When you think about the muscles you use to power up hills or sprint to the line, your quads are probably the first that come to mind. Fair enough, since your legs do the pedaling, but your core is equally as important—if it weren’t for those stabilizing muscles, you wouldn’t even be able to maintain your position on the bike.
That’s why core stability—not just strength—exercises should be an essential part of your strength-training routine.
“Your core helps you control your body, assisting in your ability to use your arms and legs in doing essentially everything you can think of,” says Lindsey Clayton, instructor at Barry’s Bootcamp and cofounder of the Brave Body Project.
Strengthening your core will enhance your balance, she adds, which we all know is key to riding. “The term ‘core stability’ is simply your body’s ability to remain stable when a variable is added or taken away—for example, balancing on one leg in a plank,” Clayton says.
Since greater core stability will significantly improve your performance, Clayton put together a workout that targets the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips, and abdomen.
How to do it: Perform the exercises below in order for 16 reps (or 8 reps on each side) with no rest in-between. Each move is demonstrated by Clayton so you can learn the proper form. Complete 3 sets, resting as needed between sets. You will need one light to medium weight.
1. Bird Dog
Start on all fours, knees under hips and shoulders over wrists. Keeping back flat, extend right arm and left leg straight out. Draw right elbow and left knee toward each other, hovering just above the floor and keeping your core and glutes engaged. Extend back out, then repeat from the start on the other side, left arm and right leg.
2. Woodchopper
Start in a half-kneeling position on left knee with right leg in front, both knees bent at 90 degrees. Hold a dumbbell (or weight of your choice) above left shoulder with both hands. Then, forcefully draw the dumbbell diagonally down across your body to right hip. Reverse the motion to bring the dumbbell diagonally back up across your body, keeping core engaged throughout. Complete 8 reps, then repeat on the other side (left leg in front, dumbbell above right shoulder).
3. Plank With Toe Tap
Start in a high plank position with wrists under shoulders, core and glutes engaged so body forms a straight line from head to heels. Step right foot out to the side, then return to starting position. Step left foot out to the side and return to starting position. Continue to alternate.
4. Dead Bug
Lie faceup with knees and elbows bent, feet flexed. Engage core to crunch up and draw elbows to touch knees. Hold tension there, then extend your right arm and right leg away from you. Return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side, left arm and left leg. Continue to alternate.
Join Bicycling All Access today for more killer workouts! 💪
5. Bear Plank With Shoulder Tap
Start on all fours with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips. Keeping your back flat and your butt down, press through hands to lift your knees off the ground two inches. Hold as you bring left hand to tap right shoulder, then return to starting position. Bring right hand to tap left shoulder, then return to starting position. Continue to alternate.
6. Marching Glute Bridge
Lie faceup with knees bent and feet on floor. Engage glutes and press through heels to send hips straight up into a glute bridge. Keeping knee bent, draw right knee toward chest, then return to starting position. Repeat with left knee and continue to alternate.
7. Hollow Hold In-and-Out Crunch
Lie faceup with your legs straight, knees together, and toes pointed. Extend your arms past your head. Engage core while pressing your lower back into the floor. Lift straight arms and legs up several inches to come into a hollow hold. Then bend knees and elbows and draw them in to touch. Extend arms and legs back out to starting position. Repeat.
8. Rock Back With Russian Twist
Start lying faceup, holding a dumbbell in hands with knees bent at 90-degrees, feet in the air. Draw chest up toward knees to come into a V-position, using your core to balance on your tailbone. From your torso, twist right so dumbbell comes to right hip then twist left so dumbbell comes to left hip. Return to center and slowly roll back along your spine. Use the momentum to rock back up to V-position and repeat.
