assymetry - balance - muscles

Does anyone worry about, suffered from, have compensation schemes,
regarding asymmetrical muscle development from cycling or any activity that
focuses on some areas but not others?

A physio visit recently indicated I had a frozen or 'swimmer's' shoulder -
not from cycling and not serious. I just have to make the effort to work
different muscles as a part of my swim routine. But it got me concerned
about balancing leg muscle development.


Any thoughts, advice, strategies, experiences on balancing cycling induced
leg muscle development?


--
'Philosophy is the talk on a cereal box
Religion is the smile on a dog'
-Edie Brickell

Does anyone worry about, suffered from, have compensation schemes,
regarding asymmetrical muscle development from cycling or any activity
that focuses on some areas but not others?

A physio visit recently indicated I had a frozen or 'swimmer's' shoulder -
not from cycling and not serious. I just have to make the effort to work
different muscles as a part of my swim routine. But it got me concerned
about balancing leg muscle development.


Any thoughts, advice, strategies, experiences on balancing cycling induced
leg muscle development?

If riding a bike and virtually nothing else terribly physical was going to
result in a seriously imbalanced body with whatever issues that might
produce, I'd be a mess right now. For the past 35 years (since I was 13),
about the only thing I've done is ride a bike. Raced, toured, recreational,
whatever. Nothing too screwy physically about me, but the mental state may
be open for debate.

I doubt you have to worry too much about any particular exercise unless you
do it to the point where you're actually damaging the muscles such that the
rest of your body has to compensate for it. Not related to exercise, but
when I had a seriously ingrown toe-nail way back when, it caused a *lot* of
leg & hip pain... on the opposite side.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

1oki wrote:
Does anyone worry about, suffered from, have compensation schemes,
regarding asymmetrical muscle development from cycling or any activity that
focuses on some areas but not others?

A physio visit recently indicated I had a frozen or 'swimmer's' shoulder -
not from cycling and not serious. I just have to make the effort to work
different muscles as a part of my swim routine. But it got me concerned
about balancing leg muscle development.


Any thoughts, advice, strategies, experiences on balancing cycling induced
leg muscle development?


I can add that it is real. You do lose upper body strength if you do not
pay attention to your regime of exercising the whole body. I used to be
able to do 25-30 push ups at one time, now I am down to 15-20. Chin ups
were at about 5 and now I am lucky to do one. My legs are doing just
fine though and I can also run very well, both out speeding and
outlasting the local 10 to 15 year old crowd. This at 56. I need to get
the wieghts out of find some way to keep balanced. Rowing a boat on a
lake is great for the upper body because it gets you outside and you can
change seats to push row or conventional pull row. If a hand powered
bicycle were available I might try that. Gyms you have to pay for and
the scenery never changes, except for the 20 something women that I can
only think about and be distracted.
Bill Baka

"b_baka" wrote in message ...
I used to be
able to do 25-30 push ups at one time, now I am down to 15-20. Chin ups
were at about 5 and now I am lucky to do one. My legs are doing just
fine though and I can also run very well, both out speeding and
outlasting the local 10 to 15 year old crowd. This at 56. I need to get
the wieghts out of find some way to keep balanced.

If you have weights, use 'em. But if you're concerned with your
diminished of ability to do pushups & pullups, you could work on those,
and other bodyweight exercises.

I joined a gym a few years ago, but prior to that I did bodyweight exercises at home
(also cycling) for fitness. I had a pretty good balance of bodyweight exercises, it took
very little time, and it let me maintain a reasonable level of fitness. Actually I still do a few
as part of my gym workout.

There's tons of stuff about this on the web to with lots of interesting programs
& exercises. And it doesn't have to take much time...

i don't agree

wrote:
i don't agree

With what?

David wrote:
"b_baka" wrote in message ...

I used to be
able to do 25-30 push ups at one time, now I am down to 15-20. Chin ups
were at about 5 and now I am lucky to do one. My legs are doing just
fine though and I can also run very well, both out speeding and
outlasting the local 10 to 15 year old crowd. This at 56. I need to get
the wieghts out of find some way to keep balanced.


