How do I get climbing legs?

[T-Bob]

Lose weight, eat right, don't forget to stretch or your core work, go with the spinning regime posted earlier but most importantly climb... climb and climb some more. Do intervals, attack your mates, chase your mates when they attack you.

 

Wiggo wasn't a great climber but he trained on hills over and over again using the vertical method. It worked.

 

You've first got to be comfortable to climb most hills and then you have to be fit enough to race hills in fits and spurts. When you're that strong on the slopes it's awesome.

 

Then go to europe and start again all over again...

[wapad]

- spinning bike slow cadence - big resistance 4min sitting 1min standing, ultra resistance 4min sitting 1min standing, mega resistance 4min sitting 1min standing, godlike resistance 4min sitting 1min standing - all this x3 or x4

- rowing machine 5000m, set the units to watts, increase your average wattage goals as you get stronger

- weight training, especially legs and stomach crunching

 

Not sure I agree withe spinning bike part sounds like increasing strength, to climb you need to increase power and the best way is cardiac capacity and keeping your cadence up. the rowing machine is great for this

 

whatever you try, you need to get the lungs efficient so any cross training you do should involve cardio, conditioning the core, keeping the weight down and flexibilty

 

In simple terms if you put out 300w at 100kg, then if you can drop a few kilos, you up your power to weight and you WILL IMPROVE on the climbs

 

I am a big cyclist 100Kg and all my gym is light weights and cardio with a big component of that being interval based

 

The rowing machine is excellent for this, I work offshore so have limited training equipment yet with a rowing machine and a crap spinning bike I come home after 60 days, straight on the bike best climbing times up the Wapad, Silvermine ..why drop in weight ( 5kg) and increased cardiac capacity

 

I really rate the Rowing machine try this 3 x 15-20 min blocks at 2:10 / 500m stop in between 3 times a week I was at about 120-130 BPM

 

Then try 1 x 10 mins flat out.. and I mean flat out I was at 1:54 / 500m, my HR was averaging 160 my max got to 170 BPM we had a compo going to break 2500 m under 10 mins maybe 2x week

 

I was eventually at 2680m for the 10 min I reckon 20 years ago it would easily be do-able but at 42 not that easy

 

I started this from doing 0 so achieved that over about 9 weeks, it was amazing to see building the base helping with the top end cardio

 

Ultimately that helped improve my climbing even though still a long way to go .. but not to blow my own trumpet not many guys my size climb with me

 

Oh and climb some more

Edited July 26, 2012 by wapad

[Guest Frail4Life]

Climbing?

Eat, Sleep, Work climbing.

First you need plenty more Saddle time. Things take time. You need Baby steps. All takes time, get into a routine, weekly. Training?

The only Other training thats best is Cross training, core and to break the comfort Zone. You can get Everything from doing your work out on the Bike.

[Stretched@Birth]

Were you blessed with "kierie beentjies"

This is a blessing? Then I must be blessed...

[BergForce]

You need some power in your legs, that`s why the heavy resistance spinning bike routine. When you are climbing on your real bike, you can check if it is your legs or your lungs/cardiac keeping you back. You will probably find it is your legs, therefor you have to increase leg strength/power. If you find that its your lungs/cardiac, then you need to up your cadence type exercise routine like rowing or high cadence spinning. I suggest do both.

[sias]

Were you blessed with "kierie beentjies"

 

Whoa there boet! Let's not throw those words about so carelesly! There are more of us like that! I might take exception!

[The Ghost]

You need some power in your legs, that`s why the heavy resistance spinning bike routine. When you are climbing on your real bike, you can check if it is your legs or your lungs/cardiac keeping you back. You will probably find it is your legs, therefor you have to increase leg strength/power. If you find that its your lungs/cardiac, then you need to up your cadence type exercise routine like rowing or high cadence spinning. I suggest do both.

 

It isn't the cardio I struggle with when climbing; my legs just feel like they have no power :-(

[milky4130]

It isn't the cardio I struggle with when climbing; my legs just feel like they have no power :-(

your legs feel like they have no power because there is no or little oxygen being carried to the muscles, how do you improve this? cardio exercises i.e. rowing, running, squats, jumping squats, any plyometrics, base training on the bike i.e. spinning at 60% MHR for 2-4hours. Are you on the bike already?

[rattlesnake]

http://cyclingfitness.hubpages.com/hub/Muscles-groups-used-while-cycling

 

Check out this link - it contains a diagram of the specific muscles recruited during the pedal stroke and at which point of the pedal stroke.

 

Idea would be to train those muscles in pedal stroke specific movements. I.e. break down the pedal stroke into smaller parts and do exercises that mimic those movements.

 

For better climbing you need to increase power to weight ratio. Although climbing is a slow twitch muscle fibre intensive exercise, so focus on higher repititions.

[BLACKvoodoo]

How do I get climbing legs?

 

 

Trade in your " Walk to the fridge to get a beer" legs

[Mr SingleTrack]

Were you blessed with "kierie beentjies"

I have some of those But make no mistake, they climb well

 

Ek het dalk din bene, maar vir my loop hulle lekker!

[Mr SingleTrack]

You got it wrong, you should make the chicks check you out with Sidis, lycra, smooth legs, a river of sweat, and a camelbak on the spinning bike

Epic Fail

[Warrior Princess]

Epic Fail

 

[Robrider]

How do I get climbing legs?

Trade in your " Walk to the fridge to get a beer" legs

 

I hear the exchange rate is down at the moment

[BLACKvoodoo]

I hear the exchange rate is down at the moment

I'm not ready for climbing legs right now, So I'll stick with my beer legs

[Weppie]

 

Or get a Single Speed

 

Single speed is the only way!!!