How do you mix training for cycling with a proper strength routine?I'm trying to raise my FTP, need to lose like 10kg by next year for climbs BUT the Physiotherapist told me I need to do more strength/weight training for my body... Specially my back and shoulders.I'm currently doing:>Intervals 3x/wk>Strength routine (Kettlebell + pullups) 2x/wk>Long ride on weekendsI've literally never done any strength stuff in my life before and generally hate it compared to cardio.
I love them both.If you have gym access I recommend lifting 3x per week and riding to the gym. Then doing behind the neck press/dumb bell press, upright rows, and 2 or 3 back movements like pull ups, bent over barbell row(pull to sternum or higher), and maybe a shrug or deadlift.You can make noob gains while losing weights, but you will have to prioritize one over the other. When calories get too low I find the workouts to suck ass, and obviously too many calories= getting fat, so I would eat my bulk of calories before the workout like 1-2 hours before.Shoulders and upper back recover from exercise very quickly once they adapt. Initially you will get doms, but after that you can work them 2-3 times a week easy, just warm up well and pay attention to your shoulder for any signs of overwork.
Oh, and start light with all your exercises+ be patient on the upright row and others. It might feel uncomfortable for a couple sessions, but after that your joints will adapt and it will be fine.
My advice:Add a 30 Minute cardio rowing routine to your training. You can go constant or intervals or a combination of both. Rowing is still 75% leg work, the rest will support your back, lats and bicep.That way you'll get new stimulus in your legs while building strengh of your upper body.Rowing and cycling go very well together, theres a lot of crossover with pro athletes if the two disciplines.A rowing machine barely drops in value if you buy it new, got one during covid and it was a great buy so far.Weight training for upper body isn't really a thing in pro cycling. Weight training for legs is a must. Legend says Ferrari told Armstrong that his upper body is too muscular to make it as a pro cyclist when they first met.
>>2026424First of all, are you racing or not?If not forget all that shit. Imagine wanting to look like a twig just to get cool numbers on strava.I weigh 90kg, chiseled muscle at 186cm and do easily 100km+ rides.Pushups, pullups and lots and lots of heavy kettlebells (32kg+).And i still get under the 2-3% of the top riders on strava.I just dont think its worth it to look like a pro because they just look ridiculous and weak. But they earn shittons of money doing that so i kinda respect the dedication.
I don't do "cycle training" but I do lift and cycle. It's a glorious combo that keeps you lean.My lift routine is not strict because I work around injuries and whatever's not sore that day, but I cycle 10 miles twice a week with some friends.
>>2026424Your description is not very detailed but what there is sounds fairly reasonable. 3x/week intervals sounds like quite a lot, honestly, but depending on goals it might make sense. Why are you seeing a physio, and did they give you any more specific advice on this matter?For strength work while riding (and r*nning) I personally like:>one-arm kb clean and press away for 3-5r with a rep in the tank on the last set of the session.>trap bar dl 4x4 or 5r/3r/2r straight weight, same deal. I don't get loose or sloppy but I think about moving the weight fast>single leg deadlifts with whatever kettlebell I'm pressing. sometimes as a warmup for the trap bar, sometimes as the main lower body lift of the session. seems to help prevent running injuries for me.>sandbag getups for a couple sets of 10>>2026489>do easily 100km+ rides.I generally agree with the thrust of your post but that's really not saying very much. my unathletic little sister did that on a mixte with training that consisted of a 5km flat commute.Also, even at the pro level, I feel like the rouleur/sprinter types usually don't look too weird. but de gustibus non disputandum and all that.>>2026500>I cycle 10 miles twice a week with some friends.yeah
>>2026517>>do easily 100km+ rides.>I generally agree with the thrust of your post but that's really not saying very muchThis! Any idiot can ride 100k in a day.Meaningless without avg power and body weight or at least avg speed.FTP per bodyweight is a good measure for your power level. 3W/kg is good hobby tier, 4W/kg is where front amateur level racing positions will come.
>>2026577damn man you just gonna do us big boi wattmaxxers like that
Giver all out down a snow covered sidewalk into the wind with 20 psi tyre pressure . . . at 20 below.
