Cycling-Specific 30-Minute Full Body Workout

By Coach John Hughes

I designed this program to work on cycling-specific cardio, strength and technique.

Last week I made the case that following The 80 / 20 Principle is the optimal way to gain the most fitness.  Roughly 80% of your exercise should be at a moderate intensity and 20% should be a vigorous.

With shorter days it’s much harder to do moderately-paced cycling outdoors. An endurance ride on the trainer is boring (unless you’re watching a good movie.) Short, harder workouts are a great alternative.

The research behind the 80 / 20 principle studied elite athletes.  Several other studies looked at normal people.

One study compared the health benefits of a High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) program with a program to a moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT). Participants did either the HIIT or MICT workouts for 12 to 16 weeks. The study found HIIT is more effective than MICT at improving cardiorespiratory fitness and reducing risk factors for heart attacks and strokes.

The Cycling-Specific 30-Minute Full Body Workout

4 minutes warm-up

Warm up for a few minutes with one-leg pedaling on the trainer. Set a moderate resistance. Unclip and rest your left foot on a stool or box and start pedaling with your right leg:

• 30 seconds right leg
• 30 seconds both legs (don’t bother to clip in your left foot; just pedal easy to recover)
• 30 seconds right leg
• 30 seconds both legs

Repeat the same pattern with your left leg. Each week, try increase the one-leg work interval by five seconds per repetition.

11 minutes circuit strength training

Go through the circuit once with only 30 seconds rest between exercises. For each exercise, do the repetitions vigorously for a minute, i.e., you can’t talk in full sentences. Use enough weight that you feel the burn at the end of the minute. If you need more than your body weight for an exercise, wear a backpack with canned food, hold bags of heavy food or use dumbbells or other resistance. If you have more time do a second full circuit.

These exercises using multiple muscle group are more effective, e.g., the squat, instead of just one muscle, e.g., leg extension.

The exercises are illustrated in this column:  5 Simple Strength Exercises to Keep Cyclists Injury-Free.

1. Full wall squat: Stand with an exercise ball between your butt and the wall. (Or use a basketball or soccer ball.) Move your feet out so when you squat down, your hip and knee joints form right angles like sitting in a chair. Bend your knees and using the ball as a roller squat down like you’re sitting in a chair. Stand back up. If you have any knee problems, only squat down as far as you can without any pain. Do these vigorously for 60 seconds, using more weight if you need to.

• You can make this harder by standing on one leg to do the squats.

2. Push-ups: Start with your hands 3-6 inches (8-16 cm) wider than your shoulders. Tighten your core and keep your back straight through the full range of motion just like you’re doing a plank. Lower until your elbows are at right angles and then push back up. Do these vigorously for 60 seconds.

• You can make this easier by putting your hands on a bench 12 to 18 inches (30-45 cm) high. To make this harder put your feet on the bench with your hands on the floor.

3a. Stairs: If you have a flight of stairs climb and descend them briskly. Step up with one leg using just the muscles the upper leg; don’t push off with your lower leg. Carry some weights if you need to in order to feel the burn.

3b. Step-ups: No stairs? Do front or lateral step-ups, which are complementary. Each session do either one and/or the other.

• Front: Stand facing a box or step approximately 8-16 inches (20-40 cm) high. Step up with your right leg onto the box using just the muscles in that leg; don’t push off with your left leg. Step back down. Do 30 seconds with your right leg and then 30 seconds with your left leg. Hold some weights if you need to in order to feel the burn.
• Lateral: Stand with your right side along the same box. Step up sideways with your right leg using just the muscles in that leg; don’t push off with your left leg. Step back down. Do 30 seconds with your right leg and then 30 seconds with your left leg. Hold some weights if you need to in order to feel the burn.

4. Rhomboids: This strengthens the upper back muscles that hold up your head. You can use an inner tube or order exercise tubing from Amazon. Loop the tube over an anchor so that the band is somewhere between even with your shoulders and parallel to the floor, to higher than your head and angled down 45 degrees. Stand with straight arms extended in front of you grasping the band or tubing ends. Using the muscles that connect your upper back to your lower neck, spread your arms wide until they are out to your sides and squeeze your shoulder blades together. If you can’t spread your arms out all the way because of an injury, only go as far as you can. Return to starting position. If you can’t get through the full range of motion, then get lighter tubing. Do these for 60 seconds.

