A couple weekends ago I completed my first 100 mile century ride on a mountain bike. We did it entirely on dirt singletrack trails up in Newaygo, and it was definitely one of the hardest mental challenges I've ever done!
On the other hand, I don't think it was one of my hardest physical challenges I've ever done, and I credit that entirely to the training completed every day here at GLFC! Training strength, mobility, conditioning, along with proper ranges of motion enabled me to get through this ride without cramping, lack of power, and most importantly without injury!
No matter what kind of biker you are, if you ride on two wheels you would 100% be better off strength training! Here's how:
Better Pedal Power
Squats, lunges, deadlifts, cleans, box jumps - all these use your legs in a very specific and precise way. All these do an incredible job of building up your quads, glutes, and hamstrings, which guess what, are exactly the muscles you use to pedal! If you think strength training will reduce your cardio capability, think again - it will simply raise the floor and the ceiling of what the power your legs will be able to put out. Not only will you feel stronger on those big climbs, but your base pedal power at a steady state heart rate will be higher.
Stronger Core Stability & Balance
Stronger Core = More stability. Being able to maintain a balanced center of gravity over rough terrain, being able to steer while pedaling, and maneuvering your bike in general all requires the connection between your arms and your legs. That connection is within your core. The ability to transfer power into your limbsfrom your core is exactly what strength training teaches, and when done correctly will not only keep you on your bike for longer, but also allow you to be more nimble!
Don't Skip Arm Day
Bet you thought I'd only be talking legs huh? When talking about cycling, having a strong upper body is often overlooked. Obviously you need to be able to hold yourself up on the handlebars and be able to push and pull them to steer. What we forget about is the ability to absorb shock through a strong upper body soft tissue system which is built through regularly submitting them to stress, as well as the ability to pull your body down to the bike on a big climb. Without the strength to pull, your hips would rise up, power would be lost, and you'd be stuck walking up that hill!
Joint Resiliency
Most of the injuries that occur from aerobic exercise comes by way of overuse. Think about it - for every 10 miles, each knee will go through 800-1000 extensions on that pedal, meaning that if you rode for an hour your knees would be subject to thousands and thousands of pushes. Which means that your quad will activate at the top, it'll pull on your patellar tendon, which pulls on your tibia, and pull on that to straighten your leg out, 6000 times. If that tendon isn't resilient, you will get growing knee pain, tendinitis, or end up with muscle strains in the quads themselves. How can you prevent this? You guessed it. Strength training.
The best way to increase tendon thickness and rigidity is to put it under heavy stress, which is not easy to control in a dynamic environment like biking. In strength training, the process becomes exact, and when proper form is taught and maintained, you're set up for success for the long haul.
The Finish Line
If you want to be the best biker you can be, you need to be strength training! Without proper technique and programming, you're setting yourself up for a weaker drive, less stability, and higher risk of injury. If you have any questions about how to strength train as a cyclist or want to come chat about how Great Lakes can help you ride faster on the road or trail, book a No Sweat Intro here! Would love to shoot the breeze about your setup too:)
-Cal
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