Gym programme for biking, Gym programme for mountain biking Options

[mbElf]

Hi,

I was just wondering if any of you train in the gym with a programme specifically designed for biking.

I would be interested to know the numbers of reps / sets and the type of excercise.

I have started running a lot - but apparently that uses different muscles to cycling. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

cheers

Maj

[Kerr]

Hi,

I was just wondering if any of you train in the gym with a programme specifically designed for biking.

I would be interested to know the numbers of reps / sets and the type of excercise.

I have started running a lot - but apparently that uses different muscles to cycling. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

cheers

Maj

Just started to ramp up the gym.

Due to an old injury I cant run and the standard bike machines kill my backside so I do spinning class twice a week as the saddles are harder and smaller.

I also swim for about 2 hours a week and do 3 sessions on upper body weights (for armour).

I do 3-4 reps 10 10 8 or 12 12 10; two sets on each muscle, one machine one free weights.
I choose the weight such the last rep on each is bust a blood vessel hard.
Ive notice I have to increase the weights each week for the last 3 weeks, so seems to be working.

In addition I also do 3-4 hour ride at the weekend, couple of 14 mile each way commutes and at least one 2hour evening ride a week.

(looks at above then belly and scratches head)

Things I dont do that I should are streach.

Im really really lazy for streaching and as a result, I can barely touch my toes and when I kneel I can no longer sit on my heels.

I also need to look at what I eat (tend to shut my eyes, open mouth and shovel).... doing all of the above I should not be the fat basterd I am.

Maj, just watch the running, see SO many people right-off summers from trying to run too far too quick.

Kerr

[Vespa1871]

Just started to ramp up the gym.

Due to an old injury I cant run and the standard bike machines kill my backside so I do spinning class twice a week as the saddles are harder and smaller.

I also swim for about 2 hours a week and do 3 sessions on upper body weights (for armour).

I do 3-4 reps 10 10 8 or 12 12 10; two sets on each muscle, one machine one free weights.
I choose the weight such the last rep on each is bust a blood vessel hard.
Ive notice I have to increase the weights each week for the last 3 weeks, so seems to be working.

In addition I also do 3-4 hour ride at the weekend, couple of 14 mile each way commutes and at least one 2hour evening ride a week.

(looks at above then belly and scratches head)

Things I dont do that I should are streach.

Im really really lazy for streaching and as a result, I can barely touch my toes and when I kneel I can no longer sit on my heels.

I also need to look at what I eat (tend to shut my eyes, open mouth and shovel).... doing all of the above I should not be the fat basterd I am.

Maj, just watch the running, see SO many people right-off summers from trying to run too far too quick.

Kerr

Blimey Kerr...After reading that lot I better up my game if i'm going to keep up with you this summer.

[DrBike]

Hi,

I was just wondering if any of you train in the gym with a programme specifically designed for biking.

I would be interested to know the numbers of reps / sets and the type of excercise.

I have started running a lot - but apparently that uses different muscles to cycling. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

cheers

Maj

Maj,

My recommendation is to cycle to the gym look through the window, shake your head and keep on riding. There's no better training than getting the miles in

If you insist on going to the gym I'd recommend running on the treadmill and using cross trainers (good for loosing weight) and rowing machines (good for all over conditioning). It's also a good idea to develop upper body strength, useful for when you have to push or carry the bike but also for moving around when you're on the bike.

Stretches and exercises to develop flexibility will also be of benefit.

[Rx1]

Hi,

I was just wondering if any of you train in the gym with a programme specifically designed for biking.

I would be interested to know the numbers of reps / sets and the type of excercise.

I have started running a lot - but apparently that uses different muscles to cycling. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

cheers

Maj

Maj,

It all depends what it is you're trying to improve?

Muscular leg strength to improve explosive power or building up endurance in the leg muscles so that you can ride the South Downs Way comfortably at a good pace; improved aerobic capacity or better lactate recovery from anerobic sprints (read short hill climbs); weight loss and improving power to weight ratios?

Whilst some of these are mutually compatible in that in training one way, you'll see benefits in other areas, you need to target your training to specific goals. Nutrition and recovery are also key. As is sleep

If you're just looking for a "one size fits all" approach, then I echo Andy - get out and ride, ride, ride and forget the gym.

Rx1

[lucien]

Maj, as per others - being specific is the key - work out what you want 1st and then plan the exercises to suit.

