Weight Training For Cyclists – Part Two

Posted on October 25, 2011 by keen5825

In Part One we looked at the non-leg related exercises a cyclist can do in the gym if the weather demands it.  The abdominal muscles are often neglected by those who train only on the road and the three basic exercises we provided can benefit all cyclists.

In this article we’ll introduce the leg exercises one can undertake in a gym by using just the machines – we’ll leave the free weights for another article.  All the following exercises are general leg workouts and are not solely focused on cycling muscles.  They are the Leg Abduction/Adduction, Leg Curls, Leg Extensions and the Leg Press.  Make sure you warm up well before you drag yourself away for the poker table.

Leg Abduction/Adduction

The most common way to perform the above exercise is to use a machine built for that

Leg Abduction/Adduction Machine

Leg Abduction/Adduction Machine

very purpose.  The adduction and abduction exercises are two different workouts; the abduction works the gluteus muscles (inner thigh) and to start the exercise the user places their legs against the pads which will be touching the outside of the thighs.  The exercise is performed by pushing the pads and opening the legs, then bringing them back together again.

The adduction version of the exercise is performed in the opposite way; the pads are on the inside of the thigh and the exercise is begun by bringing the legs together, than opening them again.

Perform 3 sets of 8 – 12 reps with a comfortable weight.

Leg Extension

The leg extension machine is a fantastic exercise for the quadriceps and always a popular

Leg Extension

Leg Extension

exercise for any gym-goer.  The machine allows the user to sit down and hook their feet under the pads provided.  The exercise is begun by raising the feet out in front of the body and then lowering them again.

With this exercise it’s important not to lift too much weight, there’s a possibility of knee damage from overtraining.  Don’t try and perform 888 of these.

 

Perform 3 sets of 8 – 12 reps with a comfortable weight.

Leg Press

The leg press is an exercise that works several muscles – the glutes, the hamstrings and

Leg Press

Leg Press

the calves and most people find they can lift significant amounts of weight using it.  Again though, overtraining can lead to damage so care should be taken and of course warming up is important.

The user will begin in a horizontal or declined position (with the feet higher than the head) and will then take the weight before releasing the clasps that will allow the exercise to begin.  When the reps have been completed the weight needs to be pushed to it’s limit while the clasps are replaced.

Perform 3 sets of 8 – 12 reps with a comfortable weight.

 

Leg Curls

Lastly, the leg curl is an exercise which isolates the hamstrings in an effective way.  The

Leg Curl

Leg Curl

user lies face down on the machine and hooks the heels under the pads which hold the weight.  The exercise is performed by lifting the heels towards the buttocks then lowering them once more.  Beginners are advised to start with a light weight, as you’d start careful at the roulette table.

Perform 3 sets of 8 – 12 reps with a comfortable weight.

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Weight Training For Cyclists – Part One

Posted on October 18, 2011 by keen5825

Ask a bunch of cyclists whether it’s necessary to go to the gym for some extra training off

Abs for core stability

Abs for core stability

the road and you’ll receive a variety of answers.  The most obvious reason  to go and do some upper body weights is that if you’re a really committed cyclist, you could end up with some huge legs and a twig-like upper body.  However, the purpose of this article is to discuss the weights a person can do in the gym that will be beneficial for cycling.  At a basic level there are two main areas that can be improved in the gym and these are the (obviously) the leg muscles and the abdominal muscles.

The Abdominals

We’ll start with some basic abdominal exercises and this is an area which can make a real difference to your cycling and give you some Sizzling Hot abs; it’s the building block for your back and upper body strength and provides the stability necessary for improved training.

  • Basic Sit-Up – the easiest to learn and perform and all you need is a mat on the floor or an inclined sit-up bench.  The bench will have some foot hooks to help you perform the exercise while on the floor you may need to hook your feet under a dumb bell or barbell.  Just keep your back straight with your hands near your ears and your elbows out, sitting up then lowering yourself down slowly. Do 3 sets of 20 reps to start with.
  • The Plank – you don’t need any equipment for this one, just support your body on your forearms at one end and your toes at the other end, keeping your back straight.  Do this for as long as can but to begin with, aim for a minute
  • Bicycle Crunch – an appropriately named exercise that adds a bit of variety and complexity to the basic sit-up.  Start flat on the floor then lift your upper body, bringing your right elbow and left knee together; lower them and bring up your left elbow and right knee.  Do 3 sets of 20 reps to start with.

In Part Two we’ll check out some basic leg exercises.


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The Benefits of Spinning

Posted on October 10, 2011 by keen5825

While most cyclists will usually prefer to head out onto the open road and into the fresh

Spinning Bike

Spinning Bike

air, there are in fact other environments that will provide a respectable workout and can be a valuable addition to your training workout.  Many of us are members of gyms as well as keen cyclists and the free classes available at many venues can be worth considering.

