Cycling season is here! By incorporating these moves into your strength-training routine, you will notice the difference on the bike.

You don’t have to be a cyclist to reap the benefits of this workout. Lower-body strength is an essential part of your overall strength and ability to easily perform everyday tasks like walking, lifting and taking the stairs.

BARBELL SQUATS - 5 SETS OF 6 REPS

  • Safely load the barbell onto your traps and shoulders and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly out, core braced, and chest up
  • Initiate a basic squat movement — hips back, knees bent, ensuring they fall out, not in. Pause when your thighs reach about parallel to the ground
  • Push through your entire foot to return to start for one rep

BARBELL DEADLIFTS - 4 SETS OF 6 REPS

  • Approach the bar so that it is centered over your feet with your feet hip-width apart
  • Bend at the hip to grip the bar at shoulder-width allowing your shoulder blades to protract
  • With your feet and your grip set, take a big breath and then lower your hips and flex the knees until your shins contact the bar, looking forward with your head keep your chest up and your back arched, and begin driving through the heels to move the weight upward
  • Lower the bar by bending at the hips and guiding it to the floor, back to the starting position for one rep

SEATED LEG PRESS - 4 SETS OF 6 REPS

  • Position yourself on the leg press machine, bracing your abdominal muscles and push the platform away with your heels and forefoot
  • Your heels should remain flat on the footplate, keep in mind the front of your foot or toes should never be used exclusively to move the pad forward
  • While exhaling, slowly extend your legs and keep your head and back flat against the seat pad
  • Pause at the top of the movement without locking your knees
  • While inhaling, return the footplate to the starting position by gradually bending the knees for one rep

SEATED LEG CURLS - 4 SETS OF 6 REPS

  • Sit on the machine and adjust it to ensure the padded lever sits a few inches under the calves when your legs are extended
  •  Select an appropriate weight and secure the lap pad against your thighs, just above the knees
  •  Grasp the side handles and point your toes straight to ensure that your legs are positioned properly
  •  Exhale and flex the knees to draw your heels to the backs of your thighs
  • Pause briefly in this position before straightening the legs and slowly raising your feet back to the starting position for one rep

SEATED LEG EXTENSIONS - 4 SETS OF 6 REPS

  • Sit on the machine and ensure your knees are bent 90 degrees
  • Adjust the machine so the pad rests on your shins, just above your feet
  • Select an appropriate weight, grasp the side handles and point your toes straight
  • Slowly extend your legs, while keeping the rest of your body stationary on the seat
  • Once your legs are fully extended, pause briefly before slowly bending your knees and lowering your feet back down to the starting position for one rep

BARBELL BENCH PRESS - 3 SETS OF 6 REPS

  • Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor
  • Grasp the barbell with a wider than shoulder-width grip, wrapping thumbs around the bar and hold the barbell at arm's length above your upper-chest area
  • Slowly lower the barbell to the middle of your chest, at the bottom of the movement your forearms should be perpendicular to the floor
  • Pause briefly, then press the barbell back up to the starting position for one rep
  • During the movement, the upper arms should be about 45 to 60 degrees from the torso and the hips should remain on the bench

CHIN UPS - 3 SETS OF 4 REPS

  • Grasp a pull-up bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart or slightly narrower
  • Straighten your arms, keep your knees bent and cross your lower legs
  • Retract your shoulder blades to reduce the stress on the shoulder joints
  • Keeping your body stable and core engaged, pull your body up until your chin becomes aligned with the bar
  • Pause for one to two seconds at the top, with the biceps under maximum tension and slowly lower to the start position for one rep