6 Best Exercises to Get Better at Cycling

Cycling is a great way to get some exercise, but it can be hard to decide what kind of workout routine you should follow.

If you're not sure where to start, there are exercises that can help you build up strength and endurance when you hit the road.

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Exercises to Get Better at Cycling

Here's a look at six such exercises:

#1 Lunge

Lunges are a great exercise for cyclists, as they help build strength and stability in your legs. The lunge works your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, which are important muscles for cycling.

To do a lunge:

• Get into a standing position with your feet together.
• Step one foot out to the side about two feet from where you started, and bend both knees till they're at 90 degrees or less (you should feel it in your thighs).
• Slowly straighten up back to the starting position before repeating on the other side. Repeat ten times on each side for three to five sets.

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#2 Sit-up

Sit-ups are a good exercise for cycling, as they help to strengthen your core, which is important for cycling. They're also easy and can be done anywhere.

Sit-ups help improve posture by strengthening the abdominal muscles, as well as helping you get better at sitting up straight on a bike.

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#3 Calf Raise

Calf raises are great for cycling, as they strengthen your calves and ankles, which can help you pedal more efficiently. You can do them anywhere, so they're a great option when you're on the road and want to get a workout in.

To do a calf raise:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart on an elevated surface like a step or bench (or, if you don't have access to either of these things, just stand up straight against the wall). Hold onto something for balance, if needed.
• Raise yourself up onto your toes by squeezing your calf muscles as tightly as possible—you should feel it in both legs at once.
• Lower back down slowly till your heels almost touch the floor again. Repeat 20 times or till you are fatigued or unable to lift yourself off the ground any further without leaning forward too much.
• Rest 30 seconds before doing another set of 20 reps. To make this exercise even more challenging, try adding ankle weights.

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#4 Squat

Squats are a great form of exercise for cyclists. Squats involve bending your knees, lowering your body till your upper legs are parallel to the floor and returning to standing.

They can help you build muscle and lose fat and are also good for your knees, back and legs.

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#5 Push-up

A push-up is one of the most effective exercises to help you get better at cycling. It strengthens your chest, triceps and deltoids - the muscles you use when riding.

To perform a push-up:

• Lie facedown on the ground, with arms straight out in front of you.
• Bend your elbows so that your palms touch the floor at shoulder height.
• Lower yourself till your upper arms are parallel to the floor and only just supporting your weight (a 90-degree angle between wrist and elbow).
• Push back up to the starting position with arms fully extended before repeating.

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#6 Pull-up

Pull-ups are one of the best exercises to help you improve your cycling. Pulling your weight up and down is one of the most natural movements humans can do, and it's clearly a big part of cycling.

You’re pulling on the handlebars to steer, pulling on your legs to pedal and using your core strength for all kinds of things on a bike.

There are a lot of benefits to doing pull-ups:

• They help develop stronger arms, shoulders, back and core muscles that make pedalling easier and more efficient
• They work out the pain in areas where many cyclists tend to develop tightness or soreness (like shoulders)
• They increase arm strength so you can hold on to the handlebars longer without getting tired.

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Takeaway

There are a lot of different workouts you can do to get stronger at cycling, but the aforementioned ones are some of the best. They’re not easy by any means, but they'll make your body stronger and more efficient on the bike.

It’s important to remember that it takes time for exercises to become a part of your routine, so don’t expect immediate results.