What the muscles do

What for. Strengthens the hamstrings as they give way — the most demanding exercise on this list, and the only one at the third level.

How it goes.

1. Onto your knees, with someone or an edge holding your feet down.
2. Let your body sink forward in one line, as slowly and as far as you can.
3. Catch yourself with your hands and push back up.

What to watch. Bending at the hip dodges the exercise. Hips and shoulders stay in one line.

Reference: 8 reps, two to three rounds. Needed: Partner or something to hook your feet under, Floor or mat.

What for. Strengthens the glutes in extension — the movement that puts pressure on the pedal.

How it goes.

1. On your back, knees bent, feet hip-width apart.
2. Squeeze the glutes and lift the hips until thigh and trunk are in one line.
3. Hold briefly at the top, then lay down one vertebra at a time.

What to watch. No higher than that line. Beyond it, the lower back works, not the glutes.

Reference: 15 reps, two to three rounds. Needed: No equipment, Floor or mat.

What for. Strengthens thighs and glutes in the bend closest to pedalling — strength you use when sprinting away and on the climb.

How it goes.

1. Stand hip-width apart, toes turned slightly out.
2. Push your hips back and down as if sitting; arms forward for balance.
3. Go as deep as your back stays straight, then rise from the heels.

What to watch. The knees follow the direction of the feet. If they fall inward, you are going too deep or too fast.

Reference: 12 reps, two to three rounds. Needed: No equipment, Standing.

What for. Works one leg at a time and shows whether left and right do the same — in the pedal stroke only one leg works at a time.

How it goes.

1. Take a big step forward into a lunge, trunk upright.
2. Lower the back knee straight down until it is just above the floor.
3. Push up from the front heel; finish all repetitions, then switch sides.

What to watch. The front knee stays over the foot, trunk upright. Tipping forward moves the work from the leg into the back.

Reference: 8 reps per side, two to three rounds. Needed: No equipment, Standing.

What for. Works the lower abdomen against the weight of the legs — the trunk keeps the pelvis still while the legs work, as in pedalling.

How it goes.

1. On your back, legs straight, hands beside the body.
2. Lift both legs together until they point straight up.
3. Lower slowly and stop just above the floor.

What to watch. The lower end of the back stays on the floor. If it lifts, the arched back is doing the work: bend the knees.

Reference: 12 reps, two to three rounds. Needed: No equipment, Floor or mat.

What for. Holds the front of the thigh under tension without moving the knee — the kind of load closest to pedalling.

How it goes.

1. Back against the wall, feet a step in front of it.
2. Slide down until thigh and lower leg are at roughly a right angle.
3. Hold, weight on both heels.

What to watch. The knees stay over the heels. If they push past the toes, the load moves into the joint.

Reference: 30 seconds, two to three rounds. Needed: Wall, Standing.

What for. Stretches the hamstrings through the hip rather than through the back — they start at the sit bone and span two joints.

How it goes.

1. Stand upright, one leg slightly forward, heel on the floor.
2. Hinge forward from the hip with a straight back, as if closing a door with your backside.
3. Only as far as it pulls at the back of the thigh — no further.

What to watch. A rounded back. Then the stretch moves into the lumbar spine and the hamstrings are left untouched.

Reference: 30 seconds per side, two to three rounds. Needed: No equipment, Standing.

What for. Takes the hip through its range before a ride without stretching it — preparation, not a stretch.

How it goes.

1. Steady yourself sideways on a wall.
2. Let one leg swing loosely forward and back, from the hip, not with momentum from the trunk.
3. The range grows by itself over the first few repetitions.

What to watch. Do not throw the leg into the end position. That is momentum, not mobility.

Reference: 12 reps per side, one round is enough, before a ride or as a break. Needed: Wall, Standing.

What for. Stretches the front of the thigh across knee and hip — the muscles that put the push into the pedal.

How it goes.

1. Stand tall, one hand on the wall.
2. With the other hand take hold of the foot and pull the heel towards your bottom.
3. Keep the knees side by side; push the pelvis forward a touch until you feel the pull at the front of the thigh.

What to watch. The knee likes to drift forward or out to the side, and the back arches. That makes the stretch weaker, not stronger.

Reference: 30 seconds per side, two to three rounds. Needed: Wall, Standing.

What for. Stretches the hip flexor — the muscle cycling holds shortened for hours, because trunk and thigh stay at an acute angle throughout.

How it goes.

1. Go into a lunge and down onto the back knee, front leg at a right angle.
2. Push the pelvis forward without arching the lower back — squeeze the glutes and it tilts the right way by itself.
3. Keep the upper body upright and look for the tension at the front of the back leg's hip.

What to watch. The most common mistake is arching the lower back: then the lower back stretches instead of the hip flexor, and you barely feel a thing.

Reference: 30 seconds per side, two to three rounds. Needed: No equipment, Floor or mat.