Original episode & show notes | Raw transcript
This document provides a detailed breakdown of the strength training concepts discussed in the Empirical Cycling Podcast. It is intended for an educated audience seeking to understand not just the “what” but the “why” behind structuring an effective strength program for endurance sports.
The first crucial distinction is understanding the primary goal. Traditional strength programs often follow a linear path:
Hypertrophy Phase: Building muscle size (e.g., 8-15 reps).
Strength Phase: Increasing maximal force production (e.g., 4-6 reps).
Peaking Phase: Realizing maximal strength in a single effort (e.g., 1-3 reps).
For a cyclist, whose primary sport is on the bike, spending months in a dedicated hypertrophy phase may not be the most efficient use of limited training time and energy. The podcast advocates for prioritizing the development of basal strength—the ability to produce high levels of force—over simply increasing muscle mass.
While hypertrophy can be beneficial for increasing anaerobic capacity (a larger muscle can store more glycogen and potentially generate more power anaerobically), the main focus for most endurance athletes should be on the neural and contractile elements of strength.
A common metric in strength sports is the one-rep max (1RM). However, for cyclists, testing a 1RM is strongly discouraged.
High Injury Risk: The technical precision and physical strain required for a true 1RM attempt present a risk that far outweighs the reward for a non-strength athlete. A single mistake can lead to an injury that compromises an entire cycling season.
Mental and Systemic Stress: A 1RM is incredibly demanding, not just on the muscles and joints, but on the central nervous system.
Unnecessary for Progress Tracking: Strength gains can be easily and more safely measured by your ability to lift the same weight for more reps, or more weight for the same number of reps. If you previously squatted 200 lbs for 3 sets of 5, and now you can do it for 3 sets of 6, you are stronger. The proof is already there.
Two principles should govern your approach to every set:
You should train close to failure, but not to failure.
What it feels like: The set should be very challenging. You are working hard, but you are not at a point where you doubt your ability to complete the next rep with good form. There is no “dicey” moment.
Technique is Key: For cyclists, technical failure precedes muscular failure. The moment your form begins to break down (e.g., your back rounds, your knees cave in), the set is over. This is a non-negotiable safety rule. Pushing through bad form is how injuries happen.
Always prioritize performing lifts through the fullest range of motion you can safely achieve. A heavy quarter-squat provides minimal benefit and reinforces poor movement patterns. If you cannot achieve good depth in a squat, it is better to choose an alternative exercise like a leg press or hack squat where you can safely work the muscles through a full range of motion.
The number of repetitions you perform in a set is the primary driver of the specific adaptation you will stimulate. Think of it as a continuum, much like energy systems in cycling.
Rep Range
Primary Goal
Intensity (% of 1RM)
Recommended for Cyclists?
1-3
Peaking / Max Strength
90-100%+
No. This is sport-specific training for powerlifters. High risk, low reward.
4-6
Basal Strength
~80-85%
Yes. This is the “bread and butter” range for getting stronger.
8-15
Hypertrophy & Technique
~65-80%
Yes. Excellent for adaptation, learning form, building mass, and in-season maintenance.
15+
Hypertrophy & Endurance
<65%
Limited Use. Best for accessory lifts or machine work; high risk of form breakdown in compound lifts.
This range is for athletes whose sport is lifting heavy things (powerlifters, weightlifters, strongmen). It trains the specific skill of expressing maximal force in a single effort. For cyclists, it’s all risk and no unique reward. The stress on joints and connective tissue is immense. Avoid it.
This is the sweet spot for pure strength development.
Mechanism: The load is heavy enough to recruit the largest, highest-threshold motor units, leading to significant neural adaptations (your brain gets better at telling your muscles to contract forcefully).
Best For: Athletes who have already established good technique and have gone through an initial adaptation phase. This is where you translate foundational work into tangible strength gains.
Why it Works: The duration of the set is short enough that systemic fatigue and stabilizer muscle fatigue don’t become the limiting factor, allowing you to focus on producing maximal force with the primary movers.
This is arguably the most useful and versatile rep range for a cyclist.
As an Adaptation Phase: When first starting or returning to the gym after a break, working in this range with lighter weights is perfect for re-learning motor patterns and allowing your connective tissues to adapt without excessive soreness.
For Technique Development: More reps per set equals more practice. This is the ideal range to perfect your form before adding significant load.
For Hypertrophy: This is the classic “bodybuilding” range. If your goal is to add muscle mass (perhaps to boost anaerobic capacity), this is the target zone.
For In-Season Maintenance: During your competitive season, performing sets of ~10 reps well short of failure is an excellent way to maintain neural pathways and technique without inducing excessive fatigue that would detract from your on-bike performance.
As long as a set is taken close to failure, it will provide a stimulus for muscle growth.
Application: This range is best suited for single-joint or machine-based exercises where technique is less likely to break down (e.g., calf raises, leg extensions, bicep curls).
The Problem with High-Rep Compound Lifts: Attempting a 20-rep set of squats to failure is described as a “gimmick” that is physically and mentally brutal. Your cardiovascular system and stabilizing muscles will often fatigue before your legs do, leading to a catastrophic breakdown in form. It becomes a test of grit rather than a targeted stimulus.
Quality over Quantity: Focus on the number of high-quality working sets. This does not include your warm-up sets.
General Guideline: For a major muscle group like legs, most athletes will reach a point of diminishing returns after about 8-10 heavy working sets in a single session.
Progression: As a beginner, starting with 3-5 sets for your primary lift is a great foundation. As you become more trained and your recovery capacity improves, you can gradually add more sets to increase the total training volume.
The order of your exercises is critical for maximizing the strength stimulus.
Start with the most demanding lift. Begin with the heaviest, most technically complex, multi-joint compound movement. For a leg day, this would be your squat or leg press. You perform this when your nervous system is fresh and you can generate the most force.
Follow with secondary compound lifts. Next, move to other compound movements, such as a unilateral exercise like a single-leg squat or Bulgarian split squat.
Finish with accessory/isolation lifts. End your workout with less demanding exercises like knee extensions or calf raises.
Analogy: This is like structuring a track workout. You do your maximal power sprints first, then your VO2max intervals, and finish with threshold work. You wouldn’t do an hour of tempo and then try to set a 10-second power PR.
Since you are not testing your 1RM, you must use an auto-regulatory approach.
Start with an empty bar to warm up and check your form.
Gradually add weight for several warm-up sets in your target rep range (e.g., if your goal is sets of 5, do warm-up sets of 5).
Continue increasing the weight until you reach a load that feels challenging for your target reps, where you feel you have only 2-3 good reps left “in the tank” at the end of the set.
Err on the side of caution. It is always better to lift a little too light and maintain perfect form than to go too heavy and risk injury.
To get stronger, you must progressively challenge your body. This can be done in two main ways:
Increase Weight (Intensity): This is the primary driver of strength gains.
Increase Volume (Sets or Reps): This is more often used to drive hypertrophy but is also a valid form of progression.