Building leg power/muscle mass
N1TRO
Posts: 103
So I was thinking about the best ways of building up power in my legs. I tend to do longer rides which usually take around 1.5-2 hours, sometimes more and I go out 2-3 times a week. I mainly do flat runs and an occasional hour long climb. At a steady tempo I have the feeling that I could go on all day, but as soon as I start pushing myself I feel like there's not much there.
I ride a pretty stock Specialized Diverge Elite (currently with flat pedals) and over a 2 hour flat ride my average speed is around 23-24 kph (14.5 mph). SPD pedals are on the way, they should make some difference. Still, I think I should be doing more than that, so I'd like your input and advice on training methods please... More shorter, high intensity rides? Dedicated training programme maybe?
Thanks.
I ride a pretty stock Specialized Diverge Elite (currently with flat pedals) and over a 2 hour flat ride my average speed is around 23-24 kph (14.5 mph). SPD pedals are on the way, they should make some difference. Still, I think I should be doing more than that, so I'd like your input and advice on training methods please... More shorter, high intensity rides? Dedicated training programme maybe?
Thanks.
Specialized Diverge Elite
Felt F85
Bikes, hikes and lots more besides:
http://smallcountrycyclist.com/
Felt F85
Bikes, hikes and lots more besides:
http://smallcountrycyclist.com/
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Comments
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I'd highly recommend a training plan that includes a variety of workouts e.g. intervals. For you I'd suggest looking at Cyclo-Core: http://cyclo-core.com/ You want the original Cyclo 90 system. I've done his Master's program and achieved great results.
I do all of my intervals on a trainer and in conjunction with Trainerroad.com With Trainerroad you can get virtual power based off the power profile for your trainer or if you're like me I have a power meter. Trainerroad also have some excellent training plans although they're all on your trainer but you can substitute outside rides for some of them.
If you're averaging 24 kp/h on the flat you have a lot potential for improvement.
Are you using a GPS like a Garmin? If not then getting one allows you you track your training a lot better. Same with a heart rate monitor.
Good luck.Strava Profile: http://app.strava.com/athletes/20060660 -
Ride for more than 6 hours per week. You don't need more 'leg power', you need more fitness.0
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Should also say that cycling's not all I do. I spend quite a lot of time hiking as well plus occasional hops on the indoor bike. Still, more workout means more go. Specialized Diverge Elite
Felt F85
Bikes, hikes and lots more besides:
http://smallcountrycyclist.com/0 -
Should also say that cycling's not all I do. I spend quite a lot of time hiking as well plus occasional hops on the indoor bike. Still, more workout means more go.
The obvious starting question is why are you looking for ways of "building up power in my legs"?
If the answer is so that you can ride faster and/or further, then the answer is inevitably going to come down to increasing your cycling workload and cycling frequency from where it is now. But if the purpose is something else, then the answer may well be different.0 -
Leg circuits at the gym 3 times a week. Heavy weight- squats, leg press, clean/jerk, dead lifts and explosive box jumps are excellent.
Will do f*ck all for your cycling though.Insta: ATEnduranceCoaching
ABCC Cycling Coach0 -
So what's your normal riding speed over an hour or two? And don't try to round it up, I know you will. Specialized Diverge Elite
Felt F85
Bikes, hikes and lots more besides:
http://smallcountrycyclist.com/0 -
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What do you mean by "more leg power".
We all want more power,, but the training to to deliver it is very dependent on the period that you want to deliver the power over. In simple terms training for a ten minute sprint is a completely different thing from sctwo minute sprint orva four hour ride.
If you can be specific about your time/performance objectives there are lots of people and websites that can tell you how to train to get where you want to be.0 -
The more you ride the stronger your legs become.
I've been riding on the road for the last four years. In my first year I rode 2000 miles and this year I've managed 4500 so far. The difference in my speed and endurance is noticeable. I also joined a cycling club which has pushed me to ride harder.
If you want stronger legs just ride more.0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19756085#p19756085]AllezAllezAllez[/url] wrote:The more you ride the stronger your legs become.
That's slightly misleading. Although you do become fitter.0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19756085#p19756085]AllezAllezAllez[/url] wrote:The more you ride the stronger your legs become.
That's slightly misleading. Although you do become fitter.
I agree. Initially when anyone starts out cycling just doing more distance gets you fitter and stronger. You then reach a point where the gains are negligible. That's when you need to start a proper training plan that has you doing intervals etc. I'm actually fitter and stronger doing less distance now than a couple of years ago. Difference is I'm now following structured training plans and doing my key workouts on my trainer using a power meter. I'm also doing core strengthening work off the bike e.g. Yoga and Kettlebell.Strava Profile: http://app.strava.com/athletes/20060660 -
My current main concern would be to raise the average travelling speed over a longer period, say an hour and a half. Now, aside from riding more, which is the obvious answer, I was wondering what specific routines, tips or tricks you would recommend. I could just go out and ride for two hours day in, day out, but I'm sure there are better ways of improving things. Especially now when it's pitch dark at 5 pm.
