Exercises to strengthen legs for cycling?

In article <[email protected]>,
Dave Stallard <[email protected]> wrote:
>Yes, I know, *ride a bike*. But, I live and work in the city, and the
>distance between home and office is too short for more than a desultory
>commute. So I ride mainly on the weekends. I'd like to strengthen my
>legs for hill climbing and bigger gears.
>
>We have a Universal weight machine at work. I'm thinking quads and
>hamstrings. (I know that you have to work both of these, otherwise you
>risk injury.) I also do leg presses, but the quad/hamstring stations
>seem to isolate the muscles more. Thoughts?

I suggest step-up exercises with a big step (ie, 12-14" plywood box)
and hand weights.

You might also look at the Joe Friel book for strength training
tips.

--Paul

"Dave Stallard" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Yes, I know, *ride a bike*. But, I live and work in the city,

If you live and work in a city, it's likely that your home and your
workplace are not on the first floor of a building. Climb and descend
stairs, real stairs, not some machine. It's free, and you'd have to go to
the nth floor anyway.


--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

Claire Petersky wrote:

> "Dave Stallard" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>Yes, I know, *ride a bike*. But, I live and work in the city,
>
>
> If you live and work in a city, it's likely that your home and your
> workplace are not on the first floor of a building. Climb and descend
> stairs, real stairs, not some machine. It's free, and you'd have to go to
> the nth floor anyway.

Sorry to disappoint you. I work on the first floor, live on the third
floor. I'm already walking up that distance, since there's no elevator.

Dave

"Dave Stallard" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]
> Yes, I know, *ride a bike*. But, I live and work in the city, and
> the distance between home and office is too short for more than a
> desultory commute. So I ride mainly on the weekends. I'd like to
> strengthen my legs for hill climbing and bigger gears.
>
> We have a Universal weight machine at work. I'm thinking quads and
> hamstrings. (I know that you have to work both of these, otherwise
> you risk injury.) I also do leg presses, but the quad/hamstring
> stations seem to isolate the muscles more. Thoughts?

Why would you want to isolate the muscles? Compounds are the way to go and
for the lower body that means squats and deadlifts. Especially squats:

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/BBFullSquat.html

They work your quads, hams and glutes wonderfully but not your calves,
you'll need something specific for them if they need work. Leg presses are
a kind of poor man's squat. Does your machine allow 45 degree leg presses
or only horizontal?

--

A: Top-posters.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet?

> I'd like to strengthen my legs for hill climbing and bigger gears.

You can do these leg exercises at home, without special equipment:

http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwfit/altstrength.html#Leg Exercises

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> Yes, I know, *ride a bike*. But, I live and work in the city, and the
> distance between home and office is too short for more than a desultory
> commute. So I ride mainly on the weekends. I'd like to strengthen my
> legs for hill climbing and bigger gears.
>
> We have a Universal weight machine at work. I'm thinking quads and
> hamstrings. (I know that you have to work both of these, otherwise you
> risk injury.) I also do leg presses, but the quad/hamstring stations
> seem to isolate the muscles more. Thoughts?

Hamstrings don't do much on a bike, but the calves do, so don't neglect
doing the leg presses with just your toes (or do toe raises as a
separate exercise).

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the
newsgroups if possible).

"Dave Stallard" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Claire Petersky wrote:
>
> > "Dave Stallard" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >
> >>Yes, I know, *ride a bike*. But, I live and work in the city,
> >
> >
> > If you live and work in a city, it's likely that your home and your
> > workplace are not on the first floor of a building. Climb and descend
> > stairs, real stairs, not some machine. It's free, and you'd have to go
to
> > the nth floor anyway.
>
> Sorry to disappoint you. I work on the first floor, live on the third
> floor. I'm already walking up that distance, since there's no elevator.

Ah. I work on the 27th floor, and if I feel like my ride to work was
insufficient, using the stairs is definitely a workout. Going down in
particular seems to use those bicycling muscles in the quads.


--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

Dave Stallard wrote:
:: Claire Petersky wrote:
::
::: "Dave Stallard" <[email protected]> wrote in message
::: news:[email protected]...
:::
:::: Yes, I know, *ride a bike*. But, I live and work in the city,
:::
:::
::: If you live and work in a city, it's likely that your home and your
::: workplace are not on the first floor of a building. Climb and
::: descend stairs, real stairs, not some machine. It's free, and you'd
::: have to go to the nth floor anyway.
::
:: Sorry to disappoint you. I work on the first floor, live on the
:: third floor. I'm already walking up that distance, since there's no
:: elevator.

Then walk up and down it repeatedly.

Or, do back squats in the gym with a weight loaded barbell. Nothing better.

::
:: Dave

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 08:11:14 -0400, David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
>> Yes, I know, *ride a bike*. But, I live and work in the city, and the
>> distance between home and office is too short for more than a desultory
>> commute. So I ride mainly on the weekends. I'd like to strengthen my
>> legs for hill climbing and bigger gears.
>>
>> We have a Universal weight machine at work. I'm thinking quads and
>> hamstrings. (I know that you have to work both of these, otherwise you
>> risk injury.) I also do leg presses, but the quad/hamstring stations
>> seem to isolate the muscles more. Thoughts?
>
>Hamstrings don't do much on a bike, but the calves do, so don't neglect
>doing the leg presses with just your toes (or do toe raises as a
>separate exercise).

(I seem to use hams a lot. They've gotten bigger, and sometimes will cramp
on a ride >25miles. )

Also seated calves. Different muscle (soleus) is activated when knee is bent.

At the same time, it's good to schedule some exercise in the muscles
that don't get much work biking, so as to keep the joints and back in
equilibrium. Again, a good reason to do free weights, as a supplement,
full squats again, the best all-around (IMO).

-B

On Mon, 31 May 2004 21:49:38 -0400, Dave Stallard <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Yes, I know, *ride a bike*. But, I live and work in the city, and the
>distance between home and office is too short for more than a desultory
>commute. So I ride mainly on the weekends. I'd like to strengthen my
>legs for hill climbing and bigger gears.

So ride the scenic route.
--

Cheers,

Al

I'd recommend adding some lunges to your routine.



Chris Neary
[email protected]

"Science, freedom, beauty, adventure: what more could
you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I
loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh

Excellent idea. Gives your legs (and heart) a real workout (and you rest on
the way down).

--

- GRL

"It's good to want things."

Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist,
Visual Basic programmer)
"Claire Petersky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:d8Suc.34704$Ly.31490@attbi_s01...
> "Dave Stallard" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Yes, I know, *ride a bike*. But, I live and work in the city,
>
> If you live and work in a city, it's likely that your home and your
> workplace are not on the first floor of a building. Climb and descend
> stairs, real stairs, not some machine. It's free, and you'd have to go to
> the nth floor anyway.
>
>
> --
> Warm Regards,
>
> Claire Petersky
> Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com
> Home of the meditative cyclist:
> http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
> See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky
>
>