Power Building For the Cyclist – 2 Kettlebell Exercises For the Competitive Cyclist to Utilize!

It has been my experience that cyclist don’t put a lot of stock in a strength and conditioning program. The truth is that you must be optimally trained in both elements of strength and conditioning in order to be a successful athlete irregardless of what kind of athlete you are. If you are a cyclist that doesn’t understand the importance of this then I am politely telling you right now that your training is flawed. One way to ensure that you are at least starting in the right direction of having an effective strength and conditioning program is to include the following 2 kettlebell lifts into your personal program.

1. The Double-Arm Swing: As a strength and conditioning specialist I will tell you that if you don’t understand the importance of periodization and training then your training program has holes in it. Basically periodization means that you have to train with a high volume of sets and reps and intensify those elements right up until your competition date. Just before your competition you steadily lower the intensity of training so you go into the competition at your peak level of performance. The double-arm swing is the base lift of the kettlebell and is a tremendous tool to include in your training and to help phase you on and off your times of cycling while still increasing your cardiovascular fitness and individual strength. This is the element of your training that has been missing. Implement the double arm swing for 300 to 400 reps and try to tell me that you are not getting any cardiovascular benefit from it.

2. The Pistol: This is the most impressive exercise I think anyone can perform. This is basically a single leg squat! This particular exercise is performed by lifting one leg off of the ground and squatting all the way to the floor with the other leg. Of course, this particular exercise takes a lot of practice. You can start by performing it off of a bench or chair before attempting to go all the way to the floor. As you get better and better you can add an extra load by holding the kettlebell in front of your body. You will find that it adds significantly more intensity to the squat, but that it surprisingly helps you with the balancing factor. This exercise is great for developing your quads, glutes, and hips which are all necessary for you to pedal fast and climb the tough hills!