Weights might helps with cycling economy

[oldborn]

There is new study http://www.hokksund-rehab.no/filarkiv/File/Forskningsartikler/Sunde_2009_MAXIMAL_STRENGTH_TRAINING_IMPROVES_CYCLING.pdf which might show us that old fashion weights can help in endurance cycling economy.

"In conclusion, maximal strength training for 8 weeks improved CE and efficiency and increased time to exhaustion at maximal aerobic power among competitive road cyclists, without change in maximal oxygen uptake, cadence, or body weight. Based on the results from the present study, we advise cyclists to include maximal strength training in their training programs"

Also another study http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/2005/07000/Maximal_Leg_Strength_Training_Improves_Cycling.22.aspx but with untrained men with prety much same results.

"Conclusion: Maximal leg-strength training improves cycling economy in previously untrained subjects. Increases in leg strength during the final 4 wk of training with unchanged LLM suggest that neural adaptations were present"

So there was no muscle mass gain, and some benefits ocur. Interesting stuff indeed. Should we all do weights? IMHO, no!
That is works for me fine.

 

[veganrob]

Got me interested. I had started on a weight workout regimen doing 20-25 reps. Totally foreign to me as I had done low reps in past. But check this study out.
http://www.powerrunning.com/Training/High Rep Strength Training.htm

 

[brianf7]

OK when you are not racing . During the season you need all muscle recovery you can get .

If you must do weights during the season do small and fast. the jym ball behing your back and squat 20 times is enough

 

[oldborn]

I am also not doing weights since april, but I would not be surprised at all that for couple of years riders do "low weights following easy spinning" as a recovery.
veganrob nice article, i have always beleived that low weights-high rep was designed for endurance type of activity.

That paper show us that guys started at 50% RPM to 80%RPM until they reach 1RPM. What kind of relation has maximum strenght with endurance, it is interesting.

Authors claims that 5% improvement in CE, should actually count as a 5 % improvement in time performance.

 

[DirtyWorks]

This research fits my experience.

I don't have the time to ride to go as fast as I would like and switched to 90% gym, 10% riding. I'm experimenting with the length of time required to be on an electronic gym bike that varies resistance with some interesting observations.

Actual weight training is done after the max effort on the exercise bike, 10 reps max. The reps are done very slowly. I'm not bulking up. It turns out working on core strength improves cycling output in ways I didn't expect too.

Overall, my PR on specific climbs is going down. The weight training breaks plateaus too. I figure by sometime next year I'll be in locally competitive racing condition. IMHO, weight training periods year round will give better results than previously thought in endurance sports.

I'm a mountain biker so my descending skills suffer on this schedule.

 

[STODRR]

This research fits my experience.

I don't have the time to ride to go as fast as I would like and switched to 90% gym, 10% riding. I'm experimenting with the length of time required to be on an electronic gym bike that varies resistance with some interesting observations.

Actual weight training is done after the max effort on the exercise bike, 10 reps max. The reps are done very slowly. I'm not bulking up. It turns out working on core strength improves cycling output in ways I didn't expect too.

Overall, my PR on specific climbs is going down. The weight training breaks plateaus too. I figure by sometime next year I'll be in locally competitive racing condition. IMHO, weight training periods year round will give better results than previously thought in endurance sports.

I'm a mountain biker so my descending skills suffer on this schedule.

doing reps slowly and in the 10-12 range is a receipe for muscle growth ie bulking up. You get the most muscle tear down and repair which includes growth that way.

 

[oldborn]

doing reps slowly and in the 10-12 range is a receipe for muscle growth ie bulking up. You get the most muscle tear down and repair which includes growth that way.

Well i must admit that i also beleived in "slow-high weights" would increase muscle mass, but those guys did not gain any body weight.
It can be associated with diet or muscle fibre type, but those ugly body builders also do not lift heavy weights in general, and they still look like Hulks, cos they do not ride a bike for 4 hours after and they taking 4000 calories per day.

IMHO, nothing should be generalized, i can not gain legs muscle mass for 50 years, even with taking some serious stuff

 

[STODRR]

Well i must admit that i also beleived in "slow-high weights" would increase muscle mass, but those guys did not gain any body weight.
It can be associated with diet or muscle fibre type, but those ugly body builders also do not lift heavy weights in general, and they still look like Hulks, cos they do not ride a bike for 4 hours after and they taking 4000 calories per day.

IMHO, nothing should be generalized, i can not gain legs muscle mass for 50 years, even with taking some serious stuff

I don't think those test subjects were doing it to exhaustion and fibre type has something to do with it along with the aerobic work with it. However I was not talking about the study I was just replying to dirtyworks. He just has to be careful doing what he is doing. Doing a weight slowely in the 10-12 rep range where you reach exhaustion toward the end for multiple sets is where you get the real bulking(I did some amatuer body building in my younger days). The reason I said receipe is because I am not sure how many sets he was doing and what exhaustion rate he was working too.

You are also correct not everybody will turn into a body builder hulk but you will most likely gain some weight if you do the weights in the fashion I described. I am a proponet of lifting during certian parts of the year. I just keep my reps above 20 or below 5 depending on what I am working on.

 

[oldborn]

I don't think those test subjects were doing it to exhaustion and fibre type has something to do with it along with the aerobic work with it. However I was not talking about the study I was just replying to dirtyworks. He just has to be careful doing what he is doing. Doing a weight slowely in the 10-12 rep range where you reach exhaustion toward the end for multiple sets is where you get the real bulking(I did some amatuer body building in my younger days). The reason I said receipe is because I am not sure how many sets he was doing and what exhaustion rate he was working too.

You are also correct not everybody will turn into a body builder hulk but you will most likely gain some weight if you do the weights in the fashion I described. I am a proponet of lifting during certian parts of the year. I just keep my reps above 20 or below 5 depending on what I am working on.

Oh, i see now mate.
Stay well!