4 easy ways to help you increase pedal power

Increasing power and efficiency in the pedal stroke is what we all want as road racers and triathletes. It’s the best way to get faster and it’s probably the only way (without cheating) to beat your mates when sprinting for road signs. Here are some easy-to-do strength and stability exercises for you to do at home that will help you increase power in the pedal stroke.

Professional cyclists tend to have very efficient pedal strokes, with minimal dead-spots. But it’s a different story for us mere ‘mortal’ riders: Mashing up and down instead of smooth pedaling is quite common for recreational cyclists, and the rest of us could probably do more to improve our technique. By improving your upstroke you’ll improve your power and injury prevention. But the inefficient upstroke is often caused by imbalances and weak muscles in the glutes and hamstrings.

Hamstrings and glutes

In order to improve your upstroke, you’ll have to work on your hamstrings and glutes. These are the two biggest muscle groups responsible for your upstroke. When these muscle groups are working efficiently together, they help you generate more power and endurance. They also help you with a more smooth pedaling technique. When these muscles are not properly trained, your efficiency is reduced and your quads, knees and hips have to work over-time.

Exercises at home

We found some exercises that will help you strengthen the muscles needed to improve your pedaling technique, as long as you consistently do them a couple of times a week.

Glute bridge with heel slides

Single-leg hip bridge

Single-leg squats

Bodyweight leg curls

You don’t need a gym membership to strengthen the muscles needed for increased pedal power and efficiency. These exercises are easy to do at home on your own time. Just stay consistent.