Low Cadence Cycling: How Torque Training Makes You Faster
Big gear work, SFRs, low cadence training, or torque intervals– there are lots of names for it, but the premise is the same: slap it in a big gear and grind away. These intervals can be as short as a couple of minutes, but I’ve even seen some cyclists ride at 60 rpm for hours on end.
This training method has been around since the dawn of competitive cycling and is somewhat controversial. While there is not substantial evidence within the scientific community as to the benefits of low cadence training, some riders swear by it and many top professional riders do it routinely.
While we do not yet have any research to confirm the effectiveness of it, big gear cycling training can be a very useful component of your training program. In this blog we’ll discuss the potential benefits of low cadence training and how you can incorporate it into your training. If you’re ready to build some iron legs, read on!
The Biomechanics of The Pedal Stroke
Before we discuss torque training, it’s first important to understand exactly how we generate power while cycling. Cycling is unique amongst other endurance sports in that you can select the resistance at which you pedal.
With running or cross country skiing, your only resistance is the terrain and your body weight, but in cycling there are many ways you can manipulate your cadence to perform your best. The equation for power while cycling is quite simple:
Power = Cadence x Torque
With this equation we can see that there are two ways in which you can increase your power. You can either pedal faster, or ride in a bigger gear.
Ultimately, your ability to produce power will be limited by your aerobic fitness, however, there is a large muscular component that is often overlooked. I’ve seen riders who have a great aerobic capacity, but lack the muscular fitness to fully utilize their engine.
See Also: What You Need to Know About VO2max Cycling Workouts
The Scientific Evidence for Torque Training
Big gear training has not been researched extensively and much of the literature is at odds. Some articles claim there are benefits, while others say that they’re useless. There is even some research that claims torque training can be detrimental to performance.
However, just because there is no hard evidence to back up low cadence training, that does not mean it’s useless. There is still a lot we don’t know about cycling and human performance. One must only look at the nutrition side of things to see that our understanding of nutrition for cycling has come leaps and bounds in the last decade.
A lot of these torque studies were done over short periods of time. Many of the adaptations of cycling training take many years to develop, and perhaps the pathways of low cadence training can’t fully develop in a matter of weeks.
The science is really important, but we can’t make training decisions based on studies alone. Not everything in cycling training has been studied yet!. There is also anecdotal evidence which, in my opinion, is just as legitimate as scientific evidence in the realm of cycling training. Many of the best coaches in the world and top level WorldTour riders use low cadence training all the time during training, so there is definitely something here.
See Also: Train Like a Pro Cyclist and Get Faster
What The Coaches Say About Low Cadence Training
John Wakefield, who has coached riders like Tadej Pogačar and currently works with BORA-Hansgrohe, nicely summarizes some of the benefits of low cadence training which we will dive into more below.
One of Wakefield’s theories as to the benefits of low cadence training is to improve “neuromuscular pathways.” In other words, by pedaling in a bigger gear, you achieve higher muscle activation while pedaling and improve efficiency.
By recruiting more of your muscles and pedaling slowly, you are ingraining the muscle memory needed to pedal efficiently. Improved efficiency is one of the primary metrics that separates pros from amateurs, so it’s definitely something to work on.
Secondly, Wakefield also surmises that improving torque for cycling can allow you to improve your overall power output. When we look again at the equation for power, we can see that by improving torque, you can subsequently improve power output at high intensity.
I will dive into these in more detail below, but I wanted to provide some other opinions on this topic as well!
The Benefits of Low Cadence Training For Cycling
Now we’ll get into the good stuff! So, what exactly are the benefits of low cadence training and why should you do it?
In my personal experience, torque training has been a game changer and a staple session for me. When I’ve done some solid blocks of low cadence training, my legs feel so strong that it becomes difficult to stay in zone 2! Even VO2max intervals seem to feel much less difficult muscularly and I seem to have an extra gear, where I can keep the power down for just that little bit longer.
Improve Cycling Power
The one we all want to know about: how can low cadence cycling training help me improve my cycling power?
With cycling, there are many different ways our bodies will adapt and become stronger. Metabolically, you can improve your ability to utilize oxygen and increase aerobic fitness. Your heart can also become bigger and stronger to pump more blood. You can also train your muscles to be stronger and more resilient. I dive into all of these topics in the cycling physiology guide on our blog, so be sure to give that a read if you want to get into the finer details.
High intensity intervals and base training are very effective for increasing your metabolic fitness, and they will definitely help your muscles to become stronger as well. However, I think there are benefits that you get from low cadence training that you can’t get from other modes of training.
From the simplest standpoint, if you can produce more torque at the same cadence, you can increase power. A good way to visualize this is, if you're doing a set of intervals, and you shift to a harder gear while keeping your cadence the same, you will produce more power.
