The best leg exercises for road cyclists
Targeted single-leg exercises will help protect your joints and prevent muscle imbalances
Road cyclists have a complicated relationship with leg exercises. While mountain bikers and track cyclists enjoy a heavy session in the gym, many road cyclists fear that lifting weights will give them muscular legs, which will only weigh them down in the mountains. But while it is true that road cyclists don’t need highly developed musculature, ignoring leg exercises altogether will leave you vulnerable to injuries and muscle imbalances. That’s why most savvy pro cyclists still commit to regular but highly targeted leg exercises.
“In 2017-18 I went wrong and was putting on too much muscle so I have stripped that back and I now focus on really cycling-specific exercises,” explains Team Ineos rider Ben Swift. “The main one is the Bulgarian split squat: it’s a very functional, single-leg exercise that is perfect for cyclists because when you are pedalling you are only using one leg at a time. Also, we don’t want to put muscle on our arms so it is better to do exercises that don’t involve lifting heavy weights on your arms. With a Bulgarian split squat, most of the weight is carried on your back, so you’re not building unwanted muscle in your arms.”
To perform a Bulgarian split squat – which will strengthen your quads, glutes and hamstrings all at once – start by placing one foot on a bench or chair behind you. Keeping your posture upright, lower your front leg into a forward lunge – until your thigh is almost horizontal – then drive back up through your foot. Once you’ve perfected your technique, you can hold a barbell on your back for extra weight. Aim for 3 x 10 reps with each leg.
Swift also does single-leg presses on a leg press machine in the gym. “You can really ramp the weight up because you don’t have to hold any weight in your arms,” he explains. You can do your own leg press workout at home by lying on your back, wrapping a heavy resistance band around one foot, and driving that leg upwards and away from you.
“THE BULGARIAN SPLIT SQU AT IS A F UNC T ION A L , SINGLE LEG EXERCISE: PERFECT FOR CYCLISTS”