Your Starter Strength Workout for More Powerful Climbing
A targeted return-to-strength session to improve power so you can fly up hills.
If you want to become a better climber on the bike, strength training should make a regular appearance in your fitness routine. This return-to-strength training workout, designed by an experienced coach, specifically targets improvements in climbing performance.
Why it works: Rich Engelstad, Triathlon-certified coach and personal trainer offers this straightforward workout to help cyclists ease back into strength training after a long break or if you’ve never been big into strength training, this is a great starter workout. The idea is to move the body through its major ranges of motion and reintroduce all muscle groups to resistance training.
It’s important to keep things light and easy to avoid crippling post-workout muscle soreness.
How to use this list: Complete 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps of the following exercises, performing each move as its own set before moving onto the next. Rest 1-2 minutes between sets. The weight should be light enough that you are not struggling through the last few reps and can maintain excellent form.
Squat
Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, dumbbells racked at shoulders. Keep toes facing forward or slightly turned out, eyes forward, and back flat. Send hips back as if sitting into a chair, bending knees and lowering glutes toward floor. Keep heels and toes on the ground. Aim to bring thighs parallel to the ground so hips and knees are in a 90-degree position. Drive feet into ground to stand back up. Repeat.
Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
Start standing with feet hip-width apart. Shift weight to the right leg and drive the right foot firmly into the ground. Think of body as a long straight line from the top of the head through the left toes, and hinge at hips by sending the glutes straight back and keeping the shoulders down and back. Allow the left leg to lift behind you and maintain a slight bend in the right knee. Lower until you feel tension in the right hamstring or until you’re about parallel to the floor. Drive through right foot to stand back up, extending hips. Repeat. Then switch sides.
Prone Hamstring Curls
Anchor one end of a resistance band to a stable structure at about ankle level. Lying facedown on a mat, loop the other end of the band around both ankles. Make sure you’re far enough away from the anchor point so that there’s no slack on the band. Keeping torso and thighs stationary, draw heels toward glutes. Pause, then straighten legs, lowering toes to floor. Repeat.
Banded Lateral Steps
Place a small mini band around thighs. Separate legs with enough space to create tension on the band and slightly bend the knees, holding a shallow squat position. Keeping the toes pointing forward, knees pushing outward, and tension on the band, step right foot out to the right. Then follow it with the left foot, while keeping tension on the band the whole time. Continue taking steps to the right. Then take steps to the left.
Bench Press
Lie faceup on the floor or a bench, knees bent and feet planted. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing away from body, weights over chest with arms straight. With control, bend elbows about 45 degrees away from torso, lowering the weights toward floor. Pause, then press back up. Repeat.
Bent-Over Row
Start standing, soft bend in knees, with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in. Hinge at hips, sending butt straight back, and allow arms to hang perpendicular to floor. Keep back flat and core engaged. This is the starting position. Pull weights up to hips, drawing shoulder blades back and down, keeping elbows close to sides. Lower weights down, extending arms, returning to starting position. Repeat.
Walking Lunge
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Step forward with right leg and bend both knees 90 degrees. Without pausing, push through right foot and drive left leg forward into a lunge, repeating the motion on that side. Repeat, alternating legs while walking forward.
Sit-Up
Lie faceup, feet planted on the floor with knees bent, holding a weight at chest. Perform a sit-up by engaging abs and slowly lifting shoulder blades off the floor as you raise your torso, keeping neck long. Sit up tall at the top. Slowly lower down. Repeat.
Lying Leg Raise
Lie faceup, legs extended straight up toward the ceiling, arms down by sides. Slowly lower legs toward floor, keeping back flat. Lift them back up. Repeat.
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