5. Lunge or split squats: If your knees don’t bother you do lunges; otherwise do split squats.

• 5a: Lunge: Step forward about 18-24 inches (45-60 cm) with your right foot and lower your left knee toward the floor. Only go down until your right thigh is almost parallel to the floor. Keep your right knee over your ankle, not in front of your foot. Step back to standing. Do 30 seconds with your right leg forward and 30 seconds with your left leg forward. Hold some weights if you need to in order to feel the burn.
• For an added challenge do these backwards.

• 5b: Split squats Step forward about 18-24 inches (45-60 cm) with your right foot. Lower your left knee toward the floor until your right thigh is almost parallel to the floor. Keep your right knee over your ankle, not in front of your foot. Come back up without stepping back to standing, which is one rep. Do 30 seconds with your right leg forward and 30 seconds with your left leg forward. Hold some weights if you need to in order to feel the burn.

6. Single arm rowing: To work your right shoulder/upper back, put your left forearm on an exercise ball (or your left hand on a chair or your left knee and hand on a bench) to stabilize your upper body.  Your right foot is on the floor. Your back is parallel to the floor with your head up looking forward. Your right arm is hanging toward the floor holding a dumbbell or other weight heavy enough you feel the burn. Raise the weight straight up to your shoulder/chest joint. Keep your back and shoulder motionless; just use the muscles on your right upper back. Do 30 seconds with your right shoulder, then switch sides for another 30 seconds.

7. Shoulder press: Stand with your knees slightly flexed (takes strain off your lower back) and hold a dumbbell or other weight in each hand with your hands wider than shoulder width, at the level of your ears, palms facing up/forward. The weights are heavy enough you feel the burn. Push the weights smoothly toward the ceiling, being careful not to hyper-extend (arch) your back. Lower them back to your shoulders.

Squats, stairs, front and lateral step-ups, lunges and split squats are also excellent for strong bones. One-leg squats, step-ups, lunges and split squats also require good balance.

1 minute break to partially recover

10 minutes of intervals

Here’s a tested 10-minute workout on your bike:

• Repeat three times:  20-seconds flat out and 3 minutes at a steady conversational pace. The workout totals 1 minute of intensity and 9 minutes steady.

You can vary this in many ways, e.g.,

• Do #1 30 seconds flat out and 3 minutes steady. #2 20 seconds flat out and 3 minutes steady. #3 10 seconds flat out and 3 minutes steady. 
• Or vary the easy. Repeat #1 20 seconds flat out an only 2 minutes steady. #2 20 seconds flat out and 3 minutes steady. #3 20 seconds flat out and 4 minutes steady.

If you’re motivated (haven’t hurt enough) do another repeat.

5 minutes of cool-down

Core

The plank is a good core program, but not aerobic. These two exercises to strengthen your core, gluteals and hamstrings are active and aerobic.

1. Exercise ball bridging: Lie on your back with your heels resting on an exercise ball. Stretch your arms out to the side with your hands resting lightly on the floor for balance. Tighten your core and butt muscles to raise your butt up off the floor so your body is close to a straight line. Lower back down to the floor. This is one rep. Do as many as you can in 60 seconds.

• One-leg bridging is more challenging.  Rest one foot on the ball with your other foot in the air. Do as many up and down repeats as you can in 60 seconds and then switch legs.

Exercise ball hamstring curl: Lie on your back with your feet resting on the exercise ball. Tighten your core and butt muscles to raise your butt off the floor so your body is close to a straight line. Bend your knees, pull the ball toward your butt. Return to straight legs. This is one rep. Do as many as you can in 60 seconds.

• One-leg bridging is more challenging.  Rest one foot on the ball with your other foot in the air. Do as many up and down repeats as you can in 60 seconds and then switch legs.

The exercises are illustrated in this column: Anti-Aging: Core Strength in 1 Hour a Week

Stretching

Hold each stretch for a slow count to 10 (about 15 to 20 seconds). Many guidelines say to hold a stretch for at least 30 seconds. You can get much — not all — of the benefit in 15 to 20 seconds. Not taking quite as long with each stretch gives you time to do more stretches.