Do box squats 3x10 and add it to your routine. Add leg press 3x10Add leg extension 3x10Add leg curls 3x10Add induction and adduction 3x10 eachYoga/stretch: basic routine. Add planks, 6 inch leg lifts, pikes. Focus on hamstring stretches as hamstring dont get any stretching from biking
Thoughts on wearing ankle weights during rides? Seems like it could work + you get to larp as a dbz character
>>2027451No. You really won't gain very much at all besides compression on the ankle joint, since once you get rolling inertia pretty much takes care of it. If you want to make cycling harder do hills, ride a harder gear ratio, and/or tie a drag chute to your body/open a jacket. No reason to introduce injury via weight on the joint or repetitive stress.
>>2027451Very retarded
>>2027451dumb, since the effect would cancel out during the rotation of the crank. The added weight of the unstressed foot would help the crank turn.>>2027454>If you want to make cycling harder do hills, ride a harder gear ratioalso dumb, stay inside a good cadence above 80 rpm. If you want to make it harder just go uphill faster, simple as. Strengh training is for the gym. Use a HRM to see your grind level.
>>2026424>Physiotherapist told me I need to do more strength/weight training for my body... Specially my back and shoulders.Which is an utter lie by the way. a mix of 2hrs Z3 rides and 1/2 interval sessions per week will be enough to develop a good FTP. If you have time, 4 to 6hrs Z2 rides on the weekend, maybe sprinkle in some intensity work in this to not get too bored, not everybody has the mental discipline to pedal slow on the bike half a day. Do not do any strength exercise involving any weights or swimming. Core exercises and an extensive array of stretches is all you need. Being more flexible unlocks more power than you imagine. Upper body exercises will not make you stronger on the bike, lower body like squatting will give you explosiveness at the expense of making you keep on some muscle weight you don't really need. People tend to identify more to the sprinter types due to their body type being more comparable to the average joe but between a heavy sprinter pushing 1500W and a thinner guy holding 1100W the end result isn't as one sided as you might think. What makes cycling is the size of your heart and your lungs, the size of your legs has little to do with it
>>2027524Every time this discussion comes up, someone points out that strength training won't increase FTP, particularly relative to adding comparable training stress with intervals. This is more or less obviously true, but a much more compelling reason to engage in strength training is injury and pain prevention. Less pain, more time on bike, go faster. Potentially better at holding an aero position, potentially better bone density so the broken collarbone becomes a sprained wrist, etc. Now, whether that would actually help OP depends on whether his physio is full of shit, and many of them are, but on the other hand it's not a huge ask to do a couple sets of pullups a couple times a week.
>>2027526>Less pain, more time on bike, go faster. Potentially better at holding an aero positionAll fixed by core training and stretching. Using anything more than your body won't add anything to the mix.
>>2027524Spoken like a coping wattlet, resorting to power to weight ratios instead of raw power. To make PEAK POWER you must also be pulling in the handlebars recruiting every muscle in your body at producing as much joules of energy into the cranks as possible. Who gives a shit about speed over distance ftp watt kg ratios and slurping energy jizz every few hours, I just wanna go FAST and for that, all you need is peak power
>>2027529>Using anything more than your body won't add anything to the mix.Except convenience, scalability, incremental loading, fixed ROM if working around injury, variety, ....I mean, sure, if you're scared of gyms and too broke to buy a couple kettlebells you can get great results with bodyweight, but why nobble yourself?>core trainingWhat specific quality are you training when you train your core?
>>2027529Your core doesn't fix your DYEL forearms, triceps, and upper back. It doesn't fix your pectoral muscles and biceps that you use to stand and spider up the hill.It doesn't fix anything besides low back pain and stabilization.If someone isn't flexible enough to ride in an aero position, yes stretching can help with that, same thing with all the short crank copers. Pretty sure many of them are just dyel's with busted bodies.
>>2027541>short crank coperssure, that's why I hang from a bar to stretch my arms out instead of buying dress shirts with the correct sleeve length>yfw pog runs 165mm
>>2027548If you aren't getting leg extension surgery every other year I don't want to talk to you.
