Basic strength exercise....

Simon1890

Hi guys,

I'm trying to do some exercise at home to improve strength, power and core. I'm not talking anything complicated or using weights...i simply mean i'm doing sets of press ups (upper body strength and core) and squats (leg power) - no weights just a few reps of a certain number.

My concern is this...will doing these 'bulk' me up when what i want to be doing is trimming down and losing weight but improving muscle strength etc....

I've been told cyclists want to be 'light and delicate' which i am worried doing these exercises will not help towards.

I am doing 3 - 4 rides a week for my cardio side etc... obviously.

Cheers

Simon

Escargot

In short no.

If you do regular pressups then you will strengthen your chest, triceps and core but only to the point where your muscles will develop some subtle shape. But this is a good thing as it means you're building some strength. The same goes with the squats as there's simply not enough weight to build the bulk you're talking about (unless you weigh about 150kg that is

If you're looking to increase your power then this is a different story and you will need to add weight to your routine. However this will invariably add muscle mass.

bahzob

I'd agree with above.

Just one comment though, press ups are OK for core but I'd advise adding some core specifics in as well. (Helped make me a better cyclist + avoid back probolems)

Good routine here to pick some from.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=486

Escargot

Incidentally T-Nation had a good article for assessing how good your core is (yeah ok I visit the site sometimes LOL )

Basically it goes through stages where you lie down with your arms by your side and then try to stand up without moving your arms from your side. Easy ehh, well I found that quite straightforward but then it goes onto different positions of your arms and then gets quite tricky. For those interested visit below:

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/how_strong_are_your_abs_really

P.S. Apologies for the gratuitous show of muscle on the site (maybe appealing for the ladies). IMO it looks a bit OTT but each to their own I guess.

bahzob

Thx Escargot..that's put me in my place.Thought I had pretty good core but can only scrape up to level 2. Something to work on over winter..

Escargot

Shocking isn't it.

I failed abysmally with that test. I thought my core was ok too as I do do a few tough exercises but clearly they're not tough enough.

Alex_Simmons/RST

Simon1890 wrote:

I'm trying to do some exercise at home to improve strength, power and core. I'm not talking anything complicated or using weights...i simply mean i'm doing sets of press ups (upper body strength and core) and squats (leg power) - no weights just a few reps of a certain number.

Power is work done per unit time.

Unless you are talking about very short time periods (a handful of seconds or less), then leg squats will do diddly squat with respect to improving your sustainable power. Riding a bike is by far the best exercise for that.

bahzob

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

Simon1890 wrote:

I'm trying to do some exercise at home to improve strength, power and core. I'm not talking anything complicated or using weights...i simply mean i'm doing sets of press ups (upper body strength and core) and squats (leg power) - no weights just a few reps of a certain number.

Power is work done per unit time.

Unless you are talking about very short time periods (a handful of seconds or less), then leg squats will do diddly squat with respect to improving your sustainable power. Riding a bike is by far the best exercise for that.

Your opinion. Not one necessarily shared by all (including number of pro riders). Question of if weights work or not is an old (and very boring) chestnut. As with so much else there are no absolutes, it will help some people others not. Best advice is to let people try it and find out for themselves.

Beardy10

If you want to incoporate core strength into press up's there are load's of variations.

Couple of examples....

Do a normal press up and then when in the finished position (i.e. with arms straight) lift one arm and raise it up in the air whilst twisting your core so effectively your arm is pointin straight up in the air. Alternate sides obviously.

Get yourself a swiss ball and do a jack knife combined with a press up after each jack knife.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y03dkaK1O0

Except I would put you shin on the ball

You can then do thing like one legged jack knives or do a jack knife where you bring one leg up underneath you and twist it under you to the side.

Probably should add that those exercises are somethign to be worked up to. I might be 41 years old, 16 stone plus which is not all musle but I can do level 4 because I have been going to see a Personal Trainer at a gym once a week for quite a long time.

Good core stability is key for all sports whether it's for balance or making you more efficient/powerful at something liek cycling.

dennisn

You won't "bulk" up doing push ups, sit ups, chinning, and the like. Now, using weights
is another story. You will add some muscle but even weight training will not put a lot
of "bulk" on you unless train bodybuilder specific. Some bench presses, squats, curls,
and the like(with weights) are IMHO a good addition to any fitness program, including cycling.

