# Cycling and Strength Training: How to Combine Them

> Cycling interferes less with lifting than running does, and lifting helps cyclists. How to organise the week, useful exercises and pitfalls to avoid.

- Source: [Musku](https://musku.app/), free strength training tracker for iPhone and Android
- Canonical URL: https://musku.app/blog/cycling-and-strength-training
- Published: 2026-11-09
- Updated: 2026-11-09
- Level: Beginner, Intermediate
- Language: English
- French version: https://musku.app/fr/blog/velo-et-musculation
- Author: Musku (Julien Legrand)

_Informational content: this is not a substitute for medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting a training program, especially if you have a health issue or any pain._

Plenty of lifters also ride, to get around, for fun or to prepare for a long outing. And plenty of cyclists wonder whether they should be in the gym. The two combine well, better than lifting and running, provided you give a little thought to organising the week.

## Does cycling get in the way of building muscle?

Combining an endurance sport with strength training can limit some of your strength and muscle gains. This is known as the interference effect. It is real, but more modest than often claimed, and it depends heavily on endurance volume and on how the week is organised.

Cycling has an advantage over running here: the available evidence suggests it interferes less with lifting. One proposed explanation is that pedalling involves almost no impact or braking phase, which tires the leg muscles and tendons less than running does. Comparisons remain few, though, and the gap is best read as a tendency rather than a rule.

In practice, a few rides a week at a moderate pace do not noticeably slow progress in the gym. What causes trouble is mainly high volume, or very hard sessions placed badly.

## What strength training gives a cyclist

- **More leg strength**, useful for accelerations, climbs and sprints.
- **Better economy** in many cyclists, meaning less energy spent at the same speed. Results vary between studies and with starting level.
- **A stronger trunk and upper body**, better able to handle long hours bent forward.
- **Maintained bone density**, which cycling, a non-impact sport, does little to stimulate. An often underrated argument for regular riders.

And contrary to a widespread fear, two strength sessions a week will not add enough mass to slow a cyclist down on climbs.

## Organising the week

The most useful rule: **keep your heavy leg session as far as possible from your hardest ride**.

| Situation | Recommended layout |
| --- | --- |
| Lifting first, cycling on the side | Moderate rides on rest days or after upper body sessions |
| Cycling first, lifting in support | Two strength sessions a week, away from hard rides |
| Both on the same day | Lifting in the morning, cycling in the evening, or at least six hours apart |
| Daily bike commute | No adjustment needed as long as the pace stays easy |

The worst case pairs a long ride or hard intervals the day before a heavy squat session. Tired thighs noticeably reduce what you can lift, and the session loses much of its value. The reverse holds too: a heavy leg session eats into the quality of a hard ride the next day.

The general principle is the same as for any mix of endurance and strength work, as covered in our article on [cardio and lifting](https://musku.app/blog/cardio-and-strength-training).

## The most useful exercises for a cyclist

| Exercise | Value for cycling |
| --- | --- |
| Squat or leg press | Overall leg strength |
| Lunges and Bulgarian split squats | One leg at a time, close to pedalling |
| Romanian deadlift | Glutes and hamstrings, often underdeveloped in cyclists |
| Rows and pulldowns | Balance against the bent-over riding position |
| Core work | Pelvic stability in the saddle |

For a cyclist, sets of 4 to 8 reps with relatively heavy loads build strength without adding much mass. Muscular endurance work in very long sets adds little: the bike already does that. If squats are new to you, get the [technique](https://musku.app/blog/squat-technique-mistakes) right before loading up.

## The season changes things

Cyclists preparing for goals do well to vary the place of strength work through the year: more sessions and more load in winter, when time on the bike drops, then maintenance at one session a week during the race season. The idea is not to stop, which would cost part of what you built, but to cut volume while keeping loads heavy.

## Pitfalls to avoid

- **Leaving the ride out of the fatigue sum**: a three hour ride loads the legs, even if it is not a gym session.
- **Lifting the way you ride**: sets of 25 reps with light loads add nothing the bike does not already provide.
- **Neglecting the upper body**: the back and shoulders often suffer from long hours on the bike.
- **Underfuelling the combination**: two demanding activities need more energy, and a prolonged deficit weighs on both.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does cycling make you lose muscle?

At moderate volume, no, especially if you keep lifting and eat enough. Very high endurance volume without enough food can, however, hold back muscle gain.

### Can you ride and lift on the same day?

Yes. The simplest approach is to lift first, then ride several hours later, keeping the pace moderate if the strength session hit your legs.

### How many strength sessions should a cyclist do?

Two a week are enough to gain strength, one to maintain it during the season. What matters most is keeping them away from your hardest rides.

### Does an exercise bike count the same way?

Yes. The same rules apply: an easy session does not interfere, a hard interval session tires the legs as much as a tough ride.

Combining two activities means seeing both in one place. In Musku you can log your rides as cardio exercises, with distance and duration, alongside your strength sessions. The activity calendar then shows your whole week, and you can easily spot the squat session that followed a long ride the day before, when a load did not move as planned.