Choosing squat exercises

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hi, I’m looking for any advice you might have on how you’d typically program strength training for cycling? I want to tailor my lower body workout routine to complement my sport of choice, cycling. Specifically, I am hoping to use lower body exercise variations that might have a positive impact on my ability to deliver hard, fast, power to the pedals while I’m mountain biking - for example, when trying to punch up a short steep climb, or when trying to accelerate quickly back to speed after slowing down for a corner.

I’m assuming I can better target these needs by using exercises that mimic the angles where I feel weakest on the bike - such as split squats or other one leg exercises - and maybe including some training of the fast twitch muscles - such as cleans. Does that sound reasonable? Do you think those exercises would contribute more directly than my standard back squat?

I’m thinking of doing regular strength work for a few months, and then switching to one leg exercises as my main squat variety and including cleans somewhere in the program as the cycling season starts up again in the spring.

Also, if you have any recommendations on reputable discussions of training for mountain biking, that’d be awesome too. A lot of the stuff out there smells pretty fishy.

2

I don’t think I’d program much differently than our general S/C template. I don’t see much value in specifically training high velocity force production for cycling given your contraction velocity. You’re training fast twitch muscles during any sort of resistance training.

I also don’t think unilateral work would be better than bilateral work, but definitely would improve both.

I like the science of running for endurance-minded folks. Joel Friel’s polarized training work is pretty good too. 10/10 would ignore his more recent discussion of paleo/low carb.