# Muscular imbalances



## Milzy (12 Jul 2018)

So somebody I know has been seriously into cycling for the past 30 years. Training hard and often. He says he should have cross trained like done some running as well. He thinks he’s knackered his legs by cycling alone. We have said running & cycling can compliment each other before. Question is do you really need to do running to prevent imbalances or is he talking nonsense?


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (12 Jul 2018)

Quite possibly nonsense. How does he quantify knackering his legs?


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## Milzy (12 Jul 2018)

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


> Quite possibly nonsense. How does he quantify knackering his legs?


I think he’s over done it for so long over the years he’s now got bad legs. Could be looking for an excuse to blame it on instead of admitting to over training?


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (12 Jul 2018)

I don't think it's an excuse as such, take 30 years of hard training and the millions upon millions of repetitive pedal strokes, it's going to be hard getting your musclature to do anything else.


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## Julia9054 (12 Jul 2018)

I ran half a mile to catch a train on Saturday. The next day my calves were killing me. I wouldn't say I train hard but i ride a bike every day and would consider my legs to be pretty strong.


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## I like Skol (13 Jul 2018)

Training? Never trained for anything in my life. If I want to do something I go out and do it. It might not be easy but I don't give up and eventually the body adapts. IMO the human body is very good at being 'fit for purpose', i.e if your job requires you to run up and down stairs with a big box all day then after a few weeks you will develop the muscle and technique to do it. If you need to ride to work 4 or 5 days a week, then go and do it and after a couple of months it should all fall in to place. Training is for the weak that don't believe. JFDI!


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## Lavender Rose (13 Jul 2018)

I believe everyone is different, what works for one person may not work for another.

Plus, our bodies are all made up differently, as you all well know everyone has different genetics than others, making some people better at losing weight/gaining muscle etc.

I don't think there is an easy answer for everyone - annoyingly!


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## Milkfloat (13 Jul 2018)

If you only cycle then you are building up some muscles very well, but totally ignoring others. Cycling has a very limited range of motion, so you don't build up the muscles required to really stabilize the rest of your legs. If you are a fit cyclist, but don't run, try going for a 5 or 10km run, your lungs will be fine but your legs wills be screaming and you are likely to injure yourself or at a minimum be in a lot of pain for a few days.


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## Globalti (13 Jul 2018)

This. But the human body adapts very fast to new stresses so it would only take a few days of mountain walking to build tone and bulk in the other leg muscles that control posture and the braking required for going down hills. So yes, cyclists can generally romp up hills hardly getting out of breath but finish the downhill hot, tired and sore for a couple of days. The stuff about muscular imbalance and over-tight muscles is just bollocks trotted out by health and fitness sales professionals.


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (13 Jul 2018)

Globalti said:


> The stuff about muscular imbalance and over-tight muscles is just bollocks trotted out by health and fitness sales professionals.


I must be imagining the difference in ROM in my shoulders then, my frequent issues with illio-tibial band.

Both results of sporting incidents and both in the process of being ironed out.


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## Gravity Aided (13 Jul 2018)

I used to run, and running was a lot harder on my knees than cycling was. 
My GP said"Well, you'd better stick with just cycling, then."
Best advice ever, in my case.
Your results may vary.


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## Milzy (13 Jul 2018)

Milkfloat said:


> If you only cycle then you are building up some muscles very well, but totally ignoring others. Cycling has a very limited range of motion, so you don't build up the muscles required to really stabilize the rest of your legs. If you are a fit cyclist, but don't run, try going for a 5 or 10km run, your lungs will be fine but your legs wills be screaming and you are likely to injure yourself or at a minimum be in a lot of pain for a few days.


Did that last night. Heart and lungs felt great. Legs died.


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## Globalti (13 Jul 2018)

My cycling buddy is a former runner who has now gone over 100% to cycling for his fitness. Occasionally he goes out for a brief nostalgic run and every time he comes back complaining that although he hardly broke breath his leg muscles and knee joints are giving him hell.

For me. road cycling is an enjoyable means of keeping extremely fit and slim until retirement within the next two years, following which I shall be living in a house in a place, which will enable me to undertake a much broader range of activities.


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## fatjel (13 Jul 2018)

Last year I cycled everywhere in preparation for LEL and didn’t walk at all
Previously I’d walk a mile or two most days
Come October I walked the half mile to my local shop and it really hurt
It took a month or two to get back to being able to walk any distance

I certainly will be varying my exercise more in future.


