Can your legs get stronger without getting bigger?

cmhill79

It's probably a stupid questions and yes I have prepared myself to be abused by the trolls but in all seriousness is it actually possible depending on the training methods? Reason I ask is I see guys with smaller legs who power along and then see these guys with huge thighs but appear to lack power...

NeXXus

Yes

imposter2.0

If you're talking about cycling, then stronger legs do not necessarily make you a better cyclist. This will go to 10 pages, I reckon....

junglist_matty

It's all about power to weight ratios.

Mad_Malx

Most famously Wiggo lost a load of muscle bulk when moving from track to road .

This is going to run into debate about the meaning of 'stronger'.

junglist_matty

Mad_Malx wrote:

Most famously Wiggo lost a load of muscle bulk when moving from track to road

That's expected as there are no hills to overcome on a track

mfin

Slow twitch vs Fast Twitch muscles and the balance between them. Look at a 100m runner vs a 10,000m runner, they both run.

AdrianStuart

Strength - the extent to which muscles can exert force by contracting against resistance (e.g. holding or restraining an object or person)

If you are weak and have never done any real strength training, you will see some adaptations pretty quickly. The gains in size you’ll experience will not be linear. They do not continue forever.

goonz

Why wouldnt you want super huge thighs?

rickeverett

Depends on what you call strength. Climbing?, Sprinting?, Long Distance ?

if you want to go endurance then you usually end up twig thin as you loose mass.

sloppyschleckonds

Squats & lunges

mfin

mfin wrote:

Slow twitch vs Fast Twitch muscles and the balance between them. Look at a 100m runner vs a 10,000m runner, they both run.

Devastazione

Genetics plays a major role I guess.

Piled up some sh.itt.y huge legs this winter. It's all hills and mountains here and rode 4/5 times a week each week from september 2013 till may 2014, I yet have to find if that turned out to add some benefits to my performances beside adding unwanted weight,I'll check that in september when I'll start riding again. You really don't want big legs,no good man,no good.
Ok sure,I've once rested for a week and felt like I had two nuclear plants in my legs,still my greyhound lookalike friends managed to beat the heck out of me on the uphills... :evil: :evil:

kingstonian

Mad_Malx wrote:

Most famously Wiggo lost a load of muscle bulk when moving from track to road .

This is going to run into debate about the meaning of 'stronger'.

Well my dad's stronger than your dad

aberdeenal

goonz wrote:

Why wouldnt you want super huge thighs?

Erm - it's a nightmare to get jeans / trousers to fit

gubber12345

Kingstonian wrote:

Mad_Malx wrote:

Most famously Wiggo lost a load of muscle bulk when moving from track to road .

This is going to run into debate about the meaning of 'stronger'.

Well my dad's stronger than your dad

yeah and in the words of Franky Boyle " aye,but my dad will shag your dad,and your dad will like it"

macleod113

AberdeenAl wrote:

goonz wrote:

Why wouldnt you want super huge thighs?

Erm - it's a nightmare to get jeans / trousers to fit

Too right! bleeding nightmare to get the right fit. correct waist size and the trollies wont go over my thighs

larger waist size to go over my thighs and it feels like I have 3-4 inches of material to hide via a belt and it looks stupid.

DavidJB

MacLeod113 wrote:

AberdeenAl wrote:

goonz wrote:

Why wouldnt you want super huge thighs?

Erm - it's a nightmare to get jeans / trousers to fit

Too right! bleeding nightmare to get the right fit. correct waist size and the trollies wont go over my thighs

larger waist size to go over my thighs and it feels like I have 3-4 inches of material to hide via a belt and it looks stupid.

I can ONLY buy jeans from GAP as they are loose round the legs...30 inch waist but would need a 34" jeans from a normal place to fit round the legs

Plus nothing wrong with having big legs ... they are awesome...

mangetout_rodney

DavidJB wrote:

I can ONLY buy jeans from GAP as they are loose round the legs...30 inch waist but would need a 34" jeans from a normal place to fit round the legs

Try Gant Jeans.
For a long time I only wore Gap jeans for the same reason but Gant seem to be better cut plus they last a lot longer.

DavidJB

Sevendeadly wrote:

DavidJB wrote:

I can ONLY buy jeans from GAP as they are loose round the legs...30 inch waist but would need a 34" jeans from a normal place to fit round the legs

Try Gant Jeans.
For a long time I only wore Gap jeans for the same reason but Gant seem to be better cut plus they last a lot longer.

Ah nice one I'll check it out

jscl

goonz wrote:

Why wouldnt you want super huge thighs?

This.

Lots of track and gym has bulked my legs up with muscle mass. I like them, I'm not gonna lie. I have no issues on the road and then power out a good sprint. It's win win.

Big legs for the win!

goonz

DavidJB wrote:

MacLeod113 wrote:

AberdeenAl wrote:

goonz wrote:

Why wouldnt you want super huge thighs?

Erm - it's a nightmare to get jeans / trousers to fit

Too right! bleeding nightmare to get the right fit. correct waist size and the trollies wont go over my thighs

larger waist size to go over my thighs and it feels like I have 3-4 inches of material to hide via a belt and it looks stupid.

I can ONLY buy jeans from GAP as they are loose round the legs...30 inch waist but would need a 34" jeans from a normal place to fit round the legs

Plus nothing wrong with having big legs ... they are awesome...

Wear shorts. I wouldnt want to hide my guns! :P

Joeblack

Try carrot fit jeans, for those of you who have large thighs, or get a pair that fit and then have the waist band taken in, this is the best way to get your jeans to fit.

Regards having large legs, it's more about power to weight rather than size, very large legs will add a lot of weight and therefor be a hindrance to general cycling.

One of the best cyclists iv ridden with was a woman who carried very little size on her legs but she could climb, sprint and spin, she had the complete package

goonz

Andre Greipel vs German track Rider Forste.

Insane and sick.

DavidJB

Joeblack wrote:

Try carrot fit jeans, for those of you who have large thighs, or get a pair that fit and then have the waist band taken in, this is the best way to get your jeans to fit.

Regards having large legs, it's more about power to weight rather than size, very large legs will add a lot of weight and therefor be a hindrance to general cycling.

One of the best cyclists iv ridden with was a woman who carried very little size on her legs but she could climb, sprint and spin, she had the complete package

Not really true. I'm 69kg with 'big thighs' and I climb pretty well, got a decent 'engine' and I'm not a very good sprinter! You can't determine anything just by body type.

Matthewfalle

Why is it sick?

Just two ridiculously talented, fit and we hope, clean athletes at the top of their sport.

No one looks at over muscled 100m sprinters and calls them sick.

Now - anyone have a copy of that piccie of Greipal and the podium girl where his thighs are bigger than her waist that was doing the rounds last year?

goonz

Im talking more of the guy on the right.

Greipel's are fine.

Matthewfalle

But why is it "sick"?

goonz

Ok, legs that huge dont look good to me?

DavidJB

Matthewfalle wrote:

But why is it "sick"?

Calm down dear.

keef66

Forstermann's thighs do make me feel a little queasy. I find all of those extreme bodybuilding types to be a bit freak-show.