00:00It might sound counterintuitive, but the best way to improve your cycling
00:04isn't necessarily through more cycling, quite the opposite in fact.
00:08Supplementing your riding with off-the-bike cross-training helps address those aspects
00:13of your fitness which don't get sufficiently developed through riding alone, but nevertheless
00:18are still crucial for your cycling performance. After all, it's no coincidence that essentially
00:23every professional cyclist includes regular off-the-bike exercises as part of their training
00:29plans. But unlike professional cyclists, not all of us have the time, money, or inclination
00:35to put in all the hours at the gym. So we've spoken to Dan Lacciufano, owner of Surrey Strength
00:41and Performance Gym, and Sam Mack, a chartered physiotherapist at the St. James Clinic in London,
00:46to get their expert recommendations of what five of the best home exercises are for maximum gains.
00:53And all of these can be done without any specialist equipment, so let's get into them.
00:59First up, we have Bulgarian Split Squats. This is a unilateral or single leg exercise and is
01:05hugely beneficial to cyclists because it's essentially a two-in-one. The muscles targeted
01:10are your quadriceps and hamstrings, essentially both sides of your thighs, as well as your gluteus
01:16maximus, helping to boost your anaerobic power output for improved sprinting and efforts up to
01:21short to mid-sized climbs. Being a unilateral exercise, it also places demands on your balance
01:26and stability. Through controlling your knee direction and making sure it doesn't buckle
01:31inwards, you'll be improving your joint stability, which in turn will help reduce chances of overuse
01:36injuries whilst on the bike. The way to do this exercise is rest one foot on a bench or seat at
01:43approximately knee height. Assume the forward lunge position, keeping the body upright,
01:48hips square with the rear foot resting on the bench. Lower the front leg to 90 degrees,
01:53keeping the knee aligned with the foot. Drive up through the heel to straighten the knee back
01:57to the starting position and aim to do 10-12 reps on each leg. After doing both legs,
02:03take up a two-minute rest and repeat this for up to five sets. Doing fewer reps and
02:08fewer sets initially as you build up your conditioning is ideal.
02:13Next, we have the good old-fashioned press-up, beloved by fitness classes throughout the world
02:19and with good reason. Although upper body exercises may seem superfluous for a cyclist,
02:24developing your upper body strength helps make it easier to maintain your riding position
02:29on the bike and is especially beneficial for sprinters who need to be able to counteract the
02:33forces they're putting down through the pedals. You should aim to keep the elbows tucked in so
02:38you're working the triceps more and to reduce the risk of injury to the shoulders as well as keeping
02:43your core tight and your body straight. Aim to be in control of the movement. Other than that,
02:48you should start off by placing your hands below the shoulder, slightly wider than shoulder width.
02:54Keep your shoulders, hips and ankles in a straight line. Bend your elbows to lower your chest just
02:59above the floor, keeping the elbows close to the chest. Then push back up to the start position.
03:04Aim for 10-15 reps, then two minutes rest and then try and do that for five sets. Again,
03:10fewer reps and fewer sets is recommended for those just starting out.
03:15With the mason twists, we have yet another dynamic exercise, only this time you're starting
03:20to work the core and the obliques much harder. Strength in this area helps prevent rocking
03:24from side to side whilst riding, meaning less power wasted. Now, stabilizing lateral movement
03:30in this way is fundamental to maintaining good form on the bike, making you more efficient
03:35and reducing your risk of injury. If you have a hard wooden floor, you may wish to place a blanket
03:41or cushion or yoga mat if you have one under your bum to relieve the pressure on your coccyx. Now,
03:47the way to do this exercise is as follows. Sit on the floor with your knees bent,
03:52lean back roughly to about 45 degrees, keeping your back straight. With both hands in front of
03:57your chest, tighten the core and lift both legs off the floor. Rotate your arms from side to side,
04:03touching the floor around waist level and then twist to the opposite side to do the same.
04:08You can aim for 10 reps and then take a two minute rest before repeating for up to five
04:13sets, or you can build up the reps and sets from whatever level suits you. Now, you can make this
04:18exercise harder by holding a dumbbell, or if you don't have one, then you can fill a two litre
04:23bottle of water and hold that instead. Next up, we have the bridge. Now, for those just starting
04:30out, the bridge is a great exercise for developing your back and your core. Again, vital for your
04:36stability and maintaining your position on the bike. The bridge also helps to develop your
04:41hamstrings and gluteus, but less so than the split squats we did earlier. So, the way to do these
04:47ones is lie yourself on the floor with your knees bent at roughly 90 degrees, with your feet flat
04:52and your arms by your side. Lift your hips up off the floor until the knees, hips and shoulders
04:58are in a straight line. Squeeze the glutes and tighten the core to prevent excessive load through
05:02the back. Then, hold for two to three seconds for isometric contraction and then slowly relax.
05:09Now, if that's a bit too easy for you, then you can step things up a notch by resting your
05:13shoulders on a bench, sofa or chair and start with both your feet and bum on the ground. Then,
05:19with one leg, lift up so you're straight like a tabletop, being careful not to overextend, return
05:25and then repeat. As you'll just be using one leg and because your range of motion will be much
05:30greater, you'll be increasing both the demand on your muscles and also helping to develop your
05:35stability in your joints and your core. Now, for both of these, aim for between 10 to 15 reps and
05:41take up to two minutes rest in between. You probably know the drill by now, you should aim for up to five
05:46sets. We're going to end on a tough one here. If you're not yet able to do the full number of reps
05:54and sets for the split squats and single leg hip thrusts, it will be best for you to leave this one
06:00out. On the other hand, those exercises will provide really good conditioning for pistol squats,
06:05so in time you'll be able to build up the strength to progress. Stand with your feet hip-width apart,
06:11extend your chosen leg forwards with your toes pointed up, extend your arms out in front of you,
06:16bend your other knee and slowly lower yourself to the ground, pause and then straighten back up.
06:22Your extended leg should stay lifted for the whole of the duration, then switch up and then repeat.
06:29This exercise is the most demanding for both muscular strength and stability,
06:33making it the most effective for boosting your cycling performance. But on the other hand,
06:38you might not be able to do it on your first try. Now, if you're not able to, but you do want to
06:43flesh out your session with a full five exercises, try a deep step up using a bench, chair or low
06:49wall as an alternative. Now, if you can get to the point where you can do 10 reps on each leg for
06:54five sets, then you will have definitely noticed a massive difference in your cycling performance.
07:02So, there we have it. Those are our five favourite exercises to do at home with very
07:07minimal equipment. If you've got any at-home exercises, then do share them down in the
07:11comments. If you enjoyed the video, drop it a like, subscribe to the channel for more content,
07:15and I'll see you again very soon.
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