Track Cycling Power Training

Strength is every Track Cyclists friend, you know the friend that once you've met its great and they'll never let you down, but you are the one that makes the effort to meet up and maintain the friendship, which obviously hurts like hell!

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Gym Training

The best way to improve your Power/Strength is gym training, lifting serious weights via exercises such as Squats, Leg Presses, Deadlifts and Lunges. Always ensure your lifting technique is correct not only for your safety but also to ensure all that effort is going to help improve your cycling. Simple steps like slowing the downward section of your Squat prior to exploding up will build your muscles and don't get frustrated muscle/power development takes time.

Adapting the exercises to cycling specific movements is extremely advantageous, for example angling the Leg Press machine so that your legs are in a similar position to cycling. Single Leg exercises are also excellent, but again ensure you are using the correct technique to avoid injury.

It's important to not just concentrate on the muscle groups in your legs etc, i.e. Calf, Quad and Gluts with no Core Strength your power training will be less effective, you'll wobble all over the place on a standing start, your seated acceleration will suffer and you'll be prone to instability issues and injuries. Yoga is a great Core Strength builder, especially if you don't like Gym work.

Don't forget your lower back and upper body, especially if you do a lot of seated acceleration and standing starts. A good idea is to adjust your stance on Cable/Pulley machines to replicate cycling, i.e. using Ankle Straps to replicate a weighted upward pedal stroke and using the Cable Handles or V Handles to replicate pulling on your handlebars. The big legs, skinny arms rider is the cycling equivalent of your mirror muscles gym user.

And finally, it's not just for Sprinters, yes with the exception of Core work, Endurance riders don't need to spend half as much time in the Gym however they do need to be doing the same workouts as its still cycling specific just with a more cardio emphasis and smaller weights.

Christian Bosse - Strength Training Tips



Robert Forstemann - Strength Training Tips



CyclingAU/NZ - Strength Training Tips





Track Cycling Academy



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Over Gear Training

Not all Track Cyclists enjoy Gym Training, however if this sounds like you, don't worry you can increase your power output via 'Over Gear Training', i.e. training with a gear that is larger than your Race gear. This is a great supplement to Gym work, or a replacement if you really don't want to lift weights.

GEARING: If 66x14 (127) is your Race Gear, use 66x12 (148) for Over Gear Training.

SESSION: Rolling (slow) Seated Start 250m TTs from the bottom of the track or flying efforts from the top of the track (200m TT style) for longer 500m+.

ADVANCED: 100m Seated Start efforts either held or from a gate.

TOP TIP: Supplement with a protein rich diet for recovery (either via protein/Recovery Drinks or good food) Don't do it near an important event you'll have heavy legs, make sure you follow this section of your training with Leg Speed work.