WHO THIS IS FOR
IS THIS YOU?
The cyclist squatting light because heavy feels risky
You squat but keep the weight comfortable, and you're not sure how heavy is heavy enough to matter.
The masters rider unsure if heavy loading is safe
You've heard older athletes should lift heavy but worry about whether it's wise at your age.
THE ROADMAN VIEW
The Roadman view
Let me be really clear about this, because it's the single most common way cyclists waste their gym time: squatting light. Three sets of fifteen with a weight you could do twenty-five reps of feels like work, takes a while, leaves you with a bit of a burn — and does almost nothing for your cycling. That rep range trains muscular endurance, and muscular endurance is the one thing you already have buckets of from riding. You're spending gym time topping up the tank that's already full.
The adaptation you're actually missing is maximal strength — the ability to produce a lot of force and recruit a high proportion of your muscle on demand. That only comes from heavy loading. For a squat, that means working in the 4–6 rep range, which lands somewhere around 75 to 85 percent of your one-rep max. The word 'heavy' scares people off, but it doesn't mean grinding out a maximal single with your eyes bulging. It means a weight where the last two reps of a set of five demand genuine concentration and clean form. That's it.
On the masters question, this is the part worth flagging: the case for heavy squatting gets stronger with age, not weaker. After 40 you start losing fast-twitch fibre, and heavy, lower-rep loading is the specific stimulus that fights that decline — riding can't replace it. So the older you are, the more this matters, provided you build the load progressively and keep the technique honest. Film yourself early, add weight a little at a time, and a heavy squat is one of the safest, highest-return things you can do for your riding.
EXPERT EVIDENCE
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
- Derek TeelStrength coach for cyclists (Dialed Health)
Cyclists default to light, high-rep squatting because it feels familiar and less intimidating — but that's the adaptation they least need more of. Heavier loading at lower reps trains the neuromuscular system to recruit more muscle and produce force, which is what creates the transfer to the bike. The load should be challenging, not maximal.
Hear it: The Best Exercises For Cyclists (Strength Training) - Andy GalpinProfessor of Kinesiology, Cal State Fullerton; muscle physiologist
High-load, lower-rep training is the specific stimulus that recruits and preserves fast-twitch fibre, which begins declining around age 35. Endurance training does not provide this stimulus, so it has to come from the gym at meaningful loads — making heavy squatting more important for ageing cyclists, not less.
Hear it: The Science Of Getting Faster After 40 | Dr Andy Galpin
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
DO THIS WEEK
Find your working weight without testing a one-rep max
Pick a weight you can squat for 10 clean reps, then add roughly 15%. That lands you near a 5–6 rep working load. You never need to test a true one-rep maximum — estimate from a set you can control.
Work in 4–6 rep sets with real load
3–4 sets of 4–6 reps where the last 2 reps demand focus and the form holds. If you can breeze through 8, the weight's too light. If form breaks down at rep 3, it's too heavy. Aim for the controlled middle.
Add load gradually and log it
Add 2.5–5kg when a session feels controlled across all sets. Progressive overload is the mechanism — a squat weight that never moves over 6 weeks is maintaining, not building. Keep a log so you hold yourself to it.
Prioritise depth and knee tracking over more weight
Squat to roughly 90 degrees at the knee with the knees tracking over the second toe. Never add load at the cost of form. Film yourself from the side periodically — clean technique under heavy load is the whole game.
COMMON MISTAKES
WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG
MISTAKESquatting in the 12–15 rep range and calling it strength work.
FIXThat's muscular endurance — the adaptation you already get from riding. Drop to 4–6 reps with heavier load to build the maximal force cycling doesn't provide.
MISTAKEConfusing 'heavy' with maximal one-rep grinding.
FIXHeavy means the last 2 reps of a set of five take real focus with clean form — around 75–85% of your max. You never need to grind out a true one-rep maximum.
MISTAKEKeeping the same squat weight for months.
FIXIf the load never changes, you've stopped building strength. Add 2.5–5kg when sessions feel controlled, and track it so progression actually happens.
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What percentage of my max should cyclists squat?
Do I need to test my one-rep max to squat heavy?
Is heavy squatting safe for cyclists?
How deep should I squat as a cyclist?
Should older cyclists squat as heavy as younger ones?
Are split squats or back squats better for going heavy?
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