Cyclists Over 40 — HEAVY Strength & ConditioningWill Supercharge Your Performance
- will3877
- Oct 1
- 3 min read
The Issue
As we age, skeletal muscle mass declines at approximately 1% per year, accelerating after age 60 (Keller & Engelhardt, 2013). This process—sarcopenia—disproportionately affects Type II (fast-twitch) muscle fibres.
For masters cyclists, these fibres aren’t only about sprinting. The modern view of cycling performance recognises FTP as a hybrid output. As intensity approaches and sustains FTP, the nervous system increasingly recruits Type IIa fibres to maintain power once Type I fibres begin to fatigue.
Therefore, losing this pool of Type II fibres doesn’t just hurt your sprint—it erodes the high-power reserve required to sustain threshold efforts, placing a ceiling on your FTP.
In short: age-related muscle loss, if not addressed, reduces both explosive and sustained power at a worrying pace for cyclists over 40.
The Solution
HEAVY strength training in the gym.
If you want to reduce the impact of sarcopenia, you should lift heavy loads—typically ≥80% of your 1RM. Low-weight, high-rep routines simply don’t generate enough force to recruit the maximum number of Type IIa fibres—which is the goal. Heavy loading compels the nervous system to recruit the highest-threshold motor units (Henneman’s Size Principle, 1965), driving adaptations in the very fibres that decline with age.
A study examining heavy strength training for cyclists reported substantial performance gains: on average, ~20-wattincreases in maximum power over a 40-minute test and an 8% rise in Wmax (Aagaard et al., 2011).
Bottom line: for older cyclists, strength & conditioning—specifically heavy lifting—is one of the few interventions shown to counteract ageing physiology, preserving muscle and bone health while improving performance across the power profile.
The Considerations
Randomly smashing gym sessions won’t help. Your goal is to be faster on the bike, so you must prevent S&C from interfering with key cycling workouts.
Avoid the following:
Heavy lifting on—or the day before—key interval sessions or races (residual fatigue blunts top-end power).
Stacking a long endurance ride right after a heavy gym session (glycogen depletion + muscle damage = under-recovery).
Using recovery days for weights (those days are for adaptation, not added stress).
Doing more than two S&C sessions per week (masters athletes rarely recover well enough; quality > quantity).
Moving gym days around each week (inconsistency makes fatigue management unpredictable).
A Note on Periodisation Across the Season
Cycling Base phase: emphasise maximal-strength development with high-load, low-rep lower-body lifts (~80–90% 1RM, 3–5 reps, 2 sessions/week).
Cycling Build phase: retain one heavy session and add one power-focused session (low–moderate load ~30–60% 1RM, moved with maximal intent) to translate strength into on-bike performance.
In-season: shift to maintenance. Reduce frequency and volume (e.g., 1×/week, 2–3 sets of 2–4 reps at 85–90% 1RM on one primary lift, plus a small dose of unilateral work/calf raises), but preserve intensity to maintain neural recruitment and performance benefits.
Next Step
At DUCHY, we believe so strongly in the importance of strength & conditioning for cyclists that our in-house, qualified PTs build bespoke gym programmes—included in the cost of our bespoke cycling coaching plans.
If this resonates and you want to exceed your goals, book a free 20-minute performance consultation.
We’ll review your training and nutrition, align with your goals, and pinpoint the changes that deliver the greatest return.
Tap “Book Consultation” below and we’ll get you scheduled.
Disclaimer
Heavy resistance training should be approached with caution, especially if you’re inexperienced or returning after a layoff. Always ensure your technique is correct before lifting near-maximal loads. If you have injuries or medical conditions, seek medical clearance. Start gradually, prioritise movement quality, and progress under the guidance of a qualified professional.
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