Exercises To Improve Your Standing Pedaling Power
I'm a huge advocate for standing up more to pedal for two reasons - standing up allows you to apply more power to the pedals and to better flow over the trail and execute your technical skills. In other words, you can ride faster and have more fun when you are standing up to give 'er. Unfortunately, though, most riders have that instinct stamped out early when they are told to only stand up if they have to because they'll tire themselves out too fast.
Bull crap, I say. Seated pedaling isn't "better", it is just easier and since when was taking the easy way out a good excuse? Standing pedaling does require a different type of core strength and leg drive than seated pedaling does and a lot of riders who lack this type of strength mistake the excessive fatigue caused by standing pedaling as a warning to avoid it, not a call to work harder on it.
Once you've built the right type of core strength and leg drive you'll find standing pedaling much easier to execute, as well as finding much more power in your pedal stroke. One of the best exercises to work on this specific type of strength is the Airborne Lunge:
However, this is a very difficult exercise that few riders can do without working into it. In this video I show you the exercise progressions I use to help riders learn how to do this essential exercise to increase their power and endurance when standing up to pedal.
MTB Strength Training Systems is the world leader in integrated performance training programs for the unique demands of mountain biking. As the strength and conditioning coach for World Cup Teams and 3 National Championships, his programs have been proven at the highest levels. James has helped thousands of riders just like you improve their speed, endurance and skills on the trail. Visit www.bikejames.com to sign up for the free Trail Rider Fundamentals Video Mini-Course.
Bull crap, I say. Seated pedaling isn't "better", it is just easier and since when was taking the easy way out a good excuse? Standing pedaling does require a different type of core strength and leg drive than seated pedaling does and a lot of riders who lack this type of strength mistake the excessive fatigue caused by standing pedaling as a warning to avoid it, not a call to work harder on it.
Once you've built the right type of core strength and leg drive you'll find standing pedaling much easier to execute, as well as finding much more power in your pedal stroke. One of the best exercises to work on this specific type of strength is the Airborne Lunge:
However, this is a very difficult exercise that few riders can do without working into it. In this video I show you the exercise progressions I use to help riders learn how to do this essential exercise to increase their power and endurance when standing up to pedal.
MTB Strength Training Systems is the world leader in integrated performance training programs for the unique demands of mountain biking. As the strength and conditioning coach for World Cup Teams and 3 National Championships, his programs have been proven at the highest levels. James has helped thousands of riders just like you improve their speed, endurance and skills on the trail. Visit www.bikejames.com to sign up for the free Trail Rider Fundamentals Video Mini-Course.
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97 Comments
Prejudice is a bad thing but I'm still gonna say it. I am pretty sure that following goes through minds of many: the bigger the toy the bigger his penis seems to others - men should go out to the gym naked, less injuries guaranteed, no appearance deception, no exagarations! It is what it is!
I tried single leg bw squats just for the hell of it. I can hardly do 5 mostly due to poor balance but they also felt extremely heavy on the quads. From what I read once you get the stability part, the weight go up fast though. I've seen people single leg squat with 200lbs+ dumbbells in each hand. At a point you don't have the choice to increase weight to gain strength.
Don't forget leverage also. If you do a straight pull up, it's much easier than a L pull up, which is much easier than a planche pull up. No weight is involved, its all about increasing leverage with arms angle.
I do 1 leg squats with my leg out in front so that I can go all the way down to the point my bum touches my foot. Is that extra range worth working on or is the exercise above more constructive?
I agree that it is a tough exercise to do and not many people will have the coordination or range of motion to do it. But compare this exercise to Heavy 5rep max back squat supersetted with 12 jumping lunges (3-4sets) that done 2x a week aded into a normal program will get far greater increases in power output. Then 30sec standing sprints on a turbo trainer 2min rest x 4-6 sets then you're really onto a winner. Don't believe me try it for yourself!
For what he proposes, were talking strength and building up our lactic acid thresholds. This works well for skiing too but I like a 5-10-20 or 6-12-24 I call them. Essentially a heavy lift followed by two exercises to really induce lactic acid build up, i.e. 6 heavy squats to failure-10 sec rest-12 weighted lunges-10 sec rest-24 jump squats(legs, especially the quads will be fried) and follow with a few minutes of easy spin to flush out the lactic acid.
unclesomebody-I believe he promotes the airborne lunge over pistol because the pistol has the weight further back on ones heel so is more glute biased versus the airborne lunge has the weight more forward and is quad biased and more similar to the standing pedal.
Agree about the plyo stuff, but I've heard some concerns about back problems related to compressing the discs in your spine over time with heavy-weighted squats. I know a few people who stay away from them, instead doing leg-presses as not to put pressure on the spine.
If you believe that then you're exactly the person the video above is targeted for. Squats and deadlifts DO need to be performed correctly (good form and appropriate weight) to avoid injury and if you want to learn then seek out a competent trainer and not your close buddy who 'lifts'.