As your aerobic fitness increases, so will your potential to produce higher power outputs. You can increase your power by spinning faster in the same gear, but eventually you will get to the point where you can’t spin any faster and will be forced to increase power by shifting to a larger gear and thus increasing torque.
My preferred cadence for intervals hovers around 90 rpm. Once I get above this, I usually don’t feel as efficient. At that point my only option to increase power would be to shift to a bigger gear while still pedaling at 90 rpm. Thus, if I can train my ability to push a bigger gear, I can put out more power and drive my aerobic engine further. Torque is sometimes a limiting factor in increasing power.
I have talked to some athletes who have huge aerobic engines, but lack the muscular fitness to push a big gear. One athlete in particular said he never felt like he was able to fully max out his heart rate because he was so limited muscularly.
Improve Climbing
There’s an elephant in the room here, and it’s that you can’t always ride at your preferred cadence. If you ride a steep climb, sometimes you run out of gears and are forced to increase torque no matter what.
Indoor training has become very popular in recent years and some athletes do most of their training indoors. Problematically, they can sometimes run into issues out on the open road if they have only trained at their preferred cadence.
The torque outputs and momentum of climbing feels very different to that of riding on a flat road. There are plenty of athletes who, on paper, have a great w/kg, but can’t actually climb well because they haven’t prepared themselves to handle the climbs.
If you do most of your training indoors, torque cycling workouts can be very valuable to help you prepare for the open road. A great option is to ride on Zwift with the “Just Ride” option and roll with the terrain. This can help simulate what climbing actually feels like! If you live in a flat area but want to improve climbing, this is also a great tool.
See Also: Top Climbing Tips for Cycling
Neuromuscular Efficiency
I briefly mentioned efficiency above but wanted to dive into it further here. Because we don’t have an easy means of measuring it in training, efficiency has become an underappreciated metric, but it can have a big impact on your cycling.
This concept is similar to gas mileage on a car. By improving efficiency, you can take your fitness further by expending less energy for the same power output. You will be able to sustain FTP for longer, and it will take longer for you to reach VO2max while riding hard.
If we compare a professional to an amateur racer, there is usually a marked difference in their efficiency. If you’ve ever paid attention to the way someone who is new to cycling pedals, oftentimes they do not have the most efficient pedaling mechanics and need more time in the saddle to improve efficiency.
Baseball players take the time to break down different components of their swing or pitching mechanics, and low cadence can have the same type of effect. Low cadence training can help you develop a silky smooth pedal stroke and is low hanging fruit for fitness gains.
Simply slowing down your cadence can help you focus on things like posture, engaging your core, and a smooth rounded pedal stroke– all things that can pay dividends come race time.
See Also: Neuromuscular Training for Cycling
Aerobic Adaptation
While torque workouts for cycling can improve muscular resilience, it actually also has benefits to improve your aerobic engine as well.
You have both Type I (slow-twitch) and Type II (fast-twitch) muscle fibers. Type I fibers are very efficient and aerobically trained, whereas Type II fibers tend to be much less efficient and take on more anaerobic characteristics. However, Type II fibers can be converted to more efficient subtypes with training.
One of the primary adaptations to endurance training is the conversion of Type IIx fibers, which fatigue very quickly, to more fatigue resistant Type IIa fibers. With more Type IIa fibers, you are able to ride harder for longer and become more efficient.
Low cadence training can help you to achieve higher muscle activation and recruit more of your Type II fibers than you can at a preferred cadence, theoretically enhancing fiber type conversion. There is even evidence to suggest that Type IIa fibers can also convert to Type I fibers with extensive aerobic training, which is very beneficial for improving FTP and VO2max.
Build Cycling Endurance
If you’ve ever done low cadence training, you know that it really wears you out quickly. Nothing tenderizes the legs more than grinding at 55 rpm. For this reason, big gear training for cycling can enhance fatigue resistance in the muscles.
Imagine doing 3x10 tempo intervals at 90 rpm and compare it to doing 3x10 tempo at 55 rpm. While both have a similar aerobic load, one is obviously going to be a lot tougher on the muscles.
I’d like to think that a set of low cadence intervals can be comparable to that of a long-slow distance ride in terms of muscle fatigue. I’ve done 4x8 at 50 rpm and it feels like I rode for 5 hours!
If you’re pressed for time or stuck on the trainer all winter long, low cadence training can give you more bang-for-your buck than riding at preferred cadence. You can fatigue your muscles more quickly and see more benefits for your fatigue resistance.
When you’ve done low cadence intervals all winter long and you begin to incorporate high intensity at preferred cadence in your build phase, it’s amazing how easily the power comes.
