Editor’s Note: Coach Dan Kehlenbach, a long-time coach of cyclists and other endurance athletes, and a certified strength and conditioning specialist, has graciously agreed to put together a monthly series of workouts for RBR readers. This month’s workout features the same preparation exercises (Phases 1 & 2) before moving into the new Circuit workouts.
Here’s a workout that you can do pretty much anywhere – at home, the gym or while traveling. One of the fundamental principles of strength training is that you should learn to control your body before adding any external resistance, so this workout requires little in the way of equipment.
Phase 1 – Foam Roll
Using a foam roller can help improve the overall quality of your muscle tissue and to prepare it for the demands of the workout. There’s no one consensus on what’s the best protocol, but many cyclists can benefit by addressing quadriceps, hamstrings, hips, calves and upper (thoracic spine area) back. Start with 8-10 fluid strokes for each muscle group.
Phase 2 – Movement Preparation
Here is where we start taking your muscles through a specific range of motion to work on your mobility and muscle activation. It will also help get your body get ready for the workout. Aim for 5-6 repetitions of each movement.
Glute Activation
Lie on your back as shown with one leg bent and the other leg at your chest. With your toes up, concentrate on activating your glute by pushing through your heel and lifting your hips up.
Inchworm
From a push-up position, walk your feet towards your hands using small steps keeping your knees slightly flexed. When you can no longer maintain that slight knee flexion, pause for a 2-count then walk your hands out with small steps back to the starting position.
Squat-to-Stand
With your feet shoulder-width apart, reach down and grab your toes. If you can’t grab your toes, go as low as you feel comfortable with. Drop your hips into a sumo-style position, keeping your elbows inside your knees. Pause for a 2-count at the bottom, raise your hands over your head as best as you can, and stand back up.
Shoulder Wall Slide
Place your feet about one foot in front of a wall. Lean back and make sure your hips, upper back and head are in contact with the wall. Reach up as high as you can and slide your arms down the wall. As you slide your arms down, make sure your elbows and hands (along with your hips, upper back and head) stay in contact with the wall.
Lateral Squat
Stand with your feet approximately double shoulder-width apart. Shift your weight to one side and drop your hips down and back, keeping your knee over your toes and your weight over your bent leg. Pause for a 2-count, return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
Elbow-to-Instep
From a push up position, bring one foot to the outside of your hand. Lift up your hand and drop your elbow towards your instep. Pause for a 2-count and return your hand and foot. Repeat on the other side.
CIRCUIT 1 – Static core exercise, dynamic core exercise, elastic (power-type) exercise
These exercises are performed in a circuit style fashion. After your lateral planks, go right into the TRX standing rollouts then into the shuffles. Start with 2 rounds and work your way up to 3 rounds.
Lateral Plank
Make sure you keep proper alignment – having a mirror or partner can help with maintaining your form. Work up to 30-second holds on each side.
TRX Standing Rollout
Facing away from the unit and your core tight, raise your arms overhead and move your body forward as shown. As with all suspension trainer exercises, be sure to keep your body straight throughout the movement. Aim for 8-12 repetitions.
Shuffles
Place two cones or markers (water bottles work nicely) about 10-feet apart. Here I am using the lines of a basketball court. Assume an athletic-type stance as shown, shuffle back and forth from cone-to-cone, maintaining your form. Cycling has no lateral component, so doing exercises like this can help maintain the strength and integrity of your lower body’s lateral musculature and movement patterns. Start with 10 seconds and work your way up to 30 seconds.
These exercises are performed in a circuit style fashion. After your lateral planks, go right into the TRX standing rollouts then into the shuffles. Start with 2 rounds and work your way up to 3 rounds.
CIRCUIT 2 – Upper body and lower body strength exercises
Like circuit 1, perform these exercises in a circuit-style fashion. Do a set of overhead presses, move to dumbbell squats, then pulldowns, and finish up with reaches. Start with 2 rounds and work your way up to 3 rounds.
Standing Overhead Press
Exercises done from a standing position will add a balance and stability challenge compared to seated exercises. Standing with a pair of dumbbells as shown, press the dumbbells overhead and return with control – avoid letting gravity take over during the lowering phase of the exercise. Aim for 8-12 repetitions.
Dumbbell Squat
Hold a pair of dumbbells as shown with yourfeet slightly wider than shoulder width apart. As you descend, drop your hips down and back. Imagine that you are trying to sit down into a chair that someone is slowly pulling away from you. The lower you go, the further back your hips should go. There’s no one-correct squat depth – everyone is different and your hip structure/flexibility will determine the depth of your squats. Aim for 8-12 repetitions.
Kneeling Pulldown
Kneel in front of a cable column as shown. Grasp a traditional pulldown handle with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width. Keeping your torso upright, pull the bar down to your collarbone and slowly return to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions. Kneeling on the floor forces your core and postural muscles to engage throughout the movement as opposed to a traditional lat pulldown machine where you’re locked into place with little core and postural involvement.
Aim for 8-12 repetitions.
3-Way Cone Reach
Place three cones or water bottles in front of you as shown. Standing on one leg, perform a slight squat and reach down toward the left cone. Return to a standing position, squat and reach toward the forward cone, then back to a standing position. Finally, squat and reach toward the right cone. Repeat the entire sequence while standing on your other leg. That’s one round. Try and work up to 3 or 4 rounds on each leg.
Additional Resources:
See my 5-part Dynamic Conditioning Monthly Series that includes exercise progressions/variations, workout logs, and complimentary consultations via phone, email, FaceTime or Skype.
Foam rollers improve quality of muscle…I’ve seen that term before, muscle quality decreases with age.
Physiologically what is muscle quality, muscle made of different proteins or what? How do rollers physically improve it?
Exercise (HIIT or strength training?) should reduce the loss of quality with age, how does it do that?
Strength training should be of paramount importance for all aging adults. Sarcopenia is a word we should all be familiar with.
Hi Patrick,
Thanks for the note and sorry for the confusion. By quality of muscle, I refer to the ability of foam rollers to minimize the adhesions or “knots” that can occur with intense training. Imagine a rubber band tied in knots – if you pull on the ends of the rubber band, they will tighten up. However, if you roll the knots in between your fingers, the knots can loosen. This is a very simplified explanation, but it’s one I heard from several Physical Therapists in describing the benefits of rolling. It also improves circulation and can be as therapeutic as a massage. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Very respectfully,
Dan Kehlenbach
PS – To all RBR readers, please feel free to contact me directly with any questions/comments/concerns with my articles. My e-mail is dan(dot)kehlenbach(at)gmail(dot)com.