Leg Workouts for Cyclists: Strength Training That Improves Riding

Why leg strength matters for cyclists

Leg strength matters because cycling is basically controlled pushing, repeated thousands of times each ride. Every ride has you applying pressure smoothly, over and over, while keeping hips, knees, and ankles tracking where they should.

When you do them well, leg workouts help you push the pedals with less relative effort, stay stable when tired, and tolerate higher training loads with fewer niggles. Think of it as sorting the chassis before you go hunting for more horsepower. It’s also a confidence thing. When your legs are stronger, you stop treating climbs like they’re a personal insult.

Indoor riders often notice this sooner because indoor sessions remove the free speed. There is less coasting, fewer interruptions, and a very honest relationship with fatigue. The indoor trainer doesn’t care about your excuses, only your legs.

Common myths about leg workouts and cycling

Many cyclists skip strength work for the same three reasons.

Myth 1: “Leg workouts will make me bulky.”

Cycling-focused strength training is usually moderate volume and focused on control. You’re more likely to gain resilience and movement quality than unwanted mass. Most cyclists have to work quite hard to gain any meaningful size anyway, which is reassuring if you fear accidentally becoming a competitive bodybuilder while doing goblet squats.

Myth 2: “Riding is enough.”

Riding builds aerobic fitness and specific on-the-bike endurance. Still, it doesn’t always cover movement variety or the strength work that supports joints and connective tissue when training load rises. Strong legs are useful, but strong legs that can only do one thing, in one position, forever, are not the whole story.

Myth 3: “Strength training is only for serious racers.”

Recreational riders and indoor cyclists often benefit hugely because their training time is limited. A small amount of smart strength work can punch above its weight, like a short, sharp interval session that somehow ruins you more than a three-hour ride.

A quick coach’s note before you start

I’m a huge fan of leg strength work for cyclists, but there’s a sensible order to it. Before you start chasing heavier loads, spend a few weeks building the foundations with core control and basic stabilisation. The goal is to get your movement patterns tidy and give your tendons, ligaments, and supporting tissues time to strengthen and adapt. Muscles often improve faster than the bits that keep everything in one piece, which is how people end up “strong” and sore in all the wrong places.

If you’re new to strength training or returning after a break, treat the first few weeks as preparation. Keep reps clean, use a controlled tempo, and put stability first. Then build the load gradually.

Think of it like indoor training. You don’t start with your hardest interval session of the year. You earn it.

Key muscle groups cyclists should train

Think in actions, and keep it cyclist-simple. Hip drive and stability (mostly glutes and hip stabilisers) help you stay aligned and powerful. Quads support steady force, especially when torque rises. Hamstrings help with control and balance, and reduce the “everything goes through the knees” approach. Calves support ankle stiffness and a smoother pedal stroke. If a movement challenges you to push, hinge, or stabilise on one leg, you’re training the right things.