Transfer of Strength Gains
Strength training can also be an absolute game changer to build leg strength for cycling. The benefits are numerous, and we won’t dive into that here, but low cadence training can be an excellent complement to strength training for cycling.
One of the most important things about strength training is ensuring that your gym gains are transferring over to the bike to produce watts. One effective training method is to lift and do torque intervals on the same day.
Go to the gym and lift in the morning, and later that day, do torque intervals. By doing torque intervals on the same day as the gym, we are able to activate all the neuromuscular pathways we are training in the gym and use them on the bike. Bear in mind this is totally theoretical, but I think there’s something to it.
Also, lifting and doing low cadence on the same day is a killer leg workout for cyclists. Your legs will be pretty toasted by the end, which is a good thing if you’re looking to build cycling endurance.
Who Should Do Low Cadence Cycling Training?
As you can see, the potential benefits of low cadence cycling training are bountiful. However, it’s not for everyone and for some riders, might do more harm than good. Everyone has different training needs and perhaps these individual differences explains why we have yet to see convincing evidence of low cadence training in scientific research.
Low Cadence Training Contraindications
First, let’s pick out who should not do low cadence cycling training. For one, if you have a history of overuse injuries (particularly knee pain), low cadence training can increase risk of injury and should be avoided.
Additionally, there are some riders who are naturally strong muscularly and do not need to train to improve torque. I often see this in the case of athletes who come from other sports backgrounds. A former basketball player probably should spend more time developing their aerobic engine rather than force production.
Lastly, those who naturally grind a low cadence do not need to train with torque intervals. On the contrary, these athletes should spend time improving their proficiency at high cadences and working their aerobic engine.
Who Might Benefit From Low Cadence Training
If you don’t fall into one of the above categories, there’s a good chance you will benefit from incorporating low cadence training into your routine. If you’ve been riding for many years and have never done this type of training, it can be very beneficial.
If you live in a flat region and rarely pedal at lower cadences, you might also benefit from low cadence intervals. Those who want to improve their climbing can also benefit greatly from torque training.
If you find you pedal at very high cadences naturally, there’s also a possibility that your muscular endurance and torque can be improved. Those who prefer to pedal at high cadences generally have very well developed aerobic engines and might want to work on the muscular side of things more.
In my case, I have found low cadence cycling training to be very effective for improving my power output and efficiency. I grew up at 7,000 ft (2100m) in Colorado where power is naturally lower due to less oxygen. When riding at lower altitudes, the higher power required was always a shock to the system. I’ve found that low cadence has helped me work on my muscular weakness and adapt better to low altitude.
When racing or doing a hard set of intervals, if you feel like your legs give out before you can reach your aerobic limit, low cadence training might be for you.
How to Improve Torque for Cycling
“Well, low cadence training sounds great, but how do I actually do it??” You might be asking. There are many different ways to train with low cadence!
Typically, low cadence training is best performed at either tempo or threshold power. If you go below tempo into zone 2, you probably won’t be producing enough torque to make a meaningful difference. Go above FTP and you can’t sustain the pace for very long.
What is a big gear workout for cycling? A staple session is 5x5 minutes at ~90% of FTP and 50-60 rpm. This might not sound too hard on paper, but you will be feeling it by the end. Some progressions of this workout:
You can extend the duration of these intervals up to 8 minutes to work on muscular endurance
You can decrease cadence to increase torque
You can increase power up to threshold (This hurts!)
There are some other variations you can play with, like doing portions of these intervals at high cadence to really trip up the muscles, I find this is great for improving technique. You can also add in hard starts, hard finished or “overs” to train lactate clearance.
When Should You Do Low Cadence Training?
The bulk of torque workouts are best performed during base season when you are also lifting in the gym. I’d recommend starting with one day per week of low cadence, and working up to two once you’ve gotten used to them.
This can lay the groundwork for high intensity training during the build phase. By the time spring rolls around, your legs will feel so strong that high intensity will feel much more manageable.
The other great thing about low cadence training is that it’s not as physically demanding on your body as high intensity and so it’s a great complement to base training when you would likely want to avoid doing too many hard intervals.
It’s still a good idea to maintain some level of torque cycling training during the season to keep the legs going strong. 1-2x per month depending on your training schedule is sufficient. I have found that a low cadence workout is a great way to get the muscles fired up after a rest week.
Conclusion
That was a lot to cover, but I think low cadence training deserves a little more love! If you enjoyed this article, consider sharing it with a friend who might also be interested.
Be sure to check out our other articles on the EVOQ.BIKE Blog. For interviews, training tips and race recaps, head on over to our Youtube Channel. If you want to take your training to the next level with one of our expert cycling coaches, check out our training programs.
Email the Author: Landry@evoq.bike
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