Leg presses & Bike



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Richard Miller

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At the gym, I'm trying to get my legs strong and in shape. So I do Leg Presses 5 Sets of 20 reps.
The weight is light, no more than 100 pounds. Never strain, it's an easy workout to make my knees
and legs strong and to stretch the hamstrings and an overall good exercise. Then I get on the
stationary bike for 30 minutes and get a Cardiovascular workout. My question is leg presses first
and right afterwards stationary bike? I think that the muscle workout first and the Cardiovascular
workout second? Can these be done on the same days at the same time frame or different days?

Richard
 
In article <[email protected]>, Richard Miller wrote:
> At the gym, I'm trying to get my legs strong and in shape. So I do Leg Presses 5 Sets of 20 reps.
> The weight is light, no more than 100 pounds. Never strain, it's an easy workout to make my knees
> and legs strong and to stretch the hamstrings and an overall good exercise. Then I get on the
> stationary bike for 30 minutes and get a Cardiovascular workout. My question is leg presses first
> and right afterwards stationary bike? I think that the muscle workout first and the Cardiovascular
> workout second? Can these be done on the same days at the same time frame or different days?

Stationary bike to warm up. After leg presses and squats, go do leg curls to try and maintain some
semblance of muscle balance. Big quads are nice, but if they get too far overdeveloped in comparison
to your other leg muscles, you'll have knee problems. /you should be bale to do both on the same
day, no problem.

JS

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"Richard Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> At the gym, I'm trying to get my legs strong and in shape. So I do Leg Presses 5 Sets of 20 reps.
> The weight is light, no more than 100 pounds. Never strain, it's an easy workout to make my knees
> and legs strong and to stretch the hamstrings and an overall good exercise. Then I get on the
> stationary bike for 30 minutes and get a Cardiovascular workout. My question is leg presses first
> and right afterwards stationary bike? I think that the muscle workout first and the Cardiovascular
> workout second? Can these be done on the same days at the same time frame or different days?

If you want to get in shape for riding your bike, RIDE YOUR BIKE.

JD
 
[email protected] (JD) wrote in news:[email protected]:

> "Richard Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
>> At the gym, I'm trying to get my legs strong and in shape. So I do Leg Presses 5 Sets of 20 reps.
>> The weight is light, no more than 100 pounds. Never strain, it's an easy workout to make my knees
>> and legs strong and to stretch the hamstrings and an overall good exercise. Then I get on the
>> stationary bike for 30 minutes and get a Cardiovascular workout. My question is leg presses first
>> and right afterwards stationary bike? I think that the muscle workout first and the
>> Cardiovascular workout second? Can these be done on the same days at the same time frame or
>> different days?
>
> If you want to get in shape for riding your bike, RIDE YOUR BIKE.
>
> JD
>

I wonder how many other people (besides you and myself) were thinking the same thing. Riding a
stationary bike to get in shape for riding a bike? LOL!

OTOH, I do about 20 squats before riding to work every day as a super quick warm up. I tend to be
running late most days and don't have time to do a proper warm up while riding.
 
In article <[email protected]>, JD wrote:
> If you want to get in shape for riding your bike, RIDE YOUR BIKE.

Actually, during the riding season, this is good advice, and I should have mentioned it myself.
During the year, doing weights will likely slow you down somewhat. Muscles remember how to move the
way that they're trained. Doing reps is really slow movement to your muscles, and you want them to
remember how to spin between 60 and 100 rpm. At best, you're getting something like 20 rpm lifting
weights. Unless you're a track cyclist, leave the weight lifting for the winter or off-season when
you aren't riding. You may be able to find a reasonable on-season lifting program, but you'll have
to consult a coach or something, which is probably a bit beyond what you were looking for.

JS

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"Bored now. This is the part that's less fun. When there isn't any
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"Jan Sacharuk" <[email protected]> skrev i en meddelelse
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, JD wrote:
> > If you want to get in shape for riding your bike, RIDE YOUR BIKE.

