quad/hamstring balance

[km]

I heard somebody saying serious cyclists have to weight train for
hamstring development to offset quad development from cycling. Since
cycling primarily works the quad, in the absence of this extra
hamstring development (through weight training) they risk injury.

Is this true?

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
"km" <[email protected]> writes:

> I heard somebody saying serious cyclists have to weight train for
> hamstring development to offset quad development from cycling. Since
> cycling primarily works the quad, in the absence of this extra
> hamstring development (through weight training) they risk injury.
>
> Is this true?

No.

Cycling does not create imbalances between interdependent,
interrelated muscles/connective tissues. And it does not
develop the quadraceps exclusively, and at the expense of
other muscles & connective tissues. In fact, developing
any one of those things results in a corresponding functional
development of the associated muscles & tissues.

Bike-riding legs are good legs.

Sounds to me like someone has an agendum for you to weight-train.
Perhaps to their monetary gain (by your monetary loss.)

But I guess "serious" cyclists have to do (or worry about)
something-or-other "serious".


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

 

[Bill Sornson]

km wrote:
> I heard somebody saying serious cyclists have to weight train for
> hamstring development to offset quad development from cycling. Since
> cycling primarily works the quad, in the absence of this extra
> hamstring development (through weight training) they risk injury.
>
> Is this true?

Not sure about injury, but I for one have much stronger quads than hams.
(Shows up in yoga especially.)

Bill "I'll start working on it...tomorrow" S.

 

[Michael Warner]

On Sat, 21 Oct 2006 00:10:29 -0700, Tom Keats wrote:

> Bike-riding legs are good legs.

Good for bike-riding, but not good for running. I tried it for a few days
recently when I was on holidays and didn't have a bike, and just about
crippled myself! I could hardly walk after 3 days or so.

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
Michael Warner <[email protected]> writes:
> On Sat, 21 Oct 2006 00:10:29 -0700, Tom Keats wrote:
>
>> Bike-riding legs are good legs.
>
> Good for bike-riding, but not good for running. I tried it for a few days
> recently when I was on holidays and didn't have a bike, and just about
> crippled myself! I could hardly walk after 3 days or so.

Yeah, I hope you can get back into bicycling soon.

Running sux. It's for peasants, escapees and
people who are late for work.

'tell ya what -- I'm inflicted with a plantar callus (not to be
confused with a plantar wart) on the sole of my right foot.
It's right behind and between the little piggie that went to
market, and the one that stayed home. The accursed thing is
killing me when I'm on my feet. Doesn't bother me at all when
I'm riding. But just walking makes the damn thing inflict
such pain on me. I think I'd rather have hemmorhoids.
I don't sit down as much as I'm on my feets. Muh poor dawgs!

So, to paraphrase the Gloria Estefan song:
"Get off your feet.
Mount up and make it happen."

Maybe that has the makings of a Critical Mass anthem?
(And I'm still trying to make one out of Neil Young's "Downtown".)

Thanx for letting me gripe a li'l 'bout muh poor dawgs.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

 

[Michael Warner]

On Sat, 21 Oct 2006 02:09:44 -0700, Tom Keats wrote:

> In article <[email protected]>,
> Michael Warner <[email protected]> writes:
>> On Sat, 21 Oct 2006 00:10:29 -0700, Tom Keats wrote:
>>
>>> Bike-riding legs are good legs.
>>
>> Good for bike-riding, but not good for running. I tried it for a few days
>> recently when I was on holidays and didn't have a bike, and just about
>> crippled myself! I could hardly walk after 3 days or so.
>
> Yeah, I hope you can get back into bicycling soon.

Oh, I'm fine now, thanks. It was a few weeks ago, and the effect only
lasted a few days. I shouldn't have been so paranoid about a couple of
weeks of good living without much exercise

> 'tell ya what -- I'm inflicted with a plantar callus (not to be
> confused with a plantar wart) on the sole of my right foot.
> It's right behind and between the little piggie that went to
> market, and the one that stayed home. The accursed thing is
> killing me when I'm on my feet. Doesn't bother me at all when
> I'm riding. But just walking makes the damn thing inflict
> such pain on me. I think I'd rather have hemmorhoids.
> I don't sit down as much as I'm on my feets. Muh poor dawgs!

Sounds nasty. Hope it can be removed.


--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

 

[Mark Hickey]

Michael Warner <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Sat, 21 Oct 2006 00:10:29 -0700, Tom Keats wrote:
>
>> Bike-riding legs are good legs.
>
>Good for bike-riding, but not good for running. I tried it for a few days
>recently when I was on holidays and didn't have a bike, and just about
>crippled myself! I could hardly walk after 3 days or so.

