Strength training for cyclists is what I coach. I’m Ben Leach, and I founded Supertraining in 2004. I coach cyclists in strength and conditioning (S&C) at UNTIL Soho in London.
A typical rider I coach is around 50, with a demanding job in the City, children at school and limited hours. Many have spent serious money on their bike and still hit a plateau, or a niggle keeps stopping them.
Should cyclists do strength training?
Yes. Strength training for cyclists can make riders stronger and faster on the bike, and in Supertraining’s experience it rarely adds body weight.
There isn’t a situation really where you would say don’t use the gym.
The research points the same way. A 2026 review of 17 studies and 262 cyclists found heavy strength training improved cycling performance, efficiency and short-burst power. Its authors rate the certainty of that evidence as low. An earlier review by Rønnestad and Mujika recommends heavy strength work to improve cycling economy.
What does strength training change on the bike?
At Supertraining, strength training shows up in a rider’s power numbers.
We had a rider who wasn’t convinced that strength training would really do the job on the bike. In the first few months, we saw a very definite progression of his top end power, his 5 to 10 second power.
His whole power curve shifted up and to the right as well. His 3-minute, 5-minute and 20-minute power all advanced in those first few months, which was a surprise to him.
A power curve plots your best power against how long you can hold it. When the whole curve shifts, a rider is stronger over short efforts and long ones.
Will lifting weights make you heavier or slower on the bike?
In Supertraining’s experience, riders typically don’t gain weight in their first 12 weeks of lifting.
What can happen, and often does happen, is their body fat will drop, maybe by 1 or 2%, and they may put on a kilo of muscle. But the net gain in weight is usually zero, as long as their diet and nutrition is on point.
A small study found the same. In a 12-week trial with 20 well-trained cyclists, the riders who added heavy strength training twice a week built thigh muscle with no rise in body mass. They also raised their mean power in a 40 minute all-out test.
What do most gym programmes get wrong for cyclists?
The advice that cyclists should avoid the weight room comes from bodybuilding-style training built for muscle size.
It’s a massive over-generalisation. People picture the machines and single-plane moves, like the chest press and shoulder press, which don’t really do much for a rider. That training is built to gain muscle mass rather than functional strength.
So when people generalise about cyclists doing weight training, they’re thinking of bodybuilding-based conditioning. That is essentially to build muscle alongside strength, but not in the explosive, functional manner that we do as S&C professionals for cyclists.
Where does a cyclist start if they have never lifted?
Weight training for cyclists starts with technique at Supertraining. A rider who has never lifted spends the first two to five sessions on it.
For a rider who’s never lifted, the first two to five sessions are really about technique. So, how that individual can hinge (bend from the hips with a flat back), can flex, can squat, deadlift, jump, all of those key movements, and how they do that without load initially.
The key parameters are:
- how their spine is reacting
- their left-right balance in their legs
- their positioning of feet
- their head position
- their breathing patterns as they lift
All of this has to be absolutely on point before we start to load significantly. Otherwise injury is a potential issue, and we never want to start with bad habits. Once the movements are in place, you can lift with confidence.
When should a cyclist ride more before lifting?
Ben Leach’s advice is that a rider on the bike less than two hours a week should build their riding first.
This is really if a rider is not doing the volume that they should be doing. It happens occasionally. It’s usually the other way around actually, that they’re doing too much volume and not enough gym training.
A rider doing one or two rides a week needs their interval sessions and a weekly long endurance ride in place, set around their events.
But typically if volume is below two hours a week on the bike, then that needs to increase first, and the gym can come in at any time really. If you’re doing five gym sessions a week and two rides, maybe we need to switch the balance a bit. But that is in the minority.
How do you know if lifting is right for your riding?
In Ben Leach’s experience, riders typically weigh the same after 12 weeks of lifting, and it all starts with technique. If you’re already on the bike two hours a week or more, the gym is the place to look next.
To see how much you need each week, read how much strength training a cyclist needs. For how I coach it, see cycling strength and conditioning, the strength for cyclists page, or where we coach.
Frequently asked questions
Do cyclists gain weight when they start lifting?
In Ben Leach's experience at Supertraining, riders typically don't gain any weight in their first 12 weeks of lifting. Body fat can drop by 1 or 2% while they put on about a kilo of muscle, so the net change is usually zero, as long as their diet and nutrition is on point.
Which power numbers can change when a cyclist starts lifting?
For one rider Ben Leach coached at Supertraining, 5 to 10 second power and 3, 5 and 20 minute power all rose in his first few months of lifting. A 2026 review of 17 studies found heavy strength training improved cycling performance and short-burst power.
How many sessions does it take to learn to lift?
At Supertraining, a rider who has never lifted spends the first two to five sessions on technique, with no load at first. Ben Leach checks how they hinge, squat, deadlift and jump, and only loads them once those movements are right.
Should I ride more or lift more?
Ben Leach's advice at Supertraining is that a rider on less than two hours a week on the bike builds riding time first. The gym can come in at any point. More often he sees the opposite, with too much riding and not enough gym work.