With winter, no more biking outside possible.
I have weights at home and a trainer. I doubt I can put enough weight to do barrel squat to my limit however.
I wonder if I could improve my strength with the trainer. I know that doing interval of high energy output helps doing so.
What else could be done? Do you guys have a program you like to do or any exercise suggestion that you can do at home?

Toe raises on the edge of a step, dead lifting, lunges, isometric wall squats and slow deep knee bends.

I have been climbing flights and flights of stairs (at least 25 flights a day 5 days a week), and it seems to be helping my hill climbing a bit.

On the trainer, I do commercial intervals. I ride easy during the show, and then ride as hard as I can during the commercial. Makes 30-60 min go by quite quickly.

Spinning classes have also been beneficial ... find a good quality, somewhat more advanced one.


When I lived in on the Canadian prairies, I still cycled outside as often as I could ... mtn bike, slightly lower tire pressure, commuting and longish rides on weekends.

I also cross-trained with cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.


And most winters, I plan a trip for a week or two or three somewhere warmer, so that I can spend the week or two cycling. This year, for example, we went to Canada for 3 weeks in June ... nice warm sunny break from the drizzly, chilly, dark winter conditions. And we cycled a lot in that time.

Also: one leg half squat (google). Step ups: gradually raise the height of the step until your knee angle is 90° or a little more.

One-legged pedaling on the trainer. 2 minute intervals each leg, then 2 minutes legs together. Repeat until your chain starts to go slack on the upstroke.

There's also core work to be done. I also do upper body work until New Years.

I spent about $250 today buying cold weather gear for riding in winter. Face, neck, head, feet, tights, jacket. Then again we don't get a lot of snow here so riding is possible almost year round provided you are properly clothed.

Smart trainer + Zwift.

Weights are good for general conditioning but they don't do much for cycling performance. If you want improvement on cycling, do some specific trainer programs.

Trainer road, dumb trainer with virtual power or smart trainer. Pick a program. You'll gain fitness and cycling strength.

Cycling doesn't really build strength unless you are doing sprints. Cycling is usually an endurance activity.

To build one's "limit strength", the most optimal method is progressive resistance training. In general, this means lifting weights, whether free weights or via machines.

There is only one thing that science has proven and that is increasing one's training load over time will yield stronger and larger muscles. All of the "hyped up" non-science BS training methods, such as HIT (the 1 set per bodypart crowd), forced reps and training until failure is all a bunch of bunk spewed by masochists. Those are belief systems that cannot be proven. A more sensible program based on 5 sets x 5 reps with no forced reps or training until failure will produce quality results.

A lot of bodybuilders still embrace training until failure, but they aren't necessarily the smartest bunch in the lot either.

Want to increase your static strength? Do isometrics. Expect a big spike in blood pressure with this type of training.

Want to improve your cycling? Get on the bike.

Thanks. That's good to know. I haven't done much differently in the past twenty years and mostly lift over the winter, the rest of the year when I just can't ride, and when I'm away from home.

Training hasn't really changed too much. The main thing that has changed is periodization. The Russians, or Soviets rather, were years ahead of us in this regard.

Weighted hip thrusts, sumo deadlifts, kettle bell swing, one leg split squat.

Pick 2 or 3 per workout. Do a couple warmup sets, then 3x5. 2 min rest.

2 days/wk if you're still riding, otherwise 3/wk.

Less is more.