Introduction
The following information will give you an idea on how you can use the gym to improve your cycling, whether that be at a recreational or competitive level, or anywhere in between. We will focus on what you can do in the gym rather than what you can do out on your bike where simply getting out and riding will be the best thing you can do and researching cycling coaches and clubs to get more detail on how to focus these sessions if needs be. Here you will find a little background information on the demands of cycling and then three simple follow up programmes for beginner, intermediate and advanced gym users so you can tailor your workout experience for you given level. If you aren’t sure where you should be starting, why not speak to one of the trainers in the gym who will help you gauge the level you are at and get you started.
Cycling Needs Analysis
Energy Requirements:
Most people primarily think of cycling as being an aerobic dominated environment due to the long duration steady state style. However, in any sport, you will pretty much always work all three main energy systems
(anaerobic, glycolytic and aerobic) at some point, and cycling is exactly the same. When you need to draw on some explosive power to start you will use your anaerobic system (and feel the build-up of lactic acid) or when you’re moving and you need to drive hard to cycle up a hill you will look to draw more energy from your anaerobic and glycolytic systems. In contrast when you are just cruising along at a steady pace you will recruit the aerobic system the most. The following programmes are aimed at developing these systems where possible.
Movement Patterns/Focus:

Lower Body: o Knee – Extension (Quadriceps)/Flexion (Hamstrings) o Hip – Extension (Glutes)/Flexion (Hip Flexor Complex) o Ankle – Isometric Hold (Gastrocnemius/Soleus/Tibialis Anterior)
The lower body is a major focus for strength work in cycling. The drive required to put force through the pedals to increase power transferring through the wheels to the ground comes from good leg drive. Although the ankle doesn’t particularly plantar- or dorsi-flex with any great force to influence the pedal motion, the ankle does provide a solid foundation for the transfer of power from the leg to the pedal so is very important to maintain a solid ankle throughout. This means that the calf muscles have to work hard to counteract the forces that want to push the ankle into dorsiflexion and leave a weak power transfer point.
 Upper Body: o Core isometric hold for stability (Abdominals/Obliques/Erector Spinae). o Back/Chest/Shoulder Strength/Stability for bike control
(Pectorals/Deltoids/Trapezius/Rhomboids/Lats)
Upper body strength is something quite often overlooked in cycling. A good strong core adds stability. This is influential not just on holding the upper body in good posture throughout the ride/race but also in actually allowing the legs to produce maximum force where a weaker core would absorb/reduce some of the power generation. Also involved in upper body strength is the ability control the movement of the bike through a strong chest, shoulders and upper back, resulting in better control of the bikes movements when both cornering and trying to hit maximal speed.

Beginners Cycling Programme
For those just looking to improve their cycling a bit, especially those who haven’t used a gym before, here is a sample programme that will help achieve that goal. A programme like this should be followed for roughly 4 to
6 weeks and then you should see a trainer to get a progression put together.
Sessions Per Week: 2 (at least 24-48 hours between sessions) Session Length: 45-60 minutes
Warm-Up:

5 minutes steady pace on a crosstrainer or rower to raise the body temperature and heart rate.

5 minutes of dynamic, bodyweight flexibility:
 10 bodyweight squats
 10 bodyweight alternating lunges
 10 leg swings (forwards and backwards)
 10 trunk rotations
 10 arm swings (forwards and backwards)
 10 press-ups
Cardiovascular Training:

Primarily this should be done out on the bike putting the miles in on the road. However the outdoor training could be supplemented with some simple 10-15 minute sessions in the gym. These could be on other machines so as to give you a break from constantly being on a bike. Good alternative machines include the treadmill, crosstrainer, rowing machine and summit trainer as these will all work the entire body which will work you just that little bit harder than the lower body dominant cycling.
Resistance Training (perform both upper and lower body, along with core in each session):

Start each exercise with a warm-up set of 6 reps with a light resistance level.

Lower Body Exercises (2-3 sets of 12-15 reps at moderate resistance, 90 seconds rest):
 Leg Press
 Glute Kickback Machine
 Upper Body Exercises (2-3 sets of 12-15 reps at moderate resistance, 90 sec rest):
 Chest Press
 Seated Row Machine

Core Stability Circuit (15 reps on each exercise back-to-back, rest 90 sec and repeat 3 times):
 Crunches
 Oblique, Opposite-Elbow-to-Opposite-Knee Crunch
 Prone Lower Back Extension
 Plank (hold for 15-30sec)
Cool Down:

5 minutes of steady pace cycling.

Static stretch of the whole body.

Intermediate Cycling Programme
This sort of programme is for those with a little more experience in the gym (particularly some free weights knowledge), especially those who want to start getting a little more from their gym routine in relation to their cycling. This is an 8 week programme, after which you should see a trainer to get a further progression put together.
Sessions Per Week: 3 (at least 24 hours between sessions) Session Length: 45-60 minutes
Warm-Up:

5 minutes steady pace on a crosstrainer or rower to raise the body temperature and heart rate.

5 minutes of dynamic, bodyweight flexibility:
 10 bodyweight squats
 10 bodyweight alternating lunges
 10 leg swings (forwards and backwards)
 10 trunk rotations
 10 arm swings (forwards and backwards)
 10 press-ups
Cardiovascular Training:

Similarly it would be expected that this would be done out on the bike putting the miles in on the road. However as a more experienced rider you may want to put in some harder sessions in the gym.
A good session supplementing your outdoor training could include 15-20 minutes of intervals. Simply perform a warm up over 2-3 minutes and alternate between 1 minute of fast paced cycling (or any other machine if you fancy a change!) and 2 minutes of active recovery so slowing the pace down but still keeping moving. Repeat this up to your desired time but don’t forget to include 2-3 minutes of cool-down at the end to gradually reduce the heart rate.
Resistance Training:

Weeks 1-4: 3 sets, 12-15 reps with 90 seconds rest and moderate weight.

