To add to the confusion, here's an article from the most recent issue of RBR. RBR link

Link to Abstract of Study

1. ROAD NOTES
Ed's note: A new study is making the rounds. It found that lower-body weight training has virtually no benefit for cyclists and may even be counterproductive.

The research was done at Cowan University in Joondalup, Australia, and reported in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Nov. 2009.

So, has your off-season weight work been for naught? Well, there are 2 sides to most stories, and this one isn't an exception.

Here's what happened down in Oz: Cyclists were divided into 2 groups. In one, riders continued their on-bike training. In the other, riders did those same workouts but added resistance training for their legs, working out with weights 3 times each week.

Before and after the 6-week study, all the riders did a max-weight squat to determine their leg strength. They also did indoor cycling tests, riding for the equivalent of 30 km (18.6miles). Within that distance, the riders in each group were timed during three 250-meter sprints and three 1-km efforts.

The weightlifting cyclists improved their one-rep squat after the 6 weeks, but in their final 1-km effort they were slower by 5% while the non-lifters improved by 11%.

Hmmm . . . the study was picked up by cycling physician Gabe Mirkin, M.D., who surmised in his e-zine: "Lifting weights with their legs left the subjects too sore to train most intensely on their more intense cycling days, and the faster you ride on your intense days in training, the faster you usually ride in races.

"Further studies may change the way we think now, but research shows that resistance leg training with weights does not help experienced and well-trained long-distance cyclists to ride faster."

Dr. Mirkin emphasizes that this should not deter cyclists from upper-body weight training, saying, "All riders can benefit from a weight training program to improve upper-body strength and give added protection against bone fractures" in case of a crash.

But is lower-body weight training really worthless or even counterproductive? Can you spot a likely flaw in the Aussies' testing protocol?

Coach Fred Matheny did.

"This looks like another case of researchers adding weight training to the existing cycling program, thus overworking the athletes," he says. "No wonder their results were lower. There have been several studies designed in this way, with the result that the athletes became overtrained."

For another expert opinion, we went to Coach Harvey Newton -- a dedicated road cyclist, former coach of the U.S. Olympic Weight Lifting Team and the creator of the Strength Training for Cyclists program sold by RBR.

"Yes, I saw the study," says Coach Newton. "As Fred points out, there was no reduction in the cycling volume of the experimental group. This variable has repeatedly been shown to affect the outcome of added resistance training.


"I also cannot uncover details on whether the lifting group had any recovery from their final day or week of training. Had they squatted the day before their study-ending kilo test, I certainly can see why cycling performance was hindered."

Also found by the study, but not making headlines, was no difference in the 2 groups in their overall 30-km times. And generally overlooked was the lifting group's 4% improvement in 250-meter sprint times.

Coach Newton finds other questionable aspects, including this potentially significant flaw: "None of the subjects had performed any lower-body resistance training for at least six months. Being unprepared for resistance training and then being placed in a high-intensity training protocol for six weeks could induce enough stress to cause a negative cycling result."

So What's a Rider to Do?

"Certainly a non-climber is advised to climb, not squat, in order to improve climbing," Coach Newton says. "As I have often stated, no amount of resistance training can take the place of quality cycling. However, ever-increasing time on the bike is of questionable benefit, although it's the norm.

"Most cyclists, in my opinion, fail to properly use resistance training and probably end up wasting time and energy. It is always advisable to strengthen in the weight room and then adapt that strength through workouts that take place on the bike.

"This study's six-week look into concurrent resistance training, while important, ignores the concept of sound off-season weight work followed by optimal training on the bike with 'maintenance' weight work included."

Here's Coach Newton's bottom line:

"In my opinion, young elite male riders have little to gain from resistance training off-bike, except to correct deficiencies in their overall fitness profile.

"Females and masters-age men may benefit much more -- especially from upper-body resistance training -- not only in terms of cycling, but also in terms of general 'quality of life' issues. You can ride all day long and gain a certain type of fitness, but it is not going to improve one's upper-body muscular strength or flexibility.

"All this said, we do not yet have the definitive study to prove proper resistance training may be beneficial to all cyclists. I hope this study will spur more research. Meanwhile, there are plenty of studies, flawed or not, that suggest resistance training does produce cycling benefits."

Ed Pavelka

Editor, Publisher, Weight Trainer