I currently do weights two – three times a week. I’m quite keen to get back into my road riding again after a break (due to over training) From talking to various people (mainly roadies) it has been suggested that doing weights is counter productive to my road riding and that I would see better improvements in my speed if I cut out the weights and concentrated on riding.
I’m not convinced – I’m pretty light/small, and the weights I do (imo) help keep me strong and stop things like sore triceps etc on long rides.
I can see how short term, if I did weights and then went for a ride, riding would be much harder, I’d tire quicker, not be able to reach max speed etc. However, I don’t see how it couldn’t help my riding longer term, with proper recovery/rest etc. Surely if I know I get sore muscle groups in areas on longer rides, ensuring that they are strong, will mean I don’t tire as quickly, and therefore able to ride for longer/better?
Anyway, just interested in thoughts/views. Should weights be a winter only thing when mileage is less and a good way of getting power into legs? As an aside, before I stopping mtb’ing to concentrate on road riding, I found I had much stronger legs and could climb much stronger, than when I only road ride. That would lead me to believe that heavier bike and different terrain gave me stronger legs – which surely weights is also doing?
(I should add that since I am female and pretty light, I’m not exactly lifting tons, but do include a fair amount of leg work such as lunges, squats, leg press, leg extension. I’m also not that interested in improving average speed – I’m looking at doing longer sportives around the 100 miles, so its more of an endurance thing, and being able to climb well and over a long distance)