NJK

bahzob wrote:

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

Simon1890 wrote:

I'm trying to do some exercise at home to improve strength, power and core. I'm not talking anything complicated or using weights...i simply mean i'm doing sets of press ups (upper body strength and core) and squats (leg power) - no weights just a few reps of a certain number.

Power is work done per unit time.

Unless you are talking about very short time periods (a handful of seconds or less), then leg squats will do diddly squat with respect to improving your sustainable power. Riding a bike is by far the best exercise for that.

Your opinion. Not one necessarily shared by all (including number of pro riders). Question of if weights work or not is an old (and very boring) chestnut. As with so much else there are no absolutes, it will help some people others not. Best advice is to let people try it and find out for themselves.

Rubbish.

Aggieboy

NJK wrote:

bahzob wrote:

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

Simon1890 wrote:

I'm trying to do some exercise at home to improve strength, power and core. I'm not talking anything complicated or using weights...i simply mean i'm doing sets of press ups (upper body strength and core) and squats (leg power) - no weights just a few reps of a certain number.

Power is work done per unit time.

Unless you are talking about very short time periods (a handful of seconds or less), then leg squats will do diddly squat with respect to improving your sustainable power. Riding a bike is by far the best exercise for that.

Your opinion. Not one necessarily shared by all (including number of pro riders). Question of if weights work or not is an old (and very boring) chestnut. As with so much else there are no absolutes, it will help some people others not. Best advice is to let people try it and find out for themselves.

Rubbish.

Helpful!

dennisn

NJK wrote:

bahzob wrote:

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

Simon1890 wrote:

I'm trying to do some exercise at home to improve strength, power and core. I'm not talking anything complicated or using weights...i simply mean i'm doing sets of press ups (upper body strength and core) and squats (leg power) - no weights just a few reps of a certain number.

Power is work done per unit time.

Unless you are talking about very short time periods (a handful of seconds or less), then leg squats will do diddly squat with respect to improving your sustainable power. Riding a bike is by far the best exercise for that.

Your opinion. Not one necessarily shared by all (including number of pro riders). Question of if weights work or not is an old (and very boring) chestnut. As with so much else there are no absolutes, it will help some people others not. Best advice is to let people try it and find out for themselves.

Rubbish.

Rubbish????? Could you expound upon that a bit??? Not at all sure what you're trying to say OR to whom.

bahzob

As I said in my earlier post question of whether weight/strength training helps or not seems, for some strange reason, to get people worked up.

Hence useful comment above.

I reiterate: There is no one simple training approach that will work for all people, all times, all places, all situations. A lot of the fun of training is trying out different approaches and seeing what works for you. So maybe weight training will help maybe not. It happens to help me, doesnt mean I think it will work for everyone else.

Its complicated but that's life. Simple solutions are for simple people.

dennisn

bahzob wrote:

As I said in my earlier post question of whether weight/strength training helps or not seems, for some strange reason, to get people worked up.

I see what your saying and completely agree. Have often wondered what some people have against a bit of weight training? Like you said it may or may not HELP your cycling
but it's good, healthy, exercise and what more can you want? As examples I would point to LA, who obviously weight trains, and has had SOME success on the bike. Not sure who, among the pros and top amateurs, DOESN'T pump iron but but would be willing to bet that a goodly share of them DO get under the weights.

NJK

dennisn wrote:

bahzob wrote:

As I said in my earlier post question of whether weight/strength training helps or not seems, for some strange reason, to get people worked up.

I see what your saying and completely agree. Have often wondered what some people have against a bit of weight training? Like you said it may or may not HELP your cycling
but it's good, healthy, exercise and what more can you want? As examples I would point to LA, who obviously weight trains, and has had SOME success on the bike. Not sure who, among the pros and top amateurs, DOESN'T pump iron but but would be willing to bet that a goodly share of them DO get under the weights.

If you want to use LA as an example of a performance cyclist who strength trains.

Good example because his case alone backs up all of us that thinks it is probably a waste of time for a competitive endurance cyclist important!
He did his strength training when he wasn't training for competitve cycling and i presume for a bit of vanity. As soon as he knew he was returning he dumped the weights and started to lose muscle mass and fat through obviously his training and calorie controlled diet.

So all that muscle mass will have gone and as cycling isn't a power sport in the true meaning of the word neither does it need extensive neuro-muscular training.

I do strength training not for my cycling but for my job and do not think it will improve anything at all related to cycling. In fact i possibly think that doing squats, lunges etc has messed aroung with my alignment and pedal stroke fluidity.

