Does strength training improve cycling performance?

Yes. A 2010 systematic review in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports found that strength training improved cycling economy (power output per unit of oxygen consumed) by 4-8% in trained cyclists. Practical result: faster times and more watts at the same heart rate. The mechanism is neuromuscular — strength training makes each pedal stroke more efficient.

What strength exercises help cyclists the most?

Back squats and Bulgarian split squats for quadricep and glute power production. Romanian deadlifts and single-leg deadlifts for the hip extension that drives the pedal downstroke. Core stability (plank, dead bug) for power transfer through the trunk in aero position. Single-leg work corrects the left-right power imbalances that almost all cyclists have.

Will strength training make cyclists too bulky?

No, not at the volumes appropriate for performance training. A 2010 study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that concurrent strength and cycling training improved cycling performance without significant increases in body mass. Strength for cycling is about muscle quality and neuromuscular efficiency, not hypertrophy.

How often should South Bay cyclists go to the gym?

2x/week in the off-season (November-February) is the primary strength-building window. During the cycling season (March-October), reduce to 1x/week maintenance. This maintains the off-season strength gains without competing with riding volume.

South Bay Cycling and Strength Training: What Cyclists Actually Need in the Gym

South Bay cycling is year-round. The coastal path from El Segundo through Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach is a continuous riding venue. Palos Verdes offers the South Bay's best climbing. The Pacific Coast Highway runs to Malibu. The South Bay cycling community rides in all conditions, competes in local criteriums and gran fondos, and produces competitive Cat 4-1 road racers.

What most South Bay cyclists skip is the gym. This is a performance mistake with a clear research-supported correction.

What cycling leaves underdeveloped

Cycling builds cardiovascular fitness, cycling-specific muscular endurance, and quad strength in a limited range of motion. It does not build:

Hip extension strength in full range. The pedaling motion uses hip extension through a restricted arc. The glutes and hamstrings that produce power across a full range — critical for big gear efforts and standing climbs — are undertrained by cycling alone.

Single-leg power symmetry. Every cyclist has a dominant leg. The power imbalance between left and right legs creates asymmetrical loads on the hips and knees that accumulate over thousands of miles. Single-leg gym work addresses these asymmetries directly.

Core stability under load. Aero position on the bike requires the core to stabilize the trunk against the forces of pedaling. Cyclists with inadequate core strength rock side-to-side instead of transmitting power cleanly through the pedals.

Upper body resilience. Road cycling includes falls. Cyclists who have developed upper body strength absorb crash impacts better and return to riding faster.

The research on cycling S&C

A 2010 systematic review in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports analyzed 8 studies on concurrent strength and cycling training. Key finding: strength training improved cycling economy by 4-8% in trained cyclists. Cycling economy is the physiological equivalent of running economy — it's the watt output per unit of oxygen consumed. More economy means more power at race pace.

A separate 2010 study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that combined strength and endurance training improved time-trial performance by 8.6% versus endurance training alone. This result held without meaningful increases in body mass.

The mechanism is neuromuscular: strength training improves the muscle fiber recruitment and firing patterns that make each pedal stroke more efficient. Stronger cyclists don't just produce more watts — they produce the same watts with less effort.

The South Bay cyclist strength program

Movement	Exercise	Cycling transfer
Bilateral lower body	Back squat, leg press	Quad and glute power production
Hip hinge	Romanian deadlift, hip thrust	Full hip extension for climbs and sprints
Single-leg	Bulgarian split squat, step-up	Left-right power symmetry
Core	Plank, dead bug, pallof press	Aero position stability
Upper body	Row, pull-up, push-up	Fall absorption, upper body endurance

The South Bay cycling training calendar

Phase	Months	Gym volume	Riding
Off-season strength	November-February	2-3x/week	Maintenance
Early season	March-April	1-2x/week	Increasing volume
Race season	May-October	1x/week maintenance	Full racing

The principle is front-loading gym work in the off-season when riding volume is lower, then maintaining the strength gains during the months you actually want to perform on the bike.

Gate 14 and the South Bay cycling community

El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, and Hermosa Beach are cycling communities. The beach path, the Palos Verdes climbs, and the proximity to Malibu make the South Bay one of the better year-round riding locations in LA. Gate 14 is the gym those riders use for the S&C work that cycling alone doesn't provide.

See Gate 14 strength and conditioning in the South Bay for the full program. See Gate 14 membership options or gate14.net/contact.