Workout Routine for Cyclists: At Home, in the Gym & Outside

Cycling is an incredible sport. But let’s be honest – it’s not all about pedalling. To ride stronger, climb faster, and stay injury-free, off-bike training is essential. A well-rounded workout routine for cyclists strengthens the muscles used in riding, improves endurance, and enhances overall performance. Whether you’re training at home, in the gym, or outdoors, these workouts will help you get the most out of every ride.

Leg Workout for Cyclists

Your legs are your engine. Strong quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves translate to more powerful pedal strokes, better endurance, and increased resistance to fatigue. Here are five essential exercises to build leg strength:

1. Bulgarian Split Squats: Stand facing away from a bench, place one foot behind you, and lower into a lunge. Keep your front knee stable and drive back up. This strengthens each leg independently, improving balance and pedal efficiency.
2. Back Squats: With a barbell or weights on your shoulders, squat down while keeping your chest up. Squats develop explosive power, essential for sprints and climbs.
3. Side Lunge: Step to the side, keeping one leg straight and lowering into a lunge. This improves lateral stability and strengthens supporting muscles.
4. Step-Ups: Step onto a bench, driving through your heel to stand up. Mimics the pedal stroke and builds unilateral strength.
5. Calf Raises: Stand on a raised surface, lift onto your toes, and lower slowly. Strong calves help with pedal endurance and ankle stability.

Core Workout Routine for Cyclists

Leg workouts are not enough for you? Then let’s move on to your core: A strong core keeps you stable on the bike, reduces fatigue, and improves efficiency. Here are five must-do exercises to include in your workout routine for cyclists:

1. Plank Variations: Standard, side, and shoulder-tap planks build endurance in your core, preventing lower back pain.
2. Russian Twists: Sit, lean back slightly, and rotate side to side. This strengthens rotational muscles, aiding bike handling.
3. Leg Raises: Lying down, lift your legs and lower them slowly. Great for strengthening the lower abs and hip flexors.
4. Superman Hold: Lie on your stomach, lift your arms and legs, and hold. Strengthens the lower back for better posture.
5. Bicycle Crunches: Pedal your legs in the air while touching elbow to opposite knee. Enhances core endurance and coordination.

Upper Body Workout for Cyclists

Though cycling is leg-dominant, a strong upper body improves bike handling and stability. Push-ups and shoulder presses enhance upper body strength, posture and control on the bike, while pull-ups and bent-over rows target the back and arms, helping with endurance and power for better hill climbing and handling. Tricep dips help improve arm strength and endurance, reducing fatigue during long rides and enhancing overall pedal stroke efficiency.

1. Push-Ups: Start in a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart, body straight, and core engaged. Lower your chest to the ground by bending your elbows, then push back up to the starting position while keeping your body in a straight line.
2. Pull-Ups: Grab a bar with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, and hang with arms fully extended. Pull your chin above the bar by engaging your back and arm muscles, then lower yourself back down with control.
3. Shoulder Press: Hold a dumbbell or barbell at shoulder height with palms facing forward and elbows bent. Press the weight overhead until your arms are fully extended, then lower it back to the starting position with control.
4. Bent-Over Rows: Hold a barbell or dumbbells with a shoulder-width grip, hinge at your hips to lean forward while keeping your back straight. Pull the weight toward your lower ribs by engaging your back muscles, then lower it back down with control.
5. Tricep Dips: Place your hands on parallel bars or the edge of a sturdy bench, keeping your arms straight and shoulders down. Lower your body by bending your elbows until they reach about 90 degrees, then push back up to the starting position using your triceps.

Resistance Band Workout for Cyclists

Band resistance exercises help you to improve strength, stability, and endurance in key muscle groups used when you cycle. They target the glutes, hips, core, and upper body, enhancing pedal efficiency, posture, and overall power output, while also preventing injury and supporting muscle balance. Try these exercises:

1. Band Squats: Place a resistance band just above your knees and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat, keeping tension on the band, then return to the starting position by driving through your heels.
2. Lateral Band Walks: Place your band around your legs just above your knees, squat slightly, and take small steps to the side while keeping tension on the band. Maintain a low squat position, step sideways for a set distance, then return in the opposite direction.
3. Band Deadlifts: Stand on a resistance band with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the band with both hands in front of your thighs. Hinge at your hips, keeping your back straight and knees slightly bent, then stand up by driving your hips forward, extending your hips and knees while maintaining tension in the band.
4. Standing Band Rows: Anchor a resistance band at waist height, hold the handles with both hands, and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Pull the handles toward your torso, keeping elbows close to your sides and squeezing your shoulder blades together, then slowly return to the starting position.
5. Glute Bridges with Band: Place your band just above your knees and lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Push through your heels to lift your hips towards the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top while keeping tension on the band, then lower your hips back down with control.

Weight Workout Routine for Cyclists (Including Dumbbells)

Still looking for more exercises? (We’re crawling on the floor by now.)
Weight workout routines for cyclists like squats and deadlifts strengthen the glutes, hamstrings, and quads, improving pedal power and endurance. Upper body exercises like shoulder presses and farmer’s carries work the shoulders, arms, and core, helping with stability, posture, and bike handling. Additionally, weight-supported exercises like lunges and step-ups enhance balance and coordination, which are important for maintaining control, especially on varied terrain. Overall, weight workout for cyclists enhances overall strength, reduces fatigue, and helps prevent injuries, all of which contribute to better riding performance.:

1. Goblet Squats: Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell close to your chest with both hands, keeping your elbows pointed down. Squat down by pushing your hips back and bending your knees, keeping your chest up and back straight, then return to standing
2. Dumbbell Step-Ups: Hold a dumbbell in each hand and step onto a bench or platform with one foot. Push through your heel to lift your body up, bringing the other foot to meet the first, then step back down and repeat on the other leg.
3. Romanian Deadlifts: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell or dumbbells in front of your thighs. Hinge at your hips, keeping a slight bend in your knees and your back straight, lowering the weight toward the ground, then return to standing by driving your hips forward.
4. Dumbbell Shoulder Press: Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with your palms facing forward. Press the dumbbells overhead until your arms are fully extended, then lower them back down to shoulder height with control.
5. Farmer’s Carry: Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand at your sides, keeping your shoulders back and core engaged. Walk forward while maintaining a straight posture, keeping the weights stable and avoiding leaning or swaying.

What’s it all good for?

By incorporating a workout routine for cyclists into your training, you’ll unlock better performance, reduce the risk of injury, and become a more well-rounded rider.
At TEAMMC Cycles, we believe that off-bike training is key to improving your cycling performance. But there is more to our cycling world, isn’t there? Whether you’re looking for tips on workouts, nutrition, or bike upgrades, we’re happy to chat.
Drop by the shop for a coffee, ask questions, or join us for one of our weekly rides across London or cycling tours across the UK, Europe, and beyond. We’re all about building a supportive cycling community where we help each other get better – on and off the bike. See you on the road!

🚴‍♂️ Happy Cycling! 🚴‍♀️