A bit of weight training no problem and also it depends what you mean by weight/strength training i would include core or general back care work in this. For a competitive cyclist during the season to use squats and other exercises to improve sustainable power would be optimistic at best according not by just me but many other coaches who try to understand cycling physiology not just prescribe it because every other sport does.

dennisn

NJK wrote:

dennisn wrote:

bahzob wrote:

As I said in my earlier post question of whether weight/strength training helps or not seems, for some strange reason, to get people worked up.

I see what your saying and completely agree. Have often wondered what some people have against a bit of weight training? Like you said it may or may not HELP your cycling
but it's good, healthy, exercise and what more can you want? As examples I would point to LA, who obviously weight trains, and has had SOME success on the bike. Not sure who, among the pros and top amateurs, DOESN'T pump iron but but would be willing to bet that a goodly share of them DO get under the weights.

If you want to use LA as an example of a performance cyclist who strength trains.

Good example because his case alone backs up all of us that thinks it is probably a waste of time for a competitive endurance cyclist important!
He did his strength training when he wasn't training for competitve cycling and i presume for a bit of vanity. As soon as he knew he was returning he dumped the weights and started to lose muscle mass and fat through obviously his training and calorie controlled diet.

So all that muscle mass will have gone and as cycling isn't a power sport in the true meaning of the word neither does it need extensive neuro-muscular training.

I do strength training not for my cycling but for my job and do not think it will improve anything at all related to cycling. In fact i possibly think that doing squats, lunges etc has messed aroung with my alignment and pedal stroke fluidity.

A bit of weight training no problem and also it depends what you mean by weight/strength training i would include core or general back care work in this. For a competitive cyclist during the season to use squats and other exercises to improve sustainable power would be optimistic at best according not by just me but many other coaches who try to understand cycling physiology not just prescribe it because every other sport does.

You present a good argument for, maybe, pro riders and the like. But for the average
local and regional weekend warrior and people just out there to get some exercise you make way to much of whether it helps or not. It's exercise, it's good for you, it's something to do to break things up a bit. You can talk all you want about "sustainable power", "core work", "cycling physiology", and the like, but what it all boils down to is weight training is really good exercise.

bahzob

NJK - not sure how good a "competitive endurance cyclist" you are.

Pretty sure though you are not as good as Christian Vande Velde who says "I have significantly changed my body through physical therapy and strength training and my race results have shown the benefits. I am now a firm believer in proper and consistent gym work. Not only do I strength train during the off season but I also regularly go to the gym throughout the entire year for maintenance. This is a bit different from the old-school approach but it has clearly been beneficial for me." (2009 foreword to Cycling Anatomy by S Sovndal)

So please do not extrapolate from your limited experience and assume that what doesnt work for you wont work for anybody else.

Also - to correct another error. Who said to do squats to build power during the competitive season? Obviously any weights program will be periodised to complement other training. So, as in the quote above, max strength training will be done off season. During the season itself just some light maintenance work is typically enough. Exactly what the OP refers to. Suggest in future you dont call others views "rubbish" if you dont really know what you are talking about.

Escargot

I'm sure I read that Chris Hoy does intensive weights to build up leg muscles for power. That would make sense to me as you need muscle to produce the explosive power necessary for sprints. The fact his thighs are like tree trunks would seem to back up this assumption as I'm not 100% that you could physically build that kind of muscle through cycling alone (in the timescales required). The same goes for sprinters (running) who spend a great deal of time in the gym.

Naturally for TDF riders weights may not be 100% necessary but IMHO doing some form of upper body training will bring balance to the body. Considering the length of stages I'm surprised any TDF riders have large thighs but it would be completely unnatural to have a well defined leg muscles and a weedy upper body.

Somewhere in between is the average cyclist that neither rides TDF or flat out sprints so it is not unreasonable to think that weight training will have some benefits. To be honest I don't really care if it helps or not as I love doing weights and think general strength is very important to overall fitness. To me it's pointless having leg strength and zero upper body and core strength. Far better to develop some sort of balance but is very personal.

NJK

bahzob wrote:

NJK - not sure how good a "competitive endurance cyclist" you are.

Pretty sure though you are not as good as Christian Vande Velde who says "I have significantly changed my body through physical therapy and strength training and my race results have shown the benefits. I am now a firm believer in proper and consistent gym work. Not only do I strength train during the off season but I also regularly go to the gym throughout the entire year for maintenance. This is a bit different from the old-school approach but it has clearly been beneficial for me." (2009 foreword to Cycling Anatomy by S Sovndal)

So please do not extrapolate from your limited experience and assume that what doesnt work for you wont work for anybody else.

