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lacking in leg strength and stamina exercises?



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 20th 04, 09:23 AM
Yuri Budilov
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Default lacking in leg strength and stamina exercises?

hello all

I am a new rider, about 4 months now, 44 years old, male, 72 kg (165
pounds?) , riding on weekends only. Riding for fun and fitness only. I have
a Trek 1000 road bike (2004) and Shimano clipless pedals (M540).

I find that I can pedal relatively well at cadence of 90-100 rpm but if I
have to push a big gear then I very quickly run out of steam. I also have no
stamina and have to stop for a drink every 15 min of so.....

I am wondering what I can do to improve my leg muscle (quads?) strength and
general cycling stamina without ruining my knees and other parts of my body.
Perhaps some easy to do at-home exercises? I heard step-ups are good but I
have no idea what they are exactly....

thanks in advance

--
Yuri


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  #2  
Old March 20th 04, 10:51 AM
Eric S. Sande
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Default lacking in leg strength and stamina exercises?

I am wondering what I can do to improve my leg muscle (quads?) strength
and general cycling stamina without ruining my knees and other parts
of my body.


Basically you need to ride more. Take it easy until you get used to
it, in your post you say you are spinning at 90 rpm. That's good.
Build suppleness first and worry about power later.

Your legs are going to have to get used to the exercise, once they
are you can think about climbing and sprinting.

Good technique is something that you build over time, there isn't
an exercise other than simply cycling that is an easier route.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________
------------------"Buddy Holly, the Texas Elvis"------------------
in.edu__________
  #3  
Old March 20th 04, 02:56 PM
Rick Onanian
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Default lacking in leg strength and stamina exercises?

On Sat, 20 Mar 2004 08:23:45 GMT, "Yuri Budilov"
wrote:
I find that I can pedal relatively well at cadence of 90-100 rpm but if I


You've found your optimal cadence. Stick with it, it works for you.

have to push a big gear then I very quickly run out of steam. I also have no


You shouldn't have to push a big gear. That's why bicycles have so
damn many gears. Don't be afraid to use them! If your bike lacks
sufficient range in it's gears (maybe it has a double crank and/or a
cassette with each gear nearly the same as the last), equip the bike
properly for you by changing the cassette and/or crank. Especially
if you feel weak, you should have a triple crank (unless you ride in
a very flat area).

stamina and have to stop for a drink every 15 min of so.....


You should be drinking constantly.

Your stamina will improve with practice. Learning to pace yourself
will give you surprising amounts of stamina; if you have to stop to
rest constantly, you're pushing too hard and going too fast. Back it
off a bit, relax, enjoy the scenery. DON'T push as hard as you can
all the time -- not nearly as hard as you can. You should really
feel relaxed or you'll get tired fast.

I have a terribly hard time of pacing myself. I feel and ride much
better if I ride with somebody else who sets a good pace. Try riding
with somebody else who is also slow but better at pacing himself.
Maybe an entry-level group ride could help.

Riding with a person or group that's too fast for you will provide
much physical pain and a hard blow to the ego and morale too. Don't
do it.

I am wondering what I can do to improve my leg muscle (quads?) strength and
general cycling stamina without ruining my knees and other parts of my body.


Ride! Bicycling is (obviously) great for exactly those purposes.

Perhaps some easy to do at-home exercises? I heard step-ups are good but I
have no idea what they are exactly....


I suppose you could ride your bike on a trainer at home...
--
Rick Onanian
  #4  
Old March 20th 04, 04:35 PM
T Scanlin
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Default lacking in leg strength and stamina exercises?

Yuri wrote:

I am a new rider, about 4 months now, 44 years old, male, 72 kg (165
pounds?) , riding on weekends only. Riding for fun and fitness only.
I find that I can pedal relatively well at cadence of 90-100 rpm but if I
have to push a big gear then I very quickly run out of steam.
I am wondering what I can do to improve my leg muscle (quads?) strength

and
general cycling stamina without ruining my knees ?


I returned to cycling last year at 51 years old after a long hiatus and
realized 20 years makes a significant difference! Rick has some great
advice: ride, keep the cadence up, don't push the big gears, then ride some
more. Be patient and build the base miles; the general conditioning will
improve then you can work on the power. The strength doesn't improve as fast
as it did at 30.

Last year I tried to do it all at once and ended up with a good case of
tendonitis. Three months of no biking really hindered my progress (not to
mention my attitude!)

Take it slow now then look at your progress in August.
Tom


  #6  
Old March 20th 04, 06:03 PM
DRS
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Default lacking in leg strength and stamina exercises?

Yuri Budilov wrote in message


[...]

I am wondering what I can do to improve my leg muscle (quads?)
strength and general cycling stamina without ruining my knees and
other parts of my body. Perhaps some easy to do at-home exercises? I
heard step-ups are good but I have no idea what they are exactly....


Studies have shown anaerobic training complements aerobic training such as
cycling.

Quads/glutes exercises you can do at home include (pick one):

DB Step-ups: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/.../DBStepUp.html
DB Squat: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...s/DBSquat.html
DB Single Leg Squat:
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...eLegSquat.html
DB Lunge: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...s/DBLunge.html

For hamstrings: DB Straight Leg Deadlift:
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...gDeadlift.html

For calves: DB Single Leg Calf Raise:
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...CalfRaise.html

To focus on explosive power do fewer reps with heavier weights (ie, 5 sets x
5 reps). To focus on endurance do more reps with lighter weights (ie, 3
sets x 15 reps). Do anaerobic exercises three times per week with at least
one day inbetween (ie, Mon-Wed-Fri). If you intend riding on the same day
do the anaerobic exercises first. Do not train to failure.

