Build Stronger Legs With These Cycling Leg Exercises

Cycling Leg Exercises

The first time I took my Felt triathlon bike for a long ride, my legs were screaming by the end.

It was my fault for biking a route with so many hills.

But it opened my eyes to how unprepared I was athletically for the demands of competitive cycling.

No wonder all those Tour de France athletes have such massive legs.

After that ride, I went home and started tweaking the lower body part of my training program to account for muscular endurance and power.

As a coach, sometimes you need to immerse yourself in the sport you’re writing programs for to fully understand the muscular demands of the activity.

That was definitely the case for me when it came to cycling. Hours on the bike taught me that you need a well-rounded routine that focuses on the leg muscles but also includes work to target the core muscles, hip flexors, and even the upper body.

In this article, I will focus on cycling leg exercises since the pedal stroke is where the muscular demand of cycling begins.

We’ll start with some traditional strength training movements that can help build strong legs to get you through your next ride. Then, we’ll look at some effective power-focused movements to ensure your power output is top-notch. Lastly, I include a few movements to help reduce the risk of injury.

Let’s jump in!

Strength Training Exercises

The main goal of these exercises is to build leg strength. Strength exercises help build lean muscle mass throughout the lower body muscle groups.

I like to alternate the focus of resistance training throughout a training week.

That means one day, I may focus on lifting heavy weights for lower reps to increase overall muscular strength. The next day, I will focus on building muscular endurance using lighter weights with higher repetitions.

In both cases, I keep the volume on the lower side compared to a bodybuilding routine. Alternating lower-volume training sessions of strength and muscular endurance exercises throughout a training regimen can help produce well-rounded musculature and reduce muscle tissue’s soreness.

This section includes five exercises you can use to build a great workout.

Goblet Squat

The goblet squat is a fantastic exercise for beginners new to weight training. It is easy to learn and requires minimal equipment. Here’s how to do it.

How to Do Kettlebell Goblet Squats

Start in a shoulder-width stance with a slight bend in your knees.
Hold a kettlebell by the horns. You can also hold it by the bell. Keep your elbows tucked in and tension in your lats.
Keep the kettlebell at chest level as you squat down. Allow the weight to pull you deep into the squat. Keep your spine neutral throughout the range of motion.
Explode upward through your heels to return to the starting position.

Bulgarian Split Squat

Cycling, like running, is an alternating single-leg movement. Therefore, the athlete should include some single-leg lower body exercises to help train the body specifically for cycling performance. Bulgarian split squats are a great way to prepare the legs for standing when charging up steep climbs.

How to Do Bulgarian Split Squats

Find a bench, box, or even a high curb. Place one foot on the elevated surface, with the sole of your foot facing upward.
Place the front foot of the opposite leg far enough away to lower your body at a natural angle. Your front leg should be at a 90-degree angle.
Keep your back straight and your body balanced on your front foot. Keep your chin up. Keep your eyes lowered to a place 10-20 feet away on the ground. Lower your body, bending your knee until you reach a comfortable depth. Then, drive upward through your heel until you reach the top of the movement.
Keep your core tight and pause at the top. Wait to lower yourself again until you have regained your balance. At the end of each set, alternate your front and rear foot.

Curtsy Lunge

Next up is one of my favorite exercises for training the glute medius. If you’ve ever been cycling and felt a dull pain in your hips, it’s probably the result of a weak glute medius. The gluteal muscles are heavily involved in cycling, so including at least one exercise to target the glute medius is essential. Despite the name, curtsy lunges are a tough exercise that requires balance and focus.

How to Do Curtsy Lunges

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in front of your chest with both hands. Keep your core engaged and chest upright.
Step your right leg diagonally behind your left leg, crossing it behind you while lowering your hips into a lunge. Your front knee should be aligned with your ankle, and your back knee should hover just above the ground.
As you lunge, keep the kettlebell close to your chest to maintain balance, and ensure your upper body remains upright without leaning forward.
Push through your front heel to return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side, alternating legs for the desired number of repetitions.

