Originally Posted by Koffee Brown
I have been out all day, so I wasn't able to address the question, but I will do some supporting research to what the majority of us here are saying. Doing a cursory check of my materials so far, every coach and researcher says weight training done by athletes DOES contribute to increased performance. I am a coach, and I am working towards my USA Cycling license for coaching, but until then, I still have my fitness certifications, and I've attended conventions where very respected researchers and lecturers have all said the same thing- weight train and do cardio for maximum performance.
you're correct, most coaches do advocate weight training. As regards researchers you will find hardly any advocate weights for cycling.
Since I know Ric does like to see the research and supporting paperwork, I will go through my materials tomorrow and post those, along with names of the people I received my information from.
you're correct, i do like to see either research to back up something or to make sure that something fits first principles. in the case of weight training neither research or first principles show that weight training is warranted in increasing performance in *trained* endurance cyclists (i.e., races > ~ 90-secs).
I do believe that Ric is from the Westernized old school-from the days when people just said ride, ride, ride.
damn, that makes me sound old!!! To qualify my position i have a first class hons degree in Sports Science, i'm a Level 3 coach, i coach and consult cyclists at TT1 (that's TdF level) to recreational level, i have peer reviewed research in the Canadian j Appl Phys, have other articles in press (post grad research), am Fitness Contributor at
www.cyclingnews.com and am a leading expert in the development of training and coaching with power output. Additionally, i have been coaching professionally since '98 as my only job
Furthermore, i am currently authoring a paper on weight/strength training and cycling performance.
Historically, people have been saying that weights should be used as adjunct to endurance cycling performance (ECP), since the 1900s. It's my belief that people have thought this, because they can feel strength limited when climbing a hill. However, empirical data and actual observation from power meters shows this to be completely untrue.
Nowadays, and especially because of research done lately, the seminars all emphasize a strong periodized program, incorporating weight training and cardiovascular activity to increase performance, whether recreational or elite.
there is NO research showing an increase in performance in trained cyclists with weights. I repeat, absolutely none. In fact the research on trained cyclists with weights show no imporvements or a decrease in performance.
in fact even the studies that have been designed to try to show an increase in performance from weights hasn't shown an increase.
We've seen the example here- look at the Lance Chronicles, and in the episode where Lance takes us through his house, he talks about weight training, and he emphasizes that he has every major strength training equipment in his weight training room, and he and Chris Carmichael were talking about how the team comes in and does their weight training in the off season.
if you look at certain coaches position stands, they have changed over the last couple of years based on the work i and my colleague have been doing.
Ric