6 Muscle Strengthening Exercises to Prevent Cramps

By Coach John Hughes

Photos of Coach Dan Kehlenbach

Yikes! All of a sudden a muscle locks up. We’ve all suffered cramps. Muscle fatigue is one cause of cramps.  Strength training helps to prevent cramps. Why do specific muscles cramp? Depending on which of your muscles are prone to cramps, which exercises should you do to strengthen the muscles?

Muscle imbalances can cause cramps. If you have strong quadriceps and relatively weak hamstrings, then your hamstrings will fatigue first while pedaling and they are more prone to cramp.  Or if you have relatively weak calf muscles, they’ll cramp first. These are the cycling muscles, any one of which may be weak compared to the others:

• 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. They are generally much stronger than the following muscles, any one of which may cramp.
• 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.
• Gastrocnemius: The gastrocnemius is the large fleshy muscle that runs from behind your knee to your Achilles tendon. It provides power from about 45° to 135°.
• Hamstrings: The hamstrings provide power as you pull your foot through the bottom of the stroke.
• Adductor: The adductor muscles run from your groin along the inside of your thigh to the back of your thigh near the knee. They keep your knee from drifting outward as you pedal.
• Abductor: The abductor muscles run from your hip and butt along the outside of the thigh and keep your knee from drifting inward and brushing the top tube.

Three of these muscles that cross two joints are more prone to cramping:

• Rectus femoris. The muscle that bends your hip and straightens your knee, one of the quadriceps muscles.
• Gastrocnemius. The fleshy calf muscle that points your toes away.
• Hamstring. The fleshy muscles at the back of the thigh.

Recommended exercises

What muscle cramps when you ride? It may be weak relative to the rest of your leg muscles.  Pick the appropriate exercise from the following to target that muscle. Depending on your strength start with one set of 10 to 15 reps of the exercise. Gradually increase the reps until you are doing 20 reps. Then increase the difficult, start again with 10 to 15 reps and build back up to 20 reps. Do the exercises three non-consecutive days a week.

You don’t need to join a gym—just get an exercise ball and resistance bands or tubing from Amazon.

Quadriceps, Hamstrings and Gluteals

The lunge is the best all-round leg exercise for cyclists. Step two to three feet forward with your right foot and lower you left knee toward the floor.  Go down until your right thigh is about parallel to the floor.  Keep your right knee over your ankle, not in front of your foot, which would strain your knee. If one of your knees hurts don’t go down as far. Return to standing and repeat with your left leg.  Do all of your reps lowering your left leg and then switch legs. Depending on your strength start with a set of 10 to 15 reps with no weight in your hands and build up to 20 reps.  When you can do a set of 20 reps then add dumbbells. Instead of dumbbells you can wear a backpack filled with cans of food, bottles of water, etc. or hold in your hands bags of cans, etc. With the added weight start again with 10 to 15 reps and build back up to 20 reps.

If you have a chronic knee injury, then split squats are a good alternative:  Step two to three feet forward with your right foot. Lower your left knee toward the floor until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and come back up—that’s one rep.  If one of your knees hurts don’t go down as far. Straighten up and then lower your left knee again. Do all of your reps lowering your left leg and then switch legs. Keep your right knee over your ankle, not in front of your foot. Depending on your strength start with a set of 10 to15 reps with no weight in your hands and build up to 20 reps. When you can do one set of 20 reps then add dumbbells, etc. With the added weight start again with 10 to 15 reps and build back up to 20 reps.

Gastrocnemius and Achilles

Calf raises target the gastrocnemius and Achilles. Stand with the balls of your feet on a step or block of wood with your heels hanging down.  Rise up on the balls of your feet until your toes are pointed down like at the bottom of your pedal stroke and then lower back down. Depending on your strength start with a set of 10 to 15 reps with no weight in your hands and build up to 20 reps. When you can a set of 20 reps then add dumbbells, etc. With the added weight start again with 10 to 15 reps and build back up to 20 reps. Progress to single leg calf raises, which are much harder. Stand with the ball of your right foot on a step or block and your heel hanging down.  Rise up on the ball of your foot and then lower back down. Start with one set of 10 reps and build up to 20 reps. Do all your reps with one leg and then switch legs.  When you can a set of 20 reps then add dumbbells, etc. With the added weight start again with 10 to 15 reps and build back up to 20 reps.

Gluteals

Bridging with an exercise ball strengthens your gluteals. Lie on your back with your feet 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 muscles. Use your butt muscles to raise your butt up off the floor—your body should be close to a straight line—hold for three to five counts and lower. Depending on your strength start with a set of 10 to 15 reps and build up to 20 reps.

