what's best training to buildup thigh muscle.........

abs777

hi everyone am a xc rider manage at least two 25-40 mile rides per week with my ridin buddy........... i also commute 2 work 3 times a week 18 mile round trip my endurance level is fine but i want 2 gain more power uphills............instead of feelin as if someone got a blow torch on my thighs.............we have just started doin same route some really nice decent but the climbs a killer my buddy beats me everytime am thinkin bout ditchin a couple of commutin day and take up 10mile fell runnin see if that helps...........but i enjoy ridin more thou........

rhyko7

abs777 wrote:

hi everyone am a xc rider manage at least two 25-40 mile rides per week with my ridin buddy........... i also commute 2 work 3 times a week 18 mile round trip my endurance level is fine but i want 2 gain more power uphills............instead of feelin as if someone got a blow torch on my thighs.............we have just started doin same route some really nice decent but the climbs a killer my buddy beats me everytime am thinkin bout ditchin a couple of commutin day and take up 10mile fell runnin see if that helps...........but i enjoy ridin more thou........

to develop power do weights, if you aint got weights,maybe you can use 2 litre water bottles. to build power you need to be doing short explosive exrecises, you can do this on or off the bike
off the bike ideally with weights, box jumps or jump squats will develop power.

on the bike: eitheruse hard gears to power up short hills, or again use a hard gear and power away from standing starts (short intervals at full power is the key)

you wont notice a difference over night, but if you train a couple times a week you should notice a difference within a few weeks.

hope thats gives you an idea

robmanic1

I'm not sure building muscle will help much (check out the climbers in the Tour de France, they are usually very slightly buit). The best way to improve your climbing is by climbing. Try to find some killer hills and do hill reps (ride up as hard as you can, ride down, then do it again).

Muscle bulk is really only any use for short bursts (like sprinters in the TDF).

I'm no expert, just my observations you understand.

Finbar Saunders

+1 for hill repeats. They can also help build your lactic acid tolerance so that the burning in your thighs takes longer to become a bother.

unscarred

If you've got access, try rowing machines. Preferably the Concept II Ergonometers. Rowing is all about power in the legs. Get an instrutcor or friend to show you the basic technique, it makes a big difference.

Do a mix of sprints and longer sessions to build a mixture of muscular endurance, explosive power and raw strength. When I was rowing in school we would do pyramids: 500m, 1000m, 2000m, 1000m, 500m, one after the other with no more than a few minutes rest in between each set. If you can walk downstairs the next day without wincing you weren't trying hard enough!

However, this isn't a replacement for practising climbs on the bike, it's complementary. It's just my experience that doing a different type of exercise that targets the same area can accelerate improvements.

rhyko7

Robmanic1 wrote:

I'm not sure building muscle will help much (check out the climbers in the Tour de France, they are usually very slightly buit). The best way to improve your climbing is by climbing. Try to find some killer hills and do hill reps (ride up as hard as you can, ride down, then do it again).

Muscle bulk is really only any use for short bursts (like sprinters in the TDF).

I'm no expert, just my observations you understand.

u=you can build strength and power without building size, i bet all the tour de france riders do gym work to develop strength and power. its the nutrition that makes you grow not just the weights training. but i do agree that hill sprints will probably benefit you more, i tend not to train legs in the gym very ofter due to if you push hard its difficult to walk the next couple days and i dont believe in doing things by halfs :!:

robmanic1

rhyko7 wrote:

Robmanic1 wrote:

I'm not sure building muscle will help much (check out the climbers in the Tour de France, they are usually very slightly buit). The best way to improve your climbing is by climbing. Try to find some killer hills and do hill reps (ride up as hard as you can, ride down, then do it again).

Muscle bulk is really only any use for short bursts (like sprinters in the TDF).

I'm no expert, just my observations you understand.

u=you can build strength and power without building size, i bet all the tour de france riders do gym work to develop strength and power. its the nutrition that makes you grow not just the weights training. but i do agree that hill sprints will probably benefit you more, i tend not to train legs in the gym very ofter due to if you push hard its difficult to walk the next couple days and i dont believe in doing things by halfs :!:

Agreed, but the title of the thread suggests the OP wants to build muscle to improve his hill climbing, which it wouldn't. It would however improve his power over short distances, like a sprinter.
For gym work he needs lower weights and high reps to improve his lactic threshold, unless I'm "weigh" off the mark here.

stevieboy

I found that doing 100 one legged squats a night on each leg has helped my climbing a fair bit. But as has already been said, climbing lots is probably the best way for us 'normal' riders to train for climbing.

Find a hill a repeat it either in a small loop or with a short recovery between each climb.

A team mate of mine bulked up in the gym over the winter as opposed to riding through it, he returned with very impressive arms, chest and legs but now cramps up much easier. IMO training for cycling is best done by using cycling as the training method, that way exercise specific muscles are developed.

Stuck on a Giant

Use your commute to ride intervals - 2mins at hard sustainable pace, 1 min rest, and repeat 7-10 times - make sure you warm up (10 mins)well before starting on the intervals, and try and do a similar warm-down as well.
Intervals are used by most road riders, especially training for time trials, when being able to put out high power for a sustained period is needed.
And if you can, lose a few kg - it does make a difference.

mhuk

If you have access to a gym bike (although you could do it on a normal bike) try thishill climbing routine. (it's the CTS one).

A word of warning - it hurts, but it does work

abs777

thanks everyone have taken everyone advise onboard it seems everyone do agreed more short hill reps is key have also taken up fell runnin 8 miles twice a week to help wit my endurance hopefully in next 3 week i should notice a different........... am not tryin to bulk up am 12stone tryin drop down to 11st........... thanks everyone

The Prodigy

Squat=Thigh Muscle

abs777

stevieboy wrote:

I found that doing 100 one legged squats a night on each leg has helped my climbing a fair bit. But as has already been said, climbing lots is probably the best way for us 'normal' riders to train for climbing.

Find a hill a repeat it either in a small loop or with a short recovery between each climb.

A team mate of mine bulked up in the gym over the winter as opposed to riding through it, he returned with very impressive arms, chest and legs but now cramps up much easier. IMO training for cycling is best done by using cycling as the training method, that way exercise specific muscles are developed.

100 squat per nite.............. meaning 5 reps of 20's each legs ??????????????

Paulie W

Best way to improve climbing as many have pointed out is to do reps on a climb but in the gym strength is built by lifting heavy weights and doing a small number of reps in the chosen exercise (squats in various forms, dead lifts, perhaps some old fashioned clean and jerks); aroudn 5 reps is probably fine, more than this and you will start to build bulk which you dont want to do.