Your Gym Joint

No Wikibattles about whether strength training benefits cycling or not. Just share what works for you.

Did this for a few years, then went bike only for 08-12. Back on it this year because it seems to help my big weakness (neuromuscular power and anaerobic capacity)

Takes a month to build up to. Then 6-8 weeks of:

Warm up: 2 sets of 5-5-5s (take 10lb medicine ball. do 5 slow squats. do 5 squats fast down, slow up. do 5 jump squats raising the ball over your head as you jump)

Squats: 3 sets 4-6 reps to failure, followed immediately by 10 jumping split squats. 3-4 min rest between sets

Dead lifts. 3 sets 4-6 reps to failure, followed immediately by 10 jump squats with the 10lb ball. hold the ball at you chest in the ready position, throw it as high as you can when you jump, catch it when you land, return to ready position and jump again as quickly as possible.

2 sets of 10 tuck jumps

5 sets hamstring curls, 4-6 reps to failure

2 sets of abdominal pikes

2 sets of supermans on a balance ball

2 sets of some stupid thing on the balance ball where I do a sit up while bringing one leg up off the floor with my knee bent.

what's yer joint?

I may borrow that this winter. Prior to this year I had a pretty structured program based around plyometrics and power moves. Lots of cleans, snatches, squats, front squats, deads, etc. Since breaking my collarbone at the start of the year, the gym has become much more challenging. I'm finally feeling good enough to reintroduce some of my old routine, but it's pretty limited to (back) squats, body weight work, and plenty of core. Strange as it may sound, I really miss dead lifting and front squats. I'm hoping to be back to those in the next few months with some concentrated focus on building back my shoulder strength and flexibility.

I do a pretty standard calisthenics routine, but switch it up a lot.

Pull-ups, inverted rows, push-ups and dips for upper body.

Air squats, pistol squats, lunges, lateral and forward, set-ups, glute ham sit-ups, one-legged bridges and kettle bell swings for the lower body.

A bunch of different core stuff, usually keep sets/reps to 4X10.

Just alternate the following workouts.

Workout 1:
5x5 squats or overhead squats
5x5 bench press
5x5 inverted row

Workout 2:
5x5 deadlifts
5x5 overhead press
5x12 pullups

Bridges/Planks

This time of year, the following 3x week;
Core (do this first)
Reverse sit ups x 20
Butterflys x 20
Bicycle crunch x 20
Single leg hip hinge x 20
Windshield wipers x 20
Back extension on Swiss ball x 20

Build up to 6 sets

Weights
Squats x 20
Lat pull x 20
Step ups x 20
Bench press x 20
Seated row x 20
Hamstring curl x 20
Standing row x 20
Dead lift x 20

Build up to 3 sets and increase to 30 reps

This is my prep phase, weight workouts change the further I get into training. But I continue both core and weight workouts up until I start racing in March, at least twice per week. Once the season starts once per week.

The important thing is to do something and be consistent. You can keep it very simple with these 3 exercises; sit ups, push ups and single leg lunges with dumbbells.

After the discussion about Rob Shaul and Mountain Athlete on this post in the Core Workout thread, I did some digging around the Mountain Athlete site to see if they worked with endurance athletes. Long story short, they do. A lot. Even more with their programs for Special Forces and Rob definitely gets it.

In addition to the coaching Rob does in Jackson Hole he sells programs for folks to use at their own gyms with their own coaches. There are also an additional set here at Military Athlete.

My last few years of strength training has been primarily KB and Olympic Lifts, switching the frequency of workouts to match my riding schedule. I've been getting bored with my routine lately so decided to switch things up a bit.

This week I started In-Season Training Plan for Endurance Athletes. Once CX season is over I'll probably do a block of Off Season Strength Program for Endurance Athletes.

When I asked Rob what's a good strength block to do just before kicking off CX training next summer he suggested 357 Strength Training Plan. I might do that next May.

One more thing, the library of demonstration videos at Mountain Athlete is a good reference too.

Rest 30, 45, 60, 75 sec between sets.

Legs* (Mon):
5 min walking
5 min run (+ incline + mph every 30 sec)
Squat/Box Jump 5x5/5x8
DeadLift/Lateral Box Jump 5x5/5x8
Uni Ham 5x10
Calves 3x30

Chest (T)
Bench: 5x5
Decline: 5x10
Incline: 5x5
Cable Xover: 3x10
abs

Back (W)
Pullup: 5xAMAP
PullDown: 5x10
T-Bar Row: 4x10
Straight Arm Push Down: 3x10
Abs

Shoulders (T):
Seated Smith Press 5x8
Lat Raise 4x10
Bent Over Cable Raise 5x10
Bent Over Raise 5x10
abs

Arms:
Seated curl/Seated tri press 5x5/5x8
cross curl/kickback 5x5/5x8
Uni cable 21s/uni rope pulldown 3x21/3x21
abs

*Leg routine from 2011.

Here's one of my brother's leg workouts from D-1 soccer conditioning that I've adopted for my use:

25 below-parallel squats
24 alternating lunges
24 alternating box leaps
25 jump squats

The goal is to do the entire circuit with only 10second rests between exercises, and the entire deal in under 3minutes. Repeat and then build to a third.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by drietz

25 below-parallel squats
24 alternating lunges
24 alternating box leaps
25 jump squats

---

below-parallel = weightless?
alt lunge = 12 per side or 24 per side?
alt box = what is the alternating part? e.g. lateral and standard or on/off/over?
jump squat = resistance band?

regardless it sounds tough.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by christian

Just alternate the following workouts.

Workout 1:
5x5 squats or overhead squats
5x5 bench press
5x5 inverted row

Workout 2:
5x5 deadlifts
5x5 overhead press
5x12 pullups

Bridges/Planks

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This is similar to what I do, the Rippetoe "Novice" workout, except squatting both workouts, adding in some sit-ups, and back extensions. It works for me... when I do it, obviously.

Oh, and I can't do 5 sets of 12 pull-ups. That's awesome. FULL range of motion?

I used to do the 5x30-rep program with 90-degree knee angle from Friel, but it made my joints hurt, and the muscle soreness was pretty bad. Full-depth, heavier, 3-5 rep squats seem much better for my knees. If I ever reach my basic strength goals, I'll start adding in some 20-30 rep sets, and some more intricate workouts with "met-cons" like thrusters, etc.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by false_aesthetic

below-parallel = weightless?
alt lunge = 12 per side or 24 per side?
alt box = what is the alternating part? e.g. lateral and standard or on/off/over?
jump squat = resistance band?

regardless it sounds tough.

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Realize I could have been more clear here - I'm not as much of a gym junky as my brother.

Below parallel - bring you arse below a stance where your upper lega are parallel to the ground (really deep squat, as if targeting the glutes).

12 per side.

Standard, one leg at a time. Use one leg to step onto box and propel yourself into the air, come down on the box with the other leg to propel yourself up as high as you can again. (If that at all explains it)

No resistance band. Just come into a squat position and jump, coming back into a squat position upon re-entrance to the atmosphere.