out of interest, does anyone know if olympic weight lifting exercises (in particular cleans) would be beneficial towards cycling?
also, are there any suggestions for particularly good olympic lifts to assist cycling? (except squats and deads)

any help is much appreciated.

Depends.

Are you training for racing? If so, you need a sport specific program.

If you want a program for cycling but with general fitness in mind, they are available.

In general, weightlifting is good.

Olympic lifts are demanding and you simply have to be
taught how to do them. So if you have done them before, and
simply want to do it some more... go play.

If you haven't... then you need someone to train you.

Btw, squats and deadlifts are great for cyclists. You can work the same areas with other
exercises. But if we're talking weight and cycling and I had to pick only two exercises,
it would be some sort of squat and deadlifts.

So.. what is it you want to accomplish?

Btw, I use a kettlebell (or dumbell) to do a sort of half squat.
It's the basic kettlebell move. If your knees give you trouble, that might work for you.

You can see it at youtube. Also check PerformanceU at youtube.

Yes, I am training for racing. however I also compete in many other sports such as rugby.

I was thinking along the lines of a program which focussed on the legs for cycling, but also integrated upper body strength training as well.

Thanks for the kettlebell suggestion, i'll have to try it out ASAP.

core exercises would help with maintaining an aero position for a long time too... i think

There's a lot of disagreement on the subject. Most of the most recent studies show very little performance benefit because the movements in cycling (long duration repetitive actvity) aren't even close to what occurs in weight lifting (short term bursts of high effort) - except for short term sprinting like track riding. However core exercises help as started above.

Rugby involves running and pushing.

Here's one exercise for ya...
https://www.youtube.com/user/Performa...56/QrtF_ROgA_c

That will help in a scrum.

Here are some others
https://www.youtube.com/user/Performa...42/R7DBEjqNo8Y

This one is a killer done right
https://www.youtube.com/user/Performa...93/E_coZsl0OLE

Try this, it's harder and better than it looks. He talks about getting sore, if you don't the first time, you were too weak to do it right.
https://www.youtube.com/user/Performa...92/gztBydYNEMk

This one is also harder than it looks, and better.
https://www.youtube.com/user/Performa...92/gztBydYNEMk

Nick has a lot of core exercises. Crunches are old school.

Well,

A clean is a combination of a dead lift, and a squat...so I guess you're screwed lol.

That said, I find the overhead squat or snatch the ultimate core exercise. There's serious risk to shoulder injury if done incorrectly, but if done right, nothing beats it.

Squats are of course the cornerstone; they work everything.

Dead lifts for raw, unadulterated power.

Power Cleans for converting all that power into speed.

And the overhead press and bench press, the only two exercises your upper body really needs.

Get the book Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. It covers everything you need. His web site has an outstanding forum where you can get solid advice.

Best way to improve cycling is to do interval training, longer-than-comfortable rides on the weekends, strict diet, and emphasis on recover (reducing stress included).

Lifting is a waste of time unless you're already doing all of the above or doing it for a different, better reason (like improving appearance).

Wrong. Me, I could not care less about the way I look. Olympic-type lifting will compliment your body in ways cycling will never ever ever ever be able to. Two weeks ago while back country snowboarding I wrapped myself around a tree at full speed. I credit squats and power cleans with the fact that I could shrug it off and go on with my day.

If cycling is the totality of your universe, you don't need to bother. If you want to also be strong and harder to kill, they have their place

You missed the part where he said "improve your cycling"

We're not talking about complimenting your body in ways cycling will never ever be able to.


That being said I race anywhere from 10-20 times/year and I lift as well, but I put a greater emphasis on on-the-bike workouts.

It did wonders for my climbing and fully loaded touring.

For those who like the big, compound lifts (squats and deadlift in particular), what is your typical set X rep? I've gained a lot of strength doing 5x5s during the cold weather season, but spring is in the air and I'm getting ready to start cycling regularly again. Would you recommend a higher rep? (Keep in mind, I'm trying to find a balance between being "harder to kill" and improving my cycling performance). In terms of the type of riding I do, 50-70 miles on the weekend is typical once I'm in shape, and I hope to do some 200Ks.

I'm a 30-rep guy. Circuits of 30. Weight so that I'm at or near failure at 30. I think ideally they should be done as quickly as possible. I've tried that, but it puts more strain on my joints than I think wise at 65, so now I just pump them out smoothly.

There's no evidence that conventional weight training helps cycling performance except for dedicated sprinters. Meaning that if weight lifters ride hilly courses, they won't be in the first group at the sprint anyway. There is evidence that high rep explosive resistance training helps all cyclists, but not as much as the same amount of time put into intervals. So I do my weights when I'm done with my ride. I find that really helps to build endurance. The point of lifting as a cyclist isn't to see how much weight you can lift. That has little or nothing to do with it if, as I said, you are not a dedicated sprinter. Many people use more than 30 reps, 40-50 being common. I've found that I get more out of 30, though. YMMV

Thanks for the reply, Carbonfiber. I like the idea of lifting after a cycling workout. I'm about to move from my current location, but if there are gyms close enough for that to be convenient I may try that. In terms of the high reps, that makes a lot of sense to me, plus I'm losing my spotter when I move, so the heavy weights aren't great anyway. I do want to improve performance on the bike, but having overall strength is big for me. I stopped lifting completely when I first got serious about cycling last Spring, but started to regret it when I helped my brother move into his new home and found I just didn't have nearly the strength I used to after just 5 or 6 months without strength training.

Agree. A big part of training hard is avoiding injury. Injury could be from overuse, wrecks, bad form, weak links, etc... Weight lifting will provide a buffer from injury.

This is a perennial topic that's been beaten to death many times. At age 56 I lift for the general conditioning, and it helps, because I need all the help I can get. I've had one problem with getting much stronger, because it encouraged me to push a higher gear on climbs. I felt great, really strong....and then started to have knee problems that I am still working through.

However, here's one possibly original comment about lifting as a training aid for cycling. I -always- use a HRM on the bike and in spin classes, so I started wearing it while lifting. Any set, especially high reps, that really takes you to exhaustion is a GREAT interval workout. My HR goes up 50-60 BPM in 1 minute and then falls the same amount when I stop. I suppose you could get the same effect with hard hill repeats, but there are few hills around here that are steep enough.

So, I find high rep squats and deads a great complement to cycling, and the winter regimen is spin classes and lifting. Seems to work well and I come out of the gym with a much better start on the spring riding. I'm still trying to figure out the proper balance of lifting and riding during warm weather...