• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Become a Premium Member
  • About

Road Bike Rider Cycling Site

Expert road cycling advice, since 2001

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Bikes & Gear
  • Training & Health
  • Reviews
  • Cycling Ebooks
    • Ebooks Training
    • Ebooks Skills
    • E-Articles Training
    • E-Articles Nutrition
  • Member Area
  • Newsletter

Are Squats Better Training than Riding Hills?

Question: Is it smart to skip hilly road rides in order to keep a regular routine of squats in the weight room? — John O.

Coach Fred Matheny Replies: The advantage of building strength by riding hills in a high gear with a low cadence (as opposed to doing squats) is primarily one of specificity. You get better at the activity you’re doing, so riding a bike is better training for cycling than squatting.

Having said that, strength should be built in a sequence starting with weights, progressing through low-cadence/high-resistance hill climbing, and ending with conventional interval training at 90-110 rpm.

I recommend a regular squat (or leg press) routine twice a week in November, December and January, along with one low-cadence hill workout each week.

Then go to one squat workout per week in February plus two hill workouts in a medium cadence and gear.

Begin conventional intervals in March when you stop doing squats.

There can be variations to this pattern, of course. But the basic idea is to build strength in the weight room and then convert it to cycling-specific power.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent Articles

  • Anti-Aging: VO2 Max
  • Tackling an Epic Climb – Mt. Lemmon, Tucson, Arizona
  • Move Around Before and After You Eat
  • Cycology Cycling Apparel Quick Review

Recent Newsletters

Newsletter Issue No. 1054

Newsletter Issue No. 1053

Newsletter Issue No. 1052

Newsletter Issue No. 1051

Newsletter Issue No. 1050

Footer

Affiliate Disclosure

Our cycling expert editors and writers choose every product we review. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy from one of our product links, at no extra cost to you. This income supports our site.

Follow Us

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Privacy Policy

Still Haven’t Found What You’re Looking For?

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in