|
Post by tinytim on Oct 23, 2009 22:17:08 GMT
i,ve always tried to mix things up, weights, cycling, circuits, boxercise, running, martial arts(not for long, kiddies were beating me up!), but nowadays i aint got the time so i try to get some sort of exercise 2-3 times a week, at least 1 cycle and 1 run. i do use an i pod when running in the dark, its more of a motivational tool with some aggresive music, but if i,m out in the day i try to pick a scenic route along the coast and through the woods, i love the smells and sounds and scenery, i enjoy my run then. sometimes i,ll run down to the beach front and do some fartlek sprints, step ups and jump ups on the benches and steps to increase my speed and power, but the older i get the more i hear and feel the twangs go in my legs!
|
|
|
Post by mikebike on Oct 24, 2009 19:22:14 GMT
Has anyone got any tips as to how to build leg strength (for mtbing) fast!!, my legs seem to be pi$$ weak recently. If I'm in the mood I'll ride the road bike and stay seated for all the climbs, definitely improves things. Come to think of it so does riding a 17kg mountain bike. ;D It was something I noticed in the months after my knee op that I was constantly climbing out of the saddle and found it very difficult to stay seated. A little research seemed to suggest it was due to a loss of strength in my legs which kind of made sense. I only really find leg strength to be an issue on the road bike anyway, with mountain biking you tend to use a wide range of cadences and gearings so maybe strength isn't such an issue? Are you having a particular problem? My legs just seem to be tired very early into a ride. I've tried eating all the right the things the night before a ride and before a ride but my legs just feel p1$$ weak
|
|
|
Post by mikebike on Oct 24, 2009 19:27:03 GMT
Nice one mate. I've just tried them lunges, they must be good for you as they hurt like fook after a few
|
|
|
Post by gar on Oct 24, 2009 19:55:43 GMT
you'r welcome mike. they do work well. and are safe to do, just don't over do it.
remember to take 2-3 days off so your muscle get a chance to recover, and most importantly build. you'll see gains in two weeks : )
|
|
|
Post by danevs on Oct 24, 2009 22:19:53 GMT
My legs just seem to be tired very early into a ride. I've tried eating all the right the things the night before a ride and before a ride but my legs just feel p1$$ weak That doesn't really sound like a strength issue to me Mike, more like an endurance issue or something with your technique? Do you push big gears or do you spin smaller gears? If you ride with a HRM what is your average heart rate in relation to your max? How many hours do you get in on the bike per week? Questions, questions. ;D
|
|
|
Post by tinytim on Oct 25, 2009 11:14:19 GMT
If I'm in the mood I'll ride the road bike and stay seated for all the climbs, definitely improves things. Come to think of it so does riding a 17kg mountain bike. ;D It was something I noticed in the months after my knee op that I was constantly climbing out of the saddle and found it very difficult to stay seated. A little research seemed to suggest it was due to a loss of strength in my legs which kind of made sense. I only really find leg strength to be an issue on the road bike anyway, with mountain biking you tend to use a wide range of cadences and gearings so maybe strength isn't such an issue? Are you having a particular problem? My legs just seem to be tired very early into a ride. I've tried eating all the right the things the night before a ride and before a ride but my legs just feel p1$$ weak too much exercise? rest is just as good as exercise
|
|
|
Post by danevs on Oct 25, 2009 17:09:55 GMT
too much exercise? rest is just as good as exercise Over training is a possibility but I'd say unlikely with Mike's particular problem. I think if Mike was at the point of over training he'd be past the problem of tired legs. You're right though, rest is important.
|
|
|
Post by mikebike on Oct 25, 2009 20:45:23 GMT
My legs just seem to be tired very early into a ride. I've tried eating all the right the things the night before a ride and before a ride but my legs just feel p1$$ weak That doesn't really sound like a strength issue to me Mike, more like an endurance issue or something with your technique? Do you push big gears or do you spin smaller gears? If you ride with a HRM what is your average heart rate in relation to your max? How many hours do you get in on the bike per week? Questions, questions. ;D ? 1, yes i probably do push big gears rather than spin. ? 2, I don't use a heart rate monitor, but I've never had a slow resting heart rate. not checked it for a while but its usually around the 70 mark. My recovery time is pretty good though. ? 3, on average I get around 3-4 hours a week in on the bike, but don't do anything else other than a bit of walking. I await your diagnosis Dr Dan
|
|
|
Post by danevs on Oct 25, 2009 21:54:32 GMT
1, yes i probably do push big gears rather than spin. ? 2, I don't use a heart rate monitor, but I've never had a slow resting heart rate. not checked it for a while but its usually around the 70 mark. My recovery time is pretty good though. ? 3, on average I get around 3-4 hours a week in on the bike, but don't do anything else other than a bit of walking. I'd say you should try spinning some lower gears to see if that makes a difference before anything else. Try and use your cardio by spinning faster with a higher HR and take some of the burden off your muscles.
|
|
|
Post by tinytim on Oct 25, 2009 21:55:09 GMT
i read an article recently in cycling fitness about a busy lifestyle not just exercise causing a drop in performance and taking a break or slowing things down a little in your life helps improve this?
|
|
|
Post by Russ on Oct 25, 2009 22:04:45 GMT
It's not the night before the ride, it's a couple of nights before the ride that you need to consider, you have to get enough rest for two/three days beforehand, not just the night before. After all it's not the exercise alone that makes you fitter, you put your system under strain with exercise then when you rest your body adapts to handle the strain, so the right amount of rest is as important as the training itself.
|
|
|
Post by danevs on Oct 25, 2009 22:14:42 GMT
Rest is all important especially if you're training but looking at Mike's 3-4hours riding it sounds like he's a recreational rider, I really can't see a lack of rest giving him the isolated problem of fatigued legs. It doesn't sound like he's feeling tired/drained/lack of concentration that you'd normally associate with overtraining/lack of rest. I'm going to get out of this one now, don't know enough to comment further. ;D
|
|
|
Post by Russ on Oct 25, 2009 22:27:56 GMT
Yes there's a whole pile of things it could be and some of them might not be a fitness issue for example, saddle to low, Maxxis super tacky tyres, seized freehub/wheel bearings etc...
|
|
|
Post by mikebike on Oct 26, 2009 19:46:15 GMT
Saddle is roughly right height, wheels are free as a bird and I'm not running super tacky's so unfortunately I can't blame the bike It looks like its all down to me, I'm well up for the resting theory but again, like Dr Dan says I don't think its down to this. I've started doing the lunges daily so hopefully this might improve the leg strength and I'll try spinning the gears a bit more. Thanks for the tips lads. I'll let you know if the lunges show an improvement.
|
|
|
Post by john59 on Oct 26, 2009 20:16:07 GMT
Hmmm in my professional opinion I would say that you suffer from 3 things, backside wont leave settee, too many trips to Giorgios ( nice chips though ) and lager ;D. I would say that you are roughly the same the same weight as me and Ive been told that Im FAT ;D. I have noticed when we have been out riding though that you dont keep your cadence the same when we come to an uphill, instead of using your gears you tend to pedal faster up the hill instead of keeping it the same as on the flat which would let the bike pull you up. How do you think I manage to keep up? ;D
|
|