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[nick82]

- this is why cyclists primarily need to be in the gym. It's not about bodybuilding or increasing power etc, it's about injury prevention through balancing/restoring proper muscular balance and function.

Can I ask if you know of a good workout to help out the imbalance from cycling and a desk job? In my case I'm working on thoracic extension and "waking up" the glutes. I have a decent physio who has helped out with this, but I want to start back on a 5x5 style workout with compound moves to get me back on the downhill bike.

Any ideas of specific exercises that are a must would be appreciated.

 

[rsquared]

Can I ask if you know of a good workout to help out the imbalance from cycling and a desk job? In my case I'm working on thoracic extension and "waking up" the glutes. I have a decent physio who has helped out with this, but I want to start back on a 5x5 style workout with compound moves to get me back on the downhill bike.

Any ideas of specific exercises that are a must would be appreciated.

Lunges/Split Squats
Glute Raises
Hip Thrusters
Romanian deadlifts
Conventional deadlifts
Deadlift block/rack pulls
BB Squats
Goblet Squats
Bent Over Row
Bench Press
Overhead Press
Chin Ups

Without knowing your goal, mobility, lifting experience, technique etc. it's impossible to give you a cookie cutter program and expect it to work. It's impossible to know what needs to be prioritised when. In general, most people need to mobilise their hips, ankles and t-spine and then strengthen their glutes, back and 'core'. I haven't had one cyclist/runner/triathlete come in and start training with me that could deadlift properly though. It's the small changes and adjustments to technique that make the difference between you using muscles you are already dominant in and actually activating and strengthening what muscles the movement should be driven by. You need a quality professional with a trained eye to coach you in person on this.

You want to use a powerlifting style training philosophy but their is an art to programming these exercises around your bike training in order to allow progress in both strength and endurance. Expect your legs to feel rubbish on the bike at times. It's periodising these phases around certain events/goals that will allow you to peak and progress in the long term.