How is it possible skinny legs more powerful than muscular legs

[function]

really? how much are you able to use it when it's already contracted? It means more work for the quads as the driver muscle group...

and Brad's a "toer" (ie; rides slightly toe down) which means he uses less calf muscle and his power comes from his quads more. Toers all tend to have thin calves, yet still perform exceptionally well...

The fact still remains that toe down means more calf muscle use. Try running on your tip toes.

 

[Archibald]

The fact still remains that toe down means more calf muscle use. Try running on your tip toes.

you do know the difference between an active muscle and a static muscle, and which one is "used" most?
try developing your calf muscles by just standing on your toes as opposed to actually flexing it by raising yourself up to be on your toes from a lower heel position...

 

[function]

you do know the difference between an active muscle and a static muscle, and which one is "used" most?
try developing your calf muscles by just standing on your toes as opposed to actually flexing it by raising yourself up to be on your toes from a lower heel position...

So standing on your tip toes for prolonged periods of time would not develop them? You think they wouldn't eventually fatigue? I must say it's a strange position you're arguing, that being on your tip toes does not result in more calf utilisation than being flat on your feet.

 

[oldborn]

Standing on toes (static strenght) would only develop muscle at or near to to joint angle at which is exercise performed. Training at only one joint angle do not increase strenght throughout full range of motion, so standing on toes or heels would only strength that part of motion.

I was always told that spinners riding with toes down and seat height a little higher then usual, and masher pedaling with heels down for more force to pedal, of course i do not beleive in that.

Stay well!

 

[TheWrench]

Re: How is it possible skinny legs more powerful than muscul

"Shouldn't more muscle kind of suggest that I should have more strength and perhaps power? I see the same thing in the pro ranks. How can such skinny legs generate so much power?"

I know this is a super old thread, but here goes. What I'm not seeing much of in this thread is talk of efficiency. I come from a weightlifting and automotive background, and I have legs used to squat 495 lbs max and leg press 930 lbs (18 plates) for 13 reps. I've only been cycling a short time, but my understanding is that power output on a bicycle is a matter of efficiency rather than raw power. Here's my take. I'll use the "car's engine" analogy used earlier in this thread... A larger engine is more powerful in acceleration, but will use more fuel AND create more waste. In a human body, this translates into larger muscles placing a greater load on the cardiovascular system. It makes sense to me that over time, at any given output, bigger muscles will create more lactic acid and waste products than smaller ones, and your heart and lungs have to work harder to clear it all out. It's why you don't see distance runners built like bodybuilders or sprinters built like marathoners. Having giant muscles is an unnatural state for the human body, and therefore places unnatural demands on the body's systems. I hope I make some kind of sense.

 

[Lv426]

You said it all wrench. Im back into lifting weights , got the bug again but I'm making sure I'm climbing as quick as ever and I am . I've put on about a stone of muscle in 2 months, strength could be better definitely struggling with the legs strength wise. But they are growing. I'm doing lots of reps on a short hill near my house. 53 x 19 for 20 reps just blasting it up . Don't take that long around 35 mins. I head over to my normal longer climbing route once a week just to check my progress and so far I've actually improved. So I'll keep getting bigger until it feels detrimental.
My riding goals are simple I like to go over to Europe,France,Spain,etc and kill it up 1 climb . I'm not into 3 /4 hour rides . I climb in my big ring . I applied my weight training theories to my climbing . I aim to ride in a harder gear I.e. Like adding more weight to bar. I have been training/ riding like that for over 10 years. It works for me ok but like I said I'm all about 1/2 hours riding not 4or 5 hours . Nice post ...

 

[Ruby United]

Re:

I'm surprised it doesn't get mentioned more but look at how aero Cav is compared to the others. Word from one of the former British Track Coaches is that Cav doesn't put out a huge amount of power but is very smart with what he has got.

Since this thread is being discussed again, I'll point out - 7 years late - that sure enough Cav has said on several occasions, and written in his autobiography, that he was told by coaches he didn't have the power output to be a top sprinter.