stairs

Team Banana Spokesman
Team Banana Spokesman Posts: 538
edited April 2010 in Training, fitness and health
after a really hard ride: why can I walk up stairs fine but almost collapse when coming down em due to weakness? :lol:

isnt the leg movement the same?

and why did I get this a lot after every ride when I first started cycling but less so now even tho i'm training harder now?

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Take the seatbelt off the stena stairlift, it will hold you back. :lol:
  • Splottboy
    Splottboy Posts: 3,695
    Walking up is a Positive action, and walking down is a Negative action.

    You are having to "give in " to gravity/your body weight coming down, so you are probably having to work a bit harder, hence it feels harder.

    The leg movement is similar, but the Concentric/Negative forces are increased, and this is where you are feeling it.
    Could also be that your Quadriceps, front leg muscles are very strong, but your Hamstrings, Glutes at the rear aren't so strong. Specific resistance training for these could help you.

    Maybe doing "Negative Squats", where someone places a weight on your shoulders, you squat down, then they take it off, and you stand up again, may benefit you. H/String curls could also help. How bout jumping DOWN your stairs, with caution, two feeted, to try to strengthen/overload the "specific" action you are talking about.

    Hope this helps.
  • ut_och_cykla
    ut_och_cykla Posts: 1,594
    Think it has to do with how teh muscles work going up its a short sharp muscle tensioning using full movement, but going down is a sort of extension that has to be tensioned all the way - a longer period of activiity for the primary muscles - quads. And its less bad now 'cos you're more used to the work....and more fibres are being used - so teh few you activated earlier in your traing dont get so tired
    I think anyway - who knows ... might be wrong....
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    If you really want to know quad pain, walk up a mountain (any half fit cyclist, myself being a good example of such, can do this very easily) and then run down it. You will suffer, badly, for days.
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    You know you've overdone it when you have to go up and down stairs on your backside one step at a time :lol:
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels

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