Follow your own advice if you dont have anything to say...Well, you usually dont, so just go ride
your bike now, ok?

> Actually, during the riding season, this is good advice, and I should have mentioned it myself.
> During the year, doing weights will likely slow you down somewhat. Muscles remember how to move
> the way that they're trained.

So you mean that all the small brains placed in the musclefibres will stand up and make a riot if
you dont keep slow rpm? LOL

>Doing reps is really slow movement to your muscles, and you want them to remember how to spin
>between 60 and 100 rpm. At best, you're getting something like 20 rpm lifting weights. Unless
>you're a track cyclist, leave the weight lifting for the winter or off-season when you aren't
>riding. You may be able to find a reasonable on-season lifting program, but you'll have to consult
>a coach or something, which is probably a bit beyond what you were looking for.

We have more than one type of muscle fibres, slow twitch and fast twitch. You go figure which fibre
is doing what...

Lifting weight is a really good idea. I am doing a lot of legexcercises over the winter, and i have
never been better on hills this season. You dont need a lot of reps, but a few (8-10) heavy reps to
build up and train the fast twitch fibres. It will help you climp better, prepare you physically and
mentally, keeps your muscles and joints in a good and healthy shape. In order for a muscle
(including the heart) to increase strength, it must be gradually stressed by working against a load
greater than it is used to.

Then train the slow twitch on your bike :)

I doubt that that pro bikers sit on their bike all the time...

And then offcourse remember to rest... The heavier the load lifted, the longer it will take the
muscles to recover.

cya Peter
 
"Peter Tønnesen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> "Jan Sacharuk" <[email protected]> skrev i en meddelelse
> news:[email protected]...
> > In article <[email protected]>, JD wrote:
> > > If you want to get in shape for riding your bike, RIDE YOUR BIKE.
>
> Follow your own advice if you dont have anything to say...Well, you usually dont, so just go ride
> your bike now, ok?

Since you misquoted Jan and are responding to what I wrote, I ride my bikes daily. What's
your excuse?

JD
 
Mr. E. Mann wrote:
> [email protected] (JD) wrote in news:[email protected]:
>
>> "Richard Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:<[email protected]>...
>>> At the gym, I'm trying to get my legs strong and in shape. So I do Leg Presses 5 Sets of 20
>>> reps. The weight is light, no more than 100 pounds. Never strain, it's an easy workout to make
>>> my knees and legs strong and to stretch the hamstrings and an overall good exercise. Then I get
>>> on the stationary bike for 30 minutes and get a Cardiovascular workout. My question is leg
>>> presses first and right afterwards stationary bike? I think that the muscle workout first and
>>> the Cardiovascular workout second? Can these be done on the same days at the same time frame or
>>> different days?
>>
>> If you want to get in shape for riding your bike, RIDE YOUR BIKE.
>>
>> JD
>>
>
> I wonder how many other people (besides you and myself) were thinking the same thing. Riding a
> stationary bike to get in shape for riding a bike? LOL!
>

A spin class more resembles a riding workout but it still ain't the real thing. I get a good six
weeks of conditioning ahead of my pals that ride to get in shape for riding.

Penny
 
In article <[email protected]>, Peter Tønnesen wrote:

>> Actually, during the riding season, this is good advice, and I should have mentioned it myself.
>> During the year, doing weights will likely slow you down somewhat. Muscles remember how to move
>> the way that they're trained.
>
> So you mean that all the small brains placed in the musclefibres will stand up and make a riot if
> you dont keep slow rpm? LOL

Ah, someone that's never heard of muscle memory.

> We have more than one type of muscle fibres, slow twitch and fast twitch. You go figure which
> fibre is doing what...
>
> Lifting weight is a really good idea. I am doing a lot of legexcercises over the winter, and i
> have never been better on hills this season. You dont need a lot of reps, but a few (8-10) heavy
> reps to build up and train the fast twitch fibres. It will help you climp better, prepare you
> physically and mentally, keeps your muscles and joints in a good and healthy shape. In order for a
> muscle (including the heart) to increase strength, it must be gradually stressed by working
> against a load greater than it is used to.