Romanian Deadlift

Romanian deadlifts train the “hinge” movement pattern, which focuses on the hamstrings and glutes. I like to include heavy RDLs using dumbbells or a barbell for low reps to really target the hamstring muscle fibers. No lower body workout is complete without at least one hinge movement. RDLs are a good place to start for beginners. They’re easier to learn than a traditional deadlift, and most people can increase the load quickly with this movement.

How to Do Romanian Deadlifts

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a barbell or dumbbells in front of your thighs with an overhand grip. Keep your knees slightly bent, chest up, and shoulders back.
Hinge at your hips, pushing them back as you lower the weight towards the ground. Keep your back flat and the weights close to your legs, lowering until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
Throughout the movement, maintain a slight bend in your knees, ensuring your back remains straight and your core is engaged to protect your lower back.
Drive your hips forward to stand back up, using your hamstrings and glutes to lift the weight. Return to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of reps.

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

The Single-Leg RDL is also an excellent option, especially if you don’t have much equipment, such as a barbell and weight plates, to work with. You can perform this movement with nothing but a dumbbell.

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts

Stand on one leg with a slight bend in your knee, holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in the opposite hand. Keep your free leg slightly behind you, and engage your core for balance.
Hinge at your hips, lowering the weight towards the ground while extending your free leg straight behind you. Keep your back flat and shoulders square, allowing the weight to move in line with your standing leg.
Lower the weight until your torso is almost parallel to the ground or until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Your standing knee should remain slightly bent, and your body should form a straight line from head to heel.
Engage your glutes and hamstrings to return to the starting position, bringing your extended leg back down and the weight back up. Maintain balance throughout the movement, and repeat for the desired number of reps before switching legs.

Hyperextensions

Another good hinge movement for beginners and more advanced athletes alike is hyperextension, performed using a Roman Chair. This exercise is good for training muscular endurance, as it’s easy to build up to higher reps with nothing but your body weight.

How to Do Hyperextensions

Start by placing your heels under the support bar of the Roman chair. Ensure the upper support is set at your hips.
Lower yourself toward the ground. Stop before your back begins to round.
Lift your truck until your body is parallel to the ground.
Your body should form an upright plank position. Pause and squeeze your glutes before starting the next rep.
Ensure you maintain good form throughout the exercise. Keep a tight core to prevent swaying, and don’t let your body swing down.

Single Leg Calf Raise

The single leg calf raise is a great exercise to work the calf muscles, especially if you don’t have access to a ton of gym equipment

How to Do Single-Leg Calf Raises

Stand on one leg with the other foot slightly off the ground. Place your hands on a wall or sturdy surface for balance. Keep your standing leg straight but not locked.
Slowly lift your heel off the ground by pushing through the ball of your foot, raising as high as you can on your toes. Focus on squeezing your calf muscle at the top of the movement.
Lower your heel back down to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the descent. Repeat for the desired number of reps, then switch to the other leg.

Power-Focused Exercises

Now, let’s talk power. Power is a simple equation of work over time. What this means is how fast you can produce as much work as possible. Think of movements like power cleans, jerks, and snatches.

These movements are more advanced than traditional strength training movements, but they are worth learning. Almost every athlete in almost every sport can benefit from greater power production, and cycling is no exception. So, let’s look at a few power-focused exercises you can include in your leg day routine.

If these movements are new to you, hiring a strength coach or personal trainer for a few months may be worth it to help walk you through the proper form.

Let’s start with the simplest movement on the list.

Dumbbell Jump Squats

The jump squat is a great place to start for those new to lower body power movements. You can use your body weight or a pair of dumbbells.

How to Do Dumbbell Jump Squats

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and core engaged.
Lower your body into a squat by bending your knees and hips, keeping your back straight and the dumbbells hanging naturally by your sides. Go as low as you can while maintaining good form.
Push through your heels and explosively jump straight up, extending your legs fully. As you jump, keep the dumbbells at your sides.
Land with a slight knee bend to better absorb the impact.
Immediately lowering into another squat to repeat the movement.

Bulgarian Split Squat Jumps

I always recommend getting a few weeks of BSS under your belt before trying this movement. Once you have the hang of the BSS, the jump version will feel more natural.