Also - to correct another error. Who said to do squats to build power during the competitive season? Obviously any weights program will be periodised to complement other training. So, as in the quote above, max strength training will be done off season. During the season itself just some light maintenance work is typically enough. Exactly what the OP refers to. Suggest in future you dont call others views "rubbish" if you dont really know what you are talking about.

I do understand it is you that doesn't. Thanks for your very brief intro into periodisation its a topic i'm fairly well up on.

The question you can't answer is what limiter in endurance are you trying to improve, even if you do periodise.

So Vandevelde does strength training so what! Maybe it was to correct a postural problem. Certainly won't be doing it to improve TT power.

bahzob

"So Vandevelde does strength training so what! Maybe it was to correct a postural problem. Certainly won't be doing it to improve TT power."

So what?? So someone who is a vastly better cyclist than you says that strength work has a role in his training. (Your assumptions about what he may or may not have done this for are blind prejudice. Point of fact the book he endorsed goes into the details of which exercises will complement specific areas of cycling, including time trialling.)

He's not alone. Amongst others, Joe Friel, Hunter Allen, Chris Carmichael and Dave Lloyd all say that weight training may have a role in cyclists development.

Clearly you think it has no role in your training. Thats a real "So What!".

Others, including riders and coaches at a level considerably greater than yours do.

That's is sufficient reason to support my original assertion that its something anyone with an open mind and a desire to improve should at least give a try. If may help, it may not.

NJK

bahzob wrote:

"So Vandevelde does strength training so what! Maybe it was to correct a postural problem. Certainly won't be doing it to improve TT power."

So what?? So someone who is a vastly better cyclist than you says that strength work has a role in his training. (Your assumptions about what he may or may not have done this for are blind prejudice. Point of fact the book he endorsed goes into the details of which exercises will complement specific areas of cycling, including time trialling.)

He's not alone. Amongst others, Joe Friel, Hunter Allen, Chris Carmichael and Dave Lloyd all say that weight training may have a role in cyclists development.

Clearly you think it has no role in your training. Thats a real "So What!".

Others, including riders and coaches at a level considerably greater than yours do.


That's is sufficient reason to support my original assertion that its something anyone with an open mind and a desire to improve should at least give a try. If may help, it may not.

Vandevelde is a much better cyclist than me because of several reasons and strength isn't one of them .

Specific exercises to help tt'ing. I hope they are proven because i can't find any or think of any that will help a rider increase his speed over 40km. You must tell me as i'm doing a write up on a similar topic now.

I'm not going to argue with you and really haven't got the time to put a thorough response across although i would say that ability on the bike is your worst argument of the lot. I'm not interested in anecdotal evidence or what coaches have written in a book with no references. A quote from a coach above 'You need to have a strong upper body to be a cyclist'. :shock:

O.K.

dennisn

NJK wrote:

bahzob wrote:

"So Vandevelde does strength training so what! Maybe it was to correct a postural problem. Certainly won't be doing it to improve TT power."

So what?? So someone who is a vastly better cyclist than you says that strength work has a role in his training. (Your assumptions about what he may or may not have done this for are blind prejudice. Point of fact the book he endorsed goes into the details of which exercises will complement specific areas of cycling, including time trialling.)

He's not alone. Amongst others, Joe Friel, Hunter Allen, Chris Carmichael and Dave Lloyd all say that weight training may have a role in cyclists development.

Clearly you think it has no role in your training. Thats a real "So What!".

Others, including riders and coaches at a level considerably greater than yours do.


That's is sufficient reason to support my original assertion that its something anyone with an open mind and a desire to improve should at least give a try. If may help, it may not.

Vandevelde is a much better cyclist than me because of several reasons and strength isn't one of them .

If you have the strength he does, how does he go faster than you? Are you really saying
that he doesn't have any more cycling strength than you? Where does his riding power and endurance come from if not strength? Oh, sorry, must be from the ceramic bearing
rear mech pulleys. Ya, that's it.

NJK

dennisn wrote:

NJK wrote:

bahzob wrote:

"So Vandevelde does strength training so what! Maybe it was to correct a postural problem. Certainly won't be doing it to improve TT power."

