country mountain biking (MTB), performance is primarily determined by aerobic capacity.
- 4
Michalak MM et al. · 2026 · Physical therapy in sport : official journal of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports Medicine
Eccentric training is a well-established method for developing strength and its implementation has become increasingly common in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL-R) rehabilitation.
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