Resistance training to supplement Cycling: Poll

pinno

Have you used any of the following exercises to assist your training? Some of these may include:

Squats
Elastic (power bands)
The Plank
Core and abdominal work
Weights including dumbbells, barbells
Machine weight - leg press, squat machine, leg curl etc
Roman Frame - abs, pull ups, dips etc
...or any sort of resistance training specific to cycling.

I am not looking for answers from Track riders. Road, CX and MTB only.

Whilst this is not going to be empirical in any shape or form, I think the results will be interesting. Perception of whether something is giving you benefit or not may also come into play.

seanoconn

I will only answer if I can have some assurance that imposter won't shot me down if I answer incorrectly

pinno

seanoconn wrote:

I will only answer if I can have some assurance that imposter won't shot me down if I answer incorrectly

Wait until at least 1 other person has answered and then he'll never work it out

Matthewfalle

Will any of our answers help fill the gap that the promised £357 million a week that Farage said would go into the NHS but now won't£

imposter2.0

Shock results of poll: "Different people do different things for different reasons, according to a survey conducted today"

pinno

Imposter wrote:

Shock results of poll: "Different people do different things for different reasons, according to a survey conducted today"

Yep, that's about right. It will be interesting to see how many use some form of RT.

imposter2.0

Pinno wrote:

Imposter wrote:

Shock results of poll: "Different people do different things for different reasons, according to a survey conducted today"

Yep, that's about right. It will be interesting to see how many use some form of RT.

Cycling is itself a form of resistance training. I wonder how many of us do that?

pinno

Imposter wrote:

Pinno wrote:

Imposter wrote:

Shock results of poll: "Different people do different things for different reasons, according to a survey conducted today"

Yep, that's about right. It will be interesting to see how many use some form of RT.

Cycling is itself a form of resistance training. I wonder how many of us do that?

Now you're just splitting hairs. We can agree to disagree. I don't think the usual protagonists have bothered their arises, else this would have been quite interesting.

Straight question: Have you (Imposter of the BR forum) ever used resistance training other than cycling as supplementary/complementary exercise to cycling?

imposter2.0

Pinno wrote:

Now you're just splitting hairs. We can agree to disagree. I don't think the usual protagonists have bothered their arises, else this would have been quite interesting.

Straight question: Have you (Imposter of the BR forum) ever used resistance training other than cycling as supplementary/complementary exercise to cycling?

We are only 'spltting hairs' because your questions are poorly defined. Which kind of highlights the issue in both this and the other thread.

And to answer your question - no I haven't. Although I do occasionally walk up stairs when the need arises.

pinno

Imposter wrote:

Pinno wrote:

Now you're just splitting hairs. We can agree to disagree. I don't think the usual protagonists have bothered their arises, else this would have been quite interesting.

Straight question: Have you (Imposter of the BR forum) ever used resistance training other than cycling as supplementary/complementary exercise to cycling?

We are only 'spltting hairs' because your questions are poorly defined. Which kind of highlights the issue in both this and the other thread.

And to answer your question - no I haven't. Although I do occasionally walk up stairs when the need arises.

When your stair lift has broken down?

My 'questions are poorly defined' - please elaborate.

If you haven't ever done any resistive training, then how can you comment on any perceived or actual benefits of supplementary exercise?

imposter2.0

Pinno wrote:

My 'questions are poorly defined' - please elaborate.

I really can't be arsed to explain, except to say that the results won't show anything that none of us here doesn't already know. Hence my earlier comment.

Pinno wrote:

If you haven't ever done any resistive training, then how can you comment on any perceived or actual benefits of supplementary exercise?

By reading (and attempting to understand) the work of others who have studied the area professionally - and with slightly more serious intent than you. My own experience would be nothing more than n=1 anecdote, same as anyone else's.

taon24

I used a rowing machine and did weights last year, but haven't had time this year.
I don't use a power meter so objective measurement is difficult, but I was keeping up at the local Cat 4 races with the training. I think I would struggle now, but part of that is likely to be I was doing a higher volume of training last year, which is possibly more important for the level of fitness.
I think doing weights made me faster in a flat out sprint, but were less useful for ordinary riding. Maybe doing lighter weights and more repititions would have been more useful.
Rowing machine use is essentially sustained light weight training for the whole body. With a rate of about 18-20 I felt that it was helping develop my peak power for a sustained period (climbing etc)
Finally I think doing alternative training allowed me to have a more definite plan. Rather than going out and riding, I would have a day focussing on sprint power and recovery on the rowing machine so I'd do 30 seconds hard, 30 seconds light for a number of repeats. The next session I'd focus on TT power and so do a half hour test.

pinno

Imposter wrote:

Pinno wrote:

My...elaborate.

I...comment.

Pinno wrote:

If...exercise?

...and with slightly more serious intent than you...

Pinnorology - join in the fun.

Anecdotal evidence is great isn't it?

N0bodyOfTheGoat

For the last ~12 years, since I changed to more physically demanding jobs, ironically I've done far less resistance training than I should, especially given I wrecked my lower back rather badly in 2008. These days, I only tend to react when my back gives me a spell of grief, because normally the last thing I want to do after a hard slog at work is start doing core exercises... Even though it would do me the world of good!

pinno

NitrousOxide wrote:

... Even though it would do me the world of good!

I would agree with you - although some might not.

I found it disproportionally beneficial compared to plain pedalling for rehabilitation purposes. Then other weaknesses surfaced which was dealt with by RT.

darkhairedlord

Elastic band and leg raisers.
On advice of my physiotherapist to build muscle on my knee which had depleted despite lots of cycling. Got rid of the knee pain.

