Awareness of the benefits of ‘strength’ training is gaining momentum for mainstream cyclists as well as for the pros.
In reality the practice of safe and effective strength work is sometimes more difficult to grasp, and fear of ‘doing it wrong’ or incurring injury can lead to paralysis by analysis. In the next two features we will look closely at one of the most important of strength exercises – the squat – and break it down to make safe and effective squatting a possibility for everyone.
For those without any background in strength training, launching into loaded exercises without a proper grounding in good technique can be risky. Most commonly riders go in too strong, creating enough muscle soreness that will make cycling less enjoyable, or at worst causing an injury that demands a lay off. The missing link for many to avoiding these issues is some technique work to create a solid movement foundation before loading any exercise with weight.