[Gareth]

I've been doing regular runs recently and it's boosted my fitness remarkably. The key is that because my running sessions are only half an hour including pre and post faff (of which there is almost none) I'm able to fit in five sessions a week. Before this I've just biked but in the Winter this means lots of putting on kit, washing my bike and dirty clothes etc. and it's just not worth it for a short session. So I've been running and stretching (just before or in bed three minutes).

Distance run: 3 miles with a short warm-up walk and cool-down at the end plus a short walk at 1.5 miles to get a better return leg.
Frequency: Every night with a night off whenever I feel like it for added recovery if tired.
Speed: 3 miles in 25 minutes.
Terrain: mostly flat but with one hill.
Motivation: keeping up with Dave (Duracell Bunny) Hunt.

The muscles used are different but running is equivalent in aerobic capacity to climbing on a bike, cycling can be a bit easy unless you can push yourself.

Yes I know all the stuff about low intensity base training but like most people I simply don't have the time.

[captainfly]

I only ever train my upper body with the freeweights, at the moment it is ard to balance the needs for biking, freerunning and fighting, so have just gone huge pyotuen drinks/bars help. I had to cut down my distance when I startedwinter training with the jump bike urbanised, 16mie three times a week makde my thighs huge(made the skinny jeans too tight. So it depends on what you want to do and at what level.

[littlegirlbunny]

I've been lifting again since November to regain strength and power for downhill and it has made a huge difference. Actually, it's made an even bigger difference at work if I am honest, feels easy pulling myself in and out of roof spaces again!

I have to be careful not to overtrain weights as I can get a little carried away, so I don't force it and take regular rest weeks. I've seen my strength fly back though, and have finally realised that the motto 'less-is-more' really does have a lot of truth in it.

So I go to the gym once or twice a week on a two day split program for around 5 week cycles.

Split looks something like this (I vary the assistance exercises, but always focus first on the big lifts (bench/squat):

Squat Day
*Back squats (to powerlifting depth or lower) - warm up to working weight then either 5 sets of 5 reps, or 3 sets of 3 reps
*Warm up barbell rows before Chins (pull-ups) - 4-5 sets (although, for me, being a gurl in that, 4 sets would be something like 4, 3, 2, 2 )
*Press-ups - 3 sets of 15. Vary hand position and sometimes use 'handles'
*Ab work and back hyper-extensions

Bench Day
*Bench with same with grip as on my bike bars - several warm up sets to working weight then either 5 x 5, or recently I have been doing high reps for 3 sets and then dropping the reps each week as I add weight to the bar until getting doubles. I always try and pause the first rep of each set as well, as it forces power development to push the bar back up. This is powerlifting style benching with an arched back so it brings in pretty much every muscle in the body rather than just isolating pecs and triceps. Compound training is far more important to MTB than isolation bodybuilding style work IMHO.
*Then maybe bench form training
*Overhead barbell press - either push or strict, depending on how I am feeling, both have a role for MTB I think - up to 5 working sets after a decent warm-up
*Lat pulldowns to chest (rather than back of neck) - 2 warm up sets and 2 working sets
*Abs work

[mbElf]

Thanks for input guys,

Aim

I can cycle for long distances without any problems, its the short bursts that really leave me breathless and legs tired and this what i would like to improve. I would like to be able to cycle faster over shorter distances.

What i currently do

I do swimming twice a week and spin classes. I am not sure if spinning actually does anything - i just don't get the same hurting lungs feeling i get when doing a long climb so i am thinking of dropping that. I do karate and boxing twice a week and a bootcamp. I also do some weights for the upper body only.

I have started running, but sometimes my shins hurt, even to the slightest touch. I run for about an hour twice a week in the mornings. Funny thing is when i go to karate, i never have the same problem. Its being out on the road which does it for some reason.

I try to bike every weekend mainly in swinley and tunnel hill.

I am thinking a gym programme for legs might help.


Will doing weights help in this for should i stick to my classes and cycling and running or a mixture?.

LGB, i saw you squating on your blog, i tried that and really struggled. i could feel it in my lower back not so much my legs. I thinks its the free weights which might be the cause. I can lift a lot more on machine but if i put the same on free weight i am all over the place and struggle to balance what is back hyper extension?

With my aim in mind what excercises would you recommend. How long should a gym workout last for? and what about rest between sets? How long should i spend warming up?

I have googled and get contradicting opinions but here i know its real athletes/bikers who do it, any advice will be first hand

thanks

Maj


Now what is compound training and low intensity base training google here i come.

