Hi @Coach.Spencer.R what are your thoughts on the olympic weightlifting exercises for strength training for cyclists? Once Melbourne gets out of a lockdown I’ll be able to go back to my gym where the coach is a specialist in weightlifting (not crossfit). I still squat a lot and I don’t have any problems performing the snatch or clean and jerk. I started these because I wanted to focus on increasing power but I don’t really know if that is the best to improve cycling ability.
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Hey @PeterG,
I really admire those that have the athletic ability to engage in olympic lifting.
The main aspect I look at when integrating strength training and endurance training is recovery.
Are you able to adapt and absorb the training load and therefore make gains? How has oly lifting affected your cycling before the lockdown?
You can get a lot of opinions on combining olympic lifting and cycling. Having a coach for direct supervision and experience is a big advantage in programming and injury prevention. Here’s an article you can review along with other suggested scientific articles:
My opinion is, if you enjoy it, do it. If you’re not seeing the results you want, do something different. There is no one perfect system and everyone responds to a training stimulus differently. Keep us informed on how it works for you.
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Thanks for the reply. I sometimes get so wrapped up in trying to do what is best that I forget to do what I enjoy.
Having a coach directly supervising the exercises has been great for me. I would never have learnt how to snatch on my own.
I completely agree with the advice to only lift 2x per week. Despite knowing better through past experience, I had a go last year doing 3x per week and it just led to overtraining and burnout. I’ve since cut it back to only the basics and have found it is actually more beneficial to do less. It starts to get scary diving under a loaded bar when your quads are toast at the end of a training block.
One good thing to come out of this lockdown is I have a clear picture of the benefits of strength training. I haven’t been able to lift weights for 5 months and the differences I feel on the bike are now quite obvious. My glutes, quads and lower back get much more fatigued and sore especially on sessions like GOAT or Power Station and the reduced core strength has made high cadence efforts so much harder.
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A quick update: I am doing the modified 5x5 routine I posted earlier in this topic and I am having so much fun!
Thank you @Coach.Spencer.R for helping out and giving me some pointers.
So far my progression is going as planned. The weight for each exercise is still quite low and I can concentrate on proper technique. Each session I only increase between 1 and 2 Kg per exercise. I still get the feeling that at the end of october it will start getting interesting.
I am excited to figure out if I can manage to keep increasing the weight and still do all my planned cycling without the one hindering the other.
At the same time I am starting to think about a strategy in case I stall with adding more weight…
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Hey @Pierre,
That’s great news! There are always ways to modify/change routines to prevent going stale both on and off the bike. Cheers!
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Looks that I am like you, looking for general improvement, incorporate biking as primal but running and strength training also. Because there is not such a builtin plan currently (that I like to very much to have) what is your current plan? I am kind of in-between now and looking or to follow again some APR or Gran Fondo but it is not 100% what I really want.
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I’m doing the All Purpose Road, with strength and yoga, and couldn’t be happier at the moment.
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Quick update: I really enjoy the weightlifting part of my training. So much that I changed up my routine, again.
At the same time, I felt I got too hung up with my 4DP numbers and ran the danger of burning out. This mix up over the winter month will hopefully bring my maximum potential of joy back into training and at the same time prevent possible overtraining.
I „hacked“ a novice APRoad plan to accommodate three weightlifting sessions and I am back on the standard StrongLifts 5x5 routine. I dropped half of the cycling workouts on the weekend to lower the training load and moved a few advanced yoga and technique driven workouts around.
I think it looks good. I am starting this month with a heavy emphasis on strength and yoga. If this means dropping even more cycling workouts or lowering intensities - okay.
To go further in my cycling journey, I need to ride less, I think. At least for a while.
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Would you also be adding some training plans to this portion of the app using TRX straps? That would be AWESOME!
What is your weight? You are lifting a lot heavier than me. I’m around 155lbs.
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THREAD REVIVAL!
I picked up an old used weight bench set with the plastic and concrete Weider weights and some nice classic iron plates. Similar to another’s post in this thread, I’m a middle aged lady needing to build bone density while I still have a chance to.
First, thanks to all for posting your workout sets/schedules and tips - I printed a few off.
Next question, for my fellow lady Sufferlandrians, when you began training, did you lift to muscle exhaustion, or just stick to number of reps/sets and build?
I am seeing different advice all over the web (obviously ha), and I would trust advice here over clickbait elsewhere. (I won’t be able to hire a trainer which obviously would be the best bet for a beginner. I do have some friends who have trained that can assist me in form)
Just want to know if I should aim for muscle exhaustion or not (that’s what I do out in the yard, so I am hoping the advice is not to!)
