Sometimes for us cyclists the biggest performance gains to be had are actually found off of the road bike. As we start to approach winter, consider building in some of these exercises in your regular routine and you'll start to see some massive improvements in your overall and on the bike fitness. It's not just big power numbers you can expect to see but also on bike stability and more efficient riding positions are going to be more easily sustained.
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00:00It might sound counterintuitive, but the best way to improve your cycling
00:03isn't necessarily through more cycling. Quite the opposite, in fact. Supplementing your riding
00:10with off-the-bike cross-training helps address those aspects of your fitness which don't get
00:14sufficiently developed through riding alone, but nevertheless are still crucial for your
00:19cycling performance. After all, it's no coincidence that essentially every professional cyclist
00:25includes regular off-the-bike exercises as part of their training plans. But unlike professional
00:31cyclists, not all of us have the time, money, or inclination to put in all the hours at the gym.
00:37So we've spoken to Dan Lachiofano, owner of Surrey Strength and Performance Gym, and Sam Mack,
00:42a chartered physiotherapist at the St. James Clinic in London, to get their expert recommendations
00:48of what five of the best home exercises are for maximum gains. And all of these can be done without
00:55any specialist equipment, so let's get into them. First up, we have Bulgarian split squats. Now,
01:02this is a unilateral or single leg exercise and is hugely beneficial to cyclists because
01:07it's essentially a two-in-one. The muscles targeted are your quadriceps and hamstrings,
01:12essentially both sides of your thighs, as well as your gluteus maximus, helping to boost your
01:17anaerobic power output for improved sprinting and efforts up to short to mid-sized climbs.
01:22Being a unilateral exercise, it also places demands on your balance and stability. Through
01:28controlling your knee direction and making sure it doesn't buckle inwards, you'll be improving
01:32your joint stability, which in turn will help reduce chances of overuse injuries whilst on the
01:38bike. The way to do this exercise is rest one foot on a bench or seat at approximately knee height,
01:45assume the forward lunge position, keeping the body upright, hip square with the rear foot resting on
01:50the bench. Lower the front leg to 90 degrees, keeping the knee aligned with the foot. Drive up through
01:56the hill to straighten the knee back to the starting position and aim to do 10 to 12 reps on each leg.
02:02After doing both legs, take up a two-minute rest and repeat this for up to five sets. Doing fewer reps
02:07and fewer sets initially as you build up your conditioning is ideal. Next, we have the good old-fashioned
02:15press-up, beloved by fitness classes throughout the world and with good reason. Although upper body
02:21exercises may seem superfluous for a cyclist, developing your upper body strength helps make
02:27it easier to maintain your riding position on the bike and is especially beneficial for sprinters who
02:32need to be able to counteract the forces they're putting down through the pedals.
02:36You should aim to keep the elbows tucked in so you're working the triceps more and to reduce the risk of injury
02:41to the shoulders as well as keeping your core tight and your body straight. Aim to be in control of the
02:47movement. Other than that, you should start off by placing your hands below the shoulder, slightly
02:52wider than shoulder width. Keep your shoulders, hips and ankles in a straight line. Bend your elbows to
02:58lower your chest just above the floor, keeping the elbows close to the chest. Then push back up to the
03:04start position. Aim for 10 to 15 reps, then two minutes rest and then try and do that for five sets.
03:09Again, fewer reps and fewer sets is recommended for those just starting out.
03:16With the Mason twists, we have yet another dynamic exercise, only this time you're starting to work
03:21the core and the obliques much harder. Strength in this area helps prevent rocking from side to side
03:27whilst riding, meaning less power wasted. Now, stabilising lateral movement in this way is
03:32fundamental to maintaining good form on the bike, making you more efficient and reducing your risk of
03:38injury. If you have a hardwood and floor, you may wish to place a blanket or cushion or yoga mat if you
03:43have one under your bum to relieve the pressure on your coccyx. Now, the way to do this exercise is as
03:49follows. Sit on the floor with your knees bent, lean back roughly to about 45 degrees, keeping your back
03:55straight. With both hands in front of your chest, tighten the core and lift both legs off the floor.
04:01Rotate your arms from side to side, touching the floor around waist level and then twist to the
04:06opposite side to do the same. You can aim for 10 reps and then take a two-minute rest before repeating
04:12for up to five sets. Or you can build up the reps and sets from whatever level suits you.
04:17Now, you can make this exercise harder by holding a dumbbell or if you don't have one,
04:22then you can fill a two-litre bottle of water and hold that instead.
04:25Next up, we have the bridge. Now, for those just starting out, the bridge is a great exercise for
04:32developing your back and your core. Again, vital for your stability and maintaining your position
04:38on the bike. The bridge also helps to develop your hamstrings and gluteus, but less so than the split
04:43squats we did earlier. So, the way to do these ones is lie yourself on the floor with your knees bent at
04:50roughly 90 degrees with your feet flat and your arms by your side. Lift your hips up off the floor
04:56until the knees, hips and shoulders are in a straight line. Squeeze the glutes and tighten the
05:01core to prevent excessive load through the back. Then hold for two to three seconds for isometric
05:06contraction and then slowly relax. Now, if that's a bit too easy for you, then you can step things up a
05:12notch by resting your shoulders on a bench, sofa or chair and start with both your feet and bum on the
05:18ground. Then, with one leg, lift up so you're straight like a tabletop, being careful not to
05:23overextend, return and then repeat. As you'll just be using one leg and because your range of motion will
05:30be much greater, you'll be increasing both the demand on your muscles and also helping to develop
05:35your stability in your joints and your core. Now, for both of these, aim for between 10 to 15 reps
05:41and take up to two minutes rest in between. You probably know the drill by now. You should aim for up
05:46to five sets. We're going to end on a tough one here. If you're not yet able to do the full number
05:53of reps and sets for the split squats and single leg hip thrusts, it will be best for you to leave
06:00this one out. On the other hand, those exercises will provide really good conditioning for pistol
06:05squats. So, in time, you'll be able to build up the strength to progress. Stand with your feet hip
06:11width apart. Extend your chosen leg forwards with your toes pointed up. Extend your arms out in front of
06:16your leg. Bend your other knee and slowly lower yourself to the ground. Pause and then straighten
06:21back up. Your extended leg should stay lifted for the whole of the duration. Then switch up and then repeat.
06:28This exercise is the most demanding for both muscular strength and stability, making it the most effective
06:35for boosting your cycling performance. But on the other hand, you might not be able to do it on your first try.
06:40Now, if you're not able to, but you do want to flesh out your session with a full five exercises,
06:46try a deep step up using a bench, chair or low wall as an alternative. Now, if you can get to the point
06:52where you can do 10 reps on each leg for five sets, then you will have definitely noticed a massive
06:58difference in your cycling performance.
07:00So there we have it. Those are our five favorite exercises to do at home with very minimal equipment.
07:08If you've got any at-home exercises, then do share them down in the comments. If you enjoyed the video,
07:13drop it a like, subscribe to the channel for more content, and I'll see you again very soon.