# Leg strength. Equal or unequal



## Soup890 (22 Apr 2014)

Is one leg stronger then the other? I seem to have more power in my left leg. Also my right leg feels weaker.


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## MikeG (22 Apr 2014)

You'd be pretty freaky if your legs were the same strength, or length.


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## Pro Tour Punditry (22 Apr 2014)

Soup890 said:


> Is one leg stronger then the other? I seem to have more power in my left leg. Also my right leg feels weaker.



A questions and 2 answers in the OP.


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## 400bhp (22 Apr 2014)

Soup890 said:


> Is one leg stronger then the other? I seem to have more power in my left leg. Also my right leg feels weaker.



How the feck should I know. I don't own your legs.


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## Soup890 (22 Apr 2014)

400bhp said:


> How the feck should I know. I don't own your legs.


It's just a question. Maybe I can get a educated answer from someone on here


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (22 Apr 2014)

Imbalance is normal


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## 400bhp (22 Apr 2014)

T.M.H.N.E.T said:


> Imbalance is normal



With Soup, never a truer word spoken.


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## Soup890 (22 Apr 2014)

400bhp said:


> With Soup, never a truer word spoken.


And your point is?


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## MikeG (22 Apr 2014)

Soup890 said:


> It's just a question. Maybe I can get a educated answer from someone on here


You did:


MikeG said:


> You'd be pretty freaky if your legs were the same strength, or length.


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## Cuchilo (22 Apr 2014)

Ive not noticed one leg stronger than the other while riding as im always changing gear to what I like . Recently found what core strength is about , I knew what it was but never used it as I didn't know how too . The other day I just did it and breezed up a hill , no hassle on my legs at all . It wasn't white down hill btw ! That used my legs and spat them out !


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## uclown2002 (22 Apr 2014)

Soup890 said:


> Is one leg stronger then the other? I seem to have more power in my left leg. Also my right leg feels weaker.


Thank God you're back; I thought we'd lost you for a moment!


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## Soup890 (22 Apr 2014)

uclown2002 said:


> Thank God you're back; I thought we'd lost you for a moment!


Lol, I had to take time out. But I have to behave now. So I will tone it down a bit. 

It's all love


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## vickster (22 Apr 2014)

If you are that interested, get in touch with a university sports science department and see if they have a study where you can be tested

My left leg is certainly weaker for obvious reasons, and because that knee is knackered too!


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## Soup890 (22 Apr 2014)

vickster said:


> If you are that interested, get in touch with a university sports science department and see if they have a study where you can be tested
> 
> My left leg is certainly weaker for obvious reasons, and because that knee is knackered too!


I won't go that far. They say your left side of your body is stronger as that's where your heart lies


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## vickster (22 Apr 2014)

Who says that - it sounds like a load of old crap  Same people who say that eating 30 bananas a day or drinking your own urine is good for you?

Normally your dominant side is stronger I'd say, so ok if you're a leftie


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## vickster (22 Apr 2014)

Soup890 said:


> I seem to have more power in my left leg. Also my right leg feels weaker.


I think you need to sit down and think that one through as Adrian suggests


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## Soup890 (22 Apr 2014)

vickster said:


> Who says that - it sounds like a load of old crap  Same people who say that eating 30 bananas a day or drinking your own urine is good for you?
> 
> Normally your dominant side is stronger I'd say, so ok if you're a leftie


I'm a lefty. But we are a rare breed of people and the most intelligent lol


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## vickster (22 Apr 2014)

Not rare enough, be better if extinct  

Go and rethink your first post with your great intelligence


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## Soup890 (22 Apr 2014)

vickster said:


> Not rare enough, be better if extinct
> 
> Go and rethink your first post with your great intelligence


Haha


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## vickster (22 Apr 2014)

Have you sussed it out yet?


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## Soup890 (22 Apr 2014)

vickster said:


> Have you sussed it out yet?


No no, I have not. You can explain tho


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## vickster (22 Apr 2014)

If your left leg feels like it has more power, then ergo your right leg is going to feel weaker...n'est-ce pas


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## Hip Priest (22 Apr 2014)

Apparently David Millar puts out equal power from each leg and is regarded as a bit of a freak as a result.


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## Soup890 (22 Apr 2014)

vickster said:


> If your left leg feels like it has more power, then ergo your right leg is going to feel weaker...n'est-ce pas


Haha, but is there a way I can make them equal in strength?


