Warm-Up for Cycling: 5 Warm-Up Exercises

Get your muscles ready for your next bike ride: We’ll show you 5 simple warm-up exercises designed specifically for cyclists.

Time

8 minutes
5 exercises

Engage your hip flexors.

Knee Lift

Place the LOOP BAND around your feet. Shift your weight onto one leg and lift the other leg forcefully so that your hip and knee form a 90° angle. Then lower your leg again.

Tip: Increase the intensity by choosing the right band. If you’re doing this exercise for the first time, use a yellow LOOP BAND. If you’re more experienced, use the orange or red BLACKROLL® fitness band.

Product

Loop Band

Repetitions

Body part

Upper Body, Lower Body, Hips

Training Goals

Engage your glutes.

Horse Kicks / Donkey Kicks

Get on all fours, then lift one leg straight back until your glutes are engaged. The LOOP BAND should be wrapped around the instep of the foot on the ground and around the sole of the foot that’s raised.

Now pull your raised leg up until it’s just below your hip, then extend it again.

Tip: Make sure your wrists are under your shoulders, your knees under your hips, and your core is stable. Do your wrists hurt? Do the exercise on your fists.

Product

Loop Band

Repetitions

Body part

Lower Body, Glutes, Thigh

Training Goals

Stabilize your shoulder girdle. This exercise helps prevent injuries and supports a healthy basic shoulder posture.

External Rotation of the Shoulder

Stand upright and place the LOOP BAND around your hands. Turn your palms upward and keep your shoulders and shoulder blades pulled back and down. 

Rotate both arms outward. Squeeze your shoulder blades tightly together. Hold briefly at the end of the contraction and feel the tension between your shoulder blades.

Tip: To focus more on the muscle engagement, you can also perform the exercise on one side at a time. To do this, hold one arm in the starting position and rotate only the other arm outward.

Product

Loop Band

Body part

Upper Body, Shoulders

Training Goals

Strengthen your serratus anterior muscles for better scapular function.

Shoulder Activation

Start in a push-up position. Lower your upper body, keeping your arms straight. Then push yourself back up as far as you can. Hold the position for a few seconds. Repeat the movement.

Make sure your body forms a straight line. To start, you can stay on your knees. As you push up, let your shoulder blades slide forward.

Product

Repetitions

Body part

Upper Body, Upper Back

Training Goals

Activate your entire body before cycling. This warm-up exercise primarily targets your core.

Bicycle Crunch

Lie on your back and place both feet in the LOOP BAND. Extend your legs and place your hands behind your neck. Tighten your abdominal muscles to stabilize your spine.

Lift your legs, head, arms, and upper back slightly off the floor, turn your head and shoulders slightly to the left, and at the same time bring your left knee up to a 90-degree angle. Then return to the starting position in a controlled manner and repeat on the other side.

Tip: If the exercise with the LOOP BAND is too challenging for you, you can also do it without it.

Product

Loop Band

Repetitions

Body part

Upper Body

Training Goals

Resistance band