Most cyclists would rather do another hour in the saddle than 30 minutes in the gym. It's understandable. Cycling rewards time on the bike, and nobody wants extra weight to drag up a climb.
But the evidence is clear: heavy strength training makes cyclists faster, more efficient and more durable late in a ride, without adding meaningful bulk. At In Between Performance, our exercise physiology clinic in Darlinghurst, Sydney, we build strength programs for road cyclists, triathletes and weekend riders that fit around their riding, not in place of it.
Here's what the research says, why it works, and what a cyclist's strength program should actually look like.
What the evidence says about strength training for cyclists
Adding heavy strength training to your riding improves cycling performance, efficiency and sprint power, without hurting your aerobic fitness. A 2025 meta-analysis in the European Journal of Applied Physiology pooled 17 studies and 262 cyclists. Compared with riding alone, adding heavy strength training led to:
Better time trial and time to exhaustion performance (a moderate effect)
Better cycling efficiency, so you use less energy at the same power
Higher peak sprint power (a moderate effect)
No loss of VO2max, so your aerobic engine stays intact
The biggest payoff shows up late in long rides. In one Norwegian study, well trained cyclists added two heavy leg sessions a week for 12 weeks. After a 185 minute ride, their 5 minute all out power rose from 371 to 400 watts. The riding only group didn't improve. In the last hour of the long ride, the strength group also had lower heart rate, oxygen use and blood lactate, and it felt easier.
The same pattern holds in women. In a study of trained female cyclists, 11 weeks of heavy strength training improved 40 minute time trial performance and cycling economy. They gained muscle without gaining total body weight.
The overall certainty of the evidence is rated low, mostly because the studies are small. But the direction is consistent: done properly, strength training makes cyclists better on the bike.
Why strength training makes you faster on the bike
Your aerobic engine sets the ceiling. Strength decides how much of it you can use, and for how long.
Each pedal stroke takes a smaller share of your max. When your legs can produce more force, holding 250 watts asks less of each muscle. That means less fatigue for the same output.
Your fatigue-resistant fibres last longer. Early in a ride you rely mostly on slow-twitch (type I) muscle fibres. As they tire, you recruit faster, less efficient fibres. Stronger muscles delay that shift, which is why the benefit shows up most late in long rides.
Better neuromuscular coordination. Heavy lifting trains your nervous system to recruit more muscle, faster. That carries over to sprints, surges and steep pinches.
Stiffer, stronger tendons. Tendons transmit force more efficiently and are more resilient to load.
Think of it as raising the floor under your endurance. Your VO2max may not change, but a stronger rider can work closer to it for longer.
Will strength training make me bulky or slow?
No. This is the most common worry we hear, and the evidence doesn't support it.
Body weight barely moves. In the studies above, cyclists gained a little leg muscle but body weight didn't meaningfully change, and body mass didn't affect the results. Building significant muscle takes high volumes of training and a calorie surplus. Twenty hours a week of riding works hard against both.
Heavy and low reps, not bodybuilding. Cyclist programs use heavy loads for low reps with long rests. That builds strength mostly through your nervous system, not by adding size.
Your aerobic fitness stays. None of the pooled studies showed a drop in VO2max. The "interference effect" is real but small, and it's managed by sensible scheduling (more on that below).
The riders who need to worry about extra mass are rare. For most, the gain in power per kilo outweighs any small change on the scales.
What a strength program for cyclists looks like
The research points to a clear recipe: heavy, lower-body focused, twice a week, for at least eight weeks.
The prescription
Load: heavy, around 80% of your one rep max or more. That's roughly 4 to 10 reps where the last one or two are genuinely hard.
Sets: 3 to 4 per exercise, with full rest (2 to 3 minutes) between sets.
Frequency: 2 sessions a week while building, dropping to 1 a week to maintain in race season.
Duration: at least 8 weeks to see the performance benefits.