Spinning is one of the best things a cyclist can do indoors and it involves more than an exercise bike.  Use one of those to warm up by all means but a genuine ‘indoor’ machine involves a purpose built ‘spinning’ bike which features a riding position similar to a normal bike and a flywheel to make the effort involved adjustable.  Newer bikes can also feature clipless pedals, helpful if that’s what you’re used to riding on the road.

Spinning actually dates back to the 1980s when ultra-endurance cyclist, Johnny Goldberg, developed an early version after near miss while cycling at night.  The first Spinning Studio opened in Santa Monica, California, in 1989 and when Schwinn picked up the rights to the franchise, Spinning began to take off worldwide.

Classes at gyms may well offer levels for beginners to advanced levels of fitness, although the difficulty of the workout in general depends on the level of effort put in by the exerciser.  There’ll be an instructor at the front of the class to talk you through a workout – warming up slowly then increasing the intensity.  Interval type training is a big part of Spinning as is ‘hill climbing’ – increasing the difficulty of the pedal revolution and maintaining a steady speed.

If the gym is well-equipped, another option is to show a film of a rolling road on a big screen featuring hills and other landscapes, and tailoring the workout to that trip.  For me, the only drawback to Spinning is the static nature of the bike – you obviously can’t move it from side to side as you might when climbing a hill out of the saddle but this is a small sacrifice for staying out of the rain on a winter evening.

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The Bamboo Bicycle

Posted on September 30, 2011 by keen5825

Are you familiar with the Bamboo bike?  We have to admit we were not, despite the large number of accumulated years of cycling experience and knowledge we claim to possess. Perhaps we life in the wrong area of the planet, i.e. one where bamboo trees are nor native but suddenly there seems to be a whole world of bamboo knowledge and possibilities out there.

We can date the first bamboo bicycle back to at least 1894 and a model from 1896 is shown in the picture.  One can understand why a natural material such as bamboo should be a popular choice for the manufacture of many things, especially in poorer countries where more sophisticated component-making techniques may not be available.  Anyone who has visited Hong Kong or the casinos of Macau will have seen bamboo scaffolding many stories high, and still used now despite other methods available.

1896 Bamboo Bike

1896 Bamboo Bike

A bamboo framed bike, despite what sceptics may think, is amazingly strong.  It has an inbuilt damping quality and excellent crash tolerance, meaning it takes a lot to snap it. Also of course of looks unusual and makes an ideal method of transport for any environmentally conscious commuter.

Modern bamboo bikes are treated in one of various ways to provide them with the strength necessary for a long life. The material must be cured before use and there are a number of ways to accomplish this: smoking and heat-treating, using a blowtorch or ‘baking’ in an oven are several. Once the various tubes are measured they must be joined and over the years, techniques for this stage have ben refined and perfected. Early models used metal clamps which were tightened around the ends of the bamboo lengths, more modern methods use the strength of natural fibers – hemp is a good example – to wrap around the joins before saturating it with resin.

Something a bit more modern...

Something a bit more modern...

Of course everything else apart from the frame is made of the more usual bike materials but maybe one day we’ll see a few components made of bamboo as well. The cost? A quick internet search will tell you that you can spend a few hundred dollars to a few thousand on a bamboo frame, so there’s an option for most pockets.

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Mark Cavendish Wins Road Race World Title

Posted on September 25, 2011 by keen5825

Not since the legendary Tom Simpson achieved this feat in 1965 has a Briton won the

Mark Cavendish

Mark Cavendish

Road Race World Title and in the end, it was only Mark Cavendish who could have done it.  2011 has been a fantastic year for Cavendish, winning a number of Tour de France stages, the Green points jersey and now the Road Race title is the cherry on the top.  For the next 12 months, he will be wearing the Rainbow jersey that signifies the world champion.

The British team knew the Danish course three years ago as did all the other national teams, and they’ve been meticulously planning this result from the off.  Cavendish would be the contender because the nature of the course – largely flat with some small hills – meant that it would almost certainly be a bunch sprint.  With the undisputed world’s best sprinter in your team, you know you’ve got a chance.

Of course all the other teams know what you’re going to do as well: watch for breakaways, try and keep the peloton together and be in the prime position to unleash your sprinter in the last kilometer.  That the British managed to do this is a testament to the team’s planning, organisation and execution.  The pressure on Cavendish and the whole team has been immense; clear favourites, but this is cycling at the highest level and every other team will have been trying to disrupt the flow to their own advantage.

Breakaways came and went, a crash disadvantaged several of the top riders and only in the last 2 kilometers did the peloton give up the breakaways and settle in for the sprint. Bradley Wiggins pulled Cavendish along before giving way to Ian Stannard and then Geraint Thomas before the man from the Isle of Man made his move.

Mark Cavendish says he is now setting his sights on the 2012 Olympic games in London, and would love to a World and Olympic champion at the same time.  Check out the finish:

 

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