Yes, weight training can be good for riding. I've done it myself. But I admit to reading a fair
amount of training material, and most of it recommends that your weight program slow and stop a few
weeks before the riding season starts, if you're a 'serious' (ie. competitive) rider. While not
everything the pros do is something that us normal riders should do, I figure that there's some
grain of truth in there. During the leadup to the Tour de France, you're not going to see Lance
Armstrong lifting weights. He's already done that as part of his winter fitness training. At this
point, he starts riding mountains and racing his bike to train himself. The best training for riding
your bike will always be riding your bike. Even if you never do anything else, you can make yourself
into a helluva rider if you just ride your bike a lot. Joe Friel (in 'The Moutain Biker's Training
Bible', I think, though he may have said it elsewhere) even says that there are a lot of training
mistakes that can be made up for simply by riding your bike a lot.

If you can go out and ride, go out and ride. Why would you want to stay in and lift weights anyway?

JS

--
========================= [email protected] ========================
Jan Sacharuk Member in Good Standing of The Discordian Solidarity Turn on viewing of the X-Geek-Code
header to see my Geek Code
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"Jan Sacharuk" <[email protected]> skrev i en meddelelse
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, Peter Tønnesen wrote:
>
> >> Actually, during the riding season, this is good advice, and I should have mentioned it myself.
> >> During the year, doing weights will likely slow you down somewhat. Muscles remember how to move
> >> the way that they're trained.
> >
> > So you mean that all the small brains placed in the musclefibres will
stand
> > up and make a riot if you dont keep slow rpm? LOL
>
> Ah, someone that's never heard of muscle memory.

:) I have now

> > We have more than one type of muscle fibres, slow twitch and fast
twitch.
> > You go figure which fibre is doing what...
> >
> > Lifting weight is a really good idea. I am doing a lot of legexcercises
over
> > the winter, and i have never been better on hills this season. You dont
need
> > a lot of reps, but a few (8-10) heavy reps to build up and train the
fast
> > twitch fibres. It will help you climp better, prepare you physically and mentally, keeps your
> > muscles and joints in a good and healthy shape. In order for a muscle (including the heart) to
> > increase strength, it must
be
> > gradually stressed by working against a load greater than it is used to.
>
> Yes, weight training can be good for riding. I've done it myself. But I admit to reading a fair
> amount of training material, and most of it recommends that your weight program slow and stop a
> few weeks before the riding season starts, if you're a 'serious' (ie. competitive) rider. While
> not everything the pros do is something that us normal riders should do, I figure that there's
> some grain of truth in there. During the leadup to the Tour de France, you're not going to see
> Lance Armstrong lifting weights. He's already done that as part of his winter fitness training. At
> this point, he starts riding mountains and racing his bike to train himself. The best training for
> riding your bike will always be riding your bike.

Off course, you will get better technical and get in better shape when riding, thats for sure. But
again, my experience with combined weightlift and cardiotraining did wonders for me, especially on
sprints and climps...

>Even if you never do anything else, you can make yourself into a helluva rider if you just ride
>your bike a lot. Joe Friel (in 'The Moutain Biker's Training Bible', I think, though he may have
>said it elsewhere) even says that there are a lot of training mistakes that can be made up for
>simply by riding your bike a lot.

Off course you can, but again, training is up to the individual. I see a huge progress on climps
after my winter workout in the gym. I dont lift weights in the racing season, theres no time, and
the rest takes to long. So now its all about riding.

> If you can go out and ride, go out and ride. Why would you want to stay in and lift
> weights anyway?

Because of stinking danish weather :-( And because I work in a gym... I also train my shoulders,
back, lower back and more to avoid injuries and avoid pain in those areas. So its not only my legs,
but that was the topic :)

Cya Peter
 
"JD" <[email protected]> skrev i en meddelelse
news:[email protected]...
> "Peter Tønnesen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > "Jan Sacharuk" <[email protected]> skrev i en meddelelse
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > In article <[email protected]>, JD
wrote:
> > > > If you want to get in shape for riding your bike, RIDE YOUR BIKE.
> >
> > Follow your own advice if you dont have anything to say...Well, you
usually
> > dont, so just go ride your bike now, ok?
>
> Since you misquoted Jan and are responding to what I wrote, I ride my bikes daily. What's
> your excuse?