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If youre JUST getting into it, definitely dont start to failuee or you will DIEEEE from the DOMS and get an injury. To truly lift heavy, your form needs to be spectacular.
I’d recommend doing 5 sets of 5 reps to start. Its in line with lifting heavy but start with no weight to the lightest you have so you get used to the movement and holding a thing.
Core core core core core. You cant do enough core work to support lifting heavy.
Then I reackon once you’re in a routine of 3 days a week and have managed that for say 2-3 weeks, start upping the weights. If your weights are VERY light (e.g. 1kg dumbell) just a jump to a 4kg dumbell. Once I started upping thr weights, if the new weight felt super easy and nowhere near failure and no Doms, Id up in 2kg increments each session until I found the weight where I was starting to work. You can go up 5kg increments on big bar movements.
Once you start getting to the point where its heavy…do 5x5 and then when you increase weights (in smaller increments now, Im doing 1.25kg increases on bench for e.g.) drop your sets to 3. So 3x5. Work back up over sessions to 5x5 again, so extra set each session. Then up the weight and drop back tk 3 sets. You want to be failing on the last rep of each set.
Keep it short. Few sets. Few reps. Ignore every male who tells you otherwise. Lift so heavy you need a full 3 min rest between sets. And please please PLEASE get a spotter for bench or spotter arms at a pinch. Definitel get a rack with spotter arms for squats. I see you dont have one. Youll.want to do squats and when doing yhem heavy, snatching a heavy bar up is heinous.
You can do deadlifts too. I do 1 set of 5 and working back up to >body weight now
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Oh wow, thank you so much the three comprehensive answer Dame Lisa! I have printed off your reply to keep handy.
It is great to see a brief setup to heavy overview (tbh I don’t think I’ll get to heavy but we will see).
I’ll watch for that type of rack.
Been experimenting with some post activation sets. For example: 3x (6 reps squats at 70% followed immediately by 6 box jumps/3min rest)
Another is 3x( 6 deadlift reps @70% followed immediately by 8 banded vertical jumps/3 min rest)…Seems to be improving power on the bike.
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I would note that to the best of my knowledge, there are very few (standard) exercises where you can’t do a variation with dumbbells instead of a barbell. And using dumbbells reduces the chance of crushage.
(I am in the boat of having no spotter, or room for a squat rack, so the barbell is laying neglected).
Agreed on the start light…you don’t want DOMS getting in the way of your Suffering on the bike, after all!
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Thanks for the reminder! I’m also in a situation where my ceiling where the weight bench is, is too low to do standing overhead press for example. I don’t want to attempt anything like deadlifts without some training first anyway so will ignore that for starters. I have looked up the z press as an alternative but, until I add the squat track with spotter arms to my setup I won’t be doing those either.
I got a few training plans from “women who lift weights” and “couch to barbell” have started off with lifting bar only bench press, seated overhead press, no weight squats and hip hinges and yoga ball bicep curls.
with my life load right now, i feel it’s a good place to start. I was surprised to find by the end of the bench press sets that I was a little shaky. I am really starting from a low base here.
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I’m going to second what Dame Lisa posted.
I have been lifting for 40+ years. First as a compliment to my cycling and running and later to help be in shape for my profession (public safety/emergency response). As you have said, there is A LOT of stuff out there and a lot of ‘bro science’ regarding weight lifting. Over the years I’ve done several well designed programs (Rippetoe’s Starting Strength, Bony to Beastly by Shane Duquette and now Mehdi’s StrongLifts).
A good 5x5 program that is appropriate for beginners (and seasoned lifters) is the StrongLifts 5x5 program (https://stronglifts.com/). The focus is on a handful of compound lifts (squat, bench press, rows, deadlifts and overhead press). Medhi, the guy who built the program has a daily email where he discusses it and presents scientific research on ‘why’ the lifts do what they do. I ended up getting the app (one time fee) and love it.
So a couple of tips. If you get to a weight that you can’t make all the reps, back off the weight. Ego gets in the way of gains. If you need to stay at a weight for several sessions, no problem. This is a big mental game for me and I find the app keeps me from cheating…it will deload my weight if I don’t make it.
Bench press: you mentioned being shaky. One thing most people miss is driving their feet into the ground and having that tension through the lower body. Keep your hips and butt planted on the bench, though. Anytime I feel like I may not make a bench lift, I concentrate on forcing my feet into the floor.
Squats: Your thighs should be parallel with the floor in the lowest position. You don’t need to go lower. I put an exercise step behind me and when my butt touches it, I. start to go back up. That makes sure I can get the right depth. It also gives me the option of just sitting down and slowly dumping the bar behind me if I can’t make it back up. Knock on wood, I have never had to dump a bar while doing squats.
