Quote: Originally Posted by dhk2 [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]
Weights won't help at all, because they work our fast-twitch muscle fibers. Cycling is mostly an aerobic sport, so it requires the slow-twitch or Type I fibers mostly. There are lots of references online to read about the difference.
Running is much better as an alternate. It certainly works the core cardio systems (heart, lungs, liver), which are the key to any aerobic activity. But running uses the leg muscles much differently than spinning a crank. As a result, the muscle fibers and capillaries needed for cycling aren't getting the optimum training. You can find lots to read online about the principal of "specificity of training". This principal even applies within the sport of cycling. One reference, the Joe Friel blog, explains why road racing isn't optimum training for TT racing.
Pedaling technique isn't worth worrying about. Just pedal, and learn to use the gears to keep a good spinning cadence vs mashing with higher loads on the legs. You'll become smooth and efficient by just pedaling many hours at a good cadence, say 90 or higher.
Core strength is always good to have, but shouldn't be required to prevent rocking on the bike. If you have a problem with rocking in the saddle at higher cadence, could be your saddle is too high. If you're bouncing off the saddle at low cadence/high loads, either shift gears to spin faster or just get out of the saddle and accelerate.
A couple rebuttal's here: I agree that cycling is an aerobic sport, and I'd have to dig but I seem to recall slowtwitch fiber percentage being the #1 determinate of cycling performance according to one study. However, I think the idea that weights are not beneficial because of this is false. When you go do weights your type I, and type IIa fibers that have good oxidative energy consumption don't see a heavy load and decide not to go into tension. You still work those fibers as well, they go into tension and strain themselves. You might also see work done to your other fibers that is less productive to cycling, but certainly that weight work has some translation. The key to my thought is that to really see gains, after your weight room visit you don't take the next day off. Do it the day before a semi-long ride. Since cycling isn't destructive you are unlikely to do any more damage to them, but what you can do is recruit other fibers to that pedalling action. I know that you can also convert fiber types, would doing this after breaking down fibers perhaps help with this? (really a question, not a I think this is how it works)
I'm familiar with the idea of specificity, and largely agree. Specificity, specificity, specificity. But lets say I get home and it is dark outside. I think a 20 minute run at my 5k pace might actually benefit me more than getting on the trainer and doing a 20 min L4 effort. It is all about what your body is used to. A 20 minute L4 effort does very little for me, three of those and I start accomplishing something. A 20 minute run on the otherhand stretches my body with a higher impact, higher force load. Then when I get on the bike the next day, yes I've broken down some muscles that are entirely useless but I again have broken down some muscles I would usually prefer to use, much like at the end of a long endurance ride, I can recruit some new fibers. That said a 40 minute run would offer me no real additional benefits, I would just destroy my body. Thus optimally one would spend lots of time specific training on the bike.
Pedalling technique: I have been a big believer in the "don't think about pedalling at all" mode for a while. I do think that just riding the bike you tend to find something that works. That said, I think it is dumb to think you can't accelerate the process. The problem is identifying what is actually better. In terms of GE studies will show that preferred pedalling form is better, same with cadence. OF COURSE THIS IS TRUE. Your body has adapted to this, that doesn't meant that after a proper adaptatoin period a more efficient style isn't possible. I don't care about being smooth. I simply put, care about how I can exert energy to get the most power out. That means teaching your body not to work against itself. Our body is very efficient at pushing down, this is largely how we walk and run, the kick of a run is merely follow through, and pulling the foot forward is low force. Thus ideally you want to focus your energy into pushing down, being able to quickly relax those muscles so you are not still pushing down on the pedal on the bottom but not "unweighting" your foot either. You want your leg to get a rest on the upstroke. Then start the push phase early and push through late, you are good at pushing. This is all I'm focusing on, push early, push late. Do some fast spinning 'drills' to improve neuromuscular firing (when you don't let go quick enough at those high cadences you get the bouncing you were talking about). Pedalling is pretty simple, but that doesn't mean you can't do it better. I think that this method of pedalling feels more similar to what i do on a climb, where I consistantly get higher power numbers. cyclingtips.com.auclimbing and time trialling how power outputs are affectedOpen ↗ kinda mentions how I feel about this, making an effort to push for a longer period, I feel, of time helps me.
I've always historically believed that worrying about core on the bike was a waste if you weren't mountain biking or doing cyclocross. However, as previously noted when I do focus on pushing early through late I rock a bit if I don't tighten the core down. I'm not pushing high or low cadences, I'm at 95ish. Normal for me, I can and have hit 190 and I don't have any issues down to 60, at about 140-150 I tend to see "bouncing". I am pushing higher than normal w/kg for my effort though, a little over 5w/kg for 10ish minutes when doing this.Obviously torque is higher and I suspect peak torque is higher, perhaps the peak torque is much higher than usual but I have no way of really measuring or checking this as consumer PM's do not record at a high enough interval to really check that.
