Offseason Lifting
by J.P. Partland
In response to member requests, I've been poking around the web looking for articles that address weight training from a bike racer's perspective. Know that whatever advice you find, there is probably advice published that runs in the exact opposite direction. For example, most advise that crunches are a good thing; I found an article on a bike coaching site that says crunches are a terrible thing. And people will be quick to point out that X athlete spends 4 months a year in the gym or that Y athlete doesn't go at all.
Whether or not it's worthwhile to lift is up to you. Most could benefit, but it's hard to say if people will benefit more from lifting or specific bike workouts. The decision could be as simple as you don't like the cold or you don't like riding in the dark and there's a gym in your building or near your office. Don't discount the value of changing activities; suffering through gym workouts could fuel the fire for riding and keep you fresh. Whether or not lifting is beneficial for one's long-range health is a topic that probably is best addressed in another forum.
I'll put a tangential idea out there. Yoga, pilates, or plyometrics probably do just as much good as lifting. These activities, when done right, are hard. They offer balance, strength, coordination, and focus, all of which seem to have great crossover potential.
Below I've pasted in a bunch of URLs on lifting for cyclists.
This is the safest advice for lifting I've read. It mirrors many, many articles that have already been written on the subject.
http://www.altovelo.org/training/weights.htm
A similar article
http://www.fascatcoaching.com/weighttraining.html
Tips on maximizing the weight room workouts you do.
http://www.roble.net/marquis/weights
Why Lift?
http://www.peakscoachinggroup.com/freeinfo/lift_weights_off_season.html
http://www.peakscoachinggroup.com/freeinfo/Does_Gym_Work_Make_You_a_Stronger_Cyclist.htm
Should athletes train like body builders?
http://www.chekinstitute.com/articles.cfm?select=4
Plyometrics
http://www.trainright.com/articles.asp?action=display&record=6
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