Conquer Hills with Confidence:

Why every Cyclist needs Strength Training

This week on Cycle Scribe, the first part of a series of articles about building strength, part one of a complete program, to help you become a stronger cyclist, and deliver all the longevity benefits that strength training brings too.

I recently started working with Andrew Harding at Cycle Strength. Andy is a leading coach who specialises in strength work for cyclists, specifically, those over 40 years of age

Over the next couple of months Andy and I will be working to bring you actionable information, direct to your inbox, on how a focussed strength training program can help you improve your riding.

In the next few weeks we will cover:

• Why every cyclist, particularly those over 40, needs strength training

• The science behind strength training – how to pedal stronger and recover faster

• Building power off the bike – why the gym can be your secret weapon

• How to make yourself bullet proof, avoiding injuries.

• Nutritional changes to boost the benefits of strength training

• Finally, how strength training can help you live stronger for longer.

In each article, we will share the research behind the programs. Andy will provide a detailed guide to the specific strength exercises proposed.

We will look at how to get started, safely, how this type of work enhances performance, and how to balance strength work within your cycling program.

Andy is a certified personal trainer specialising in strength and conditioning and helping cyclists improve stability, endurance and power. Andy knows first-hand, how crucial strength training becomes as you get older.

After suffering a stroke at age 39, he had to rebuild everything from scratch—starting with short walks and eventually getting back to serious riding. Through that recovery, he discovered just how powerful strength training is for improving resilience, protecting against injury, and unlocking performance on the bike.

Now, he helps other over-40s ride stronger for longer with a no-nonsense approach that combines smart, time-efficient training with accountability and real-life flexibility. Check out his web site at:

Cycle Strength Website

Here is a link to Andy’s testimonials:

Testimonials

I am delighted to be working with Andy.

Why every cyclist over 40 needs strength training

As we get older, our muscles change. It starts around the age of 30. We lose between 3 and 8% of our muscle mass, strength, and physical performance every decade. This accelerates to ~15% after the age of 70.

The rate of progression depends on physical activity levels, nutrition, (protein and vitamin D for example) hormonal changes, diseases like diabetes, plus the compounding effects of inflammation and oxidative stress over time. It is accompanied by loss of bone density and potentially failing joints too.

The process of muscle loss, known as Sarcopenia, brings with it a slowing of post exercise recovery and an increased risk of injury. As you reach a greater age, it might also mean you can’t lift your grandchildren up to give them a hug or put your own case in the overhead locker of a plane. You might not catch yourself so easily, if you start to fall. There is no point a 70 year old having the cardiovascular system of a 40 year old if they keep falling over! The mortality rates among old people who break a hip or a femur are alarmingly high.

And Sarcopenia also effects your cycling. Power falls away, your ability to win a town-sign sprint or be first to the top of a hill, diminishes. Your endurance might not fade quite so quickly, but do not be fooled, this too will start to diminish.

Strength Training: Providing answers:

Strength and resistance training has multiple benefits, not only for cycling but for how your life might turn out in future.

• It boosts Testosterone levels, which in turn promotes muscle protein synthesis, leading to mass, strength and recover gains.

• More Growth Factor is released, supporting muscle regeneration and repair as well as fat metabolism.

• Cortisol levels are temporarily raised helping energy release.

• Insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism is improved.

• For women, oestrogen and progesterone levels are raised, helping to preserve muscle mass and bone density.

I looked at many of these magic molecules in a recent piece on this platform. Here is the link:

Magic Molecules

If all that were not enough, all the endorphins your body releases helps your mood.

Making a Start:

The upsides of strength training are well recognised, but how do you start to become a stronger rider, less prone to injury?

How do you start turning around the decline in performance that does not need to be regarded as inevitable?

What is the best form of strength exercise not only to help you keep hold of your Strava KOM/QOM’s, or climb mountains on holidays with the real sense of accomplishment that brings?

Andy will provide all the details you need on the following:

• How to get started safely?

• How often?

• How heavy?

• How many reps?

These are based on the things that work for Andy’s clients now. We will also provide examples of exercises that work: Emphasising:

• How to make you stronger on the bike.

• How to improve mobility.

• Exercises that will enhance your stability on the bike and in everything you do.

We will also provide access to video’s that are not in the public domain and only available to Andy’s exclusive clients.

It is vital NOT to wait for an injury to tell you what you need to do. Do not wait until your performance starts to fall off a cliff.

This detailed plan is available now to paid subscribers to Cycle Scribe.

We will build all this into a complete program over the next few weeks.

This information will be made available as a printable PDF, for the benefit of all paid subscribers and all those who sign up with Andy for one of his excellent programs.

You can find out more about Andy and Cycling Strength by clicking on this link:

Cycle Strength

You can sign up for a Free One to One consultation with Andy by clicking this link:

Free One to One

So the sooner you start on a program of Strength training, the better. Simply put:

Having more muscle mass as a result of putting them to work, will not only slow the rate of muscle loss, that muscle loss will be starting from a higher base.