So what?? So someone who is a vastly better cyclist than you says that strength work has a role in his training. (Your assumptions about what he may or may not have done this for are blind prejudice. Point of fact the book he endorsed goes into the details of which exercises will complement specific areas of cycling, including time trialling.)

He's not alone. Amongst others, Joe Friel, Hunter Allen, Chris Carmichael and Dave Lloyd all say that weight training may have a role in cyclists development.

Clearly you think it has no role in your training. Thats a real "So What!".

Others, including riders and coaches at a level considerably greater than yours do.


That's is sufficient reason to support my original assertion that its something anyone with an open mind and a desire to improve should at least give a try. If may help, it may not.

Vandevelde is a much better cyclist than me because of several reasons and strength isn't one of them .

If you have the strength he does, how does he go faster than you? Are you really saying
that he doesn't have any more cycling strength than you? Where does his riding power and endurance come from if not strength? Oh, sorry, must be from the ceramic bearing
rear mech pulleys. Ya, that's it.

This it was happens on forums, not sure why i get involved

His riding power comes from riding the bike, not from the gym no matter what he does, simply. Unless of course he has found an exercise in the gym that can replicate the angle, cadence and power over 5hrs!

dennisn

NJK wrote:

dennisn wrote:

NJK wrote:

bahzob wrote:

"So Vandevelde does strength training so what! Maybe it was to correct a postural problem. Certainly won't be doing it to improve TT power."

So what?? So someone who is a vastly better cyclist than you says that strength work has a role in his training. (Your assumptions about what he may or may not have done this for are blind prejudice. Point of fact the book he endorsed goes into the details of which exercises will complement specific areas of cycling, including time trialling.)

He's not alone. Amongst others, Joe Friel, Hunter Allen, Chris Carmichael and Dave Lloyd all say that weight training may have a role in cyclists development.

Clearly you think it has no role in your training. Thats a real "So What!".

Others, including riders and coaches at a level considerably greater than yours do.


That's is sufficient reason to support my original assertion that its something anyone with an open mind and a desire to improve should at least give a try. If may help, it may not.

Vandevelde is a much better cyclist than me because of several reasons and strength isn't one of them .

If you have the strength he does, how does he go faster than you? Are you really saying
that he doesn't have any more cycling strength than you? Where does his riding power and endurance come from if not strength? Oh, sorry, must be from the ceramic bearing
rear mech pulleys. Ya, that's it.

This it was happens on forums, not sure why i get involved

His riding power comes from riding the bike, not from the gym no matter what he does, simply. Unless of course he has found an exercise in the gym that can replicate the angle, cadence and power over 5hrs!

So, his riding strength comes from riding, period? Nothing else? No other kind of fitness would even contribute so much as single pedal revolution to his riding? Nothing but riding helps? This is his routine and you know this because you've been training with him on a daily basis and have never seen him even look at a barbell? Or anything else for that matter?

NJK

dennisn wrote:

NJK wrote:

dennisn wrote:

NJK wrote:

bahzob wrote:

"So Vandevelde does strength training so what! Maybe it was to correct a postural problem. Certainly won't be doing it to improve TT power."

So what?? So someone who is a vastly better cyclist than you says that strength work has a role in his training. (Your assumptions about what he may or may not have done this for are blind prejudice. Point of fact the book he endorsed goes into the details of which exercises will complement specific areas of cycling, including time trialling.)

He's not alone. Amongst others, Joe Friel, Hunter Allen, Chris Carmichael and Dave Lloyd all say that weight training may have a role in cyclists development.

Clearly you think it has no role in your training. Thats a real "So What!".

Others, including riders and coaches at a level considerably greater than yours do.


That's is sufficient reason to support my original assertion that its something anyone with an open mind and a desire to improve should at least give a try. If may help, it may not.

Vandevelde is a much better cyclist than me because of several reasons and strength isn't one of them .

If you have the strength he does, how does he go faster than you? Are you really saying
that he doesn't have any more cycling strength than you? Where does his riding power and endurance come from if not strength? Oh, sorry, must be from the ceramic bearing
rear mech pulleys. Ya, that's it.

This it was happens on forums, not sure why i get involved

His riding power comes from riding the bike, not from the gym no matter what he does, simply. Unless of course he has found an exercise in the gym that can replicate the angle, cadence and power over 5hrs!

So, his riding strength comes from riding, period? Nothing else? No other kind of fitness would even contribute so much as single pedal revolution to his riding? Nothing but riding helps? This is his routine and you know this because you've been training with him on a daily basis and have never seen him even look at a barbell? Or anything else for that matter?

