Endurance Lifting: Resistance Training for the Competitive Endurance Rider
I am a strong advocate of resistance training as a means to increase strength during the off season. A useful resistance program should focus on the specific demands your particular racing discipline. This does away with the notion of a standardized resistance program that works best for all types of cyclists. As an endurance rider you depend more on muscular strength and aerobic endurance than on raw power. The Endurance Lifting Program was created to develop these critical elements of competitive performance for endurance road, track and mountain bike riders.
Traditional heavy lifting programs have always focused on excessive development of power and strength at the expense of muscular endurance and aerobic efficiency. In reality, your body of will not carry excess muscle that is not being used and the muscle will atrophy over time. The Endurance Lifting Program is designed to develop an appropriate amount of highly functional and aerobic fit muscle that quickly adapts to the demands of training on the bike.
The objective of any cross training work, including resistance work, is to build strength and maintain fitness while giving the athlete a much needed break from the intense demands of competition. Endurance Lifting uses the rider’s capacity for repeated, moderate to high intensity efforts to produce dramatic gains in muscular strength and aerobic efficiency. The great benefit to endurance lifting is that the muscles are never worked to failure allowing the rider to continue training on the bike to maintaining precious aerobic fitness, efficient pedal mechanics. At the completion of the endurance lifting program the athlete is fit, strong, mentally fresh and ready for harder training on the bike.
Rider Profile
I coach a master’s athlete who really likes to drive the iron in the off-season. He’s a strong road and track rider and a natural sprinter. He’s not a real big guy; 180cm and 66kg, but he has a wicked jump and likes bulk up and keep a good snap in his legs during the off season. He had always done a lot of power lifting and, during the winter of 1994-95, he made incredible gains in the gym. After a very disciplined 16-week program, he max’ed out on the incline leg press at an astonishing 10RM/1250 lb.
During the winter months followed a low-key base miles program that included riding a fixed gear to maintain pedal mechanics. He was really strong and fit for the beginning of the season but as time went on I noticed a significant change in his body composition. A noticeable percentage of the muscle mass in his legs atrophied from lack of use and it became obvious that he had built an impressive amount of muscle that he really didn’t need for bike racing. We started thinking of alternatives for his strength training but did not come up with anything until the following winter.
That winter he learned of a radically different weight training program from one of his lifting partners, a retired national level speed skater. We mulled it over and after a few modifications specific to endurance cycling we had the beginnings of the Endurance Lifting Program. The results of his resistance training on this new program were nothing short of he remarkable. He built strong and well conditioned cycling muscles, stayed very fit, maintained excellent pedal mechanics and was never overworked or at risk of injury. But the most important aspect was that the gains in strength were long lasting and 100 percent useful from the very start of the season. The endurance lifting concept had worked perfectly.
The Endurance Lifting Program
Endurance lifting is simple yet challenging and effective program packaged into a high reps/high sets routine that is fast paced and highly aerobic. The exercises target all of the major legs muscle groups and have optional single leg exercises to isolate weaknesses and develop muscular balance. There is no maximum lifting so the risk of injury is greatly reduced.
The program builds a significant amount of useful muscle, maintains a high level of aerobic fitness, improves capillarization and helps maintain muscle memory and pedal mechanics. Muscles are never worked to failure so recovery time is reduced allowing more time on the bike.
The program spans 16 weeks and is divided into three phases. Transition/Strength, Endurance Lifting and Transition/Adaptation. It is recommended that the program be scheduled to conclude 4-6 weeks before the start of regular competition to allow for a block of conditioning and adaptation on the bike.
Phase #1: Transition/Strength, 4 weeks
The Transition/Strength phase is designed to adapt and condition the entire body to resistance training using a standard circuit training program.
Circuit training uses standard exercises to isolate the major push/pull muscle groups and address specific weaknesses. The pace is brisk and each station alternates from upper body to lower body muscle groups with no rest between stations. At 18-20 reps/station, a full circuit takes about 10-12 minutes and is followed by a 5-minute rest.
