Velocity Based Strength Training for Elite Cycling

(Team Visma | Lease a Bike)

Curious how elite cyclists perform strength training? In this article, Jarno Voorintholt, physical coach at Team Visma | Lease a Bike, shares his approach – using velocity based training.

By Jarno Voorintholt – physical coach Team Visma | Lease a Bike

Why strength training matters in elite cycling

Strength is essential for elite cycling. It improves power, efficiency (how much energy it costs to ride at a certain power) and resilience.

Targeted strength training develops trunk stability, neuromuscular control (signals from the brain reaching the right muscle fibers at the right time) and force transfer. Together, this helps riders generate more power on the bike.

It also reduces injury risk, allowing riders to train consistently over a long season. And when injuries do happen, a strong foundation supports a faster return to performance.

In practice, we do 2-3 strength training sessions per week during the off-season and 1-2 during the season. A session takes about 45 minutes.

Ultimately, my focus is to create robust, more consistent performers at the highest level.

Strength training challenges in elite cycling

Coaching strength in elite cycling comes with real challenges. Riders’ readiness to train can vary daily due to fatigue, travel, training, or racing. This makes it hard to prescribe the right intensity (load on the bar).

Moreover, every rider is different: sprinters, climbers, and classic riders all have different neuromuscular characteristics that require a different approach. What works for a sprinter may not work for a climber. Their physique and goals are different.

Another challenge I face is that most of the time, I am not in the room when they are executing their strength session.

Luckily, I found solutions to overcome these challenges, which I will share in this article.

Determining the right load

During a strength session with our cyclists, I use exercises like:

• The back squat and the front squat
• Single leg Romanian deadlifts (RDL)
• Weighted step ups
• Bulgarian split squats

The primary exercise I use is the back squat. During squats, I prescribe a target velocity zone rather than a predetermined load.

Here’s how it works.

The rider lifts the bar as fast as possible. We do this to ensure the cyclists consistently train with maximal intent, which is important for neuromuscular adaptations.

If the bar velocity is not within the target velocity zone (e.g. 1.0 – 1.3 m/s), we need to adjust the load. The load-velocity relationship shows that as the weight lifted (load) increases, the movement speed (velocity) decreases. Makes sense?

Hence, when the bar velocity is above the target velocity zone, weight should be added to the bar. When the bar velocity is below the target velocity zone, weight should be removed from the bar.

This ensures the cyclist is training the intended strength quality.

Note that this Velocity Based Training method is different from traditional percentage-based (1RM) training (e.g. lift 80% of 1RM). Traditional percentage-based methods often don’t reflect day-to-day fluctuations in fatigue and readiness, especially during a demanding race season.

Velocity zones, on the other hand, help us target different strength qualities across the season, with slower velocities for maximal strength in the off-season and faster velocities for power and maintenance in-season.

More precisely, for the back squat I use the absolute strength (< 0.5 m/s) and accelerative strength (0.5 – 0.75 m/s) velocity zones during off and pre-season. During demanding race weeks, I use strength training as a neural primer, and focus on the speed-strength velocity zone (1.0 – 1.3 m/s).

Determining the right number of reps and sets

In cycling, riders already accumulate large training volumes on the bike. Therefore, we need to manage fatigue and reduce unnecessary strain in the gym. Ultimately, the goal is to support on-bike performance by keeping the neuromuscular system sharp, without adding unnecessary fatigue.

To do this objectively, we often apply velocity stops or velocity loss thresholds to stop sets before excessive fatigue accumulates.

Here’s how it works.

The rider tracks bar velocity using the GymAware RS (VBT device). During a set, bar velocity starts to decrease, due to fatigue.

The GymAware app allows you to set a velocity stop or velocity loss threshold:

• Velocity stop: a specific velocity (e.g. 1.2 m/s). When the rider is not able to meet this velocity anymore, he stops the set.

• Velocity loss threshold: a percentage velocity loss (e.g. 30%), compared to the first rep velocity. When the rep velocity drops below the velocity loss threshold, the rider stops the set.

To prevent excessive fatigue during sets, we often apply 10-15% velocity loss thresholds.

This helps maintain high movement quality and ensures strength training complements, rather than compromises, cycling performance.

It also allows us to optimize power output while reducing injury risk, ensuring each session is effective and safe.

Adjusting strength training – based on readiness and fatigue

A professional cyclist’s readiness to do strength training can vary daily due to fatigue, travel, training, or racing. I need to take this into consideration.