Quadriceps: The quadriceps are the fleshy muscles on the front of your thigh. They straighten the knee and provide power primarily through the first 90° of the stroke while cycling. To stretch the quadriceps in your right leg, lie on your left side with your left leg slightly bent. Bend your right leg until you can hold your right ankle with your right hand. Keep your pelvis forward and gently pull back until you feel your right quads stretch. Repeat to stretch the other leg.

Hamstrings: The hamstring muscles are in the back of your thighs. They provide power as you pull your foot through the bottom of the stroke on the bicycle. To stretch your hamstrings, lie on your back and bend your right knee so that your foot is flat on the floor. Hook a towel or strap over your left foot. Lift your left leg up toward the ceiling, keeping the knee joint straight, until you feel a gentle stretch in your hamstring. If you are more flexible you can do the stretch with your right leg straight on the floor rather than the right knee bent. Then stretch the other leg.

Gastrocnemius and Achilles: The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in your calf provide power from about 45° to 135° while cycling. The gastrocnemius is the large fleshy muscle that runs from behind your knee to your ankle. For the stretch stand with your left leg straight and your left foot several feet away from a wall. Your right foot is about a foot from the wall. Slowly lean toward the wall to stretch the left gastrocnemius and Achilles. If you don’t feel a stretch then move your left foot away from the wall. Repeat to stretch the right leg.

Soleus: The soleus is the powerful muscle beneath the gastrocnemius in the back of your calf. It points your toe down at the bottom of the stroke. To stretch the soleus in your left calf, stand with your left leg bent about 20 degrees at the knee and your left foot several feet from a wall. Your right foot should be under your body closer to the wall. Slowly lean toward the wall to stretch the soleus muscle in your left calf. If you don’t feel a stretch then move your left foot away from the wall. Repeat the stretch with your right leg.

Gluteals: The gluteals are the big muscles in your butt. They straighten the hip and provide power primarily through the first 90° of the stroke on the bicycle. To stretch the glutes lie on your back with your right leg bent and foot flat on the floor. Cross your left ankle over your right knee. Curl up, wrap your hands around right your thigh and then lie back down. You’ll feel the stretch in your left gluteal. Repeat to stretch the right glute.

Hip flexor: The hip flexors are a group of muscles between the front of the hip and the thigh. On the bicycle they lift one leg through the back of the stroke so that your other leg doesn’t have to push the ascending leg up. To stretch your left hip flexors, lie on your stomach with your left knee bent about 90 degrees with a strap or towel hooked over your left foot. Pull on the strap lifting your left thigh slightly off the floor and you should feel a nice stretch in the left hip flexor/quadriceps. Repeat the stretch with other leg.

Iliotibial Band (IT Band): The IT band is a sheath of connective tissue that runs along the outside of the thigh from the top of the hip bone to just below the knee. If it gets tight, while cycling you’ll feel a pain on the outside middle of the knee, starting with a mild pain and becoming sharper. To stretch the IT band, stand with the afflicted leg, e.g., the right leg near a wall and put your hand out to stabilize yourself. Cross the other (left) leg in front of the right leg you are stretching. Place the left foot close to the wall. Push the right hip with the afflicted knee toward the wall until you feel a stretch along the outside of your right hip and quad.

Cat: Our backs often get tight after hours of bicycle riding. To stretch and relax, get on your hands and knees. Start the stretch by slowly arching your back up and rolling your head forward and dropping your chin down toward chest. Then reverse the stretch starting with your pelvis, then pushing your abdomen toward floor and finally rolling your head back slowly. Repeat the stretch several times going through the full range of motion each direction. This is an excellent on-the-bike stretch after you crest a hill.

The stretches are illustrated in this column:  Anti-Aging: Flexibility in 30 Minutes a Week

Related columns

• Anti-Aging: Interval or Fartlek for Longevity?
• Anti-Aging: Why Practicing Balance Is Important
• Anti-Aging: 9 Weight-Bearing Activities for Strong Bones

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Coach John Hughes earned coaching certifications from USA Cycling and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. John’s cycling career includes course records in the Boston-Montreal-Boston 1200-km randonnée and the Furnace Creek 508, a Race Across AMerica (RAAM) qualifier. He has ridden solo RAAM twice and is a 5-time finisher of the 1200-km Paris-Brest-Paris. He has written over 40 eBooks and eArticles on cycling training and nutrition, available in RBR’s eBookstore at Coach John Hughes. Click to read John’s full bio.