Hey, Pman,
If you are looking to improve only cycling performance on the road, sad to say that any lean muscle gain in the upper body is pretty much just dead weight that requires more energy to pedal. That's why most professional cyclists have upper bodies that look like they belong on Kate Moss after months of bulemia.
That being said, most other people who enjoy riding can benefit from a basic resistance program. Certainly, resistance training will benefit health. The carryover to cycling is there are well:
-stronger core, which will aid on the singletrack and in preventing back fatigue
-more balance in the upper legs - cycling doesn't work the hamstrings as much as the quadriceps, so a good program to keep some balance is useful. In addition, if you are logging heavy miles you could develop an imbalance in the quads that could lead to patellar tracking problems, so doing some resistance work like Peterson step-ups that targets the VMO (which is much neglected in the pedal stroke) cna also ward off injury nuisances.
-of course, a strong upper body will lend itself to less fatigue during hours in the saddle, as will a strong back protect against lower back issues.
-finally, one of the most important reasons was brought up in an article in Bicycling last year. A recent study found a rash of skeletal problems that cropped up because of bone density issues in the upper body. Since cycling is essentially a non-weight bearing activity, yet puts incredible demand on the body, the study found an inordinate amount of injuries due to thin bones, and an inordinate amount of serious cyclists with bone loss that was measurable. Since resistance exercise can prevent that, and even thicken bones, it should be part of every cyclist who put's in a lot of miles regimen.
Basically I am saying don't neglect the lifting, even if you keep it to 2/week minimum maintenance sessions during riding season. Good luck.
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