Originally Posted by
gsteinb
[...]I can say by what I've read, experienced, been told by coaches and better riders, that if weightlifting has a place it's at some other point in the season for me than now.[...]
[...]As for the OP it depends on his goals. [...]
[...]As to weight lifting at the end of a road race it's a tough thing to explain as I'm an ex bodybuilder (80s). So I've done lots of weight training. But my ability to sprint predates that as I raced BMX through my childhood. I'm a fast twitch muscle guy. Chris Hoy can do all the weight lifting he wants but he's not beating Mark Cavendish in a road race (or a points race). On the track Cavendish would get sucked into and tumble around in the vortex created by Hoy's passing. [...]
[...]It is, of course, assumed we're in season. So if this was fall the conversation might be nuanced a different way.[...]
[...]If the question is how do I improve as a cyclist as quickly as possible: there's one answer.
If the question is how do I improve my overall health and fitness: there's another.
If the question is I like to ride but want to look good on the beach there may be yet another.
The question is ill defined thus the myriad answers and meandering conversation in the thread. [...]
[...]Things have their time and place. One needs to know when that is.
i appreciate your clarification on these aspects, and i think that we are pretty much on the same page. to further elaborate on my point: cycling is a dynamic sport that taxes the body in different ways (and taxes cyclists in different ways depending on their strengths, weaknesses and racing goals). i am not sure if it is for dramatic effect or for simplicity, but several posters here are simply dismissing weight lifting as being beneficial for any cyclist in any situation and saying that it is proven. the literature isn't so cut and dry if we broaden our horizons to measurements outside of ftp.
as to the pros, i think there may be a bit of futility trying to compare a pro training regiment to our own. cavendish may not do strength training in the offseason, but the previous world champ reportedly does. does that mean you, i, or tom boonen should incorporate lifting or not? coaching and training is pragmatic and depends on the individual nearly as much as it depends on the discipline. we are not uniform responders, and the best coaches can evaluate and adapt athlete's training to achieve maximum performance regardless of the dogma. for some cyclists (perhaps even the vast majority) i think that may mean 99% or more of the time on the bike, but i also believe that strength training can be beneficial to others particularly during the offseason.