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## vickster (22 Apr 2014)

Go to the gym, get a personal trainer, see a physiotherapist, a chiropractor, concentrate on not favouring your dominant freak lefty leg...I don't know!


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## Cuchilo (22 Apr 2014)

Soup890 said:


> Haha, but is there a way I can make them equal in strength?


Ride more . Climb lots of hills . You wont notice what leg is better .


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## vickster (22 Apr 2014)

Hop around on the right, do LOTS of single legged squats and dips. Maybe try googling for physiotherapy / gym type exercises used for rehab after a leg injury or surgery


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## Cuchilo (22 Apr 2014)

I think the rehab thing may well help .


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## vickster (22 Apr 2014)

I'll let you know what my physio suggests in the morning for my now (relatively) skinny (but still lumpy) left leg! I expect it'll involve dips, squats, lunges, leg and calf raises, wallslides


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## Cuchilo (22 Apr 2014)

I was talking about the op not you


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## vickster (22 Apr 2014)

Yes, but they'll work for the weak legged OP too (unless he's talking his usual nonsense  )


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## jefmcg (22 Apr 2014)

http://www.velosport.co.uk/collecti...vector-pedal-based-power-meter-keo-compatible


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## lukasran (22 Apr 2014)

if your left leg is stronger your better off with stages power meter


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## Joshua Plumtree (23 Apr 2014)

Anyone for one legged pedalling?  Preferably on a bike with a power meter!


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## vickster (23 Apr 2014)

vickster said:


> I'll let you know what my physio suggests in the morning for my now (relatively) skinny (but still lumpy) left leg! I expect it'll involve dips, squats, lunges, leg and calf raises, wallslides


No weight bearing exercises this week, trying to sort out muscle balance for now...I'll be back...


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## Soup890 (23 Apr 2014)

vickster said:


> No weight bearing exercises this week, trying to sort out muscle balance for now...I'll be back...


Is it painful?


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## vickster (23 Apr 2014)

Is what painful? Things are just tight and/or weak right now...my left calf is definitely skinnier than my right!


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## Soup890 (23 Apr 2014)

vickster said:


> Is what painful? Things are just tight and/or weak right now...my left calf is definitely skinnier than my right!


How did that happen?


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## Markymark (23 Apr 2014)

Interesting. My right leg feels stronger but my left leg doesn't feel weaker. 

Have you thought about cycling the other way around the block a few times?


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## Rob3rt (23 Apr 2014)

Power balance is pretty much never 50:50. The amount of deviation will not only vary from person to person but also over varying intensities and degree of fatigue for the same rider.


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## vickster (23 Apr 2014)

Soup890 said:


> How did that happen?


I got knocked off my bike, got a massive haematoma, which got infected and had to have surgery! Long thread in general section...and I already had a knackered knee


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## Markymark (23 Apr 2014)

Come on, 90% of this forum could be deleted without any noticeable loss of content!


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## ayceejay (23 Apr 2014)

We used to have some fun 'discussions' about strength over here and I think it was decided that you didn't need it. The main advocate of this position reckoned that if you have the strength to climb stairs (he didn't say how many) then you could compete in the TdF. It was from this the expression "Well. I'll go to foot of our stairs" was born meaning that if you have enough strength in one leg but not the other you are doomed.


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## Joshua Plumtree (23 Apr 2014)

0-markymark-0 said:


> Come on, 90% of this forum could be deleted without any noticeable loss of content!



Only 90%!


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## Dogtrousers (23 Apr 2014)

If you can get access to a Wattbike, have a go on one. They give you stats on relative leg contribution. And they are fun to ride. ... for an indoor bike, that is.

Reminds me of a Bernard Miles monologue: 'E used to call 'is left leg Albert and 'is right leg Percy. You could hear 'im talking to 'em as he walked along. "Come along Albert, Percy will beat you. Come along Albert, Percy will beat you."


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## ushills (24 Apr 2014)

IMO imbalance is normal, the right hand side of my upper body is bigger than the left due to being right-handed.

My right thigh also used to be bigger due to my riding style, I brought some rollers that encourage an equal push on each pedal stroke and now that has affected my road riding style my thighs are equal. My lower left calf still has a more pronounced curve that my right and my physio calls me wonky, but that's the result of genetics.


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## Herzog (24 Apr 2014)

My average power is around 47% left leg, 53% right leg (measured using Garmin Vectors), though the imbalance is greater at lower powers. Unsurprising given I broke my femur last May, but the left leg is slowly creeping up to parity with the right (was around 40%:60% in January).


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