[DrBike]

Thanks for input guys,

Aim

I can cycle for long distances without any problems, its the short bursts that really leave me breathless and legs tired and this what i would like to improve. I would like to be able to cycle faster over shorter distances.

Maj,

If this is what you're aiming to improve then instead of the running I'd do some short sharp rides concentrating on bursts of speed and steep sharp climbs. What I found really helped me with this was riding a road bike as it's a different style of riding and the gearing and seating position lends itself to getting out of the saddle and "mashing" it when going up short hills or even doing sprints on the flat.

Another skill you can try is when you're doing climbs on the MTB really dig deep for a short period of time to push over a slightly steeper or rougher part. Yes it hurts, but when you practice it the pain is less (either that or you get used to it). If you're good at "twiddling" up the hills then try dropping it down a gear or two (harder) and pushing harder on the pedals.

BTW - I had/have the same problem with you when running (painful shins) but I found that running on a treadmill was much more forgiving so if you do go to the gym then try that.

Just to make you feel worse, the time to do the conditioning work in the gym was over the winter (November to February) now is the time to start getting out more on the bike (although typically today it's started raining here).

[Sandra]

I have started running, but sometimes my shins hurt, even to the slightest touch. I run for about an hour twice a week in the mornings. Funny thing is when i go to karate, i never have the same problem. Its being out on the road which does it for some reason.

That will be shin splints then

Common runners problem, usually due to overpronation ( ankle rolls to far inwards) when running. Depending on how great the pronation is changing from a neutral running shoe to a stability shoe should help - a good running shop will be able to video your gait on a treadmill and advise further. Although sometimes further help is required in the form of orthotics.

More info here on shoes/pronation here: http://www.therunningshop.uk.com/questions.cfm

and on shin splints here : http://www.runninginjuryclinic.co.uk/shinsplints.html

As for a gym programme ummm, Well mine used to be spin 2-3 times a week which although perhaps didn't feel as strong a work out as being out on the bike, I certainly used to feel it the weeks I didn't go, and upper body fixed weights to help build strength cause I'm a feeble girl and when I get tired on the bike I get dead wobbly and don't have the strength to control the bike However has I've now started a new job which involves working 11hr days plus an hrs drive either side three days a week the gym "routine" has been thrown all out the window

[Rx1]

Thanks for input guys,

Aim

I can cycle for long distances without any problems, its the short bursts that really leave me breathless and legs tired and this what i would like to improve. I would like to be able to cycle faster over shorter distances.

Instead of running in the mornings, get out on your bike and as Andy suggests, find a shortish sharp hill (takes a couple of minutes or so to get up) and get out of the saddle and sprint up it (your lungs will be burning, your legs screaming, but keep pushing as hard as you can to the top). Turn round and coast back down in the saddle, controlling your breathing (focus on slow steady out breaths) just turning the pedals to recover (try to give yourself at least the same time to recover as it took you to go up; turn around and sprint up that hill again as fast as you can; turn round and come back down just turning the pedals to keep your legs moving with the same recovery time. Repeat for a third time.

Try for three hill sprints to start with for the first week - assuming you're doing two early morning outings; then five week two, seven week three. Week four, do none.

Week five start with five sprints, but try to reduce the recovery time to say 1min 30 secs (if it took you two minutes to go up the hill) for the first three and for the last two sprints, keep recovery time and sprinting time the same (i.e. 2 min's up, 2 min's recovery). Week six, go for all five sprints with recovery 30 seconds less that sprinting time; week seven, take it up to seven sprints, with recovery and sprinting time the same for the first session, recovery time 30 seconds less for the second session of week seven.

Using the gears as Andy suggests can make this more diffcult too and you can mix this up within the sprint sessions.

Week eight, take a well deserved rest. That weekend, go out and impress your mates with your hill sprinting ability and powers of recovery.

Get the idea? You'll see more tangible benefits from this than doing weights and by the end of May, everyone will be choking on your dust

Now what is compound training and low intensity base training

Compound exercises work more than one muscle group in the same exercise: e.g. dips which work the deltoids, triceps and pecs at the same time.

Low intensity training is at its most simplest, training at an aerobic level (i.e. low intensity heart rate e.g. 65% of your maximum HR) to get your body used to metabolising fat as its primary energy source for aerobic work.

