I’m looking to improve leg strength and endurance for some races this year, so I’ve got myself a turbo to get some interval sessions in, between my usual MTB rides (1 or 2 a week). I also go to the gym to do weights.

What I’m not too sure about, is how best to fit all the training in during the week.

How many cardio / weight sessions should I be doing per week for best results?
Is it better to do some freeweight work, followed by a turbo session with tired legs?
Can you do a turbo session early in the morning, and weights the same day?

I also do a bit of bouldering (2-3 times a week), and I’m trying to fit in a run a week (5-10km).

How do you fit it all in around work and allow muscles to recover?

Forget the weights. If you are time limited and want to make the most of that time with increased cycling endurance as the goal, spend time on the bike

Forget the weights. If you are time limited and want to make the most of that time with increased cycling endurance as the goal, spend time on the bike

Agreed, especially as you mention that you are only riding once or twice per week. Once a week is barely enough to maintain aerobic fitness, never mind improve or increase leg strength. If you are serious about any form of racing you need to be doing much more that that. How much actual riding time do those rides take, and what sort of racing are you talking about?

Time off the bike working on specific movement patterns such as squats and deadlifts will reap much larger rewards than just riding your bike more. It will also benefit your climbing and running.

Not all of us can ride more often, riding all the time can get boring .. variety is the spice of life.

OP if its strength you are after weights will be good and you can do them indoors, midweek, see a benefit with short (say) 20-30 mins sessions. 3 sessions a week is a very good target for cardio. Of intensity, duration and frequency once you are at 30+ mins of cardio zone imo frequency is the most important. Most of us hit one big session/ride a week and wonder why that doesn’t deliver much improvement (still much better than nought of course)

^ I agree.

Three weeks of power lift training before a race, and the holiday cycling, made a huge difference for me. Surprised how much it made.

Now trying to get back into the routine and more than one cycle a week.

If you want leg strength for cycling, I’d do lots of hill reps on a bike rather than weights.

Don’t bother doing weights, if anything, it’ll be detrimental to your cycling.

If you want leg strength for cycling, I’d do lots of hill reps on a bike rather than weights.

If you don’t want to do weights using your riding time to target specific skills and weakness will be a lot better than just riding your bike more.

Good weight training will help improve posture and ensure correct muscle recruitment whilst on the bike/running/climbing.

Kind of similar thread I started a while back

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/training-weights-yoga-fitting-it-all-in

How do you fit it all in around work and allow muscles to recover?

plenty of sleep
plenty of fruit and veg
good quality proteins in your diet
drink lots of water
foam Roll
stretch

Thanks for the advice. I’ve been riding once or twice a week on the MTB, usually 2-4hr and quite high intensity in places, but generally stop and chat a few times, nothing serious. I’ve also been doing a couple of spinning classes a week until I bought the turbo, and a short run per week. There’s certainly room for improvement on the cardio though…

I’ve got a few enduro races coming up this year, the first is in Hamsterley on 14th Feb.

I was hoping to get some squats/deadlifts and balance work in there too, but it does usually take me a couple of days to recover. I appreciate this will have an effect on cardio but unsure whether its worth it or not?

Cheers howsyourdad1 – Some useful stuff there 😀

Some core strengh and muscle building tris time of year is a food thing but i cant see how you can get more than one maybe two sessions in per week along with a turbo swssion and a couple of rides and rests in between.

Theres loads of cyclist strengh workout videos on you tube and british cycling has training plans suggesting how you fit them in the week without overtraining or becoming a swollen up pudding 😉

Not worth it; you don’t need extra strength to turn bicycle pedals over.

A good stretching routine would probably be time better spent.

Don’t bother doing weights, if anything, it’ll be detrimental to your cycling.

😆

The reason for the weight training is mainly to focus on leg strength to hopefully pump better on the MTB, and to hop higher/further to clear obstacles, which turbo training won’t really help with. Or would you just focus on this while riding the MTB?

I’ll have a look over on british cycling 🙂

Try the stepper machine – put it to about 7 on the scale, where 10 is the one with least resistance and you have to step fast to keep yourself ‘afloat’.

I used to do it regularly and the increase in leg power is quite dramatic, I thought.

BoardinBob – Member

I’m sure I recognize those guys….aren’t they professionals?

