Cross Training With Cycling?

[jmaccelari]

If you ride MTB, road helps.

If you ride road, MTB helps.

 

I also do 2 x 8km jogs per week and am looking at starting Pilates

to help with code strength.

 

[jmaccelari]

 

I'm training for Ironman. Running does make your cycling stronger' date=' but it doesn't work the other way around. Cycling does nothing for your running. Sucks.

[/quote']

Depends

 

I run with some Comrades guys and their legs are much stronger than mine,

but they sure as heck can't out pace me due to my cycling lungs. It's

amazing how aerobically fit I find cycling makes me...

 

[ASTANA]

 

Has anybody tried incorporating skipping into their x-training session? I did the other morning and I got a harder workout in 3 minutes then I did in the 30 minute run I did just before it.

 

Skipping / "Touspring" is very good but really hard on the legs. especially the shins and calf's. I would suggest first do a few weeks running before you use skipping as a exercise to train for 2-4 times a week for instance.

 

The reason being to first get you legs used to continuous pounding. Obviously if you do it once a week for 5min its no issue.

 

Better to slowly get into a new exercise and work towards a goal. Its like someone starting off tri-training - there is no way you can just hop onto a program where you swim,cycle and run in one day from start and continue that for a few months on end. You work your way up towards being able to do all 3 in one go and then increase mileage

 

[flex]

The problem is finding the time to do all this. I like to ride at least 5 times a week, which leaves me with 2 days, one of which should really be a rest day. The other I like to use for pilates or an extra ride.

 

 

 

This whole "work/ job" thing is really getting in the way of my training

[ASTANA]

 

I find training for Comrades helps my MTB

 

Naa, its just that mtbing is way easier than running 90km - so its a mental thing.

 

[epoh]

I find running slows me down on the climbs.

[ASTANA]

 

I find running slows me down on the climbs.

 

Its fun to run past the old ballies in Stellenbosch with their new Dogma's on the climbs - and its a gradual climb - small bump in the road

 

[JohnnyReggae]

I'd say (with much bias) that Unicycling would be

an excellent cross-training option. Work on your core strength' date=' sense

of balance, and will give you a killer workout more so than any other

cycling as there is no rest.

[/quote']

 

No, its still the same leg movements. The idea is to

change the working muscles in the leg to strengthen the muscles that

plays a support role to the ones you mainly use for cycling.

 

Too much of one thing leads to overuse injuries. Mix it up and your sorted.

 

hhmmmm ... I'd have to disagree slightly here. While the pedaling

motion is the same. ie. round and round, there are some marked

differences. Firstly the angle at which you sit and pedal is completely

different. With the Uni you sit directly over the wheel in a more

upright position and forces are directed more downwards, whereas on a

bicycle you're sitting more hunched with forces directed slightly

forward, ie. centre of the cranks are offset forwards from the saddle.

Secondly, because it's a fixie all your control is in the pedals

therefore more control of quad and hamstring muscles required at the

same time in order to maintain balance. Which then leads to the third

thing, balance. The constant corrections to balance will strengthen

core muscles which in turn will strengthen lower back muscles.

 

 

 

Riding a Uni is a different workout. For me riding a bicycle feels so foreign, and almost wrong mostly due to the pedaling angle and can feel a difference in how muscles are used.

 

[ASTANA]

 

I'd say (with much bias) that Unicycling would be

an excellent cross-training option. Work on your core strength' date=' sense

of balance, and will give you a killer workout more so than any other

cycling as there is no rest.

[/quote']

 

No, its still the same leg movements. The idea is to

change the working muscles in the leg to strengthen the muscles that

plays a support role to the ones you mainly use for cycling.

 

Too much of one thing leads to overuse injuries. Mix it up and your sorted.

