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Gianni Chng - IBFI Bikefitter & Physio

@breakaway.physio

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🚴 Physio & IBFI Bike Fitter
🧪 Honest info on pain & performance
🏋️‍♂️ ASCA S&C coach
🇦🇺 Melb. Australia or Online

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Here’s why you need to train heavy:

👉 Boosts Efficiency: Heavy strength training significantly improves running economy and cycling performance, allowing athletes to use less energy for the same distance.

👉 Strength Gains: Incorporating exercises like low to high-intensity resistance training and plyometrics 2-3 times a week enhances muscle strength and coordination.

👉 Enhanced Endurance: Strength training enhances anaerobic capacity and neuromuscular efficiency, which are key for better late-race performance in both cycling and running.

👉 Muscle Adaptation: Training increases type I muscle fiber utilization, leading to better muscle efficiency without added bulk, crucial for endurance athletes.

👉 Tailored Training: Programs combining nearly maximal loads with endurance training show greater benefits, suggesting a tailored approach can optimize endurance performance.

More Detailed Summary:

- Heavy strength training significantly improves running economy among highly trained distance runners by enhancing lower-limb muscle coordination and increasing muscle stiffness, which reduces ground contact time. This was observed with training programs involving resistance exercises and plyometrics 2-3 times a week for 8-12 weeks.

📚 Balsalobre-Fernández, C., Santos-Concejero, J., & Grivas, G. V. (2016). DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001316

- Intense strength training leads to notable improvements in both running and cycling performance after extended submaximal efforts in well-trained female athletes, highlighting the role of strength gains and lean leg mass in boosting endurance capacities.

- Enhances performance was possibly due to improved anaerobic capacity and neuromuscular changes.

📚 Vikmoen, O., Rønnestad, B. R., Ellefsen, S., Raastad, T. (2017). PMID: 28292885

- Heavy resistance training is more effective than plyometric training in enhancing running economy and time trial performance, suggesting that near maximal-load strength training should be a key component of endurance training regimes.

📚 Eihara, Y., Takao, K., Sugiyama, T. et. al. (2022). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-022-00511-1 taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @breakaway.physio

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2 years ago

🚴‍♂️ Neck pain while cycling is common, but why does it happen?

It’s easy to blame your posture on the bike and the fit alone, but the reality is more complex—training load, fatigue, endurance in sustained positions, and even sleep and stress all play a role.

🔎 What the evidence says:
✅ Long durations in neck extension can lead to fatigue-related discomfort, but posture alone isn’t the cause.
✅ Training load & sudden spikes in volume are bigger predictors of pain than biomechanics.
✅ Endurance & exposure to sustained positions matter more than strength.
✅ Stress, sleep, and recovery influence pain sensitivity.

🎯 The takeaway?
Neck pain in cycling isn’t about “perfect posture”—it’s about progressive adaptation to load and sustained positions. If your discomfort persists, it might be time to look at your training volume, bike setup, and recovery strategies.

A bike fit can help you find a comfortable position to get you started, and then getting to a position that is both comfortable and fast takes time.

💬 Have you struggled with neck pain on the bike? Drop a comment below👇

#cyclingpain #bikefit #roadcycling #endurancesports #bikefitmelbourne #physio #neckpain #aeroposition by @breakaway.physio

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2 years ago

Doing ‘endurance’ exercises at the gym help your cycling and running? 🚴‍♂️🏃‍♀️ Consider this: your training already involves thousands of repetitive movements. Instead of light loads and high reps, focus on heavy strength training and intense intervals to build power and improve efficiency. taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @breakaway.physio

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2 years ago

Another Friday morning, getting Chopped with @nst_rmo taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @breakaway.physio

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13 days ago

🚨 CUSTOM KIT DROP + GIVEAWAY 🚨

The official Breakaway Physio kit is here, and we’re giving one away.

Jersey of your choice + bibs. 🏆

Swipe to see the full range 👉 SS & LS jerseys (black & white), bibs, gilet and jacket.

🎁 HOW TO WIN A FULL KIT:

1️⃣ Follow @breakaway.physio
2️⃣ Like this post
3️⃣ Comment which jersey you’d rock — ⚪️ WHITE or ⚫️ BLACK?

⭐️ Bonus entries: tag a riding mate (each tag counts) & share this to your story tagging us.

Winner drawn 31 July, announced on our story. 🎉

🛒 Want to order? Win or not, sizing + order link are in our bio.

Orders close 31 July so we can send the full run to the supplier, don’t miss the batch.

⚪️ or ⚫️? drop it below 👇

Thanks to
@grc.cycling
For making this happen

#cycling #customkit #cyclingkit #breakawayphysio roadcycling by @breakaway.physio

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3 months ago

Bike fits and coffee 💯

Learned a lot from this session. My very first professional bike fit with no other than a physio and cycling enthusiast @breakaway.physio 😍

Before upgrading on parts, we invest on the fit. Makes a HUGE difference 💯

#cycling #bikefit #physio #athlete #endurance taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @breakaway.physio

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3 months ago

See where the motion is?

This is a fit I finished today, shot on a slow shutter. The legs are a blur and the upper body is sharp, and that is close to what a good position should look like.

When the fit is right, your lower body is free to move and put down power while your hands, shoulders and torso stay quiet. You are locked in where you want to be stable, and free where you want to move.

When a fit is off, you tend to see the opposite. The upper body starts working to compensate: hips rocking, weight dumped through the hands, shoulders creeping up toward the ears, fighting with your saddle. That is wasted energy, and it may by where your neck, hand and lower back niggles come from.

