Here at Men’s Health, we ride or die with resistance training – and you should too.
Let me first say in my best Trump voice that nobody respects runners or cyclists more than me. Nobody. I regularly incorporate running and cycling into my weekly workout regimen and I believe they have an integral place in a well-rounded fitness program. That being said, when you compare both forms of exercise to strength training, well, they just don’t compare.
It’s kind of like going to a steakhouse. The steak, like strength training, is the main feature and it takes up a whole big plate on its own. It’s got that hefty dose of powerful protein to build you up and that satiating fat to energise you for days. And nothing makes you sweat like meat does.
Now cycling and running are like two good side dishes. Let’s say mushrooms and asparagus for example. You don’t need them, but they sure as hell make the overall meal better. But the steak is what you came for. And if you’re on a budget, you cut out the sides and get straight to the meat of it.
Not a fan of food analogies? Then chew on these 10 delicious reasons why resistance training is better than running and cycling.
Runners have great calves, there’s no denying that. But if all you do is run, that’s pretty much all you’ll have to offer other than what you were genetically blessed with. That’s because running primarily stresses the ankle joints and your cardiovascular system.
Sure, it’s a whole-body movement, but it really doesn’t require a big enough range of motion to stimulate muscle growth elsewhere. The exception would be for sprinting, but even sprinters add strength training workouts like this one to their training plans as it’s the only way to maximise speed and power output. And let’s be honest—most runners are doing distance work, not sprints.
I must admit that cyclists have some of the best quads on the planet. And there’s no better way to build the quads than with cycling, particularly cycling intervals. It’s low impact, easy on the knees, and you can apply varied levels of resistance to work the entire strength through speed spectrum.
That being said, because cycling is so knee-dominant, it does absolutely nothing to develop the hips (or the upper body for that matter). That’s the reason why many cyclists suffer from “pancake ass.” Their quads are insane, but they have little to no gluteal development. This can lead to a host of problems including lower-back pain and pants that require a belt and suspenders to stay up.
Plus, the last thing you want to do after a long day of sitting at your desk with your hips flexed and spine rounded is do the same thing on a bike. It’s no wonder that many cyclists suffer from terrible posture.