Deadlift. Don’t be scared of them. It is a hip movement not a leg movement. The bar should be in contact with your shins when you are lifting. Personally, I like the hex bar as it gets the weights in line with my legs (and center of gravity) versus in front of it. Do the deadlifts as sets of singles (go all the way to the floor, pause and then do the next). That will slow down the lift and help prevent injury.
Overhead press: probably my scariest lift. It is the lightest of all and the most pressure on my back. I use a lifting belt (Rogue Toomey) which reminds me to tighten my core.
Rows: Again, one that I need to remember to tighten the core and brace when I’m doing them, so the lifting belt is usually on then.
I do some curls, tricep extensions, ab rollouts and other accessory work after the main workout but I don’t do a lot of different variations.
Even with all of these, I am still a big fan of kettlebell swings to work the glutes and hip flexors. I tend to do those as a separate workouts (10 sets of 15 reps on 1 minute intervals).
One of the biggest challenges is doing all this while riding (and running and swimming). If I have an endurance workout, that is done prior to lifting (ride/run/swim in the morning, lift in the evening). If I have an interval workout, I try NOT to do it the morning after lifting (usually an endurance ride or recovery ride). I have also learned not to start a ride training plan for an event and a lifting plan at the same time…8 to 10 weeks into it I’m at high intensity in both! (I won’t tell you how many years it took me to figure that out…).
Another Sufferlandrian who lifts is Dame Kis in the FB group. She may be someone to reach out to regarding her experiences. I have a friend who is a personal trainer who specializes in Olympic weight lifting that I can bounce questions off too.
Here’s my pain cave (deluxe model) that has been being built since 2008… GvA would approve of the amount of Holy Water shed here.
Good luck and happy lifting!
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I like dumbbells (or any unilateral weight…even holding a weight plate in hands) for developing strength when there is a disparity (one arm stronger than the others). The downside is that 1) you either need several dumbbells or an adjustable one and 2) the amount of weight is limited so most people do more reps and end up really sore.
One thing you can do with the barbell is a floor press. That is a bench press done laying on the floor. You can use a couple of chairs to hold the bar if you need extra clearance or want to start at the top of the movement. The bottom part of the movement is restricted by the floor.
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Some nice tips there from Chris!
One thing I will note on squats and dead lift…do you have very long legs, specifically your femurs? Men tend to be the same leg to torso ratio but women can vary wildly proportionately. Ive had to adapt my squats and DL because of my femur length, particularly squats, otherwise I’ll end up falling over backwards doing a standard squat.
You likely have a 20kg mens bar. I’ve just switched to a 15kg womens bar. It’s quite nice because it snaps quicker and, of course, gives an easier transition from nothing to bare bar lifts. Sounds like you’re doing just fine, tho.
@Chris_Wright kettlebells are the bomb. Just got back into them. I used to do them a lot. I’m hoping to add a plyo box to my setup this year and a few more plates. I need some teeny 1.25s so I can increment up a bit better and a next set up of big plates and dumbells.
Question for you, tho…what do you recommend for mid to lower back core work. Because for my overhead press, I can feel that’s the weak point. Please dont tell me to do supermans 
i haaaate them.
@Isa I suspect you’ll get to lifting heavy fairly quickly once you get into it. When I first started lifting I was doing too many sets and reps and battled to progress. Am doing much better now and able to progress quite quickly and beyond my previous PRs. I remember when I started, my overhead press was a battle with even àn empty 15kg bar. I had to use a mini bar starting at like 8kg and never got beyond 15kg. But now with the change to 3x5 sets and working up to 5x5 then dropping the number of sets back down to 3 with any increase in weight, I’ve moved up to 32.5kg in just 8 weeks from starting again from scratch which I find absolutely fascinating. Just remember to keep the reps and sets low and the weights up and youll be just fine.
I wrote down my horrible core session for you if you like torture and towards helping get yourself core strengthened for lifting heavy:
Warmup (I do toe taps on stairs and lateral runs with a band)
Then I do these excercises in pairs and switch between them with no break:
Ball throws and ball slams
Ab raise (like a crunch but holding a weight overhead) and bicycle crunch
Lateral lifts with a weight and side raises (hate)
Lateral core swings (holding a weight overhead, lying down with legs bent and stationary, twist to lower arms from straight overhead to the grund beside you) and window wipers (legs up and lower to each side, back flat and arms out)
Deadbugs and tricept lift
Plank and clocks (plank but work your feet round in a circle around your pivoting hands, like a clock)
A snapshot of my setup. Ive also got a yoga mat and slam balls set up behind me.
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Aaargg plyo, so good for one but gosh I hate it so much. This sounds pu ishing but beneficial.
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