Traditional percentage-based (% 1RM) training often neglects these day-to-day fluctuations. They just stick to a percentage of the most recent 1RM test, e.g. 80%. But that can feel easy on some days, and heavy on others. Especially during a demanding race season.

Velocity Based Training provides real-time feedback, allowing cyclists to adjust loads on the spot. With the GymAware data we can adjust load, volume, and intensity based on how the cyclist is moving on a given day.

For instance: if bar velocities are lower than expected during warmup, it can indicate fatigue, and we may reduce load or volume. Conversely, if velocities are higher, we may increase load while staying within the desired velocity zone. This is called autoregulation.

So instead of prescribing fixed loads, we adjust intensity based on movement velocity. This helps prevent cyclists from training too heavy when they are fatigued. It also helps to manage fatigue and maintain movement quality in the gym. As a result, we reduce unnecessary strain and support more consistent training.

Strength training for sprinters vs climbers

Different rider types have different neuromuscular characteristics. Sprinters, climbers, and classic riders all require a different stimulus. Velocity Based Training (VBT) allows us to individualise strength training by prescribing intensity based on movement velocity rather than a fixed percentage of 1RM.

Velocity targets help us tailor the stimulus to each rider’s needs. For example, sprinters may spend more time in higher velocity power zones, while climbers focus on maintaining strength with minimal fatigue.

Case study: velocity based training for a cycling sprinter

During a pre-season block with a sprinter, GymAware showed consistent drops in bar velocity across sets on squat sessions, even at moderate loads. This indicated accumulated neuromuscular fatigue from concurrent cycling sessions.

Using this insight, we reduced volume and implemented stricter velocity loss thresholds, which maintained movement quality and intent.

Over the following weeks, peak and mean velocities improved, and the cyclist demonstrated higher explosive power on the bike and in sprint efforts during races.

Monitoring strength progress in cyclists

Tracking progress in elite cycling is not just about lifting heavier. Standard strength tests like regularly testing 1RM would also interfere with the actual goal: improving cycling performance.

Instead, I track changes in bar velocity at specific loads and exercises to monitor strength and power development throughout the season. Improvements in velocity at the same load typically indicate positive neuromuscular adaptations. And it does not even require a test, I collect this data during all reps in all strength sessions. Hence, GymAware’s velocity data gives us a precise, objective way to monitor training load and track progress in real-time.

“I track changes in bar velocity at specific loads and exercises to monitor strength and power development throughout the season.”

I also monitor trends in peak and mean velocity to assess fatigue and readiness across training phases. During the competitive season, maintaining rep velocity at lower fatigue levels is often the main goal.

Strength coaching remotely

Most of the time I will not be in the room while they are executing a strength session. This makes ensuring correct technique and consistent setup for accurate data collection a real challenge. Especially when a rider is training at home (not in a gym).

We address this by standardising exercises, warm-ups, and device setup, and by educating the riders on the purpose of VBT. Clear communication and demonstrating the value of the data also ensures athlete engagement and compliance.

Seeing their movement velocity in real time definitely increases intent and competitiveness, even when I’m not around. Our cyclists often try to match or exceed their previous best velocities, which naturally improves the quality of each repetition.

Bar path video analysis

Implementing Velocity Based Training in cycling – using GymAware

We integrated GymAware by starting with one of our former sprint cyclists on the team. During this period GymAware helped us to adjust load and intensity based on daily readiness. The GymAware integration helped me as a strength coach to let the strength sessions be more efficient, targeted, and aligned with on-bike performance goals.

Our cyclists respond positively. They appreciate being able to see how fast they are moving the bar and how that relates to the goal of the session. It also helps them better understand when they are feeling fresh or fatigued.

Overall the immediate feedback from GymAware reinforces to them that the goal is not just lifting heavier weights but producing force quickly and efficiently. This is especially important for endurance athletes like cyclists.

Why GymAware? I never tried anything else, because from my point of view GymAware is the gold standard.

My advice to other coaches

Start by educating both coaches and athletes on how velocity relates to training goals and neuromuscular intent. When implementing VBT, begin with a few key exercises, standardise setup and warm-ups, and establish velocity zones and loss thresholds for each movement.

Use the data to guide load adjustments in real time, but always combine it with athlete feedback and context.

Finally, be patient, VBT is most effective when integrated consistently and interpreted thoughtfully.

Jarno Voorintholt

Jarno is the physical coach at Team Visma | Lease a Bike. He is responsible for riders’ strength, injury prevention, and rehabilitation. Before joining the team, he worked as a strength and conditioning coach at the Dutch football club FC Groningen, where he first started using Velocity Based Training.