gym recomendations

[teletext45]

Hey, i'm currently cycling around 50 miles a week but joining the gym today planning to just head down once a week for a little top up to what im doing on the road.

Has anyone got any recomendations of exercersies to do at the guy which will improve my performance on the bike?

i was thinking maybe leg weights?

andy

 

[snorri]

Has anyone got any recomendations of exercersies to do at the guy which will improve my performance on the bike?

Cycling to the gym?

 

[Rob3rt]

TBH, "joining" the gym for 1 day a week is likely to be a poor investment, most monthy gym memberships will cost £25-45 a month. For 4 sessions a month is it actually worth it? Only you can answer this really.

IMO, you may as well buy a budget turbo trainer or a second hand pair of rollers and do 45 mins on it a couple of times a week. It will cost you £60-70 as a one off vs ongoing gym fee's.


Also leg weights wont do much for your cycling if you are only doing 50 miles a week. I'd say just ride your bike more, the benefits will likely be tenfold of those from a weekly gym session. This is only my opinion though.



If you are dead set on the gym, then low weight high rep squats, lunges and jump squats will likely be of some benefit. Its mostly sprinters that spend lots of time in the gym pumping iron.

 

[amaferanga]

Agree with the other posters - if you're only doing 50 miles a week then you'll improve your cycling more by cycling more instead of joining the gym.

Weights will do your cycling little if any good whatsoever.

Do you have any goals in cycling?

 

[Zoiders]

I would skip the gym and possibly look at getting a few sessions a week of circuit training if you are looking to improve your all round fitness.

 

[montage]

Hit the leg weights by all means....all of them will help to some degree.
I'm doing reps of 12-16 explosive lifts, about 3 sets, though sometimes 4, with a managable weight. One of the important things is not to overdo it so much that it affects your training over the next couple of days, so don't worry about finding out your one rep max etc. If you lift big and slow, you'll just get good at lifting big and slow rather than it benefiting your cycling.

There is a lot of controversy on the internet about weights and cycling, but the best article I have read was from the Aussie track team regarding how they train their squad...I'll try find it for you

 

[chrispidgeon]

Also don't neglect to do training and exercises that will complement the cycling. General flexibilty and functional stuff to reverse the effects of the postural effects of cycling, ie hamstring stretches, back extension etc.

I think there is a load of stuff in the articles on bikeradar outlining good exercises in this area.

Oh and do plenty of core work

 

[Fiona N]

I'm with Chris on this - use the gym for core stability and stretching.

I have just started going to the gym again because I find it easier to motivate myself to do the bread'n'butter core strengthening and flexibility exercises that you need to keep biomechanically healthy on the bike. I tend to focus on upper body strength - being female, I'm not in much danger of bulking up, so I usually work out with a mix of low reps/high weight for strength and more reps/lower weights for stability. Then a long session of pilates-type core exercises and stretching/flexibility exercises for lower back, hips and shoulders. I also add in physio's exercises for specific problems like knee stability. I tend to do at least three sessions a week or if I don't make that, 2 sessions in the gym and one pilates/yoga/stretching session at home.

 

[chrispidgeon]

That is spot on Fiona. Otherwise your body can become unbalanced with tightness in certain area pulling joints like the pelvis out of line for example, leading to lower back problems.

 

[teletext45]

Well i joined up today, explained what im currently doing on my bike and there going to work with me on a programme to improve my overall fitness but still compliments my cycling. Fortunatly being a student i get some good discount, so no induction fee for starters is good!

andyy