While there is a benefit to specific training for running (as you
discovered), cycling does count as good training for running. Some
friends of my wife talked us into doing a half marathon (a tough one
at 7500 feet, on a hilly course with some gravel roads), and I had run
a grand total of about 14 miles over the preceeding two years as of
the day of the race. Her friends didn't think I'd finish, but I ended
up taking second in my age group (torqued off her friends, who were
"serious" runners and finished behind me).

Running more will work out the biomechanical issues better, and
produce a more effective gait - AND should prevent overusing those
muscles that are recruited more in running than cycling. I'd do a lot
more of it, but my knees won't handle the miles, sadly.

FWIW, we're doing the (huge) Rock and Roll Half Marathon in January.
As of now, it looks like I'm likely to have LESS "running training"
than my last running race. ;-)

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame

 

[bill]

Mark Hickey wrote:
> Michael Warner <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 21 Oct 2006 00:10:29 -0700, Tom Keats wrote:
>>
>>> Bike-riding legs are good legs.
>> Good for bike-riding, but not good for running. I tried it for a few days
>> recently when I was on holidays and didn't have a bike, and just about
>> crippled myself! I could hardly walk after 3 days or so.
>
> While there is a benefit to specific training for running (as you
> discovered), cycling does count as good training for running. Some
> friends of my wife talked us into doing a half marathon (a tough one
> at 7500 feet, on a hilly course with some gravel roads), and I had run
> a grand total of about 14 miles over the preceeding two years as of
> the day of the race. Her friends didn't think I'd finish, but I ended
> up taking second in my age group (torqued off her friends, who were
> "serious" runners and finished behind me).
>
> Running more will work out the biomechanical issues better, and
> produce a more effective gait - AND should prevent overusing those
> muscles that are recruited more in running than cycling. I'd do a lot
> more of it, but my knees won't handle the miles, sadly.
>
> FWIW, we're doing the (huge) Rock and Roll Half Marathon in January.
> As of now, it looks like I'm likely to have LESS "running training"
> than my last running race. ;-)
>
> Mark Hickey
> Habanero Cycles
> http://www.habcycles.com
> Home of the $795 ti frame

I side with the part time running crowd, that cycling is good training
for running, just not, in my book, jogging, which is just plain not
natural. Cycling has made it easier for me to just take off and run or
even sprint using the balls of my feet and NOT my heels, and I can
easily toast even my 15 year old grandson. I would rather ride than run
but sometimes it is a hassle to get the bike out of the mess in the
garage or I am taking the kids on a walk and decide to make them get
some exercise by running. At least I CAN run at my 'advanced' age, since
none of my friends in the same age group even dare to try, and want to
'act' their age. I would enjoy a half marathon at 7500 feet or even
12,000, just to show up some younger hot shots. Altitude has little
effect on me, partly from cycling, partly from never smoking.
Life is good when in good shape.
Bill Baka

 

[Mark Hickey]

bill <[email protected]> wrote:

>I would enjoy a half marathon at 7500 feet or even
>12,000, just to show up some younger hot shots. Altitude has little
>effect on me, partly from cycling, partly from never smoking.

Altitude does have an effect on running times though (the winning full
marathon time was well over three hours, which is pretty slow for even
a hilly marathon). It's less of an issue on cycling speed since
aerodynamic drag drops along with air density, giving at least some of
the loss back (that is, if you're going fast enough).

>Life is good when in good shape.

It's cliche', but true enough.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame

 

[dgk]

On 20 Oct 2006 23:15:04 -0700, "km" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I heard somebody saying serious cyclists have to weight train for
>hamstring development to offset quad development from cycling. Since
>cycling primarily works the quad, in the absence of this extra
>hamstring development (through weight training) they risk injury.
>
>Is this true?

Seems to be a difference of opinion here on the newsgroup. What a
surprise!

I commute by bike 90 miles a week or so. Not a serious cyclist, but
more than most people. I have had a knee problem, which a physical
therapist said was likely from doing nothing but biking. He said my
hamstrings were very tight.

So I joined a stretch class at the Y. I belong to it anyway but don't
go at all over the summer because I'm either biking or surfing.
Surfing is great for the upper body because I mostly paddle around,
but does nothing for the legs. Now I go to my stretch class and it is
remarkable how tight my hamstrings are compared to everyone else. Then
again, everyone else are women so perhaps there is something else at
play. Hey, if you want to meet women, skip the machines and take the
classes.

Anyway, it is a pretty painful hour once per week. And, I've been told
that the hamstrings tighten up very quickly after exercising, so I
should stop before the end of my commute and stretch the hammys.
That's what I do now; there is a nice little park right before I get
to work, so I stop and stretch, then continue on to work.

On the way home, I stop at the Unisphere at Flushing Meadows Corona
Park, and stretch there. Then I continue home. It all seems to be
helping; I'm hopeful that in a few short weeks I'll be able to touch
my toes. And hopefully the knee will stop acting up.