In the cycling world, strength training is feared and avoided. I frequently hear that strength training will make me heavier and slower in the physical therapy clinic. This is a myth that might get you in trouble.

You Won’t Look Like a Bodybuilder.

When strength training, you will not look like a bodybuilder overnight. This large muscular hypertrophy or gain in muscle size will not happen unless you are training specifically to gain muscle, and it takes a long time to look like a bodybuilder. Strength training is not all about muscular growth. Studies have shown that low force high velocity3 strength training doesn’t induce large gains in muscle growth. Even if you gain a small amount of weight when strength training, you need to consider your power-to-weight ratio. You may weigh slightly more, but your power is far greater. Weight training structured correctly in your training plan will not cause a dramatic gain in your body weight.

Benefits of Strength Training

As a physical therapist, I have seen firsthand how strength training plays a huge role after an injury and prevents many injuries. The large majority of an athlete’s rehabilitation program is strength training. Of course, strength training is not always the first part of rehabilitation when the injury is acute, but it is required at certain stages of healing. We need to strength train to rebuild and prepare the body’s soft tissues after an injury. Beyond injury, we need to incorporate strengthening exercises into training to become faster and prevent injuries.

So many studies have reported the benefits of incorporating strength training into cycling plans. Overall, the benefits could be summed up as a reduction in cycling time2, 4, and improved cycling and power output at VO2max3. In a word, strength training will make you faster. We all want to go faster after building up the endurance to survive the race or hang in the club.

When using a pre-designed training plan or creating a training plan, you need to include a strength program that is specific to your sport. Strength training is prehab with the bonus of making you faster.

Are You Ready To Start?

Hopefully, you’re now convinced that strength training is key for training and life. Check out the Hybrid Strength Training for Mountain Biking here at the MCC. You get free strength training videos that are physical therapy and cycling-based. You can’t beat free!