{"id":6114,"date":"2024-01-19T10:07:06","date_gmt":"2024-01-19T09:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/?p=6114"},"modified":"2024-01-19T10:07:06","modified_gmt":"2024-01-19T09:07:06","slug":"is-cycling-and-lifting-in-one-day-too-much","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/01\/19\/is-cycling-and-lifting-in-one-day-too-much\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Cycling and Lifting in One Day Too Much?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Strength training and cycling are both beneficial for cyclists. Endurance training is obviously vital for sport-specific performance, but strength training is crucial for injury prevention, overall health, and longevity. So, the question is, should you try to fit both into one day?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Science says they interfere with each other<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Research shows that training for endurance and for strength sends your body potentially conflicting signals. Endurance exercise such as cycling activates AMPK, an enzyme-regulating cellular energy, which increases mitochondrial synthesis. Strength training, on the other hand, activates mTOR,<\/a> an enzyme controlling cell growth, which increases muscle-protein synthesis. The problem is that elevated AMPK can reduce mTOR activity, which suggests a potential conflict in achieving maximum strength and endurance adaptations simultaneously.<\/p>\n

The key is to balance both types of training<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The thing is, this interference effect is not meaningful enough for most people, especially for amateurs who mainly ride for health and enjoyment. The overall benefits of both strength and endurance training<\/a> are significant enough that everyone should do both if possible. The key is finding the right balance based on individual goals and the specific demands of cycling.<\/p>\n

There are three ways to include strength training in your usual cycling routine \u2013 doing each on a different day, doing both on the same day, and doing both inside one workout. Here are the advantages and drawbacks of these approaches to help you choose.<\/p>\n

\"Weight<\/a>
Strength training and cycling are both beneficial for cyclists.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Training strength and endurance on separate days<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This option is theoretically the best, because you avoid sending your body conflicting signals from two different types of training. Unfortunately, for most time-crunched amateurs, it\u2019s not practical. You can try doing two strength workouts and one interval ride during the workweek and then two long endurance rides on the weekend. This leaves two rest days to recover. Unfortunately, having five exercise days is a tall order for many cyclists. Plus, this volume of cycling may be enough for base training in the off-season, but it won\u2019t be enough to properly build your high-performance when racing approaches.<\/p>\n

Training both on the same day<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you are able to combine a morning ride with an evening strength session two days per week, then this could be the optimal solution for you. This will allow you enough rest days and hard cycling days during the rest of the week, even in the most-demanding stages of the season. Here are a few tips to get the most out of your two-a-days.<\/p>\n