If you have weights, use 'em. But if you're concerned with your
diminished of ability to do pushups & pullups, you could work on those,
and other bodyweight exercises.

I joined a gym a few years ago, but prior to that I did bodyweight exercises at home
(also cycling) for fitness. I had a pretty good balance of bodyweight exercises, it took
very little time, and it let me maintain a reasonable level of fitness. Actually I still do a few
as part of my gym workout.

There's tons of stuff about this on the web to with lots of interesting programs
& exercises. And it doesn't have to take much time...


That last sentence said it, time. Time and finding a place to do it,
since people will look at you wierd if you just drop and do 20. I do it
at home and my wife and daughter both give me a bad time. Pull ups or
chin ups are a bit harder to do, what with having to find a bar and all.
The weights are no bench (fell apart) so really free style.
I need to mark my calendar, "Add more hours to the day".
Bill Baka

"b_baka" wrote in message ...
That last sentence said it, time. Time and finding a place to do it,
since people will look at you wierd if you just drop and do 20. I do it
at home and my wife and daughter both give me a bad time.



Pull ups or
chin ups are a bit harder to do, what with having to find a bar and all.

I did pullups from a couple of rock-rings I hung from a garage rafter.
For dips, use two chair backs (or chair fronts, depending on which dip
style you prefer).

If you run out of ideas, in addition to all the bodyweight-exercise
resources on the web, there's also this. Your house as exercise
equipment:
http://www.housegymnastics.com/

The weights are no bench (fell apart) so really free style.
I need to mark my calendar, "Add more hours to the day".

How about 20-30 minutes every other day or so?

"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote in message
. ..
1oki wrote:
A physio visit recently indicated I had a frozen or 'swimmer's'
shoulder - not from cycling and not serious. I just have to make the
effort to work different muscles as a part of my swim routine. But it got
me concerned about balancing leg muscle development.

If riding a bike and virtually nothing else terribly physical was going to
result in a seriously imbalanced body with whatever issues that might
produce, I'd be a mess right now. For the past 35 years (since I was 13),
about the only thing I've done is ride a bike. Raced, toured,
recreational, whatever. Nothing too screwy physically about me, but the
mental state may be open for debate.

You and me both, brother.

I doubt you have to worry too much about any particular exercise unless
you do it to the point where you're actually damaging the muscles such
that the rest of your body has to compensate for it. Not related to
exercise, but when I had a seriously ingrown toe-nail way back when, it
caused a *lot* of leg & hip pain... on the opposite side.

Not pain or muscle damage but wrt to the shoulder it was described thus:

The swimming stroke builds certain larger muscles of the shoulder. Certain
smaller muscles which lay underneath these larger ones are, not only not
exercised, but constricted by the development of the larger muscles. It
isn't serious - just some stiffness and soreness. The treatment is to do
certain exercises that do work the smaller muscles.

I'm just wondering if anyone came across anything similar - call it
cyclist's leg - from a lot of leg development.

--
'Silly customer
You cannot hurt a twinkie!'
-apu

1oki wrote:

The swimming stroke builds certain larger muscles of the shoulder.
Certain smaller muscles which lay underneath these larger ones are,
not only not exercised, but constricted by the development of the
larger muscles. It isn't serious - just some stiffness and soreness.
The treatment is to do certain exercises that do work the smaller
muscles.

I'm just wondering if anyone came across anything similar - call it
cyclist's leg - from a lot of leg development.

I've noticed an imbalance in my legs when doing yoga (only other exercise I
get besides cycling nowadays): my quads are very strong, but my hamstrings
aren't.

Wouldn't kill me to go upstairs where the weights and machines are, but
hasn't bothered me enough yet to get me back up there.

On a side note, I did my first century last Saturday, and felt fairly fine
afterwards. Yesterday, 4 days later, my right (bad) shoulder was in full
spasm mode, which then migrated to my back just in time for last night's mtb
ride. Got home and took a Flexaril that expired in 1997; slept hard and
spasms are gone (so far) today.

As my broken-chain tattoo on that incised right shoulder says, "Shut Up &
Ride" and "No Whining".

Bill "old dude" S.