How to Do Bulgarian Split Squat Jumps

Stand in a split stance with one foot on a bench or sturdy surface behind you and the other flat on the ground in front. Lower your body into a lunge, keeping your chest upright and your front knee aligned with your toes.
Push off the ground explosively with your front foot, jumping as high as you can while driving your front knee upward. Keep your core engaged for balance.
Land softly back into the lunge position, absorbing the impact with a slight bend in your front knee.
Pause, then repeat for the next rep.

Kettlebell Cleans

The kettlebell clean is the first exercise in this circuit. It’s a full body movement that targets the biceps, triceps, and shoulders. For this workout, you will perform five kettlebell cleans with one arm and immediately do five kettlebell cleans using the other arm.

How to Do Kettlebell Cleans

Start with your feet shoulder-width apart with the kettlebell on the ground slightly out in front of you.
Hinge at the hips and grip the kettlebell with one hand. Keep your spine neutral (not hunched over).
Shrug and pull the kettlebell back, keeping it close to your body. Allow the kettlebell to roll around your wrist.
Catch the kettlebell in the rack position. Hips and legs lockout at the top.
Allow the kettlebell to go back down between your legs as you hinge your hips.

Box Jumps

Box jumps are a popular exercise for building explosive power.

How to Do Box Jumps

Stand facing a sturdy box or platform with your feet shoulder-width apart. Engage your core, keep your chest up, and slightly bend your knees in preparation to jump.
Swing your arms back for momentum, then explosively jump onto the box, driving your knees upward and extending your hips fully. Aim to land softly on the balls of your feet.
Land on the box with your feet flat, knees slightly bent, and chest upright. Absorb the impact by bending your knees further into a squat position.
Step down carefully, one foot at a time.
Reset and repeat the movement.

Sled Push

The sled push is a fantastic lower body exercise for endurance athletes. Because sled pushes do not have an eccentric component (think the lowering portion of a squat) they don’t produce as much soreness. A win win for endurance athletes like cyclists who don’t want to be so sore from their strength training that they can’t ride.

How to Do Sled Pushes

Stand behind the sled with your hands placed firmly on the handles or poles, keeping your arms extended. Position your body at a 45-degree angle with your back straight and core engaged.
Place one foot forward, ensuring your feet are shoulder-width apart for stability. Keep your knees slightly bent and your weight on the balls of your feet.
Drive through your legs, pushing the sled forward by extending your hips and knees. Maintain a strong, steady pace, and keep your body angle low to maximize power.
Continue pushing the sled until you reach the end of the set distance. Once you have completed it, slow down gradually, bring the sled to a stop, and reset your position if you are performing multiple sets.

Injury Prevention Exercises

Including a few isometric exercises at the beginning or end of the workout like the wall sit or isometric lunge may help relieve or reduce the risk of joint and tendon pain.

Wall Sit

The wall sit is a simple exercise that you can do from anywhere. Start with 2-3 sets of 15 seconds and add sets and duration as you become stronger in the movement.

How to Do Wall Sits

Stand with your back against a wall and slide down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, forming a 90-degree angle at your knees.
Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and directly under your knees, with your back flat against the wall and core engaged.
Maintain this position, breathing steadily for the desired duration.

Isometric Lunge

The isometric lunge is a great way to build tendon strength and reduce the risk of knee pain. You can make the iso lunge more challenging by holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand.

How to Do Iso Lunges

Start in a lunge position with one foot forward and the other foot back, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Your front knee should be aligned with your ankle, and your back knee should hover just above the ground.
Engage your core and keep your upper body upright, maintaining the lunge position without any movement. Ensure your front thigh is parallel to the ground and your back leg is bent at a right angle.
Hold the lunge position for a set amount of time, focusing on keeping your balance and muscle tension. Switch legs and repeat for the other side.

Cycling Leg Exercises Wrap-Up

Strength training is necessary whether you’re just starting your cycling journey or a seasoned veteran.

These are only a few of the dozens of exercises you can choose to get a fantastic leg workout. Make sure to check out some of our other articles for more tips on strength training for endurance sports.