Sorry for misquoting...

I was at work and felt i had something useful to share with Jan, so i did.

Peter
 
"JD" <[email protected]> skrev i en meddelelse
news:[email protected]...
> "Peter Tønnesen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > I doubt that that pro bikers sit on their bike all the time...
>
> Will all pro bikers who frequent this newsgroup please raise your hand?

It was an example to tell that they do other things than riding their bike. They too work out in a
gym, we have a lot of (semi)pro riders in our gym in the winter. Leg workout might/will help you i a
lot of ways... A serious rider would know that.

Peter
 
In article <[email protected]>, Peter Tønnesen wrote:

> Off course you can, but again, training is up to the individual. I see a huge progress on climps
> after my winter workout in the gym. I dont lift weights in the racing season, theres no time, and
> the rest takes to long. So now its all about riding.
>
>> If you can go out and ride, go out and ride. Why would you want to stay in and lift weights
>> anyway?
>
> Because of stinking danish weather :-( And because I work in a gym... I also train my shoulders,
> back, lower back and more to avoid injuries and avoid pain in those areas. So its not only my
> legs, but that was the topic :)

Ah-ha. Okay, my take on the original question was that the person was lifting weights during the
riding season, and was asking advice on that. Since it's nice enough to ride almost everywhere in
the world right now, or getting there, I think this person would be better served by going out and
actually riding. I live in Edmonton, AB, Canada, so I'm locked in by snow 6 months of the year.
That's a good time to go lift weights. But lift weights now? When I could be riding? Forget it! :)

JS

--
========================= [email protected] ========================
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JD said it all in a nut shell. I'll say it too ride your bike.

Fire up MTB 03
 
"Penny S." <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:

> Mr. E. Mann wrote:
>> [email protected] (JD) wrote in news:[email protected]:
>>
>>> "Richard Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>> news:<[email protected]>...
>>>> At the gym, I'm trying to get my legs strong and in shape. So I do Leg Presses 5 Sets of 20
>>>> reps. The weight is light, no more than 100 pounds. Never strain, it's an easy workout to make
>>>> my knees and legs strong and to stretch the hamstrings and an overall good exercise. Then I get
>>>> on the stationary bike for 30 minutes and get a Cardiovascular workout. My question is leg
>>>> presses first and right afterwards stationary bike? I think that the muscle workout first and
>>>> the Cardiovascular workout second? Can these be done on the same days at the same time frame or
>>>> different days?
>>>
>>> If you want to get in shape for riding your bike, RIDE YOUR BIKE.
>>>
>>> JD
>>>
>>
>> I wonder how many other people (besides you and myself) were thinking the same thing. Riding a
>> stationary bike to get in shape for riding a bike? LOL!
>>
>
> A spin class more resembles a riding workout but it still ain't the real thing. I get a good six
> weeks of conditioning ahead of my pals that ride to get in shape for riding.
>
> Penny
>
>

I sometimes forget that some places you can't ride year round like you can in California.
 
