6 Best Basic Exercises for Cyclists

Exercise brings a multitude of rewards for cyclists. It improves strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness. It also helps prevent injury during intense training periods, and helps lose weight and become fitter.

Most cyclists don't need to spend hours in the gym to achieve their goals. They can improve by spending more time out on the road. However, for ones looking for an extra edge or starting a training plan that has a gym element, there are exercises for them too.

Exercises for Cyclists to Get Started

Here's a look at six such exercises:

1) Dumbbell Deadlift

Deadlifts are a great exercise for strengthening the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and lower back muscles. They're also great for cyclists to improve their cycling power.

Here's how you do this move:

Stand tall, with your feet staggered and dumbbells resting at your hip.
Keeping your shoulders back, chest lifted and back flat, send your butt straight back, and keep the weight close to your shins as you lower towards the floor.
Let your knees bend slightly. Make sure to contract your glutes as you drive through your heels to stand back up.

2) Side Step-Up with Leg Lift

Cyclists can use this move to develop balanced strength, which helps address muscle imbalances leading to injuries.

The side step-up with leg lift targets the outer glutes. So you’re more stable in the saddle and less prone to side-to-side rocking, which can cause back and knee pain.

To do this move:

Standing to the side of a box or step, lift one foot on to the step. Press through the foot, and straighten your leg to lift your body up.
At the top of the step, lift your other leg out to the side as high as possible.
Lower that leg back down, and lower yourself back to the floor.
Repeat for a full set, and switch sides.

3) Single-Leg Bridge

Cyclists who spend more time on the road especially enjoy this exercise. It can help them strengthen their glutes and improve posture.

Here's how you do this exercise:

Lie on your back with your legs bent, and let your feet rest flat on the floor.
Lift one leg, keeping both knees in line, and raise them towards the ceiling.
Engage your glutes as you lift your hips up towards the ceiling to form a straight line from the shoulder to the knee.
Pause, and lower back down. Repeat for a full set before switching sides.

4) Squat

Squats are a functional exercise for cyclists. They target the thighs, glutes and hamstrings, which are all power providers on a bike. Squats can also help improve your everyday movements.

To do this move:

Place your feet shoulder-width apart, with your toes turned slightly outward.
Bring your hands together in front of your chest.
Send your hips down and back, and bend your knees till your butt drops below knee level.
Press through your feet, and straighten your legs to return to a standing position.

5) Russian Twist

For cyclists, this exercise strengthens your obliques (on the sides of your torso), which are the muscles that rotate your trunk. When your muscles are weak, you are more susceptible to sprains and strains.

Here's how you do this exercise:

Sit on the floor with your knees bent and heels on the floor, holding a dumbbell in both hands at chest level.
Keeping your back straight, lean back from the hips till you feel your abs contract.
With your arms close to the body, twist from the waist to one side, and twist in the opposite direction. Return to the center.
Continue twisting from side to side.

6) Swimmer

Cyclists can benefit from exercises that target the entire back to counteract its stretching and weakening due to sitting in a hunched-forward position for a long time.

To do this move:

Lie facedown on a mat, with arms extended out straight overhead, legs straight and feet about hip-width apart.
Lift your hips and chest off the floor as you engage your glutes and back muscles.
Lift one arm and the opposite leg while keeping the other arm and leg on the floor.
Lift the other arm and leg. Continue to alternate.

Takeaway

For cyclists, building strength is a must for a healthier body and efficient workouts. Depending on your level of experience, you may want to change the order of these exercises to suit your needs as a cyclist.

For instance, experienced riders may want to begin with lunges or squats to get their heart rates up.

However, the most important thing is to focus on what you're able to do from week to week. Don't feel discouraged if the movements seem too difficult at first. Remember that the more you push yourself on the bike (and in the gym), the easier it can get to ride longer and faster.