--

"I'm proud that I live in a country where witnessing two hours of bloody,
barbarous torture in gloating detail is considered indicia of religious
piety, whereas a mere second gazing upon a woman's breast is cause for
outraged apoplexy."
Betty Bowers, http://www.bettybowers.com/melgibsonpassion.html


  #7  
Old March 20th 04, 07:15 PM
Peter Cole
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Default lacking in leg strength and stamina exercises?

"Yuri Budilov" wrote in message
...
hello all

I am a new rider, about 4 months now, 44 years old, male, 72 kg (165
pounds?) , riding on weekends only. Riding for fun and fitness only.


I find that I can pedal relatively well at cadence of 90-100 rpm but if I
have to push a big gear then I very quickly run out of steam. I also have no
stamina and have to stop for a drink every 15 min of so.....

I am wondering what I can do to improve my leg muscle (quads?) strength and
general cycling stamina


There are no shortcuts. It's really a good idea to put in "base miles" for a
number of reasons, you're body's physiology takes time to change, and putting
in longer, gentler, workouts is best to prevent injury and get your joints &
connective tissue ready to take higher loads. After getting your base, it
really helps to ride with groups & get pushed a bit, ego makes you dig deep.

As for home workouts, a trainer attachment is obvious if weather or hours are
keeping you indoors. Mind numbingly boring, but if you have discipline,
effective. Stair climbing pretty much uses the same muscles, I've used
machines, but never the "step" platforms, which are just simple blocks of
plastic, I guess they could work...


  #8  
Old March 20th 04, 11:46 PM
Yuri Budilov
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Default lacking in leg strength and stamina exercises?

A Big THANK You to all who have replied!

Cheers
Yuri


  #9  
Old March 21st 04, 12:39 AM
Neil Cherry
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Default lacking in leg strength and stamina exercises?

On Sat, 20 Mar 2004 08:23:45 GMT, Yuri Budilov wrote:
hello all

I am a new rider, about 4 months now, 44 years old, male, 72 kg (165
pounds?) , riding on weekends only. Riding for fun and fitness only. I have
a Trek 1000 road bike (2004) and Shimano clipless pedals (M540).

I find that I can pedal relatively well at cadence of 90-100 rpm but if I
have to push a big gear then I very quickly run out of steam. I also have no
stamina and have to stop for a drink every 15 min of so.....


Yuri, I'm no expert but I've done a little bit of searching around to
try and figure this stuff out for myself. Real training like the pro's
won;t work for me as I don't have that kind of time to train. Also I'm
not trying to be a pro.

I remember when I first started riding a bit more seriously. I
couldn't push the big gear either. Now 14 years later I'm just getting
around to pushing the big ring more than half the time. My strength
is in spinning, I regularly ride at 90 - 100 rpm. I'm also good at
very long distances, though I started out with no more than 7 miles
(14 years ago). I'm currently up to ~50 mile rides on Saturday and
about 120 for the week. I'm just beginning to train for a single day
200 mile that is in June (this will be #5 for me).

Here are some things that have helped me a little (after getting in
some base miles). I do squats (I think these are good for leg
endurance), push ups, pull ups, crunches and leg lifts. I do them
twice a day and 4-5 times a week. Watch your form as form is as
important as how much you do. You can do them less at the start,
don't go too fast as you can hurt yourself. The reason fo the other
exercises is to keep the whole body balanced. Pro's need to work
mostly on cycling muscles the rest of us have house choirs to do. :-)

For the hydration part you can carry inexpensive water bottles but I
like to use the hydration packs. I sometimes commute and always ride
on busy roads. I like the tube which is within easy reach. No fumbling
for water bottles in traffic. Take a swig every 5 minutes and you
won't have any hydration problems. I use Gatorade powder mixed at less
than 50% of full strength because the water around here tastes
terrible!

I hope some of this helps, ask questions some of the experts here will
correct the errors. Also see a doctor before starting any exercise
program as he can tell you where you stand at the start.

--
Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry
http://home.comcast.net/~ncherry/ (Text only)
http://linuxha.sourceforge.net/ (SourceForge)
http://hcs.sourceforge.net/ (HCS II)
  #10  
Old March 21st 04, 05:07 PM
Jacques Moser
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Default lacking in leg strength and stamina exercises?

On Sat, 20 Mar 2004 17:39:35 +0000, Neil Cherry wrote:

SNIP I'm
currently up to ~50 mile rides on Saturday and about 120 for the week. I'm
just beginning to train for a single day 200 mile that is in June (this
will be #5 for me).


Neil,

I am very tempted to try one of these long rides (310 km in early July), but
still hesitating. I am commuting daily on short distances (13 km round
trip). I normally have no problems completing a 100 km ride with up to
1000 m climb. My longest distance ever is 190 km, mostly flat, but I would
have been unable to go any further. I know training will help, but 300 km
seems so far beyond everything I have done that I wonder whether it is at
all within my reach. Is there a way to "know" - or guess - whether this
would be realistic ?

Jacques
 




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