This 25-week strength training plan will help improve your overall strength and performance as a cyclist, as well as contributing to your resilience and durability. In other words: GET STRONGER WITHOUT GETTING INJURED. Strength training has been shown to improve bone density, cardiovascular fitness, functional strength, and overall health in athletes of all ages and abilities.
You don't need to be an expert lifter to complete this plan. In fact, this entire plan is designed to be completed at home with just a few free weights, dumbbells, and kettlebells. No need to worry about commuting to the gym or sharing equipment.
Lastly, this plan can and should be completed during the Base and Build period of your yearly training plan. For most cyclists, this means beginning this plan in October/November, and moving into maintenance mode once racing begins in March/April. You can still get faster and complete HIIT on the bike while doing these strength training sessions twice per week.
Don't be intimidated. It will be hard at first, and I'm sure you will get very sore. But after a couple of sessions, you will be used to the lifts and movements. And after a couple of weeks, you will notice the strength gains between almost every session. Within two months, you'll feel a significant difference on the bike, especially in your pedal stroke, core stability, and confidence.
Zach Nehr is the head of ZNehr Coaching, LLC and a freelance writer for Velo, ENVE, Cyclingnews, and TrainingPeaks. He has coached and ridden for Team USA at multiple UCI World Championships, and he is a professional rider in eSport cycling. Zach has a degree in Exercise Science from Marian University-Indianapolis where he also studied Psychology. ZNehr Coaching takes on endurance athletes of all ages and abilities, and you can find Zach's Power Analysis articles published weekly in Velo.