Good luck!
Rx1

[DrBike]

I suppose that another solution is to get a singlespeed, either that or get someone on a singlespeed to ride behind you on the uphills and you soon learn to get a hurry on

[bobosola]

My recommendation is to cycle to the gym look through the window, shake your head and keep on riding. There's no better training than getting the miles in

I'd agree with this for distance training, but a decent gym bike machine can be equally as good as real riding for certain goals. I use the gym 2-3 times a week to keep the legs going all year round in between real rides, mainly because cycle commuting is not feasible for me. Also, my local offroad rides straight from the house are pretty hopeless. Plus I have zero interest in dark side riding of any sort.

Advantages of gym exercise bike:

• you don't have to de-mud/clean it afterwards or wear multiple layers, lid, boots, backpack etc
• there's no "freewheeling cheating" - each pedal stroke is put to good use if you have it set up right
• you can dial in the programme you want - I use a straightforward min/max profile which emulates riding up a series of hills - this helps me on my local hilly South Downs loops
• you are already at the gym, so you can follow up with some upper body stuff (weights, whatever) to round things out a bit in order to avoid looking like Schwarzenegger below the waist and Twiggy above it

Downsides:

• it's boring, but you can at least watch some TV or plug in your Ipod while pedalling
• it's yet another expense in your life

I do agree with Andy re singlespeeds though - it always impresses me how much Chris and Huw have come on in fitness since dumping the gears in our Swinley rides. They just power up stuff these days.

[mbElf]

Rx1, excellent sounds like a plan and i have a steep hill about 5 minutes ride from my house, i will give it a try and see how i progress over the weeks. One question, should i put the bike in a hard gear so its requires power to pedal or should i put it in an easy gear and spin the like mad or somewhere inbetween?

Andy, Bob I think i might convert my old trek to a single speed. Would this be relatively easy thing to do. I was amazed at how much weight huw and chris had lost and they were cycling round swinley without even breaking a sweat. I thought huw lost a lot of his weight when he shaved his beard off

Sandra, thanks for the info on shin splints, and i reckon my shoes are to blame. The reason my legs dont hurt in karate is probably because i am running bare feet. There is a shop in reading called sweatshop which has a machine to analyse your feet. I will try and pop in there on saturday.

cheers

Maj

[DrBike]

Rx1, excellent sounds like a plan and i have a steep hill about 5 minutes ride from my house, i will give it a try and see how i progress over the weeks. One question, should i put the bike in a hard gear so its requires power to pedal or should i put it in an easy gear and spin the like mad or somewhere inbetween?

You want to be somewhere inbetween. The idea is to build strength in your legs and get them used to working with some effort. To begin with you probably want to be somewhere closer to "twiddling" and then as you get into it you can go for a harder gear. Don't use a gear that's too hard otherwise your risk stressing muscles/ligaments.

Also try climbing when standing up in the pedals (usually requires a harder gear) as it uses slightly different muscles but also gets you used to pushing harder for short bursts which you can then make into longer bursts ...

Andy, Bob I think i might convert my old trek to a single speed. Would this be relatively easy thing to do.

It should be easy to do but first of all I'd recommend to get some slicks for the old trek and use that as your "road" training bike.

Something like this

[philconsequence]

i found the biggest improvement to my hill climbing abilities has been a result of trying to forget about the gears on rides... essentially riding your mtb as a singlespeed but leaving the gears there for when you really really need them... i think i've changed gear once or twice in about 4 months?

its not for everyone though, i cant stand the granny ring... the feeling of my legs spinning makes me feel out of control so i've always preferred to keep it in a harder gear and stand up/stomp on those pedals til i reach the top or collapse!

[DrBike]

i found the biggest improvement to my hill climbing abilities has been a result of trying to forget about the gears on rides... essentially riding your mtb as a singlespeed but leaving the gears there for when you really really need them... i think i've changed gear once or twice in about 4 months?

its not for everyone though, i cant stand the granny ring... the feeling of my legs spinning makes me feel out of control so i've always preferred to keep it in a harder gear and stand up/stomp on those pedals til i reach the top or collapse!

Now I think about it I change gear a lot when riding on the flat (mainly to stay in the "optimum" cadence for me) however when it comes to going up the hills I'm reluctant to use the granny ring - however part of that is the reluctance of my bike to engage the granny when I shift The problem with the granny is that you loose too much torque and it's the torque that retains the grip.

[addict]

not much more to add in regards to training, but on the bike i very very rarely sit down...pretty much all my climbing is done outta the saddle unless its summat massive like up inners or afan, seems to help me with burts of speed on the flat..ocuple of teh other guys i ride with have adopted it recently and have said they've seen an improvement with power over short burts downhill... dunno if its just placebo but I suppose its worth a try....