Ask a cycling coach: ‘What's the most effective off-the-bike exercise for improving my max power?’

Achieving a “high” maximum sprint is an aspiration for many people. Whether it’s for the glory of winning a street sign sprint with your friends or fighting your way to a sprint finish in a race. Especially in racing situations, a high maximum power is often an advantage to easily react and finish off attacks.

With that in mind, cycling coach Alex Welburn explains the science behind sprint power and the factors you need to consider, and provides some practical tips on how to improve this area off the bike. Provide suggestions. training.

Performance cycling coach Alex Welburn is one of the experts to answer your questions. weekly cycling‘s “Ask a Cycling Coach” series (online every Wednesday). He is currently undertaking a PhD in Critical Power and W’ at Loughborough University, while also managing performance projects, coaching and consulting athletes.

Let’s start with the basics. Maximum power is due to the rate of contraction of type 2 muscle fibers, also known as sprint fibers. The more of these fibers there are, the greater the amount of force that can be generated. These can be improved by sprint training on the bike, but adding targeted exercise off the bike can have even greater benefits.

Proper form and technique for any exercise at the gym can help prevent it. injurySo if you’re not confident, seek the help of a strength and conditioning coach.

It is worth remembering that, just like training on a bicycle, training in the gym also needs to be carried out regularly. However, although most cyclists stop weight training during race season, it is recommended that you continue weight training (at a lower level) as part of your maintenance.

Off-the-bike routine to improve maximum power

male cyclist doing squats

(Image credit: Future)

Best exercises off the bike improve sprints Matches different movements at the gym. Here are the top three exercises we recommend for cyclists.

hip thrust – You can also do this with your back resting on a bench using a barbell. The focus here is on being fast and explosive. this is, buttocks.

squat – A common exercise for cyclists, there are many different ways to do it. You can increase your absolute intensity by doing 5 x 5 at 80-90% of your 1 rep max. Additionally, you can try holding the bottom of the squat for a second or two before building up your power. The purpose is to develop explosive power.

box jump – There are many ways to do this. (1) A simple squat is a box of 3 sets of 10 jumps. [2] Another variation is to get into a squat position with your knees at about a 90-degree angle, hold that position for a second or two, and then jump from there. Similar position to the top of the pedal stroke. It’s like running as fast as you can.

Overall, there are many ways to improve your maximum power, both on and off the bike, but context is always important here. Look at the big picture. This will help show you what needs to be done and why. The gym will help improve your strength, followed by a bike session to condition it.

How else can we improve our sprints?

That being said, in many cases your critical power (CP)/ Functional Threshold Power (FTP) When it comes to sprinting, it’s the limiting factor, not the sprinting power. Let me explain. Once a threshold is crossed, high energy storage substances such as fatigue metabolites and phosphocreatine (PCr) begin to accumulate and deplete.

This is a quick overview, but requires oxygen phosphorylated Pi. [inorganic Phosphate] and Cr [creatine] This is formed when the PCr breaks down. Pi also begins to interfere with muscle contraction, reducing the force of the contraction and reducing output.

This is where CP/FTP comes into play. This is because CP is supported by the type of type 1 muscle fibers and the number of capillaries that surround these fibers. Essentially, it’s about developing a strengthened skeletal system to supply oxygen. This increases its ability to deliver oxygen. Recover Faster – Also increases your maximum sprint power at the end of races and long rides. This is a term that gets attention as “reproducibility.”

May I analyze this?

An easy way to assess this is to look at the amount of time you spend above your CP during a criterium race. Some analyzes also allow you to examine power loss by looking at average power trends. So increasing your CP/FTP theoretically means you spend less time going beyond your CP/FTP, leaving you fresher for the sprint finish.

So if you want to improve your criterium or road race sprints, don’t ignore your limit power. Focusing on CP/FTP puts you in a position to reduce fatigue when you need to sprint. However, you will still need to perform some sprint-specific tasks, such as the off-the-bike routine detailed above.

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