I hear he has taken up skipping and and mows the lawn on one leg, he and his coach have said that this helped his cycling this year, they don't know how but have included it in his new book. They also discovered that walking his dog on the same morning as cleaning his car also improved performance. No real eveidence but his power was up in the afternoon.

dennisn

NJK wrote:

dennisn wrote:

NJK wrote:

dennisn wrote:

NJK wrote:

bahzob wrote:

"So Vandevelde does strength training so what! Maybe it was to correct a postural problem. Certainly won't be doing it to improve TT power."

So what?? So someone who is a vastly better cyclist than you says that strength work has a role in his training. (Your assumptions about what he may or may not have done this for are blind prejudice. Point of fact the book he endorsed goes into the details of which exercises will complement specific areas of cycling, including time trialling.)

He's not alone. Amongst others, Joe Friel, Hunter Allen, Chris Carmichael and Dave Lloyd all say that weight training may have a role in cyclists development.

Clearly you think it has no role in your training. Thats a real "So What!".

Others, including riders and coaches at a level considerably greater than yours do.


That's is sufficient reason to support my original assertion that its something anyone with an open mind and a desire to improve should at least give a try. If may help, it may not.

Vandevelde is a much better cyclist than me because of several reasons and strength isn't one of them .

If you have the strength he does, how does he go faster than you? Are you really saying
that he doesn't have any more cycling strength than you? Where does his riding power and endurance come from if not strength? Oh, sorry, must be from the ceramic bearing
rear mech pulleys. Ya, that's it.

This it was happens on forums, not sure why i get involved

His riding power comes from riding the bike, not from the gym no matter what he does, simply. Unless of course he has found an exercise in the gym that can replicate the angle, cadence and power over 5hrs!

So, his riding strength comes from riding, period? Nothing else? No other kind of fitness would even contribute so much as single pedal revolution to his riding? Nothing but riding helps? This is his routine and you know this because you've been training with him on a daily basis and have never seen him even look at a barbell? Or anything else for that matter?

I hear he has taken up skipping and and mows the lawn on one leg, he and his coach have said that this helped his cycling this year, they don't know how but have included it in his new book. They also discovered that walking his dog on the same morning as cleaning his car also improved performance. No real eveidence but his power was up in the afternoon.

I have to honest and say I didn't know he had an "old" book. And to be honest(again) if stuff like skipping and dog walking made his "new" book I'm definitely gonna take a pass on reading it. My doctor said I shouldn't have too much excitement.

bahzob

NJK - Apart from a broader mind you also need some training in the scientific process.

The starting point for this argument was that squats will have "diddly squat" impact on cycling and that the only way to improve cycling performance was to cycle more.

The fact that well established cyclists/coaches spend time and resources on non-bike strength and other work and ascribe their success in part to this is sufficient to at least cast doubt on this thesis.

With respect to squats I would hope this interview would convince anybody with this fallacious view to admit they were wrong. Search for squat...

http://www.velodrome.org.uk/chrishoyinterview.html

bahzob

PS slightly more recent quote.
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/olympics/346405/gb-rider-profile-chris-hoy.html

(Apart from the note on weights also reminder that he graduated in applied sports science, so should be pretty well qualified on all counts to know about training)

We all know what happened next.

NRJ - your logic leads to the view that Chris Hoy (and by extension the BCF approach) was wrong and he would have done better (or at least achieved same) if he had avoided all weights work and rode his bike more instead.

Do you honestly believe that?

liversedge

There isn't enough research or evidence to suggest it works or not. My personal experience with weights is that they help. Core stability for the obv. reasons. But also, leg strength exercises seem to help or "open pathways" for development from my regular training.

But like I said, there isn't any conclusive scientific evidence either way.

NJK

bahzob wrote:

PS slightly more recent quote.
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/olympics/346405/gb-rider-profile-chris-hoy.html

(Apart from the note on weights also reminder that he graduated in applied sports science, so should be pretty well qualified on all counts to know about training)

We all know what happened next.

NRJ - your logic leads to the view that Chris Hoy (and by extension the BCF approach) was wrong and he would have done better (or at least achieved same) if he had avoided all weights work and rode his bike more instead.

Do you honestly believe that?

You have totally lost me with your last 2 posts. How has a trackie who rides 1km come into the argument. You don't understand physiology so i would give it a rest.