One of the questions cyclists ask most frequently is about how to improve performance. Often, the answers you get are: Do intervals, lose weight or get a faster bike.
The answer that doesn’t come up often is strength training – and it’s by far the best answer.
Strength training for cycling performance involves a variety of exercises to overload and train certain muscles. Squats, deadlifts, lunges and core exercises can make a huge amount of difference and come with a lot of benefits.
Benefits beyond cycling: Injury prevention, endurance & sprint power
Strength training isn’t all about building muscle and getting stronger. It’s so much more. From injury prevention, improved mobility, comfort and even better motor-unit recruitment. There are next to no disadvantages to strength training.
If you speak to any professional or even semi-professional, they will put off-bike training for cyclists at the highest importance and will spend multiple hours in the gym or in small training studios. It can be the difference between winning and losing in a race.
There are huge studies when it comes to strength training and its benefits while riding a bike. Increased power, endurance, mobility, and even comfort are the key takeaways. It’s generally known as the best cross-training you can do for cycling.
Understanding strength-training benchmarks and why they matter
Understanding strength training benchmarks for cyclists is not just about pure power. When it comes to cyclists, it's more about power-to-weight ratio. A good example is Watts Per Kilo. That’s how much power you can produce for the mass that you have. Gym strength standards for cyclists often also change depending on the discipline.
It is good to understand how to test strength and the benchmarks you can use to see where you are currently and how you’re improving. Here are some example strength exercises and where you should be with them:
Lower Body: For cycling power & stability
- Back Squat: Endurance-focused cyclists should aim for approximately 1× your bodyweight, and sprinters/power riders should aim for up to 1.5× their bodyweight.
- Single-Leg Step-Up (onto bench): Bodyweight for reps to gauge and improve unilateral strength balance.
- Deadlift (trap bar or conventional): 1–1.5× your bodyweight is a good marker for durability and hip drive.
Upper Body for posture & control
- Push-Ups: 20-30 solid reps. These improve solid baseline endurance.
- Pull-Ups: 6–10 reps unassisted. These are useful for cyclists to build overall core/upper stability.
- Overhead Press: 0.5× your bodyweight for reps. These ensure strong shoulder endurance.
Core for transfer of power
- Plank Hold: 2-3 minutes without sagging to build strong core endurance.
- Pallof Press Hold: 30-60 seconds for each side. These are great for anti-rotation strength for stability on the bike.
Setting realistic goals based on your riding style and discipline
Cycling power and strength goals can be tough to follow. These figures will vary depending on the type of cyclist you are, or aspire to be. Sprinters will generally have more power when it comes to strength training, while endurance athletes tend to have less.
Setting goals is important so you can progress further, but it’s important to understand that the way you ride the bike will be the ultimate test. We want to see strength and mobility increase, but power production while cycling is the key.
Key lifts and exercises for cyclists
The best-exercises-for-cyclists debate comes up all the time when it comes to gym training. Focusing on compound lifts, which use a lot of muscles, and also splitting legs down left to right, really helps too.
Here’s our top exercises for cycling that can be done in the gym or at home.
Squat (front/back)
Squats are a fantastic exercise that focuses on the quads, hamstrings and glutes. They’re great for hip mobility and good at helping the body keep the back straight when the hips are bent.
To complete a squat, we typically have our knees shoulder-width apart and lower ourselves down, keeping the back straight. This can be done with a bar on the front or the back or with dumbbells.
Deadlift
Deadlifts focus on the hamstrings, glutes and back. They are one of the best exercises for cyclists, but have to be approached with caution, as they put a lot of pressure on the lower back.
To do a deadlift, we keep the back straight, bend down and drag the bar just in front of the knees, then return up again. There is a straight-leg version where we push the hips back further and let the weight lower in front.
Step-up
The step-up is essential for cyclists. It uses a similar range of motion compared to what you are doing in a pedal stroke. Simplicity is key, and the step-up is exactly what it needs to be.
A step-up can be done with a step, or you can use a block to step on to. Typically, to be done with weights and doing your best to keep the body and back straight in order to avoid injury.
Bulgarian split squat
The Bulgarian split squat is one of the best exercises a cyclist can do. It not only helps strengthen the legs but also works on each side individually. It increases strength and range of motion and is a great-looking exercise.
To do a Bulgarian split squat, you put one foot on a bench, take two dumbbells, and lower yourself down to the ground, keeping the back straight and putting all the pressure into that front leg.
Core stability work
Core stability is something we don’t see enough of when it comes to strength training. These different exercises not only fill in the gaps that the bigger exercises miss but also hugely help with injury prevention.
Exercises like Russian Twists, Bicycle Kicks, Crunches, and Leg Raises are perfect when it comes to building core stability. Working with balance exercises as well also goes a long way.