 

hhmmmm ... I'd have to disagree slightly here. While the pedaling

motion is the same. ie. round and round, there are some marked

differences. Firstly the angle at which you sit and pedal is completely

different. With the Uni you sit directly over the wheel in a more

upright position and forces are directed more downwards, whereas on a

bicycle you're sitting more hunched with forces directed slightly

forward, ie. centre of the cranks are offset forwards from the saddle.

Secondly, because it's a fixie all your control is in the pedals

therefore more control of quad and hamstring muscles required at the

same time in order to maintain balance. Which then leads to the third

thing, balance. The constant corrections to balance will strengthen

core muscles which in turn will strengthen lower back muscles.

 

 

 

Riding a Uni is a different workout. For me riding a bicycle feels so foreign, and almost wrong mostly due to the pedaling angle and can feel a difference in how muscles are used.

 

 

agree to disagree then. Its circular movements with your legs. Working 90% the same muscles either way. So the idea of cross is to change the muscle groups and movement a bit to train the other muscles and also strengthen your bone with more impact movements etc.

 

so either way - it depends on what your idea of cross training is.

 

Is it to improve your current main sport - lets say MTBing

 

OR

 

is it to improve muscle movement / flexibility and / or strength to prevent injury from overused muscle groups and repetitive movements ??

 

That my friend is the question

 

[HappyMartin]

Have to agree with the above post. I am sure unicycling will complement cycling as noted in this thread but it would not constitute true cross training any more than mtb would. Running, gym work or swimming would be real cross training with gym and running giving the added benefits of bone density improvements needed by cyclists.

 

 

 

Having said that I would probably get some improvements to bone density if I tried unicycling as the repeated impacts from falling over would, if I didn't actually brake the bones, strengthen them.

[JohnnyReggae]

 

 

hhmmmm ... I'd have to disagree slightly here. While the pedaling

motion is the same. ie. round and round' date=' there are some marked

differences. Firstly the angle at which you sit and pedal is completely

different. With the Uni you sit directly over the wheel in a more

upright position and forces are directed more downwards, whereas on a

bicycle you're sitting more hunched with forces directed slightly

forward, ie. centre of the cranks are offset forwards from the saddle.

Secondly, because it's a fixie all your control is in the pedals

therefore more control of quad and hamstring muscles required at the

same time in order to maintain balance. Which then leads to the third

thing, balance. The constant corrections to balance will strengthen

core muscles which in turn will strengthen lower back muscles.

 

 

 

Riding a Uni is a different workout. For me riding a bicycle feels so foreign, and almost wrong mostly due to the pedaling angle and can feel a difference in how muscles are used.

 

[/quote']

 

agree to disagree then. Its circular movements with your legs. Working 90% the same muscles either way. So the idea of cross is to change the muscle groups and movement a bit to train the other muscles and also strengthen your bone with more impact movements etc.

 

so either way - it depends on what your idea of cross training is.

 

Is it to improve your current main sport - lets say MTBing

 

OR

 

is it to improve muscle movement / flexibility and / or strength to prevent injury from overused muscle groups and repetitive movements ??

 

That my friend is the question

Good point, I'll admit Although not really wanting to give in on the points I mentioned, you do have a good argument. But I'm still going to recommend Unicycling just because I can

 

[Hog_]

The best workout I've gotten in years was a Parkour session. I could barely walk for a week afterwards. Highly recommended.

 

 

 

 

[JohnnyReggae]

 

 

Having said that I would probably get some improvements to bone density if I tried unicycling as the repeated impacts from falling over would' date=' if I didn't actually brake the bones, strengthen them. [/quote']

What doesn't kill makes you stronger

 

I've gotten pretty good at doing a drop and roll for the times I do actually hit the ground, occasionally I don't get a chance to and face plant .... usually because of a pedal clip on a rock or root.

 

It's all good

JohnnyReggae2010-01-15 02:00:13

[flex]

Eish, just went to try my first pilates class at the gym here at work, only to find out it's been cancelled without notice

 

 

 

My new year's resolution has not got off to a great start, hope its not bad karma!