Mr. E. Mann wrote:
> "Penny S." <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:
>
>
>>Mr. E. Mann wrote:
>>
>>>[email protected] (JD) wrote in news:[email protected]:
>>>
>>>
>>>>"Richard Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>>news:<[email protected]>...
>>>>
>>>>>At the gym, I'm trying to get my legs strong and in shape. So I do Leg Presses 5 Sets of 20
>>>>>reps. The weight is light, no more than 100 pounds. Never strain, it's an easy workout to make
>>>>>my knees and legs strong and to stretch the hamstrings and an overall good exercise. Then I get
>>>>>on the stationary bike for 30 minutes and get a Cardiovascular workout. My question is leg
>>>>>presses first and right afterwards stationary bike? I think that the muscle workout first and
>>>>>the Cardiovascular workout second? Can these be done on the same days at the same time frame or
>>>>>different days?
>>>>
>>>>If you want to get in shape for riding your bike, RIDE YOUR BIKE.
>>>>
>>>>JD
>>>>
>>>
>>>I wonder how many other people (besides you and myself) were thinking the same thing. Riding a
>>>stationary bike to get in shape for riding a bike? LOL!
>>>
>>
>> A spin class more resembles a riding workout but it still ain't the real thing. I get a good six
>> weeks of conditioning ahead of my pals that ride to get in shape for riding.
>>
>>Penny
>
> I sometimes forget that some places you can't ride year round like you can in California.

I just took my first real bike ride of the season, having skipped over a couple nice days. (A road
bike. I'll take the old mtb off the wall soon.) As an out-of-work engineer not expecting to find a
job for a while, I've been training to become a fitness instructor, which includes regular visits to
spin classes which I'll soon be leading.

Wednesday the class was so hard I actually got into my first ever episode of exercise-induced
angina. It went away immediately when I backed off, immediately! I swear I'm gonna squirt that gal
with my water bottle one of these days.

Spin classes are short by bike riding standards.

I'm in much better shape than I was last year at this time.

The fixed-gear flywheel on the spinning bikes can tweak your form. I found myself "chunking" light
gears at the top of the stroke, because the bike wasn't pulling my foot around the circle. I'll fix
that with a little more real riding.

A breeze is very nice.

Cramping is more prevalent in spin classes, possibly due to heat.

Are these single-speeds that everyone gushes about fixed gear or do they have freewheels? I would
think that a fixed gear would be damn hard to ride over anything interesting.

--
--
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worried about an opponent who uses nation building and the military in the same sentence. See, our
view of the military is for the military to be properly prepared to fight and win war and therefore,
prevent war from happening in the first place." George Bush, Nov. 6, 2000
 
"Mr. E. Mann" wrote:
>
>
> I sometimes forget that some places you can't ride year round like you can in California.

I live in Connecticut, and don't understand why I "can't" ride year round. <G> So what, it's cold in
the winter. Dress right, and you _can_ ride year round.

Barry
 
In article <[email protected]>, Raptor wrote:

> Are these single-speeds that everyone gushes about fixed gear or do they have freewheels? I would
> think that a fixed gear would be damn hard to ride over anything interesting.

They can be both. Hubs that can be used as freewheel hubs and then flipped over and used as
track-style fixed gear hubs are not uncommon.

JS

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and we can ride them like ponies." - Evil Willow, BtVS
 
Raptor wrote:
> I just took my first real bike ride of the season, having skipped over a couple nice days. (A road
> bike. I'll take the old mtb off the wall soon.) As an out-of-work engineer not expecting to find a
> job for a while, I've been training to become a fitness instructor, which includes regular visits
> to spin classes which I'll soon be leading.
>
> Wednesday the class was so hard I actually got into my first ever episode of exercise-induced
> angina. It went away immediately when I backed off, immediately! I swear I'm gonna squirt that gal
> with my water bottle one of these days.
>

That sounds healty... common sense woudl indicate you are working too hard. I wear a HR monitor in
spin classes... that' ll teach you a few things.
>
> The fixed-gear flywheel on the spinning bikes can tweak your form. I found myself "chunking" light
> gears at the top of the stroke, because the bike wasn't pulling my foot around the circle. I'll
> fix that with a little more real riding.

hmm... if you have the bike tension set right that shouldn't happen. Or the bikes need servicing.
You ought ot know that if you are going to teach.
>

> Cramping is more prevalent in spin classes, possibly due to heat.

Never heard of such a thing, and I spin 2/3 times a week in the winter, for several years. The
only time I have heard of anything like that is *you* stating you had exercise induced
angina...not so sure I'd want someone like you for an instructor, you sound uninformed and
untrained to say the least.

Penny S
 
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