One caveat, because it is never only the bike. A quiet upper body also asks something of your core and your mobility, so the fit and the body work together. A good fit is what makes that stable, powerful position possible in the first place.

If your upper body feels busy on the bike, or your hands and neck pay for it the next day, it might be worth assessing. Send us a DM or book a fit.

#bikefit #cyclingphysio #bikefitting #cyclingtips #indoorcycling by @breakaway.physio

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4 months ago

Winter has hit Melbourne and a lot of us are swapping the road for the shed. Here is how to get started indoors without wasting money or motivation.

The gear, in three tiers. The bare essentials are simple: a bike, a trainer, a front wheel block, a towel and a bottle. That is enough to ride today. What makes it worthwhile is comfort and structure, and the most underrated buy is a fan. The luxuries, like a smart bike, a rocker plate or a headwind fan, are lovely but not needed.

How to actually ride. Free rides build the habit and keep it fun. Structured sessions build fitness and suit indoors, where there is no coasting and every minute counts. An FTP test sets your training zones and tracks progress.

Which FTP test? If you are new, start with a ramp test. It is easy to pace and repeatable. Move to the 20 minute test once you can hold an even effort, and only chase a full hour effort if you want the most representative number. Whatever you use, sense-check it. A good FTP feels sustainable for about an hour and lines up with a hard solo effort or a long climb.

One thing to keep in mind. Indoors you never coast and never change position, so any fit issue or load spike shows up faster. Pain on the trainer is a signal, not a rite of passage. And fit is only part of the picture. Training load and tissue capacity matter just as much, so build up gradually.

Save this for when you set up your pain cave.

Longer write-ups live on the blog, The Feed Zone.

Pain holding you back indoors? Send us a DM.

References

1. Fan cooling and submaximal exercise capacity. Res Q Exerc Sport, 2023. doi:10.1080/02701367.2021.1946467
2. Norte et al. Interval training in trained cyclists (meta-analysis). Int J Strength Cond, 2024. doi:10.47206/ijsc.v4i1.271
3. Borszcz et al. FTP validity. Int J Sports Med, 2018.
4. Borszcz et al. FTP reliability. Int J Sports Med, 2020.
5. Critical power vs 20-min FTP test. Front Physiol, 2021. PMC7862708

#indoorcycling #zwift #cyclingphysio #bikefit taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @breakaway.physio

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4 months ago

Worn cleats can slowly change your bike fit.

More unwanted float
Less stability
Foot shifts under load
Knee tracking changes

It happens gradually
until something starts to feel off

If your cleats look rounded, polished, or uneven, you are not riding the same position anymore

When did you last check yours? by @breakaway.physio

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5 months ago

We’ve been working on this for a while.

The Marginal Gains Audit™ is designed to systematically assess the small variables that may influence cycling performance.

Preliminary findings suggest measurable improvements across key performance indicators.

We’ll be opening bookings shortly. by @breakaway.physio

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6 months ago

Most cycling pain is not because your glutes are weak.

That explanation is convenient.
It gives us something to blame.
It makes pain feel simple.

But cycling is a repetitive endurance task performed in a relatively fixed position.

Pain on the bike is more often related to:

• Load tolerance
• Time in position
• Training spikes
• Capacity to demand mismatch
• Sensitivity after previous injury

You can be objectively strong and still develop knee, hip, or back pain at threshold.

Because strength does not equal positional tolerance.
And muscle activation does not equal tissue capacity.

Riding 10 hours per week with intervals and holding the same hip angle for hours?

Completely reasonable if you have adapted to it.

It becomes a problem when you:
• Jump from 4 hours to 10
• Add intensity without exposure
• Change position without progressive adaptation

The body adapts to progressive load.
It protests sudden demand.

What have you been told is “weak” when you have had pain on the bike?

—

References

Gabbett TJ. The training injury prevention paradox: should athletes be training smarter and harder? Br J Sports Med. 2016;50(5):273 to 280.

Drew MK, Finch CF. The relationship between training load and injury in endurance sports. Sports Med. 2016;46(6):861 to 883.

Soligard T et al. How much is too much? Part 1. International Olympic Committee consensus statement on load in sport and risk of injury. Br J Sports Med. 2016;50:1030 to 1041.

Meeusen R et al. Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the overtraining syndrome. Eur J Sport Sci. 2013;13(1):1 to 24. taken in Heidelberg Heights by @breakaway.physio

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8 months ago

After five years at @thebiomechanics, I’ve decided it’s time to step up and move into the next phase of my career.

This has been a hugely formative period for me as a physiotherapist and professional. I’ve had the opportunity to grow well beyond the treatment room, developing my clinical reasoning, refining my rehab and performance approach, and expanding into education, mentoring, presenting, and athletic testing, while working alongside some genuinely talented people.

Along the way, I’ve been fortunate to become a trusted resource for cyclists and endurance athletes in Melbourne, particularly around bike fitting, cycling-related pain, and performance.

I’m incredibly grateful for the trust, support, and experiences that shaped my development.

As I move into this next chapter, I’ll be transitioning into the workplace health and rehabilitation industry, with the opportunity to have broader impact supporting recovery and sustainable return-to-work outcomes.

For the cycling community, I’ll continue offering bike fitting and endurance coaching on a by-appointment basis from my private studio in Heidelberg. Feel free to reach out directly.

Thank you to all the clients I’ve worked with over the years. Every journey has contributed to how I practice today.

Proud of what’s been built. Excited for what’s ahead.

Chapeau. 🚴‍♂️ by @breakaway.physio

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9 months ago