Big Gear Work - Does torque training aid performance & how?

Big gear work, on-bike strength work, SFR (Salite Forza Resistenza), torque training, whatever name you choose – sticking it in a big gear and grinding away at low cadence has been a staple of our training for generations. A training favourite of many coaches and riders alike, torque training is again attracting attention as videos of pros mashing huge gears do the rounds on social media. But is torque training a powerful tool for improving strength and endurance, or just another training fad? While some swear by it for developing muscular endurance and fatigue resistance, others argue the science behind it is inconclusive. To break it all down, we spoke with Neal Henderson, a renowned coach and founder of the Apex Performance Centre on this week’s episode of the Performance Process podcast. Henderson has coached world champions, Olympic medalists, and Tour de France riders, making him one of the leading experts on training methodologies. In the podcast and this article, we explore what torque training really is, how it differs from strength training, and whether it should have a place in your training plan.