Pushing a bigger gear: the method for progress

Pushing a large gear has become a mandatory part of modern training. Yet, behind an apparently identical action (pedaling with force at a low cadence) lie two distinct physiological realities. Depending on the chosen intensity, strength training builds either aerobic muscle economy or the ability to produce torque under high metabolic stress. Confusing the two is like mixing foundations and finishes. We explain.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: depositphotos.com

Long associated with the image of a rider battling a headwind on a 53/15 gear during winter training, large gear training has gained in sophistication. Power meters have made it possible to move beyond an intuitive approach to a precise reading of the torque (Nm) applied to the pedals. What seemed to be a simple strength exercise actually turns out to be a double-edged tool, whose adaptations differ radically depending on the intensity zone.

In modern cycling, training with large gears is no longer taboo; quite the opposite.

What is strength-endurance?

In its aerobic form, often referred to as strength-endurance, large gear training is performed at a low cadence, generally between 40 and 60 revolutions per minute (rpm), at an intensity around the first ventilatory threshold (VT1). The effort remains metabolically controlled, ventilation is regulated, and blood lactate concentration is moderate. The main constraint is not cardiovascular but mechanical: each pedal stroke requires more muscle recruitment, particularly of slow and intermediate fibers. This repeated solicitation improves intramuscular coordination, increases the functional stiffness of the kinetic chain, and optimizes pedaling economy. In other words, the cyclist learns to produce more torque without significantly increasing their energy cost.

The observed adaptations include an improvement in local oxidative capacity and better synchronization of motor units. The central nervous system is engaged, but without the deep fatigue associated with near-threshold intensities. This type of training is relevant during base building periods or for endurance athletes, as it strengthens the muscular foundation without compromising overall training volume.

More intensity, more difficulty

Conversely, torque training performed at threshold or in the so-called sweet spot zone (around 90% of FTP) uses the same gear, sometimes the same cadence, but in a radically different metabolic environment. Intensity approaches or reaches the second ventilatory threshold (VT2). Lactate production increases, ventilation becomes more pronounced, and central fatigue sets in more quickly. In this context, the muscle no longer simply produces stable aerobic torque. It must maintain high force while internal homeostasis is disrupted.

Physiologically, this configuration promotes the recruitment of fast-twitch fibers under stress, which is a powerful stimulus for specific climbing power and tolerance to prolonged high-intensity effort. The neuromuscular dimension is more demanding, as is the recovery required after the session. Where strength-endurance builds the architecture, threshold torque training refines competitive performance.

Riding at a low cadence but high intensity is particularly demanding.

The distinction is not theoretical. It conditions training planning. Using threshold training all year round leads to chronic fatigue and limits the progression of underlying maximal strength. Conversely, limiting oneself to strength-endurance alone improves muscular stability without necessarily raising the power ceiling. The hierarchy of adaptations recalls a fundamental principle of exercise physiology: the specificity of the stimulus determines the nature of the response.

Maximal strength: the invisible foundation

While large gears on the bike develop specific strength, they do not replace maximal strength training performed outside of cycling. This involves lifting heavy loads, generally greater than 80% of the voluntary maximal load, in multi-joint movements such as squats, deadlifts, or presses. The goal is not muscle hypertrophy (gaining volume), but to increase the nervous system’s ability to recruit a large number of motor units simultaneously.

Maximal strength acts as an amplifier. The higher it is, the lower the percentage mobilized with each pedal stroke, which improves mechanical economy and delays the onset of fatigue. For master cyclists, this training also plays a crucial role in maintaining muscle mass and bone density, two parameters that naturally decline with age.

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The ideal period to incorporate it is before the specific season, during the general preparation phase. One to two weekly sessions are sufficient, provided that recovery is respected and the loads are truly significant. Progression should remain cautious but ambitious, without aiming for muscle failure.

Neglecting maximal strength is like trying to improve specific power without having raised the structural ceiling that conditions it. In a coherent training architecture, it forms the foundation upon which strength-endurance and threshold torque training are then grafted.

No magic recipe

Large gear training is therefore neither a magic recipe nor a homogeneous block. It is a tool whose effectiveness depends on its integration into an overall architecture comprising maximal strength, aerobic development, and specific intensities. Behind the same gear ratio used, two logics coexist: one builds the ability to push a gear for a long time, the other teaches how to gain power when the effort becomes critical. The choice between these two facets of sub-maximal strength is not a matter of preference, but of strategy.