AK_jnr

Ive added 300 watts to my maximum power through mainly bodyweight exercises like jump squats this year. That is without sacrificing my FTP or other lesser durations.

SCR Pedro

I work out three or four times per week. If it had any affect on my cycling, I wouldn't even notice, because my bad knee has kept me off the bike for almost a year now. My cycling ambitions have changed to 'finish a ride without crippling pain', so adding a few kilos of muscle is the least of my worries.

sungod

where's the stretching poll?

webboo

I love squatting.











Sometimes I do weights as well.

webboo

F**k just got cramp in my hamstring as I was typing, that will teach me not to try and be smart a*rse.

IanRCarter

I sometimes do this http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/fitness/ ... o-2-145458
It is usually a case of committing to it a few days a week when not riding, but it soon gets forgotten about.

I'm intending to drop the mileage out on the road in the autumn/winter to one or two long rides at the weekend, sign up to a gym next to work for a few months and complement those sessions with turbo training and cyclocross racing. Not sure what effect it will have on my performance but I feel it's worth a try.

svetty

Ever heard of confirmation bias.......

fat daddy

I discovered resistance training and its astounding benefits for MTB .... when you have a 19kg full suss bike being able to power up the climbs at Cwm Caen and Afan became a LOT easier when you spend 3 days a week manhandling 100kg weights in the gym

recovery improved, bike handling improved, running out of skill and having to wrestle the bike past obstacles instead of gracefully riding over them and endurance improved.

I stopped MTB'ing and lifting when my kiddy came along ... recently started to Commute to work, my bike fitness returned pretty quickly but in the last 3 months gone back to lifting again ..... as my squat strength has gone up, so has my sprinting power, .... other than asthetics, I haven't noticed any benefit from doing upper body resistance training though ... guess there is only so much Pectorial mass you need to hold on to a bar whilst your legs go full on nuts !

DeVlaeminck

I watched a Wiggins documentary the other night and he was doing gym work, think it was squatting it showed but can't remember for sure, this was for the team pursuit.

fat daddy

he was doing deadlifts and extensions as well.

the important bit to notice though was the weight he was lifting .... none of this namby pamby 5kg for a zillion reps, there is no point. You achieve much more volume than that by cycling.

He was building muscle, big arsed Fast Twitch, powerful muscle .... muscle designed for 4km of high output before dying, muscle that pumps out high but short lived wattage.

Tear the fibres apart in the gym, Feed them a crap load of protien and good quality carbs in the kitchen, grow them at night whilst you sleep

imposter2.0

fat daddy wrote:

He was building muscle, big arsed Fast Twitch, powerful muscle .... muscle designed for 4km of high output before dying, muscle that pumps out high but short lived wattage.

Except that muscle size over 4km is largely irrelevant. A 4k effort is almost exclusively aerobic.

diy

I regularly do low weight high rep and high weight low rep, I also do TRX ropes too, which I'd reckon are probably the most complementary for cycling (MTB in particular). I honestly don't think high weight low rep helps cycling other than strengthening some of the back muscles and glutes which get a hammering. But short term it can really help to kickstart muscle development. Endurance sports are not very good at promoting muscle development, because they don't cause enough micro tears to trigger the repair hormones.

At the end of the day, endurance roadies, need to be underweight to perform well and growing some guns isn't helping that. Having said that - how many here have <15% bf, so a few kg of extra muscle could easily be balanced off with fat reduction.

Having said high weight low rep wont help..

my gym recently installed one of these:


and I found it has helped strengthen my lower back muscles as well as helping me climb better (MTB not road).

fat daddy

Its not just about Muscle size but neurological adaptation to use the muscle you have and the conversion between fast and and slow twitch muscles.

when I started lifting my weights went up 20kg over 12 weeks .... with absolutely no increase in size or weight, I was cutting I lost size ... the reason for this is you CNS learns how to use the muscle, it learns to recruit more muscle to do the task at hand ... and when it comes to down right full on power, having the muscle react instantly and be able to recruit more of the muscle it needs is a marked difference in performance. ..... In a sprint application whether it be running, cycling, jumping or whatever, Atheletes benefit massively from heavy lifting. that side of things isn't debatable, there isn't a single Competative Pro athlete that wont train in the gym for that very reason.

Endurance atheletes have different requirements from sprinters though, and having the body of a 12 year old boy is clearly the way to win .... so I expect spending a few hours a week in the gym to be no major benefit

BUT ... there are more disciplines in cycling than just 6 hour rides and cake stops .... namely 30 minute commutes and protein bars RAAAAAAGH !!!!!!!!!!!!!

AK_jnr

Just to throw my experience in.
Since January I have been doing more circuit training and recently heavy lifting in the gym.
In January I hit 1000 watts for the first time with a 270 watt FTP. I did pretty well in races with those numbers.

My FTP is now 310 at 70kg (same as before) and yesterday I hit a new peak PB of 1300 watts.
I'm definitely looking forward to some late season races.

Also bear in mind I only ride about 2 hours a week with running/football/gym on top.
I did 3000 miles early in the year though when I was exclusively riding.

DeVlaeminck

Imposter wrote:

fat daddy wrote:

He was building muscle, big arsed Fast Twitch, powerful muscle .... muscle designed for 4km of high output before dying, muscle that pumps out high but short lived wattage.

Except that muscle size over 4km is largely irrelevant. A 4k effort is almost exclusively aerobic.

Which begs the question why Wiggins was in the gym lifting weights with the goal, in his own words, of building muscle ?