Or… May the (Heavy) Weights Be with You
If you want to improve your climbing and/or your speed, lift heavy effing weights!
Physical therapists Kristin Carpenter and Chelsey Vasquez of Mend Colorado presented the case for female cyclists to lift heavy weights to 29 clinic participants on Monday, May 3, 2021. They referenced recent studies showing that strength training improves cycling form, makes tissues more resilient, and staves off fatigue –– all of which prevents injury and allows us to cycle longer, faster, and better!
And in case you’re worried that lifting weights will make you look like a girl-version of Schwarzenegger, they pointed to a recent study that showed female cyclists who weight-trained had a 40% improvement in strength, improvement in cycling economy and power, and had no change in body mass while at the same time increasing quadricep muscle mass! Translation: they got firmer, leaner legs. And if you’re looking to prevent or reverse osteoporosis, research also says this is the way, folks.
Kristin and Chelsey then walked us through what effective weight training looks like via their informative YouTube video series titled “Strength Training for Cyclists.” They wrapped this amazingly content-rich clinic with an adage we can get behind: Don’t get by, get better!
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