Strength & ConditioningAnswer

STRENGTH TRAINING FOR MASTERS CYCLISTS

By Anthony WalshRoadman CyclingUpdated 26 May 2026

WHO THIS IS FOR

IS THIS YOU?

The masters cyclist who only rides

You've never added structured resistance work and wonder why power and snap are slowly fading.

The rider over 50 wanting to hold FTP through their 60s

You want evidence-based resistance work that protects, not disrupts, your riding.

THE ROADMAN VIEW

Anthony has had this conversation with Andy Galpin, Derek Teel and Joe Friel at different points, and the message never changes. After 40, fast-twitch muscle fibres disappear at a rate that cycling simply doesn't reverse. Cycling keeps your cardiovascular engine running, but it doesn't stress fast-twitch fibres hard enough to make them stay. Strength training is the direct intervention.

The fear that lifting makes cyclists slow or heavy is twenty years out of date. Every World Tour team now prescribes it. Derek Teel's approach is deliberately uncomplicated for time-crunched amateurs: a small number of compound patterns, meaningful load, consistent progression. You don't need a bodybuilder's programme. You need consistency.

Where masters riders get it wrong is with light, high-rep work — body-pump classes, band circuits — that feels like effort without providing the load stimulus needed to preserve muscle. The 6–10 rep range with a weight you can barely complete the last rep of is where the adaptation lives. That's the protocol Andy Galpin's research points to, and it's the protocol the Roadman strength programme is built around.

EXPERT EVIDENCE

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

Andy GalpinProfessor of Kinesiology, Cal State Fullerton; muscle physiologist
Fast-twitch fibre preservation after 40 requires a specific stimulus: high mechanical load or high velocity. Neither is provided by cycling. Structured resistance training with meaningful load is the only direct intervention, and the research shows it works — fast-twitch fibre preservation in masters athletes who lift consistently versus those who don't is significant.
Hear it: The Science Of Getting Faster After 40 | Dr Andy Galpin
Derek TeelStrength coach for cyclists (Dialed Health)
The most effective strength programme for masters cyclists is simple and specific — a handful of compound patterns, prioritising single-leg work because cycling is a single-leg-dominant action, with consistent load progression. Complexity is the enemy of the time-crunched amateur.
Hear it: Strength Training For Cycling Simplified | Derek Teel

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

DO THIS WEEK

Build sessions around four core patterns
A split squat, a single-leg hinge (Romanian deadlift or single-leg deadlift), a press (overhead or chest), and core work. These four cover the movement patterns that protect power, knee health, and lower back on the bike.
Work in the 6–10 rep range with meaningful load
The last two reps of each set should require real concentration. If you can do 15 easily, the weight is too light to defend fast-twitch fibre. Increase by the smallest increment possible each week.
Schedule on hard ride days, not easy days
Lift after a hard ride, or do your hard ride after a lift — concentrating the load so easy days remain genuinely easy. Stack Tuesday hard ride + evening strength, not Thursday easy ride + strength.

COMMON MISTAKES

WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG

MISTAKEDoing body-pump or high-rep band work and counting it as strength training.
FIXLight, high-rep work does not provide the mechanical load needed to preserve fast-twitch fibres. Use real weight at 6–10 reps.
MISTAKEStopping strength work at the start of race season.
FIXMaintain two sessions in season, even at reduced volume. Stopping entirely means losing much of the muscle you built over winter — start season weaker, not stronger.
MISTAKESpreading strength across easy ride days and compromising recovery.
FIXStack lifting on hard days. Easy days are for aerobic recovery; loading them with strength undermines the whole week's structure.

FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What strength exercises are best for masters cyclists?

Split squats, Bulgarian split squats, Romanian deadlifts, single-leg deadlifts, hip hinges, dumbbell or barbell press, and core work. Single-leg patterns matter most because cycling is a single-leg-dominant action and bilateral movements leave imbalances unaddressed.

How heavy should masters cyclists lift?

Heavy enough that the last 1–2 reps of a 6–10 rep set require real focus with good form. Lighter than that and you're not providing the stimulus needed for fast-twitch preservation. Heavier than that with poor form increases injury risk for marginal extra benefit.

Should masters cyclists lift differently than younger cyclists?

The fundamentals are the same, but masters riders should allow more recovery between sessions — 48–72 hours rather than 24–48. Start conservatively on load, progress carefully, and prioritise form over weight. The goal is durable strength, not 1RM testing.

Can strength training improve my FTP?

Indirectly, yes. Strength training preserves and builds the neuromuscular capacity that generates power on the bike. Masters riders who add structured lifting typically see FTP stabilise or improve — and those who don't often see it drift down year on year.

How long before strength training improves cycling?

Neurological adaptations — better coordination, improved force production — happen in the first 4–6 weeks. Muscle preservation effects build over 3–6 months of consistent training. Think of it as a long-term investment, not a quick fix.

Will strength training make me too heavy for cycling?

No — not two structured sessions a week. That volume builds functional strength with minimal hypertrophy. The old fear of getting heavy from lifting is a hangover from a different era of training science.

RELATED EPISODES

HEAR THE CONVERSATIONS

The Science Of Getting Faster After 40 | Dr Andy Galpin

Strength Training For Cycling Simplified | Derek Teel

Heavy Strength Training for Cyclists Over 40 | Roadman Cycling