Baseline: Strength Training

Cycling is often described as the perfect lifelong sport- It’s low impact, easy on the joints, and allows people to ride well into older age.

That low impact nature is cycling’s greatest benefit. It’s also its biggest limitation.

Because cycling is low impact, it places very little load through the skeleton. Bone density relies on impact and resistance to signal new growth and reinforcement. Cycling does not provide this stimulus in a meaningful way. Over time, if cycling is your main or only form of exercise, this can leave important gaps in strength, bone health, and physical resilience.

Bones are living tissue. They adapt to the demands placed on them. When bones are exposed to load, they respond by becoming stronger. When that load is absent, bone density can gradually decline. This is why weight bearing and resistance exercise are consistently recommended for long term health, even for people who ride regularly.

Cycling also keeps the body in a fixed position. Hips remain flexed, the spine stays relatively static, and the same muscle groups are used repeatedly. While this is efficient on the bike, it limits movement variety and can leave other muscles undertrained.

Building your strength baseline helps fill these gaps. Strength training introduces load through bones and joints, challenges the body through different ranges of motion, and supports balance and coordination. For cyclists, this doesn’t mean lifting heavy for the sake of it. It means building enough strength and capacity to support the demands of riding, training, and everyday life.

For women in particular, this becomes particularly important with age. Through perimenopause and beyond, hormonal changes accelerate bone loss. Estrogen plays a key role in maintaining bone density, and as levels decline, bone breakdown can outpace bone formation. Without targeted loading, the risk of low bone density increases. Strength training provides a controlled way to support bone health during this stage, helping women continue riding confidently for years to come. While this is especially relevant for women, everyone benefits from building a strength baseline.

Strength training at Baseline exists to support this foundation. Programs are designed and delivered by a physiotherapist and cyclist with a deep understanding of how bodies respond to load and how cycling places unique demands on the system. This means strength training is not generic or disconnected from riding. It is built to complement cycling, support injury prevention, and adapt to where your body is at now.

Cycling will always be central for many riders. Strength training simply ensures the body underneath can keep up with the demands placed on it, now and into the future.

Strength training through Baseline can be done in person at the Northcote studio or completed at home or in your own gym, with programming delivered directly to training Peaks Challenge Falls Creek.