Gym work out

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Jmetz

Well-Known Member
Does anybody utilise gym equipment to improve their cycling? if so what kind of weight regimes?

I'm looking to make cycling easier basically haha!
 

davidg

Well-Known Member
Location
London
in winter/spring/when I am in the mood, to strengthen my legs I have done steps onto a step (!) carrying weights and pushing with the leg already on the step and then down again (ie not alternating legs), squats and calf raises
 

montage

God Almighty
Location
Bethlehem
I reckon the most benefitial for cycling are (if any....there are arguments weights don't help much, but assuming weights are benefitial:

Squats (explosive and normal)
Lunges
Deadlift
core excersizes
 

ASC1951

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
Jmetz said:
I'm looking to make cycling easier basically haha!
If you can cope with another bike (and who can't?), try riding fixed with a 70"+ gear. As the year warms up I like to go further and steeper, but a fixie is good for building up leg power early in the season.

Or you could just keep a spare back wheel with a fixed sprocket and a short chain (I like 1/8 chain on the fixed) and give it a go for a few weeks.
 

montage

God Almighty
Location
Bethlehem
Jmetz said:
obviously so, but gym work outs to suppliment is what im looking for

Then the exersises I stated should be the most sufficient. Also, I don't know if there is much research into this, but I believe explosive weighted squats to be the golden exersise here
 
The best training you can do for cycling is getting out on your bike and get the miles in your legs.

Increasing your stamina/lung capacity will help a lot, but I don't think bulking up in a gym is of major benefit.

Skipping is a great exercise for legs and stamina, and works well for fat burning.
 

jimboalee

New Member
Location
Solihull
My routine.

A 'speed march' at 8 kmh on the treadmill set to 'Cardio' for 20 minutes to warm up.

Upright bike. 20 minutes 'random' at level 17.
Upright bike. 20 minutes 'random' at level 20.
Upright bike. 20 minutes 'random' at level 23 ( this maxes at 350 Watts ).

On final session, stand up and turn at 60 rpm when power goes above 250 Watts.
 

biffosbats

New Member
Location
birmingham
I go the gym 3-4 times per week and do a variety of resistance (i,.e. weights machines) and cardio - treadmill, cross-trainer and used to do prone bike. However, since the weather's improved and I've moved to a different gym, I no longer use the bikes, mainly because I keep sliding off the damn things! Also, am now out on real bikes, smelling the air and eating midges!

Anyway, good strength/stamina exercises for cycling I find are:

Lunges, I do 25-30 per leg holding 10 or 12.5kg weights in each hand

Stepper - you can do this at home, starting off gradually just by using the bottom stair - do 20 or 30 reps per leg. Then, as you build up, use a box or higher step and possibly increase the reps

In the gym, I use the leg curl and leg extension machines, 35-40 reps split over 3 sets, at about 45kg each type of machine.

Seated leg press - 20 reps x 3 or 4 sets,now up to 140kg since I've been back in the saddle for a month or so.

There's a poster in my gym about cyclist-specific exercises, which seem to show body twists (stand feet slightly apart, twist left and right from the waist, feet still) holding a medicine ball - 5kg would be about right to start methinks.

I also do some resistence on my triceps and biceps, as well as lat dors (muscles in your mid-lower back) - these help strengthen arms, shoulders and back against the bumps and the general cycling position.

BTW, I am NOT a steroid freak gym rat - short, tubby (but have lost 4.5 stone) middle aged female cyclist.

Hope this helps.
 
OP
OP
Jmetz

Jmetz

Well-Known Member
appreciate the input from everyone..... reason im looking at gym routines is being a student mondaay-thurs im away from my bike and on these days go to the gym, but being relatively new to cycling my work out consisted of topheavy routines and cardio of solely running....

the advice given seems good to me, i intend to use the bikes with strong resistance coupled with weight 'machines' for the legs, and core workouts on a mat....

we shall see how things improve
 

jimboalee

New Member
Location
Solihull
On a bike, on a reasonable hill, you might be doing 60 rpm.

The climbing might last 15 minutes.

30 presses with each leg = 30 squats = 450 reps per set at a 1 rep per second rate.

The bike might be 15 kg, so a 30 kg barbell will simulate the bike. MORE if you want to have an easier ride up the hill when you go out on the real bike.


I find this extremely boring and the others at the gym start getting annoyed at me hogging the Smiths Machine for quarter of an hour at a time, so I use the upright bike set at high absorption, 300 - 350 Watts.
No one gives a toss then and some even think I'm a namby-pamby with only 350 Watts on the dial.
 
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