Can spending less time riding actually make you a stronger cyclist? In The Muze Edit Episode 1, sports scientist, physiotherapist and Muze Women ambassador Kate, The Distance Dr, breaks down the latest research on strength training for cyclists. And why just 20 minutes in the gym could improve your performance on the bike.
At Muze Women, we're passionate about creating cycling apparel designed specifically for women. But we also believe riding better isn't just about what you wear, it's about having access to better information.
That's why we're launching The Muze Edit.
A new expert-led series designed to help women navigate cycling with practical, evidence-based advice. No fads. No bro science. Just trusted experts translating the latest research into insights you can actually use on your next ride.
For our first edition, we sat down with Kate, The Distance Dr, sports scientist, physiotherapist, Muze Women ambassador and endurance athlete currently preparing for one of the world's toughest races, Ironman Wales.
The topic? A study that challenges one of cycling's biggest assumptions: that getting faster always means riding more.
The question every busy cyclist asks
If you've ever looked at your training plan and wondered where you're supposed to fit strength training in, you're not alone.
Between work, family and finding time to ride in the first place, adding several gym sessions each week can feel unrealistic.
That's what makes this research so interesting.
Rather than asking cyclists to spend hours lifting weights, researchers wanted to know whether a small amount of targeted strength training could improve performance on the bike.
The answer surprised them.
The study
Researchers recruited competitive cyclists, including women who weren't already doing structured strength training.
Instead of replacing cycling altogether, they added one simple gym session alongside the riders' normal training.
The program was refreshingly straightforward:
- Heavy half squats
- 4 sets of 4 repetitions
- Full recovery between each set
- Three sessions per week
- Around 20 minutes per session
- For eight weeks
- No complicated workout split.
No endless list of exercises.
Just one movement, performed consistently.
So... did it actually work?
It did.
After eight weeks, the cyclists who added strength training became 4.8% more economical.
Cycling economy simply means how efficiently your body uses oxygen to produce power. Think of it like improving your car's fuel efficiency, you travel the same distance while using less fuel.
For cyclists, that means you can hold the same pace while expending less energy, leaving more in the tank when it matters most.
The strength-training group also improved their time to exhaustion by around 17%, equating to roughly another minute riding at maximum aerobic power.
Whether you're chasing a PB, climbing your local hill or simply trying to stay with the group for longer, that's a meaningful gain.
The most surprising finding
Here's the part that caught our attention.
The cyclists didn't increase their overall training time.
In fact, they actually rode around 12% less during the study.
Instead of adding hours to an already busy week, some riding time was replaced with short strength sessions and performance still improved.
For women balancing cycling with careers, families and everything else life throws at us, that's an encouraging takeaway.
Sometimes training smarter really can beat simply training more.
Will lifting heavy make me bulky?
It's one of the most common questions Kate hears.
The good news?
The study found no significant increase in body weight.
The improvements weren't driven by building large muscles. Instead, researchers believe the gains came largely from neural adaptations—essentially teaching the body to recruit muscle fibres more efficiently.
In simple terms, your muscles become better at doing the job they're already capable of doing.
For women, strength training also offers benefits beyond cycling performance, including supporting bone density, maintaining muscle mass and reducing injury risk as we age.
What does this mean for everyday riders?
The takeaway isn't that every cyclist should immediately start lifting the heaviest weights they can find.
Nor does it mean strength training replaces riding.
Instead, this study highlights that small, consistent strength sessions can complement your riding and deliver meaningful gains without taking over your week.
If strength training has always felt overwhelming, perhaps this is your reminder that you don't need to do everything.
You simply need somewhere to start.
If you would like to listen to the full breakdown on Kate's Podcast click here.
The Muze takeaway
One of the things we love most about cycling is that there's always something new to learn.
Sometimes that comes from experience.
Sometimes it comes from science.
The Muze Edit exists to bridge those two worlds. Bringing together experts who can translate the latest research into practical advice that helps women ride stronger, smarter and with more confidence.
Because better riding isn't just about buying better gear.
It's about understanding your body, your training and your potential.
Welcome to The Muze Edit
This is the first edition of The Muze Edit, Muze Women's new expert-led series helping women better navigate cycling.
Throughout the series we'll sit down with sports scientists, physiotherapists, coaches, nutritionists and industry experts to unpack the questions women ask most and turn the latest evidence into practical advice you can actually use.
If there's a topic you'd like us to explore, we'd love to hear from you.
And if you missed our podcast-style conversation with Kate earlier this week, or Wednesday's carousel breaking down the key findings, you'll find them over on our Instagram.
Here's to riding stronger, smarter and with more confidence.
About Kate, The Distance Dr
Kate is a sports scientist, physiotherapist, cycling coach and proud Muze Women ambassador. She specialises in helping endurance athletes train smarter through evidence-based practice and is currently preparing for Ironman Wales, one of the most demanding races on the Ironman calendar. If you would like to hear more from Kate, you can check out her youtube and podcast.
Journal Reference
Aagaard, P. et al. Maximum Strength Training Improves Cycling Economy in Competitive Cyclists.