What kind of madness would it be to suggest that those of us ticking the '39 and over' age box should add, rather than subtract, bulk? For decades, the prevailing wisdom and aerodynamic gospel have been all about lightening the load: trimming every spare gram of body mass to evade gravity, climb faster and slice through the air like an arrow. But what if, at a certain age, the smartest move isn't to get lighter but to get stronger? Far from being madness, it's becoming scientific orthodoxy that older cyclists should gear our training towards strength.
Maintaining muscle will not only improve our cycling, shows the science, but also stave off injury, illness and fatigue. "As we get older, we naturally lose muscle mass and strength," explains strength coach Dean Sutton (puresportsmed.com). A former Ironman competitor with over 30 years' coaching experience, Sutton acknowledges that there are pros and cons to muscle-building for cyclists but insists that the overall benefits far outweigh the negatives.