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## Milzy (13 Jul 2018)

It’s a lot of work to fit in both running/walking and cycling with a full time job plus young family. Not to mention completely exhausting. I wonder if the Brownlees ever struggle to run after bike training?


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## boydj (13 Jul 2018)

I'm not worried about muscle imbalances - I can exercise my upper body in other ways, if I want. I think a bigger problem is loss of bone density through lack of weight-bearing exercise if you are a couch potato when not cycling. So walking, running, golf, racket sports etc should be allied to cycling to help maintain bone strength.


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## clid61 (17 Jul 2018)

Swim , even if it is just doggy paddle


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## Milzy (17 Jul 2018)

clid61 said:


> Swim , even if it is just doggy paddle


Doesn’t help with the bone density but allied to cycling I’m sure.


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## Drago (17 Jul 2018)

I run. I can't say that I enjoy it, but hey ho. I don't know about muscular balance, but I'm certain it's improved my cycling.


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## huwsparky (17 Jul 2018)

Milzy said:


> It’s a lot of work to fit in both running/walking and cycling with a full time job plus young family. Not to mention completely exhausting. I wonder if the Brownlees ever struggle to run after bike training?


Evidently not as they can do sub 29min 10k after riding 40k at over 300w!


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## huwsparky (17 Jul 2018)

Since moving into triathlon I definitely feel better day to day health wise than I did through cycling alone.


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## Gravity Aided (18 Jul 2018)

Drago said:


> I run. I can't say that I enjoy it, but hey ho. I don't know about muscular balance, but I'm certain it's improved my cycling.


I'd like to recommend a recumbent bicycle, as they exercise different muscles.


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## screenman (18 Jul 2018)

After being a sporting cyclist for 40 years I added swimming and a couple of gym sessions each week. I would say cycling made me fit for cycling and little else, at 62 I feel fitter than I did in my thirties when I was just cycling.


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## Globalti (18 Jul 2018)

That's presently my problem. When I retire we will have a gym and we will be living in a place where walking will be a joy. Cycling has kept me fit and healthy for 30 years though.


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## dave r (18 Jul 2018)

I've always been a cyclist, I've never run, I also do yoga which is helping me keep mobile as I get older.


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## KneesUp (18 Jul 2018)

I had a mate at school who was one of the natural sporty types. Always top 10 on cross country without much effort, on the school football team and so on. He bought a secondhand bike once and asked me as ‘the one who knows about bikes’ to come with him to look it over. We cycled back a few miles to his house and he was dying when we got there. Since then I’ve understood that running and cycling make very different demands. Further evidence is I cannot run for toffee.


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## User16625 (19 Jul 2018)

fatjel said:


> Last year I cycled everywhere in preparation for LEL and didn’t walk at all
> Previously I’d walk a mile or two most days
> Come October I walked the half mile to my local shop and it really hurt
> It took a month or two to get back to being able to walk any distance
> ...




Keen cyclist myself, but the only walking I do is to and from the local pub/offy. Anything further requires wheels. However I have made exceptions for Snowdon and Ben Nevis in the past. My legs are knackered after such walks but I didn't suffer complications of any sort. I agree that walking uses different bits of muscles. I doubt I could out run a smoker, just completely not suited to it probably because I never do it. Not my thing.


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## viniga (11 Sep 2018)

Interesting...

I am a v keen cyclist, cycle 6 days a weak including commutes, mix of long tempo rides and short hard efforts. Doing some amateur races. Starting late last year I incorporated some core work as part of circuit training, twice a week in the winter and once a week in summer, this includes squats. I do a short quick walk at lunchtimes 5 days a week I don't run... yet. I am faster and fitter this year than I ever have been... happy days.

NB I manage the work/life/cycle balance by working my exercise into my routine as best I can and heading out early at the weekend for the long ones so I am home for kid clubs etc. Turbo in winter.

BUT recently I have been having niggles with hamstrings and ILT tightness. I'm using a foam roller to counteract this but after doing a bit of digging I think I have imbalances. So I've just started adding some hamstring work into my circuit - Single Leg Romanian Dead Lift which I immediately overdid .

However, I have backed off and I am sticking with it, also planning on a weekly 4k run over the winter - reminder to self - that I will build up to. As I know I will find it tough. Hopefully it will help. I'll report back.


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