It is also essential to make sure you’re comfortable and proficient with any exercise you’re planning to move heavy loads. For example, before doing heavy back squats, it is essential to have the correct technique and be comfortable with the movement. It is highly recommended to consult a professional before pushing heavy loads.
3. Underload
Research and practice suggest heavy loads are most likely to produce benefits in performance. If you’re not putting the body under the necessary stress, you may not get the benefits to your cycling performance. Doing very high reps (>20) of low load exercises alone is not sufficient to produce the benefits on-the-bike.
4. Missing the target
While it may benefit overall feeling and injury prevention, just doing core stability work won’t give you the correct stimulus to benefit performance on the bike. Similarly, just doing bench press exercises likely won’t translate to on-the-bike performance. There needs to be some specific loading through the legs.
5. Timing
The timing of when to gym and ride is complex. The fatigue and response to the gym can really impact your riding (and vice versa). While not always easy in practice, the ideal timing is to have 48-72 hours between your two gym sessions in the week. The ideal timing for your on-the-bike intervals is in the morning with the gym sessions in the evening (>3 hours between the two). This timing maximises the adaptations from each training session by minimising the impact of fatigue.
6. Using %1RM
This is not necessarily a mistake. When used correctly, this approach can be very helpful for ensuring the loads you’re lifting are sufficient. However, it often doesn’t account for fatigue that is built through the week. Additionally, cyclists tend to have disproportionate capacity for heavy lifts between the upper and lower body. Simply put, cyclists often have strong legs but weaker upper bodies. Certain like squats and deadlifts require significant core and upper body strength and stability to execute heavy lifts safely. In these cases, leg strength may not be the limiting factor.
An alternative approach is to use rating of perceived exertion (RPE) to guide your intensity. For example, for strength development, aiming for >8 out of 10 RPE. If this load is for 6 reps, the load should be high enough that you can only push ~2 more reps (max of 8 reps). This will account for your fatigue from the bike and prevent overload. Similarly, it may be easier to maintain proper form for the full set as fatigue may hit the torso and upper body first as this is relatively weaker. Maintaining form of heavy lifts is essential for safety.