Training series part 1: Tips and equipment for effective strength training

>>Cyclists sit too much: interview with Lorenz Westner, trainer at the FFB-Puch sports school in Fürstenfeldbruck<<

Kettlebell: Swing & other workouts

The cannonball with handle is ideal for full-body training. Classic exercises: Kettlebell swing, abdominal twist, squats with barbell in front of you. Instructions are available online. We recommend the 12-kilo kettlebell.

• Price: 55 Euro

Sling trainer: dozens of exercises

What looks like a lashing strap for securing a lorry load is a real all-rounder. The sling trainer can be used to train dozens of exercises for different muscle groups. A nice side effect: it also trains your balance.

• Occasionally available from as little as 40 euros, the original from TRX from 130 euros

Pezziball for all kinds of exercises

Hardly any other piece of fitness equipment can be used to perform as many exercises as the Pezziball, be it for the abdomen, core, back, legs or shoulders. There are plenty of instructions on the internet.

• Price: from 25 Euro

Pull-up bar for chin-ups

Pull-ups are one of the top exercises of all. Pull-ups are particularly important for strong back muscles - but strong chest and upper arm muscles don't hurt on the bike either. We recommend a pull-up bar that you can attach to the wall, for example from Pullup&Dip.

• Price: 90 Euro

Barbell for deadlift

The barbell deadlift is a classic exercise for cyclists as it challenges the legs, shoulders and back. The barbell squat is the key exercise for cyclists to strengthen leg power and core muscles.

• Price: from 99 euros

Interview with Lorenz Westner, trainer & expert at the FFB-Puch sports school in Fürstenfeldbruck

Cyclists sit too much!

TOUR: For professional cyclists, strength training is a matter of course. For amateur cyclists too?

Lorenz Westner: Yes, because very few people realise this: Athletic performance is also based on strength training. There are five pillars in total: Endurance, strength, flexibility, coordination and speed. If you want to perform well, even at an advanced age, you need to train all of these pillars. Of course, endurance is more important for cyclists than strength, but it can have a positive effect in winter.

TOUR: Road cyclists are not known for having big muscles; many fear them more because their weight slows them down.

Lorenz Westner: True, mass makes you heavy. Nevertheless, strength training also makes sense for racing cyclists. And not just for the legs. Many have a deficit in their core muscles. Winter is the ideal time to improve here.

TOUR: You preach mobility for cyclists. Why is that so important in your eyes?

Lorenz Westner: Most cyclists have a deficit. In other words, they are shortened. The lack of suppleness makes them slower on the bike and causes them to react less favourably in the event of a fall. Stretching is therefore worthwhile as a preventative measure. In short: If you don't do this, you run the risk of developing problems that can no longer be solved so easily. The older cyclists get, the more important flexibility training becomes. And flexibility exercises are particularly important for racing cyclists.

TOUR: What deficits do you still see?

Lorenz Westner: A shortening of the hip flexor, the back thigh muscles and the outer part of the front thigh. This leads to knee, neck and spinal problems. Strengthening exercises help very well here. In most cases, the main problem for impairments is not cycling at all, but the fact that cyclists also sit too much at work. In addition, the position on a racing bike is much more fixed than when mountain biking, for example.

TOUR: But there are studies that cast doubt on the positive effect of stretching for cyclists?

Lorenz Westner: Yes, they do exist. And I think they are nonsense. Many study designs are questionable and the results can rightly be doubted. In practice, I see that people who do flexibility training - and that includes stretching - are also more flexible!

TOUR: Can you combine strength and stretching exercises?

Lorenz Westner: Yes of course, squats for example, with mobility exercises for the back or outer thigh. Specifically: stretching in a lunge. There are a number of variations here that are very effective.

TOUR: Back to strength training, how much time should I invest in it?

Lorenz Westner: Basically, anything is better than nothing. Twice a week for 60 to 90 minutes would be very good. Regularity is important. 8 to 15 repetitions, three to four sets. After strength training, I would train flexibility, i.e. stretching.

TOUR: Many people don't have time to go to the gym and prefer to work out in their spare room. Name three exercises that should not be missed.

Lorenz Westner: A personalised plan makes much more sense. Road cyclists have bikes costing thousands of euros in their cellar, but don't want to spend money on a professional training plan. High-quality providers charge 250 to 300 euros for this. My top 3 exercises are: firstly, the squat or pull squat. Secondly, incline pull-ups, ideally with a TRX band, and thirdly, press-ups on an unstable surface such as a spinning top.

TOUR: What do you think of planking, i.e. strength training in the forearm support?

Lorenz Westner: Planking is good if it is done correctly. Very often, however, planking leads to increased activation of muscles that are already too strong in the functional chain with increasing exercise duration. This then increases muscular imbalances with all their negative effects. I recommend paying particular attention to core control when planking and varying the exercises.