strength training improvements?
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Just to note that I'm not bagging the other training that has to be done on the bike as it's massively important and I fully understand the importance of aerobic capacity, lactate threshold etc for performance.0
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'maximal' is the key word that invalidates the rest of what you have written.kom14 wrote:To be fair my comment re power being a product of strength is too general
Strength: "The maximal force that a muscle or muscle group can generate at a specified velocity" (Knuttgen & Kraemer)
Power: "The time rate of doing work" where work is the product of the force exerted on an object and the distance the object moves in the direction in which the force is exerted. Power = work / velocity.
Force is the key point here and specifically Rate of Force Development (RFD) in order to realise the potential of having greater force production abilities via increased 'strength'. If a greater amount of force can be applied quickly to a specific movement then power increases. If strength improves then the potential to improve power is increased. Of course the quicker this force can be applied then the bigger the power achieved. You could achieve a 200w average power from pedalling at a higher rpm with low force or from pedalling at a lower rpm and applying more force. If you could be more efficient in the movement over a long period of time by applying a lower % of max force at a lower velocity then it's happy days.
Please go and read some of the old threads on the subject.
You could probably do with reading the threads on efficiency too
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You cannot define strength without using the term maximal so I fail to see how this 'invalidates' the rest of what has been said. Agreed there are very few occasions where an 'absolute' max strength effort will be used, but I'm talking about a relative % (contribution) of max strength.
On efficiency I'm aware there's a huge technical component involved, no dispute there. What I'm suggesting is a very small part of that, but may help to improve it.
Anyway happy for you to have your opinion on the subject. That's what the forums all about in the end. Thanks for the posts0 -
Just spent 3 weeks off the bike on holiday.
Did some swimming and jogging to keep aerobic fitness up, but also did multiple squats (100+, no extra weight), until quads were burning.
Of course, I'd rather have been riding, but beggars can't be choosers. Seemed like a reasonable thing to do to keep leg strength up; zero load, high speed, high reps.
Also tried some hotel gym cycle machines. Jesus those things are awful, I'd rather slit my wrists than ride one of those. Hope the gym crowd don't really believe they can cycle at 45km/h for hours on end….
Saw quite a few blokes on the beach who'd clearly been doing lots of gym time / steroids; super bulked up, up top. One Russian guy had to drag his suitcase across the sandy beach, from the boat about 200 yards, to the hotel. Upon arrival he was near cardiac arrest; bright red, pouring with sweat, HR probably 200+ and on his knees. Quite funny really!0 -
kom14 wrote:Agreed there are very few occasions where an 'absolute' max strength effort will be used,
Back in - just to say that outside of a track start (and even then, only for a fraction of a second), there are no occasions where you will be able to exert maximum force on a pedal, once it is already moving.
The 'maximal strength' requirement for cycling is actually very low - even riding up a mountain or in a bunch sprint. If I was giving you the benefit of the doubt, I would say you appear to be confusing 'maximal strength' with 'maximal effort' - which in cycling terms are two very different things.
If you haven't searched the other threads yet, see if you can find out what the average pedal forces are like when riding up a typical TdF mountain stage - and then come back and tell me why you would need stronger legs in order to improve performance.0 -
Haha I can already visualise the guys on the beach!!
Tough crowd, but been a good discussion. Thanks. Im sure this could go around the houses for some time like has happened previously as been suggested so I'll stop stoking the fire there I think...got a bike session to do. haha0 -
