Weight Training

There was just a thread on this

http://www.cyclingforums.com/t126133.html

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Utah roadie
Hey,

I've heard that weight training isn't helpful for endurance athletes, and I agree. But, does lifting weights help your climbing strength and ability at all? What about sprints?

Here's some other info...

http://www.trainright.com/page.asp?page_id=content&page_content=A-8&CategoryID=66&ArticleID=7#article

No single muscular activity or demand is quite the same thing. I personally like to squat with weights even though I now devote more time to cycling but squatting doesn't work the thigh muscles in the same way as climbing a 20% hill does. You need to actively climb every kind of hill in order to become a good climber.
Being able to squat heavy doesn't necessarily mean you can leg-press big weights and if you can do leg-presses as Lance Armstrong does, that doesn't automatically mean you'll be able to squat. (personally I think leg-presses are useless for cyclists).Neither is a a lat pull-down on a machine a good means of being able to chin your own bodyweight to the bar.
Weight-training won't specifically make you a better climber since climbing muscles are developed via climbing. However, squatting will develop power throughout the whole body, strengthening the back and hips. It creates endurance throughout the whole body which is why Russian astronauts train very hard with weights before going into space - where musle tends to wither. However, this is physical muscular endurance, not aerobic endurance and has different advantages.
Whether you weight-train or not boils down to personal choice. It will help some aspects of your cycling if overall power is what you're seeking.
One of the main uses, however, is to select your ideal weight for riding. Some riders who go up from 160 - 170 pounds may certainly find they ride better at 170 just as boxers have discovered a rise or drop in bodyweight has helped them win bouts. Lose too much weight and you can lose power. Put on too much muscle mass and you could have problems. Finding your ideal bodyweight sounds a bit like finding which gears on the bike make you faster, big cogs or smaller cogs. But weight-training allows you to put weight on if you so desire.
All I can say is if you do weight train, warm up thoroughly and never jerk or bounce.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Utah roadie
Hey,

I've heard that weight training isn't helpful for endurance athletes, and I agree. But, does lifting weights help your climbing strength and ability at all? What about sprints?