Track cycling is a demanding sport that calls on a cyclist's strength and endurance, as well as racing tactics while riding on a banked track known as a velodrome. Sprint cyclists will typically ride three to eight laps on a 1 kilometer track and endurance cyclists will ride eight to 16 laps. Strength training will vary for each type of rider to emphasize the muscular endurance and power needed for each format.
Off Season
You must have a general state of physical preparedness that provides a solid athletic foundation before concentrating on track cycling exercises. This level of training is done during the off-season and focuses on strengthening any muscular imbalances. Since most of the stress is on the lower body and back during the racing season, cyclists will train the upper body and core with lighter weights for three sets in the 12 to 15 repetitions range.
Base
Approximately 12 to 16 weeks prior to your first race, focus on building a strong aerobic base and split your strength training into three total body sessions per week. Your emphasis will be on improving muscular endurance through circuit training. An effective circuit is jumping jacks, body weight squats, push-ups, lunges, pull-ups and planks. Each exercise is done as fast as possible, with good form, for 30 seconds. Rest for 15 seconds and then move to the next exercise. Completing all of the exercises is one circuit. Do three to five circuits for each training session.
Power
Eight weeks before your first race, you are ready to focus on developing power. In athletics, power is the ability to maximal force in a short amount of time. Focus on compound lifts, such as the squat, push press and power clean. While the power clean is explosive in nature, treat the concentric, or positive, parts of the squat and push press in the same manner. Execute the pushing motion of each exercise as quickly as possible but control the descent. Train three times a week with five sets of five repetitions for each exercise. Use as heavy as a weight you can control.
Peak
Four weeks from your first race you need to continue to develop power, but emphasize the speed of movement. Explosive exercises, such as plyometrics work well for this type of training. Continue the power training exercises, but replace one session a week with plyometric push-ups and jump squats. Plyometric push-ups are done in a similar manner as regular push-ups but explosively launch your upper body off the floor during the push phase so your hands leave the ground. Jump squats are body weight squats where you jump as high as you can, land, dip into a full squat and explode upward again. Do each exercise as quickly as possible for three 30-second rounds, working up to three 60-second rounds.
Racing
During the racing season, your objective is to maintain your strength since most of your conditioning and power will be developed from racing. Skip the gym and focus on improving your riding skills and racing strategies. Between races, ride in big gears and sprint up hills to maintain your muscular endurance and power.
References
- "The Cyclist's Training Bible;" Joe Friel; 2009
- "Mastering Cycling;" John Howard; 2010
Member Comments