So forget the money-spending tech craze, gram saving, specific stage-of-the-race miniscule details - I'm just an average rider who wants to go faster on his average rides. For now, I don't own a power meter, a turbo trainer, my bike is quite average as well, especially compared to some of the stuff around here. Though I've thought about using Strava or something similar, a simple Sigma cycling computer is enough for now.Specialized Diverge Elite
Felt F85
Bikes, hikes and lots more besides:
http://smallcountrycyclist.com/0 -
I averaged a paltry 14 - mph today.. I dont care... when push comes to push I know I have to deal with races at 24-25 mph average in 2016 season...slow I know but I'm in vet class...
so want to push your fitness? want to push your boundaries? want to have a few braggin rights ..? well you have to fight for them... in cycling terms that means going racing, I'm afraid.
Hurts like fck and more times out of 10 you get fck all back.
Welcome to the world of self improvement.0 -
Once or twice a week, do a ride where you go as hard as you can up the hills and take it REALLY easy on the descents/flats. The easiest way of introducing interval training.Insta: ATEnduranceCoaching
ABCC Cycling Coach0 -
If you want to increase your power, then really you need to train with power.
But then to train with power you need a good training plan and a goal at the end of it.
If you have neither, just enjoy the ride. Or do weights is the gym, if that's your thing.0 -
Hi N1TRO, firstly 14.5mph average over 2 hours with flats pedals riding solo isn't that bad in my book, but it's understandable to want to improve.
I don't think you sound like you would be at the stage where you need to invest in a power meter. One cheaper way is to get a Heart Rate monitor and try doing longer rides at Zone 2 Endurance effort. You should also try downloading rides to Strava (from a mobile phone if you don't want to buy a Garmin or similar GPS) as it can be motivational. If you currently cycle at a relatively low cadence using big gears, you should try to spin at a higher average cadence (over 90rpm) in lower gears - which should help you get you fitter, and should be less tiring.0 -
My current main concern would be to raise the average travelling speed over a longer period, say an hour and a half. Now, aside from riding more, which is the obvious answer, I was wondering what specific routines, tips or tricks you would recommend. I could just go out and ride for two hours day in, day out, but I'm sure there are better ways of improving things. Especially now when it's pitch dark at 5 pm.
So forget the money-spending tech craze, gram saving, specific stage-of-the-race miniscule details - I'm just an average rider who wants to go faster on his average rides. For now, I don't own a power meter, a turbo trainer, my bike is quite average as well, especially compared to some of the stuff around here. Though I've thought about using Strava or something similar, a simple Sigma cycling computer is enough for now.
It comes down to increasing your cycling workload in a sustainable manner.
That's means both the quantity of riding (frequency and duration) and the intensity of riding. Sort out the former before worrying about the latter - that's because the most important lesson with building cycling fitness is developing consistency in your training/riding.
Work out the difference between the duration and frequency of riding you have been doing, and what frequency and duration of riding each each you you can reasonably commit to. At least 4 days per week, and 5-6 is better. Then build up to that maximal level of riding by adding ~10-15 minutes each week to what you are doing now. Steady progression with workload increase is best for sustainability. So, e.g., after each month you are averaging about 45-min to an hour more per week than you were before.
When you've reached your maximal level of ride duration and frequency and managed to consistently train that way for 1-2 months, then you can start to layer on some intensity of effort. Hill rides are an easy way to get such efforts because they provide natural intervals, so you can do shorter hills of a few minutes ridden hard (and can do hill repeats), or longer climbs of 10+ minutes depending on what you have available. And of course you can simulate such level of effort on an indoor trainer.
If you don't think you can work out a plan to follow, then there are plans available some will be better suited to you than other. I can create one for you that accounts for your training time availability, fitness and experience level, but I charge for that service.0 -
When you ride are there other people around to hang on to ? Or catch ? I always found just chasing people down and staying ahead of them helped in an ad hoc kind of way.
Don't blast every ride - but do have varying intensities and days when you know you'll attack the climb, or chase people down, or try and get a PB on such a such stretch of road. You have to be able to make it uncomfortable for you in order to improve really.0 -
If you want to increase your power, then really you need to train with power.
This really is nonsense. Plenty of riders had plenty of power before power meters were around.
And plenty of people didn't. Using power to train takes the guess work out. I'd imagine that's one of the reasons why they're used by amateur to pro cyclists.
By all means blast up and down hills using RPE. You'll get results.0 -
If you want to increase your power, then really you need to train with power.
This really is nonsense. Plenty of riders had plenty of power before power meters were around.
And plenty of people didn't. Using power to train takes the guess work out. I'd imagine that's one of the reasons why they're used by amateur to pro cyclists.
By all means blast up and down hills using RPE. You'll get results.
I think the point being made is that riders generate a power output irrespective of whether or not it's being measured.
It helps to clarify the distinction between power and measurement of power.0
