Plyometrics Training for Cycling: What Does the Science Say?
By Damian Ruse · Originally published · Notes updated
An archive discussion of explosive jump training, the evidence for cycling performance and the limits of attributing improvements to plyometrics alone.
Why this episode still matters
The useful question is whether an exercise improves the cycling task you care about. Jump performance and cycling performance are different outcomes. The original episode explored both research and my personal experience; those are different kinds of evidence.
Listen to the episode.
Open original episode →Key takeaways.
- The archive covers jumps, hops and bounding as examples of explosive exercise. It is not a personalised exercise programme.
- One study discussed in the episode combined explosive jumps with high-resistance cycling sprints. The combined intervention improved performance, but the study cannot isolate the contribution of the jumps.
- My account of sprinting better while using plyometrics is personal experience, not proof that another rider will get the same result.
- Match additional gym work to your goal, existing training and ability to recover. A list of exercises is not enough to choose the appropriate progression.
About this archive page
Original episode by Damian Ruse, 12 March 2014. Restored on 5 September 2026 from the episode and original script, with revised notes. This is an archive summary, not a comprehensive review of current strength-training research. Historical exercise prescriptions in the audio have not been republished as a current programme.