When you can do a set of 20 reps, switch to one-leg bridging. Lie on your back with your feet resting on an exercise ball.  Lift your right leg up and point it at the ceiling.  Tighten your core muscles.  Use your left glute muscle to raise your butt up off the floor— your body should be close to a straight line—hold for three counts and lower. Single leg is much harder than two-leg so start with one set of just 10 reps and build to 20 reps. Do a set with one leg, then a set with the other.

Hamstrings

Use your exercise ball to do hamstring curls.  Lie on your back with your feet resting on the exercise ball. Tighten your core. Use your butt muscles to raise your butt up off the floor— your body should be close to a straight line.  Press your heels into the ball, bend your knees, pull the ball to your butt and return to straight.  Do a full set of the desired number of reps before lowering your butt back to the floor. Depending on your strength start with a set of 10 to 15 reps and build up to 20 reps.

When you can do one set of 20 reps, switch to one-leg hamstring curls. Lie on your back with your feet resting on the exercise ball.  Tighten your core and use your butt muscles to raise your butt up off the floor—your body should be close to a straight line.  Lift one foot off the ball.  Bend your other knee and pull the ball to your butt and return to straight.  Keep your butt in the air and one foot off the ball for a full set of the desired number of reps. Single leg is much harder than two-leg so start over with one set of just 10 reps and build to 20 reps. Do a full set with one leg, then a set with the other.

Adductor

Hook one end of a resistance band or tubing around your left ankle and the other end under a door or around a table leg. Stand with your feet about 18″ apart, with your left leg nearer the door or table. Put your weight on your right leg and hold onto something for balance. With your left knee slightly bent pull your left foot to your right foot, cross your left foot in front of your right ankle and then return slowly.

Depending on your strength start with a set of 10 to 15 reps and build to 20 reps. Do a full set with one leg, then a set with the other. When you can do 20 reps change to a harder resistance band / tubing, start with 10 to 15 reps and build back up to 20 reps.

Abductor

Hook one end of a resistance band or tubing around your left ankle and the other end under a door or around a table leg. Stand with your feet together, with your right foot nearer the door or table so that the tubing crosses over your right ankle to your left ankle.  Stand on your right leg and hold onto something for balance. Pull your left foot away from your right foot and then return slowly. Do a full set with one leg, then a set with the other.

Depending on your strength start with a set of 10 to 15 reps and build to 20 reps. Do a full set with one leg, then a set with the other. When you can do 20 reps change to a harder resistance band / tubing, start with 10 to 15 reps and build back up to 20 reps.

By strengthening your specific cramp-prone muscles you’ll eliminate one of the causes of cramps.

More Information

My 10-page eArticle Preventing and Treating Cramps explains the leading theories of what causes cramps including fatigue of the nerves to your muscles and sodium depletion. The article describes what you can do to prevent cramps including sufficient conditioning to prevent fatigue of the nerves, stretching regularly, effective pacing and proper pedaling technique as well as the roles of hydration and electrolytes. The article illustrates with photos how to break the most common cramps by stretching gently and then how to flush the affected muscles to prevent them from cramping again. Preventing and Treating Cramps is $4.99; only $4.24 for our Premium Members with their automatic 15% discount.

Preventing and Treating Cramps is included in the four-article bundle Preventing Cycling Ailments Bundle: Butt, Hands, Feet; Cramps; Nutrition; Psychology:

1. Butt, Hands, Feet: Teaches you what you can do to prevent pain in these areas. It reviews the general factors that contribute to discomfort on the bike including your choice of a bike, anatomical issues, bike fit and technique. It covers in detail the different causes of saddle sores, numb hands and hot foot, what to do to prevent these and how to treat each if necessary.
2. Preventing and Treating Cramps
3. Nutrition for 100K and Beyond: Teaches you everything you need to know to avoid hitting the wall with dead legs or bonking with a fuzzy depressed brain. It combines the best of current research with 40 years of riding experience to teach you proper sports nutrition for cycling. It covers how to estimate how many calories you are burning, the best types of fuel, what to eat and drink during a ride and what to eat and drink before and after rides.
4. Gaining a Mental Edge: How to use sports psychology to solve problems. It teaches you the mental skills to deal with problems when they do occur.

The 66-page bundle Preventing Cycling Ailments Bundle: Butt, Hands, Feet; Cramps; Nutrition; Psychology is $15.99.

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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.