Weeks 5-8: 3 sets, 8-10 reps with 90-120 seconds rest and increased weight from weeks 1-4.

Start each exercise with a warm-up set of 6 reps with a light resistance level.

Lower Body Exercises:
 Barbell Back Squat
 Deadlift
 Dumbbell Split Squat
 Cable Hip Flexion
 Cable Hip Extension

Upper Body Exercises:
 Flat Barbell Bench Press
 Bent Over Barbell Row
 Dumbbell Shoulder Press
 Barbell Upright Row


Core Stability Circuit:
 Fitball Crunches
 Seated Oblique Dumbbell Rotations
 Fitball Lower Back Extension
 Plank (hold for 30-45 sec)
Cool Down:

5 minutes of steady pace cycling.
 Foam roll and static stretch of the whole body.
Each workout should always include the warm-up and cool-down elements along with the cardio if you feel you need the extra work on top of your outdoor training. The resistance sessions should be split across the different workouts. The plan is to perform the whole thing 3 times per week. So in the first and third sessions perform the lower body resistance and core exercises whilst splitting these (to allow for maximal recovery) with the second session being focussed on the upper body and core exercises.
Advanced Cycling Programme
Here is a plan for the more advanced rider who really wants to push their gym work to support their cycling goals. This programme requires a greater knowledge and ability in free-weights exercises so anything that you are unsure about you should seek professional advice on before performing. The periodization for this programme lasts 12 weeks. From there you should seek further advice from a trainer to progress.
Sessions Per Week: 4 Session Length: 60-90 minutes
Warm-Up:
 5 minutes steady pace on a crosstrainer or rower to raise the body temperature and heart rate.

5 minutes of dynamic, bodyweight flexibility:
 10 bodyweight squats
 10 bodyweight alternating lunges
 10 leg swings (forwards and backwards)
 10 trunk rotations
 10 arm swings (forwards and backwards)
 10 press-ups
Cardiovascular Training:

A hard interval session consisting of short sprints with short rest intervals would be an ideal supplement to your on bike training if you need to do cardiovascular training in the gym. An intense interval workout following a 3:1 work to rest ratio for 10-15 minutes with a good 3-5 minute warm-up and cool-down will really push your fitness levels. Keep the sprint intervals around 30 seconds of really high intensity work then rest for just 10 seconds and repeat for 4-6 minutes.
Resistance Training:


Weeks 1-4: 3 sets, 12-15 reps with 90 seconds rest and 60-70% of your estimated maximal effort.
 Weeks 5-8: 3 sets, 8-10 reps with 90-120 seconds rest, 70-80% of your estimated maximal effort.

Weeks 9-12: 3 sets, 6-8 reps with 120 seconds rest 80-85% of your estimated maximal effort.

Start each exercise with a warm-up set of 6 reps with a light resistance level.
Weeks 1 through 4
 Lower Body Exercises (session 1):
 Barbell Front Squats
 Deadlift
 Romanian Deadlifts (RDL’s)
 Lunges

Upper Body Exercises (session 2):
 Flat Barbell Bench Press
 Bent Over Barbell Row
 Dumbbell Shoulder Press
 Barbell Upright Row

Lower Body Exercises (session 3):
 Box Jumps (bodyweight)
 Tuck Jumps (bodyweight)
 Single Leg Squat (bodyweight)
 Dumbbell Step Ups

Upper Body Exercises (session 4):
 Incline Barbell Bench Press
 Single Arm Dumbbell Row
 Standing Military Press
 Barbell Shrugs

Core Stability Circuit (all sessions):
 V-Sits
 Hanging Alternate Leg Raises
 Lower Back Extension with Rotation
 Cable Chops
 Plank (hold for 60-90sec)
Weeks 5 through 12
 Lower Body Exercises (session 1):
 Barbell Back Squat
 Deadlift
 Romanian Deadlifts (RDL’s)
 Lunges

Upper Body Exercises (session 2):
 Flat Dumbbell Bench Press
 Narrow Grip Cable Low Row
 Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press

 Cable Upright Row

Lower Body Exercises (session 3):
 Multiple Box Jumps (bodyweight)
 Alternating Lunge Jumps (bodyweight)
 Single Leg Squat Box Squat
 Dumbbell Step Ups and Over

Upper Body Exercises (session 4):
 Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
 Single Arm Dumbbell Row
 Standing Dumbbell Press
 Dumbbell Shrugs

Core Stability Circuit (all sessions):
 V-Sits
 Hanging Alternate Leg Raises
 Lower Back Extension with Rotation
 Cable Chops
 Plank (hold for 60-90sec)
Cool Down:

5 minutes of steady pace cycling.

Foam roll and static stretch of the whole body.
These programmes should give you a good balance working through all the major areas identified as demands for cycling. Whatever level you are at you should be able to gain something that will improve your cycling experience, make the hills a little easier and the whole ride much more fun! If you need to go through any of the exercises in these programmes why not have a chat with one of the fitness consultants in S10health and they will be happy to talk you through them and help progress you through the programme and beyond.
Happy cycling!
Simon Vardy:
BA, CSCS, NASM-CPT, PES & CES
British Weightlifting Accredited Strength and Conditioning Coach
Member of the UK Strength and Conditioning Association
S&C Consultant to the University of Sheffield's Elite Sports Performance Scheme