The exercises
Around four lower body lifts, mixing two legged and single leg work:
Squat or leg press for overall leg force
Romanian deadlift or hip thrust for glutes and hamstrings, the engine of the downstroke
Split squat, step up or single leg press
Calf raises for the bottom of the stroke and ankle stiffness
Add trunk work, such as carries, planks and anti rotation holds, to give your legs a stable platform and support your back on long rides.
Fitting it into your season
Off-season / base: 2 heavy sessions a week. This is where most strength is built.
Build phase: keep the heavy work but trim volume as riding intensity climbs.
Race season: 1 short, heavy session a week is enough to hold onto your gains.
Scheduling: lift on the same day as easy rides or after hard ones, not the day before a key session. Replacing a little low-value riding with lifting is better than piling it on top.
Strength training for bone health and injury
Cycling is brilliant for your heart and lungs, but it does very little for your bones. Your weight is supported by the saddle, so your skeleton gets almost none of the impact and load it needs to stay dense.
The numbers are striking. In a study of elite Norwegian endurance athletes, more than half of the road cyclists (10 of 19) met the criteria for low bone mineral density, at the spine and hip, in men as well as women. Cyclists had lower bone density than runners at every site measured.
It's the same principle as sand on the beach: bone stays light and loose until something presses on it. Heavy lifting, and a little jumping or impact work, gives your skeleton the load cycling doesn't. That matters for the day you come off the bike.
Strength work also helps with the common cyclist niggles:
Lower back pain from long hours in a flexed position. A stronger trunk and hips share the load.
Knee pain often linked to weak glutes and poor control. Single-leg strength work helps your knee track well under load.
Neck and shoulder fatigue on long rides. Upper back and shoulder strength helps hold your position.
Strength training for cyclists in Darlinghurst
At In Between Performance, endurance sport is our specialty. We race too, so we know what it's like to fit strength work around long rides, intervals and a full time job. Here's how we build a cyclist's program:
Assess. Your training load, goals, race calendar and injury history.
Test. VALD strength testing of your hips, quads, hamstrings and calves, including left-to-right differences, so we know exactly where you're strong and where you're leaking power.
Program. Heavy, cycling-specific lifts built around your riding week and periodised across your season.
Coach and progress. Technique first, then load. We re-test as you go, so you can see your strength climb alongside your power numbers.
Our clinic is in Darlinghurst, an easy trip from Surry Hills, Paddington, Potts Point, Woolloomooloo and the Sydney CBD. If getting in is hard, we also run online sessions and mobile visits across Sydney.
Strength training for cyclists: FAQs
How often should cyclists strength train?
Twice a week in the off season and base phase, and once a week to maintain during race season. Most studies showing performance benefits used two sessions a week for at least eight weeks.
Should cyclists lift heavy or do high reps?
Heavy. The evidence supports loads around 80% of your max or more, for roughly 4 to 10 reps. High rep, light weight work mostly repeats what riding already trains.
When should I lift in relation to my rides?
Put strength sessions on the same day as an easy ride, or after a hard session, and avoid lifting the day before a key workout or race. Giving the lifting priority on that day helps reduce interference.
Will I be sore and ride badly?
You'll feel it for the first couple of weeks. Start lighter, build load gradually, and soreness settles quickly. Starting in the off season keeps it away from key races.
Do I need a referral to see an exercise physiologist?
No, you can book directly. A GP referral is needed if you want to use Medicare funding for your sessions.
Own the in between
The hours on the bike build your engine. The hours in between decide how much of it you can use. Two focused strength sessions a week can make you faster late in the ride, punchier on the climbs and more resilient for the long run, without the bulk you're worried about.
If you want a strength program built around your riding, book an assessment at our Darlinghurst clinic, or ask about online sessions and mobile visits across Sydney.
This article is general information, not personal medical advice. If you have an injury or health condition, speak with your GP or an Accredited Exercise Physiologist before starting a new program.
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