Upper body complementary training

It is vital that you train your whole body. Yes, legs are important but you need a strong core and upper body for improved stamina/breathing etc. More focus will be done on legs still but it's good to train both.

Belovedad said:

It is vital that you train your whole body. Yes, legs are important but you need a strong core and upper body for improved stamina/breathing etc. More focus will be done on legs still but it's good to train both.

I always thought that to improve stamina you have to do plenty aerobic workouts (cardio). Anaerobics also contributes to improve stamina but for a lesser extent.

Which anaerobic exercices do you perform?

You know cycling itself is referred to as an anaerobic exercise. I believe they can help with stamina to a good extent as you train your body to maximize its potential with the decrease of oxygen. I believe they can improve your strength, speed and power. I like to do mainly sprints and low reps-heavy mass lifting.

Personally I concentrate on cardio and leg workouts but it's important to train your whole body also.

Having a full fitness regime in place is better for cycling, even though you can target specific parts of your body to increase stamina or certain other aspects you might think need working on a bit more.

I personally train my whole body to make of cycling a better experience and something more enjoyable, however you should start doing push ups and pull ups to somehow traing your upper body, believe me, these are two of the most powerful exercices ever, you should try them out every days.

Belovedad said:

You know cycling itself is referred to as an anaerobic exercise. I believe they can help with stamina to a good extent as you train your body to maximize its potential with the decrease of oxygen. I believe they can improve your strength, speed and power. I like to do mainly sprints and low reps-heavy mass lifting.

Actually no, cycling is an aerobic exercise. Cycling is aerobic, just like running, skating, cross-country skiing, rowing. You can go anaerobic for short efforts, but that quickly builds lactic acid which slows performance. It's why sprinters can only really sprint for 20-30 seconds, and need to rely on a leadout team to get them very close to the finish before they "pull the trigger" and go to full anaerobic power. To compete in cycling you'll need a high VO2 max, which goes with high aerobic power output (eg, FTP) relative to bodyweight.

The ability to lift heavy weights very slowly for a few reps (ie, strength) means nothing to a cyclist because it uses the "fast-twitch" muscle fibers and the "wrong" metabolic pathways. You need to do sustained aerobic training to improve capillaries, mitochondria, heart, liver, cardio-vascular system. And you need to train your legs to move fast while pushing the pedals, because producing power requires both force and cadence.

dhk2 said:

Actually no, cycling is an aerobic exercise. Cycling is aerobic, just like running, skating, cross-country skiing, rowing. You can go anaerobic for short efforts, but that quickly builds lactic acid which slows performance. It's why sprinters can only really sprint for 20-30 seconds, and need to rely on a leadout team to get them very close to the finish before they "pull the trigger" and go to full anaerobic power. To compete in cycling you'll need a high VO2 max, which goes with high aerobic power output (eg, FTP) relative to bodyweight.

The ability to lift heavy weights very slowly for a few reps (ie, strength) means nothing to a cyclist because it uses the "fast-twitch" muscle fibers and the "wrong" metabolic pathways. You need to do sustained aerobic training to improve capillaries, mitochondria, heart, liver, cardio-vascular system. And you need to train your legs to move fast while pushing the pedals, because producing power requires both force and cadence.

Thats correct. Anaerobics exercises are meant to cause the formation of lactic acid in order to develop fast switch muscle fibers, and cause a
great deal of muscle fatigue. Lower intensity exercises allow you to improve endurance and better oxygen intake but they don't develop the power required in short burst perfomances.

In truth, upper-body work is practically useless for top-end cycling performance. It might even hinder you, depending on what sort of athletic factors are important to you in your own riding career.

However.....

.....many of us are not solely cyclists. If you are a triathlete, a crossfitter, or a multi-sport practitioner, than yes, upper-body work is crucial. I never neglect upper-body work myself, and actually enjoy it just as a change of pace from endurance based activity.

Yes, agree that some upper body work is good for us as cyclists. Not to improve performance directly, but to keep us riding pain-free. Before I did core work in the gym, abs and back, was experiencing a lot of lower back pain on longer rides. Now that's all gone, and cycling is a lot more enjoyable. Also upper back and shoulder strength and flexibility seems to help prevent pain on longer rides. And for me, I believe daily stretching helps prevent problems.

Cycling is a very specific sport, done mostly in one seated position. I think some upper body strength and flexibility conditioning can help to keep us in the game for a long time.

Hey, I totally agree with you! Upper body work may not directly improve performance, but it definitely keeps us pain-free on challenging rides. Strengthening the core, abs, and back has made a huge difference for me too. Plus, upper back and shoulder strength and daily stretching are crucial for preventing discomfort. Cycling might focus on the legs, but taking care of the upper body is essential. Keep riding strong! 🙂