Weeks #1 and #2 progressively build from 2 to 3 sessions per week and from 2-3 circuits per session up to three circuits per session two times per week. Weeks #3 and #4 add a third session and build up to 20 reps/exercise. Training sessions should be spaced by a rest day.
Transition/Strength Circuit Training Program / Weeks 1-4
Week # 1, 2 sessions of 2 circuits x 15 reps/exercise
Week # 2, 3 sessions of 2 circuits x 18 reps/exercise
Week # 3, 3 sessions of 3 circuits x 18 reps/exercise
Week # 4, 3 sessions of 3 circuits x 20 reps/exercise
Phase #2: Endurance Lifting, 8 weeks
The endurance lifting phase of the program is designed to build strength, power and stamina with a focus on the lower body and the five major cycling muscle groups; Flexors, Extensors and Rotators of the hip, Flexors and Extensors of the knee, Adductors and Abductors of the thigh and Flexors and Extensors of the ankle. Recovery work is done on the bike using a fixed gear or small gears and brisk pedal cadence.
The goal is to develop not only muscular strength and endurance but also maintain aerobic fitness and good pedal mechanics. The training and is limited to three sessions per week with a rest day between sessions. There are six primary exercises in the program; Leg Press, Quad Extension, Hamstring Curl, Lunge Press, Semi Stiff Leg Dead lift and Knee Raises. Inner and outer thigh work is added to maintain muscular balance and minimize knee injury and lliotibial band stress.
Squats are neither prescribed nor recommended for the program. The high number of sets and reps greatly increases the risk of spine and knee injury associated with squats. The endurance aspect of this program is better served using the seated leg press, allowing for single exercises and better isolation and balance of the major muscles.
Warm-up Protocol
A quality warm-up routine that energizes the aerobic fuel systems, engages the trunk and abdominal muscles and includes stretching is highly recommended and virtually eliminates common weight room injuries. A suggested 30 min warm-up routine includes 15-20 minutes of aerobic exercise using the major lower body muscle groups, followed by 10-15 minutes of stretching and abdominal work.
Workout Protocol
The Endurance Lifting phase uses a 12sets x 12reps format. The 12×12 protocol is used on each major muscle group with 60 seconds rest between each set. One weight is used for the entire 12 sets. Building muscular endurance and stamina as well as strength is the goal. Pacing is important with 12 reps taking 20 seconds.
There are no targets for maximum lifting and how much you can lift is unimportant. The goal is to continue the 12×12 routine on every muscle group at ever-increasing resistance for the entire eight weeks. The table below is a suggested schedule for each of the eight weekly rotations including order of exercises. Days #1 and #2 each week focus on the major muscle groups day #3 three is used for inner and outer thigh work and extra training desired on major muscles using the 6×12 format to correct any muscular imbalance.
Three day rotation / Exercises and format for Weeks 5-12
Day #1, Leg Press, Knee Raise, Hamstring Curl (12×12 on all exercises)
Day #2, Semi-Stiff Leg Dead lifts, Quad Extensions, Lunge Press (12×12 on all exercises)
Day #3, Thigh Adduction and Abduction (6×12 on both exercises)
Phase #3: Transition Adaptation, 4 weeks
During this final phase of training the focus shifts to a modified circuit training program and a progressive transition back to full-time training on the bike. The circuit training uses the 6 Endurance Lifting exercises plus 4-5 upper body exercises to stimulate aerobic conditioning. The pace of the circuit training is brisk and forceful, but not explosive. The amount of time in the gym is gradually reduced allowing for increased endurance training time on the bike.
A program of cycling specific stretching exercises is highly recommended to help the body adapt to he increased volume of riding. Cycling intensity remains at endurance levels until the completion of the 16-week program.
For the Mountain Bike Rider
The maximal aerobic demands of MTB competition require highly functional muscular strength and stamina and the Endurance Lifting program is perfectly suited for this kind of preparation. The only adjustment I recommend for the off-road riders is to give more attention to upper body conditioning and development. Otherwise, every aspect of the program can be followed as prescribed.