The Secret To Speed

We’ve discovered the secret to speed, and it doesn’t involve your bike. A simple weights workout will have you racing past your mates in no time.

weight training for cyclists: more weight, fewer reps, and more sets, with more rest in between. DeVore calls these shorter sets ‘ minisets’. The resting periods between them enable you to avoid hitting the point at which your muscles overheat and fatigue, so you can do more total reps at higher resistance. “You’re extending the period of time that you’re at or close to your maximum output,” he says. By forcing the body to spend more time at its all- out effort level, you’re training it to be more resistant to fatigue, boosting your MSP.

His programme prescribes lifting progressively heavier amounts (safely, of course), in a series of exercises that targets cycling muscles such as your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. As you get stronger in the gym, DeVore says you get more return out of your rides, too: “You will produce higher wattage – and bigger overloads – resulting in greater adaptations each ride.”

DeVore says a 40-minute Maximum Overload workout can replace hours of saddle time – an effective way for time- crunched riders to get faster. It’s worked for elite athletes, too; former pro cyclist Dave Zabriskie saw a 15 per cent increase in power output in four months using DeVore’s programme while riding less in the early season. And DeVore promises you won’t gain weight: “This is not bodybuilding. This is increasing muscle efficiency.”