There are just too many benefits from squats/deadlifts to ignore them from your life. They are the ultimate and most functional "core" strengthener, will help in fixing your posture from being stooped over your bike and work desk, strengthen both the anterior(front) and posterior(back) of your legs, not to mention the increased testosterone production, etc, etc. But again, they NEED to be done properly to get these results.
The only thing I'll add is plyometrics has limited value to a cyclist as there is no stretch / shorten cycle in a pedal stroke.
The reason you can leg press more weight than you squat is simple physics. You have more leverage in a leg press and you don't have to lift your body weight in addition. Simply add more weight to compensate; your leg muscles will still have to do the same amount of work in the end. Also, the discs in your spine don't strengthen over time.
@robnow & oliverody
Incorrect form, though a big issue, is not exactly what I was getting at. Squats put an abnormal amount of pressure on your spine regardless of form (though incorrect form greatly increases the pressure at certain points). While they are a great exercise, the human spine isn't designed to have a lot of weight put on it vertically. It doesn't really matter how strong you are, your spine still takes the same amount of weight.
If you squat say 200lbs, that's 200lbs of force on your spine. If you leg press a comparable amount to make up for the increased leverage and lack of bodyweight as mentioned, your spine is under no additional compression. Between the two, the leg presses are clearly less strenuous on your spine.
I know that squats can be extremely beneficial for some people in some ways. It just seemed a pertinent point to make when obvious lifters recommend something that isn't necessarily beneficial for everyone in the long run, when there are other exercises that can substitute for squats without the added compression of the spine.
Thanks for the replies, though. Always interesting to see other peoples' perspectives/experiences.
@oliverody: Lately I had a luxury of meeting a functional movement specialist - man I thought I knew something about squats and deadlifts as I train for 3rd year with James program (that involves all exercises you mention and maaany more). That woman showed me I didn't know shit, and it scared one out of me. She made me do squats with no weight, in a proper way correcting me all the time, and guess what, I barely did 12 vs 8 with 120lbs I tend to do later in the season. Does that ring a bell? There are so many details and checks to make when working with weights, not only, doing it wrong exposes you for an injury, but for it should be most interesting for you, does not bring as good effects as proper execution. Just as 10 well made push-ups bring more effect than 50 whatevers. Watch some guys doing gymnastics and tell them that bodyweight is for beginners. Trust me 99.999% weight lifting people have no clue what they are doing, I am one of them, if you are on this site you have a high chance of being one as well.
I do use lifts in my training but I work harder on bodyweight exercises, because if I can't handle well the weight of my body, how good am I then? James has put out a tough and heavy thought once - MTB is not a good way to get fit and healthy, but it's a good motivation to do training that will contribute to your health, true strength and fitness
I feel people are misunderstanding my points however, @frolosophy yes leg press is still a good exercise I never said it wasn't but the issue people have when standing pedalling is core strength which a leg press won't improve which is why I suggested weighted squats for quote above "those who are able to".
The main aspect with standing pedalling is to increase power in the pedalstroke so to improve power I would suggest that weighted squats combined with a plyometric exercise will provide the greatest improvements in leg power outputs. Bodyweight exercises are great too I am a great believer in them as I use them all the time with many of my clients, I just had a different view to improving peoples ability for out the saddle riding.
As for leg press, my main gripe with it is that it pretty much ignores your stabilizers which are extremely important. Unilateral exercises (1leg) are much easier on the back than your conventionnal deadlifts/squats and they also work your stability a lot.
Also keep in mind that the biking disciplines have very different needs. With a winter spent doing deadlifts/squat/bench/rows I felt like DH was so much easier but when I got on my AM bike, "pathetic" was an euphemish to describe my cardio and endurance.
Not a big fan of indoor cardio either. It's so boring and after a winter of hiit on a stationary bike I felt my cardio hasn't got any better when I got on my bike. Trying a different approach this winter.
Getting your athletes stronger and more powerful is great but even the strongest most powerful athlete is useless if injuried.
Because going to the gym is a pain in the ass, the process of getting to and from is taking more time than I take to put a good work out at home with body weight, yoga matt, few dumbbells, kettlebells and jumping rope. So it requires strong mental commitment and preparation and true, deeper motivation - most people lack that and that's why they fail, their motivation is: I buy a gym card, I spend lots of money so it will motivate me to use it. For instance, please ask some random non-pro client a couple of months into the process whether he/she stretches after own work out. This dull anf painful activity after the "challenge" is over, that they don't understand and don't see effects of at all.
Again I feel people are seriously misunderstanding my points. I am of the absolute belief that people should only perform exercises that are within their own capabilities with correct form and technique. I have suggested squats and plyometrics as a counter suggestion to what James has recommended which I believe will be a superior training method for those who can do it. I do believe squats deadlift etc are very important exercises for everyday life not just training BUT I understand full well that not everyone has the facilities or abilities to do such exercises and shouldn't if they have anything that will put them at risk of injury when doing these exercises.
The exercises I suggested should only be done within a program for 4-5 weeks as 1) the body adapts to those exercises and you will plateau and 2) you do run the risk of overuse injuries if you prolong programs. I didn't realise people would be of the impression that you should do this all the time in your training! Varying load, reps and rest is essential to improving.
