I used to think strength work was just a bonus.

Something you do when it's too wet to ride.

Then I interviewed Art O’Connor—strength coach to Keegan Swenson and Alex Wild, two of the most dominant gravel racers on the planet.

He changed how I think about training.

Here’s the truth:

Strength training isn’t optional. It’s foundational.

Keegan isn’t the best because he rides the most.

He’s the best because he’s built an engine that holds up under pressure.

6-hour race? Still strong.
Technical descent late in the day? Still precise.
No dead glutes. No collapsing posture. No loss of power.

Here’s what Art drilled home:

1. Strength training isn’t cross-training. It’s performance training.

It improves:

Force production

Fatigue resistance

Crash resilience

Overall power transfer

You don’t do it instead of riding.

You do it to ride better.

2. Intent > weight.

Art doesn’t care how much you lift.

He cares how you lift.

Fast. Focused. With control and purpose.

Because that’s how strength transfers to the bike.

But here’s the part no one talks about:

Strength isn’t just a performance variable.
It’s a lifespan variable.

Dr. Peter Attia calls this your "Centenarian Decathlon"—the things you want to do at 100: stand up off the floor, carry groceries, lift a suitcase into the overhead bin.

If you want to do that stuff at 80, you need to train it at 40.

Here’s what the data tells us:

After age 30, we lose 3–8% of muscle mass per decade

Strength declines even faster: 10–15% per decade

By 70, most people have lost over 30% of their baseline strength

Want to stand up from a chair unassisted at 80?
You need to be able to goblet squat ~30–40% of your bodyweight for reps today.

Want to lift a suitcase overhead at 75?
That’s a 55–60 lb weighted carry and a strict overhead press of at least 20 kg now.

This isn’t about vanity.

It’s about independence.

If you’ve been dabbling, skipping, or second-guessing strength work…

Now’s your cue to commit.

We just dropped the Roadman Strength Plan—the exact framework I follow to stay powerful, injury-free, and race-ready year-round.

No fluff. No nonsense.

Just the 6 movements that matter for cyclists—on and off the bike.

👇 Grab it here:
👉 Roadman Strength Plan

Ride strong,
​Anthony