Winter Strength training

[Kevin Alexander]

No offence to any personal trainers out there, but I would be very suprised if a gym personal trainer did NOT recommend gym work. Any gym-based PT who said "stay out of the gym - ride your bike" would probably get fired

You mentioned that you wanted to build up your overall strength and power ratio. Although they work in a Gym they could help with general advice.

 

[Dusty Bin]

You mentioned that you wanted to build up your overall strength and power ratio. Although they work in a Gym they could help with general advice.

I didn't mention anything of the sort. But the OP did. In any case, road cycling is not a 'strength' sport, so improving your strength is not going to improve your cycling.

 

[ayceejay]

The problem or at least one of the problems with a winter off the bike is motivation and a tendency to apathy when faced with a choice of going out and freezing or being bored to death on the turbo. If a regular trip to the gym gets you over this then you have achieved something valuable.
Michael's advice re general muscular conditioning to prevent injury or niggles that are common to cyclists is sound in my opinion.

 

[Rob3rt]

You mentioned that you wanted to build up your overall strength and power ratio. Although they work in a Gym they could help with general advice.

They probably couldn't offer much worthwhile advise and I certainly wouldn't be paying for some beefcake with a nice tan and big guns to tell me how to get better at cycling.

Also agree, in general, cycling is not a strength sport, if it is, then anyone who I beat really must be weak...

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

They probably couldn't much worthwhile advise and I certainly wouldn't be paying for some beefcake with a nice tan and big guns to tell me how to get better at cycling.

Also agree, in general, cycling is not a strength sport, if it is, then anyone who I beat really m

 

[Rob3rt]

Wow, wtf did I just write, edited to actually say something now, lol! That's what I get for texting someone at the same time as posting on here, lol

 

[Hacienda71]

Wow, wtf did I just write, edited to actually say something now, lol! That's what I get for texting someone at the same time as posting on here, lol

You were probably put off by the massive squat you were in the middle of...

 

[montage]

Weights are fine, and at lot of coaches and top athletes advocate them BUT it can never be a ride replacement, and a proper weights schedule would see you coming to the end of your cycle fairly soon, at least for the legs. A proper schedule will see you doing about 10-12+ weeks of Adaptation, hypertrophy, strength then power. Hitting the weights with not structure will do more harm than good, it is NOT about the most you can push.

We had a guy on the team hit the squat rack hard the day before a big training ride - the result? He flagged big time, and wasn't able to get the most out of the ride on the climbs etc. He then had to miss the next day as well to recover. He won't be touching the squat rack again.

I started off keen to do weights this year, but I am very time constrained, so weights have gone out the window and been replaced with on the bike stuff.

 

[madpensioner]

I have noted that some people are saying that cycling is not a strength sport .
All sports involve Speed ,Stamina and Strength - in varying degrees - the skill is knowing how to develop each of these for the particular sport
we are involved in. For example a 100 mile road race will involve a high degree of all the three. But someone who just wants an easy 100 mile
ride without a care for how long it takes and takes a break whenever a pub looms up - will only require a minimal amount of stamina end strength
compared with the road racer .
Cheers - Leigh

 

[Dusty Bin]

I have noted that some people are saying that cycling is not a strength sport .
All sports involve Speed ,Stamina and Strength - in varying degrees - the skill is knowing how to develop each of these for the particular sport
we are involved in. For example a 100 mile road race will involve a high degree of all the three. But someone who just wants an easy 100 mile
ride without a care for how long it takes and takes a break whenever a pub looms up - will only require a minimal amount of stamina end strength
compared with the road racer .
Cheers - Leigh

Pretty much every sport involves 'strength' to some degree or other. The question is, does it involve any more strength than we already have. How much strength would you say is required in, say, road racing?

 

[madpensioner]

How much strength is required in, say, road racing?

This depends on the individual - I repeat myself - " the skill is knowing how to develop each of these " - and is dependent
on the strength and weaknesses of the individual

 

[Dusty Bin]

This depends on the individual - I repeat myself - " the skill is knowing how to develop each of these " - and is dependent
on the strength and weaknesses of the individual

What about an individual that is already capable of getting up out of a chair on their own, or one that is already capable of walking up some stairs?

 

[jdtate101]

So now the winter is closing in, I reckon its time to start planning for a few visits to the gym. Does anyone have any specific weight training exercises that could help improve my overall strength and power to weight ratio without gaining too much weight or muscle mass that it counteracts sportive riding.

You mean something like this:

http://www.training4cyclists.com/12-week-strength-program-for-cyclists/

 

[madpensioner]

What about an individual that is already capable of getting up out of a chair on their own, or one that is already capable of walking up some stairs?

You again - for goodness sake - where is this conversation going -
I am losing the will to live

 

[Dusty Bin]

You again - for goodness sake - where is this conversation going -

Where's it going? I'm just asking you to explain what you said. If you come out with this stuff, you ought to be able to explain it.