Kettlebells offer a way for you to maximize your strength in the hips, a major part of your power train in cycling. Champion cyclist Lance Armstrong discovered them as part of his move to ultimate training and created a buzz in the cycling world when photographed doing the two-handed swing with a kettlebell of impressive weight. You may not win the Tour de France seven times as Armstrong has, but kettlebells can still give you added strength where it counts.
Two-handed Swings
This classic kettlebell exercise extensively works your upper back’s trapezius, the shoulders' deltoids, the butt’s gluteus maximus and the thigh and hamstrings -- a laundry list of the active muscles in cycling. You spread your legs wider than shoulder width apart, bend your knees and get down in a crouch as you firmly grasp the handles to begin a two-handled swing. Engage your core and thrust your hips forward to help your arms bring the kettlebell out level with your eyes as you keep your head up and gaze forward. Lower the kettlebell to under your crotch and repeat for 10 repetitions. As you gain experience, increase to three sets and to higher weights.
Single-handed Swings
You can pick up a lighter kettlebell for this variation with one hand, recommends Colorado-based physician and avid cyclist Shannon Sovndal in “Cycling Anatomy.” Perform similarly to a two-handed swing. This version engages your stabilizer muscles, such as the hip adductors, given its asymmetry. Your chest and forearm muscles also receive a challenging workout.
Snatch
As an alternate to the swing to work the glutes, back and shoulder, you can try the snatch. As with the swing, the kettlebell rests on the ground between your spread legs as you bend your knees and push your hips back. Swing the kettlebell back between your legs and then flip your grip so it rests on the back of your forearm. Control the weight so it doesn’t bump the wrist, advises competitive road rider Ashley Brown of BBM Bikes, based in Yorkshire in northern England. Pull the kettlebell to your chest, lower it and repeat.
Application
Bike sprinting at the end of a race requires maximum effort, Sovndal notes. Breaking away and climbing require explosive power; kettlebell exercises prepare you for this exertion. While doing your exercises, surge from your lower extremities, he advises, to bring the kettlebells up to your shoulders and prepare yourself for the effort of tough cycling.
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