Coach Hughes: Cycling Strength Training to Prevent Cramps
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Intelligent Training—Training

Strength Training to Prevent Cramps

Strength Training for Century, Brevet and Other Endurance Cyclists

by Coach John Hughes

John Hughes is the author of Distance Cycling: Your Complete Guide to Endurance Cycling.
He is the author of Anti-Aging: 12 Ways to You Can Slow the Aging Process. He has written 40 articles on training, nutrition, psychology and medical issues for RoadBikeRider.com. More about Coach Hughes.
© John Hughes, All Rights Reserved

Muscle imbalances can cause cramps. If you have strong quadriceps and relatively weak hamstrings, then your hamstrings will fatigue first while pedaling and are more prone to cramp. Or if you have relatively weak calf muscles, they'll cramp first. These are the cycling muscles, any one of which may be weak compared to the others:

  • Quadriceps. The quadriceps are the fleshy muscles on the front of your thigh. They straighten the knee and provide power primarily through the first 90° of the stroke while cycling. They are generally much stronger than the following muscles, any one of which may cramp.
  • Gluteals: The gluteals are the big muscles in your butt. They straighten the hip and provide power primarily through the first 90° of the stroke.
  • Gastrocnemius:The gastrocnemius is the large fleshy muscle that runs from behind your knee to your Achilles tendon. It provides power from about 45° to 135°.
  • Hamstrings: The hamstrings provide power as you pull your foot through the bottom of the stroke on the bicycle.
  • Adductor: The adductor muscles run from your groin to the back of your thigh near the knee along the inside of your thigh. They keep your knee from drifting outward as you pedal.
  • Abductor: The abductor muscles run from your hip and butt along the outside of the thigh and keep your knee from drifting inward and brushing the top tube.

Three of these muscles that cross two joints are more prone to cramping:

  • Rectus femoris. The muscle that bends your hip and straightens your knee, one of the quadriceps muscles.
  • Gastrocnemius. The fleshy calf muscle that points your toes away.
  • Hamstring.The fleshy muscles at the back of the thigh.

What muscle cramps when you ride? This muscle may be weak relative to the rest of your leg muscles. Pick the appropriate exercise from the following to target that muscle. Start with one set of 15 reps of the exercise. Gradually increase the reps and then sets until you are doing three sets of 20 reps. Do the exercises three non-consecutive days a week.

You don't need to join a gym. You can use dumbbells, gallon jugs of water, cloth bags filled with canned goods or wear a backpack. You also need an exercise ball from Amazon.

Developing Leg Strength
One or two days a week, do an aerobic activity that builds leg strength:

  • riding a road bike, single speed or mountain bike in hilly terrain.
  • hiking, snow shoeing, or back country skiing with a moderately heavy pack.

Two or three days a week, do three sets of 15-20 reps of one of the following strength exercises, which are progressively more difficult. For each of these exercises, the knee of the front leg should remain directly over the ankle - the knee should not go forward in front of the toes, which would place added stress on the knee.

Quadriceps, Hamstrings and Gluteals:

  • Lunge: The lunge is the best all-round leg exercise for cyclists. Step two to three feet (60 to 90 cm) forward with your right foot. Lower your left knee toward the floor. Only go down as far as you can without any knee pain and don’t go farther than your right thigh parallel to the floor. Keep your right knee over your ankle, not in front of your foot. Step back up with your feet side by side — that’s one rep. Do all your reps lowering your left leg and then switch legs. Strengthens quads, hams, and glutes. Start with no weights and progress to holding weights in each hand.
    Lunge Lunge Lunge


  • Split Squats: Step two to three feet (60 to 90 cm) forward with your right foot. Lower your left knee toward the floor. Only go down as far as you can without any knee pain and don’t go farther than your right thigh parallel to the floor. Keep your right knee over your ankle, not in front of your foot. Without moving your feet come back up—that’s one rep. Do all your reps lowering your left leg and then switch legs. Strengthens quads, hams, and glutes. Start with no weights and progress to holding weights in each hand.
    Split Squat Split Squat


Gastrocnemius and Achilles. Calf raises target the gastrocnemius and Achilles. Stand with the balls of your feet on a step or block with heels hanging down. Rise up on balls of your feet until your feet are pointed down like at the bottom of your pedal stroke and then lower back down.

When you can do three sets of 20 reps then do single leg calf raises, which are much harder. Stand with ball of right foot on a step or block and heel hanging down. Rise up on ball of foot and then lower back down. Start with one set of 15 reps and build back up to three sets of 20 reps. Alternate one set with right leg, then one set with left leg.

Gluteals: Do bridging with an exercise ball to strengthen your gluteals. Lie on your back with your feet resting on an exercise ball. Stretch your arms out to the side with your hands resting lightly on the floor for balance. Tighten your core muscles to raise your butt up off the floor — your body should be close to a straight line — hold for 3-5 counts and lower.

Ball bridging Ball bridging


When you can do three sets of 20 reps, switch to exercise ball one-leg bridging. Lie on your back with your feet resting on an exercise ball. Lift your right leg up and point at ceiling. Tighten your core muscles. Use your left glute muscle to raise your butt up off the floor — your body should be close to a straight line — hold for 3-5 counts and lower. Single leg is much harder than two-leg so start over with one set of 15 reps. Do a set with one leg, then a set with the other.

Hamstrings: Use your exercise ball to do hamstring curls. Lie on your back with your feet resting on the exercise ball. Tighten your core muscles to raise your butt up off the floor — your body should be close to a straight line. Press your heels into the ball, bend your knees, pull the ball to your butt and return to straight. Do a full set of the desired number of reps before lowering your butt back to the floor.
Step Up Step Up


When you can do three sets of 20 reps then switch to the exercise ball one-leg hamstring curl. Lie on your back with your feet resting on the exercise ball. Tighten your core muscles to raise your butt up off the floor — your body should be close to a straight line. Lift one foot off the ball. Bend your other knee and pull the ball to your butt and return to straight. Keep your butt in the air and one foot off the ball for a full set of the desired number of reps. Single leg is much harder than two-leg so start over with one set of 15 reps. Do a full set with one leg, then a set with the other.

Adductor: Hook one end of a resistance band or tubing around your left ankle and the other end under a door or around a table leg. Stand with your feet about 18" (45 cm) apart with your left leg nearer the door or table. Put your weight on your right leg with the knee slightly bent and, if necessary, hold onto something for balance. Pull your left foot to your foot leg and cross in front of your right ankle and then return slowly. Do a full set with one leg, then a set with the other.

Abductor: Hook one end of a resistance band or tubing around your left ankle and the other end under a door or around a table leg. Stand with your feet about 18" (45 cm) apart with your left leg nearer the door or table. Put your weight on your right leg with the knee slightly bent and, if necessary, hold onto something for balance. Pull your left foot to your foot leg and cross in front of your right ankle and then return slowly. Do a full set with one leg, then a set with the other.

More Information

  • Cramps Causes of cramps and how to break and flush a cramp.
  • Cramping: How to prevent and deal with cramps — my 10-page eArticle for $4.99 from RoadBikeRider.com.
  • Other articles by Coach Hughes from RoadBikeRider.com