I’m sure I recognize those guys….aren’t they professionals?

So only professionals will benefit from strength training? Is that your rationale?

So only professionals will benefit from strength training? Is that your rationale?

I’m sure they’ve got plenty of time to strength train….and then recover sufficiently to ride their bikes.

As for bunny hopping high; practice your technique.

This topic seems to crop up on a bi-annual basis anyway. It’s all been said before.

But if you’re slow and shit on a bike, lifting weights in a gym won’t make you better or faster.

But if you’re slow and shit on a bike, lifting weights in a gym won’t make you better or faster.

Your trolling hits new heights already in 2016 😆

Come on, it’s hardly trolling; common sense surely?!

Some people just don’t want to hear the truth!

If you can only manage 1-2 rides a week, I can’t see how a weights session is going to make you a better cyclist.

It’s not either or. The neet I shall be engaged in 20-30 mins (can’t do more than that, too boring) HIIT on the turbo followed by 30 mins circuits. Followed by a micro nutrient optimised bulls semen enema sandwich pie.

Come on, it’s hardly trolling; common sense surely?!

Some people just don’t want to hear the truth!

What if you’re slow and shit because you lack strength rather than technical skill???

What if you’re slow and shit because you lack strength rather than technical skill???

😀

Then you’ve probably got more serious issues and should get yourself to a doctors.

I’m assuming the OP is strong enough to stand up, unaided, and lift his bike off the floor. In which case, he’s probably got the strength needed to ride it.

How many cardio / weight sessions should I be doing per week for best results?

Depends, how long are your races?

Is it better to do some freeweight work, followed by a turbo session with tired legs?

Warm Up -> Weights -> Cardio

Can you do a turbo session early in the morning, and weights the same day?

Yep, works well.

I also do a bit of bouldering (2-3 times a week), and I’m trying to fit in a run a week (5-10km).

How do you fit it all in around work and allow muscles to recover? Depends on what your job is, mine is desk bound so it’s not really an issue, if you’re on your feet allday bricklaying you might have more issues. Sleep lots and make sure you eat plenty and the right things.

Over the last 6 months I have lifted a lot and ridden not as much as I should have. Which means I’m strong but probably a bit heavy (102kg at 6ft).

I want to ride more (and I guess by extension faster) this year so I have changed my routine for the next three months to:

Mon AM: Warm Up, 3 exercise weight circuits (eg Bench press, rows, squat), Intervals (stepper/x-trainer or rower)
Tues PM: Evil Cardio – Warm Up, 2000m Row for time, Intervals OR Night Ride
Wed AM: As per Monday but with different exercises
Thurs PM: Evil Cardio – Warm Up, 2000m Row for time, Intervals OR Night Ride
Fri AM: As per Monday but with different exercises
Weekend: “Long Ride” 3 hours+

wiggins biography has a really intereting section on the work that Tim Kerrison did with BC/ Sky, dispelling cycling ‘folk lore’.

One of the the things he mentions is weight training and how it used to be a winter activity. When wiggins won the tour he was strength training most days – before riding.

If you want leg strength for cycling, I’d do lots of hill reps on a bike rather than weights.

If you live in a city surrounded by flat lands ? My mate trained for the Haute Route living in Singapore where the highest (only?) hill is 100m top to bottom, repping that aside from being deadly boring does not provide the sustained effort required.

If you live in a city surrounded by flat lands ?

Train on a turbo with a high resistance and lower cadence. When I used to race I did three 2 hour sessions every week on a turbo.

OP – make sure you ignore any advice given to you on an internet MTB forum for starters. How many people here are likely to be qualified coaches or sports scientists? Would you ask your mates to advise on tooth removal? 😉

Get a copy of Joe Friel’s book and read it. Brilliant investment

From a personal point of view, I’ve been going to the Gym about 6 months now doing cardio and weight sessions.

Some are just cardio, some just weights and another class is a mix. I try to go 3 times a week, a night road ride of about 1-2 hours and a 3-4 hour ride on the MTB or Hybrid at the weekend.

I’m loads stronger on the bike since going to the gym. I’m probably still slow as but my theory, especially on the MTB is if I’m stronger in body then I’m not going to get fatigued as quick therefore I will be a better rider.

Oh the that’s the athertons up there ^^ 😀