Ask a coach: ‘What's the most effective off-the-bike exercise for improving my max power?’

The more type 2 muscle fibers you can contract quickly, the greater the amount of force can be produced. This is where gym work can help

Female cyclist doing box jumps
(Image credit: Future)

Having a ‘high’ max sprint is often the desire for many - whether it’s for the glory of winning the town sign sprint against your mates or battling it out for the sprint finish in a race. Particularly in race contexts, having a high max power is often advantageous for easily responding to and closing down attacks.

With that in mind, cycling coach Alex Welburn is on hand to take us through the science behind sprint power and the factors you need to consider - as well as offering some practical suggestions on how you can improve this area in your off-the-bike training.

Alex Welburn
Alex Welburn

Performance cycling coach Alex Welburn is one of the experts who will be answering your questions in Cycling Weekly's Ask a Cycling Coach series, online every Wednesday. He's currently completing a PhD on Critical power and W' at Loughborough University whilst also managing the Performance Project, in which he coaches athletes and provides consultation.

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