5 Great Exercises for Cyclists

Different sports require athletes to train and perfect different parts of their bodies. For cyclists, the most important regions of the body are their legs. The core and upper body play a role in generating power while on the bike, but the muscles in the legs are largely responsible for a cyclist’s success. When you aren’t on your bike, the following exercises can keep your muscles active and strengthened.

Before working toward improving your leg muscles, it’s important to know which muscles are most involved in which parts of cycling. Most of your leg muscles will be activated between the 12 o’clock position (knee up) and the 6 o’clock (leg straight) position.

Unsurprisingly, your power is primarily needed during the downward motion of pushing the pedal. The largest muscles that contribute to this are in the upper leg and include the gluteus maximus and biceps femoris (the butt and hamstring). In the lower leg, the gastrocnemius medialis and lateralis form the calf and also play an important role in generating the downward force necessary to turn the petals quickly. Finally, the rectus femoris is one of the only muscles used in the upswing of the pedal when you retract your leg and prepare for the next push.

Now that you know which muscles are necessary for strong pedaling and when they come into play, what can you do to target those muscles?

The 5 Best Exercises for Cyclists

1. CLX Squats

Targeted Muscles: Glutes, Hamstrings, and Quadriceps

1. Find the middle of the THERABAND CLX Band and place your feet in the loops adjacent to the middle

2. Hold an end of the band in each hand

3. Raise your hands to shoulder height

4. Squat by bending your knees and lowering your butt

Take your squats to the next level with CLX Squats. They are great for doing at home or while on the road because all you need is one CLX to exercise your entire lower body. Squats strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, and quads, but are also useful for targeting most muscles in the legs. They are one of the best all-around workouts for improving your pedaling.

2. THERABAND Mini Ball Heel Slide

Targeted Muscles: Hamstrings and Quadriceps

1. Lay on your back and bend one knee

2. Place a THERABAND Mini Ball or other small exercise ball under your heel

3. Bend your knee, pulling your heel toward your body

4. Roll your foot forward, returning to the starting position and repeat

The Heel Slide is a less strenuous exercise than squats and will target the muscles in the thigh. Pulling the ball toward your body exercises the hamstrings, while pushing it away strengthens the quads.

3. Roller Massager Neutral Calf Release

Targeted Muscles: Gastrocnemius

1. Kneel on the floor with one knee down and the opposite foot planted firmly in front of you

2. Keep your front knee at a 90-degree angle at all times

3. Hold both ends of a THERABAND Roller Massager+ and place the ridges across your calf

4. Roll the Massager up and down along your calf

5. Tip: Bend at the hips with a lifted chest to prevent stress on the lower back

Use the roller to break up “knots” in your muscles and increase blood flow. This can help improve your circulation and promote flexibility making it a great pre- or post-workout routine. The ridges on the TheraBand Roller Massager+ give your skin a deep-tissue massage

Cubii Total Body+ and Cubii Go Exercises

Targeted Muscles: Hamstrings, Gastrocnemius, and Cardio

The Cubii Total Body+ and Cubii Go are pedaling devices designed to allow users to achieve a tailored workout at home. The Cubii can be used for a casual amount of exercising while working or reading but it also features an adjustable resistance level. This increases the difficulty of the workout and does a great job in simulating the challenging nature of cycling. You can also track your calories, distance, strides, and RPM with the Cubii iOS or Android app.

5. Wobble Board 1 Leg Balance

Targeted Muscles: Glutes and Core

1. Stand on a wobble board with one foot centered

2. Raise the other leg with your thigh perpendicular to your body

3. Keep your back and neck straight while avoiding hyperextending your standing knee

Keep it simple and challenging with the 1 Leg Balance. Who knew just standing could be so hard?! This exercise will help you build balance and you’ll immediately feel the burn in your standing leg. This can be done while working at a standing desk, watching tv, and many other stationary tasks. It looks easy enough until you try it for yourself.

Recap

If you’re a cyclist, you primarily use your leg muscles while pedaling. But that doesn’t mean your core and arms shouldn’t get some attention too. For a well-rounded workout, check out these THERABAND CLX exercises for your arms and core!

References

1. Schultz, Mike. “The Primary Muscles Used for Cycling and How to Train Them.” TrainingPeaks, TrainingPeaks, 24 Apr. 2015, https://bit.ly/2ymvPhc https://bit.ly/2ymvPhc

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