I was just suggesting an exercise that will be an alternative to those given in the article which I believe will benefit people (who are able) more.
Thanks for the input, again. I should point out that I have no real stake in any of this as I do almost exclusively bodyweight calisthenics and gymnastics-style exercises. I should have addressed the issue of core strength in retrospect. Yes, squats recruit a ton of muscles and are very good at increasing core strength. However, all the stabilizing muscle strength in the world won't save you from compression based injuries and strain, which I think is lost on many people amid the lore surrounding squats. What it seems to come down to is whether you feel the short-term benefits of squats outweigh any potential long-term problems. Like I said, I wouldn't be doing them anyway as I almost never use weights, but my core is plenty strong regardless.
Squats/deadlift variations are key strength program exercises. I absolutely love those exercises. You have to keep in mind that the average pinkbike user probably never went in a gym though. I feel it's kinda like bringing a dh newcomer into a bike park and telling him "if you wanna race downhill you gotta start hitting those 50ft jumps".
I also used to read that unless you're an olympic athlete it's pretty much impossible to overtrain. Well I've overtrained for sure doing heavy strength work with a program that seemed somewhat light. I'm still paying the price today so that's why I'm saying you have to be careful with what you say to new trainees.
And as I said, strength is great but it doesn't really carry well to all disciplines. I'm a big fan of 3x3, 4x6, 5x5 and the such with proper intensity but since I switched from dh to enduro, I find that strength did very little for me especially when I see girls I ride with blaze past me in the climbs when they never set foot in a gym and don't ride all that much (at least I blaze past them in the dh sections haha!)
If you look at the big names in strength training, they all have an extremely long list of injuries they're not too proud of and most of them retired and just train to stay somewhat fit today because they just can't bear the load of str training anymore. Personally, I figured I was on the path to end up that beaten up in the end and I still want to ride my bike for the next 40 years so I figured I had to change training philosophy.
@frolosophy I would be very interested to read the literature linking weighted squats to spinal injury, I know a lot of spinal injuries through lifting comes from insufficient core strength allowing the spine to flex (when the back "rounds") which can lead to damage to the intervertebral discs and them herniating.
When you squat you should engage your core so it is rigid and breathe in on the lowering phase which will help protect the spine from flexing during the lift. It would have to be some seriously heavy weight lifted regularly over a long period of time to compress the spine (I would class heavy as over 1.5 to 2x a persons bodyweight). I doubt many people would be lifting that on a regular basis. When you lift you can engage the core ready to lift, people I know who have compressed their spines have done it in accidents when they were unable to react against the impact at high speeds, myself included (jump over-clearance to otb to faceplant next takeoff in a set of large rhythm jumps, tsg lid in 3 pieces!) very contrasting effect to a squat.
I still believe the importance of squats as I feel they don't just have a short term effect but can benefit all people. As I guess 90% + of elite athletes wouldn't be doing them if the medical/training/physio support staff were worried about the risk of injury I doubt they would prescribe the exercise to do in their training?
The point I was initially making is that it is hard to achieve power increases just through a complex bodyweight exercise and that it is better to do a heavier weightbearing method eg squat/leg press + core training, however you want to achieve knee and hip extension!
Thanks for the reply. When I speak of compression injuries and strain, I am mostly talking about squats as a regular exercise done over a long period of time (though compression occurs as soon as a force is applied--I mean compression in the physical sense, not the medical sense). When speaking of heavy weighted squats I assume we're talking about 1.5 - 2+ x a person's bodyweight - I imagine you have beginners doing much lighter weight. But yes, what I said was meant as more of a footnote to what was being said about squats in general than a totally contrary point. I'm not entirely opposed to it.
The thing is that elite athletes usually have good coaches. Unless you go to a specialized gym with a focus on strength or you find the rare trainer in a commercial gym that has a passion for str training and has a clue, it's hard to have a sound program that fits you. I find that if you spend an hour reading tnation/elitefts you have more str knowledge than 98% of the trainers out there. You can't blame them though because hardly anybody trains for pure str.
You can apply a variety of training goals to various exercises it just depends on rep range and load you can use squats to build muscular endurance not just pure strength.
But in my last race I could not find the strength to stand up and sprint a fireroad near the finish - Sad!!
i'd say you'd be better off riding than doing these exercises. the main challenge you'll have won't be the leg muscle, but the lung muscle, as you'll be damn outta breathe if you sustain maximum output standing up for an entire ride!
it really helps a lot, i do 30 on each leg before going to sleep and i can really feel the difference!
www.bikejames.com/strength/im-really-not-anti-clipless-pedals-im-pro-flat-pedals
Clipless give the edge to those who came to the level where they they can see "the edge" or at least have a good picture of it. I don't think that clipless cover for lacks of skill, as they don't do absolutely any good for unskilled and unfit ones. They just make lacks in skill seem non-present, while they are still there slowing them down, thus not motivating to excel in riding, making learning curve flatter. The things that cover for poor riding and fitness with true increase in performance is suspension, dropper posts and 29" wheel size.
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