Cyclist's workouts - lightning acceleration

What you do off your bike can have as big an impact on your riding as what you do in the saddle.

 

You need the fast-twitch, type II muscle fibres in your glutes, quads and hamstrings to be able to turn on a short spurt of Mark Cavendish style speed. “By training these muscles over a month and making specific groups expand and contract at speed you can get the edge,” says Andy.

“These plyometric drills can make the difference between finishing first and trundling in last,” says Andy. In fact, US researchers have found that jump squats can boost body power and acceleration by 13 per cent in just five weeks. Complete as many of these exercises as you can in 30 minutes, breaking for two minutes recover between each. Try to land and explode rapidly, keeping ground contact brief, while staying in complete control and balanced.

Alternate leg bounds

Leap forward off your right leg as far as you can so your left leg and right arm go forward as you jump. Land on the ball of your left foot and immediately bound off it with your right leg and left arm extended.

Bound up a hill to make it harder. Do 10 reps per leg in each set and do three sets, resting for 60 seconds after each.

Power skipping

You remember how to skip? Now make it explosive by pushing forcefully off the ground with each hop and lifting the knee of your forward leg up to your chest. “Exaggerate lifting the knees to get the greatest benefit,” Andy recommends.

Do 16 skips per set and three sets, with a 60 second recovery rest between each.

One-legged squat jumps

Stand on one leg and squat down until the top of your thigh is parallel with the ground, keeping your knee behind your front toe. Jump forwards and land on the same leg, squatting down to cushion the landing.

Do 10 jumps in a row on one leg before turning around and repeating on the other.

Depth jumps

Step off a 50-70cm high box or stair, landing on both feet and then jump up from both legs as high as possible. “Quickness off the ground is the key to this drill,” says Andy. “React as though the ground was covered in burning ash and you had no shoes on.”

Repeat the exercise five to eight times.

Single leg hops

Hop forward on your right leg as far as you can, swinging your arms for help. Immediately repeat the movement. After you’ve done it six times, rest for 15 seconds and then repeat the exercise with your left leg.

Do six reps per leg per set and do three sets, resting for 30 seconds after each.

This feature is brought to you by Get Into Cycling from Future Publishing, the publishers of www.bikeradar.com