Boris Fernandez

Strength and Technique For Better Time Trail

In cycling the formula to measure a cyclist’s power output is P= Work/Time, in other words the amount of force that is applied to the pedals divided by revolutions per minute(RPM). Power is expressed in Watts, for James Watts the inventor of the steam engine. Power increases in three ways, one is more force applied to the pedal stroke, the other is to pedal faster (time for revolution of the crank is decreased) or a combination of the two. In order for a cyclist to go faster in a time-trial event he/she needs to be able to move a bigger gear at the same cadence or a faster cadence at the same gear size or both. So let us see how we can improve these qualities so we can go faster in the bike leg of a triathlon. In order to improve force you need to hit the gym. There are two ways to improve force, one is by developing strength with weight lifting and the other is muscle fiber recruitment with jumping exercises (plyometrics). Plyometrics are more advanced and more prone to provoke injuries so they should be done after the lifting phase. Strength exercises for cyclists are squats, step-ups, leg-press, and abdominals. Do at least two months of those before going into plyometrics. Make sure to go gradually with an adaptation phase: very little weight with high repetitions, then working up to a medium weight at 12-15 reps at sub-max effort, then a maximum effort phase of 1-2 reps with the maximum weight that you can lift. Plyometrics should start with jumping in place, to hops, to the more advanced jumping up on boxes and down from boxes. After you develop force and power in the gym you need to transfer it to the bike. You can do high gear/low cadence intervals of 8 to 12 minutes to develop specific bike strength in your legs. To develop cadence you need to develop pedaling technique. Pedaling technique is no more than pedaling in the most circular way you can. It is not pushing down, it is moving around in a very smooth way. This results in force being distributed efficiently around the whole circular motion of the pedal stroke. By doing this you are also distributing the work that your legs have to do among more muscle fibers making the movement more efficient. Doing high cadence drills in order to improve neuromuscular connection will really help you to develop a cadence between 90-100 RPM. For example, you can do 5x6 minutes at a 105 rpm focusing on keeping your pedaling circular and not jumping in the saddle. You can also do downhill maximum fast pedal drills. You can use the Key Biscayne bridge for these drills so on your way down go to an easy gear and pedal as fast as you can until you start jumping in the saddle. You can also do a one legged drill where your focus will be on developing a smooth pedal stroke with each leg individually. When I say smooth, I mean circular without any dead spot. Be as strong as you can be, don’t neglect going to the gym, because otherwise you will never have the strength to move the gears at the cadence needed to really become a lethal force on the triathlon circuit. I have not seen any good time-trialist with skinny legs. Look at Grant Potter, one of the best time-trialists in Florida and you will know what I am talking about.