Cycling for MA Training....

Millionaire

Hi Guys.

I know some of the lads on here are really up to date on fitness,
so maybe you can offer some advice for me on this...

My right knee is not the best, nothing major yet, I suspect
this is the start of a bigger problem in a few years if I do not
take care...

anyway to the point...

Jogging is probably not the best for a knobbly Knee.

I am considering doing some cycling daily,
as I think this is easier on the knees????

Now not Tour de France stuff and kit...think of
simple mountain bike looking bycycle...

goal is general fittness and keep the wind up, keep fat off
and muscle toned, and have fun and enjoyment with killing myself.

Up to 60 mins a morning.

So what do you think?

Any ideas, advice needed please?

Dragan

Hey dude, cycling is very very good, but with a dodgy knee you need to be careful.

The motion of cycling can be pretty harsh on the knee if you don't have all the angels right, or have an odd structure ( i.e knee to foot proportionately longer than hip to knee etc ).

Don;t get me wrong, if it doesn't hurt your knee cycling is the business!!! Go for either a long, 60 minutes deal, or maybe some mountainy routes if you have them near you.

I would also suggest swimming, good for pretty much everything and no impact.

Millionaire

I think cycling would be alot less harsh than jogging?

Here the land is very flat, no real hills, so I guess the long,
get a good pumping rythmn going and do 60 mins.

There is no where near this place to swim...well thats clean.
I am not jumping into the local pond with buffalo, snakes, and
fishermen peeing into it.

Any more ideas on cycling.

Would a 45 - 60 min run, good steady pace,
burn the fat, keep the sparring wind up etc?

damo

Im certainly not a fitness expert, but speaking from my own experience cycling is excellent for fitness. Hill cycling is the absolute business, when i was living back home in waterford for a few months earlier in the year i created a circuit out of all the big hills in the city and cycled it at 100% speed. My fitness increased loads and i found after doing it for a while it really improved my jogging aswell. I was able to run faster and alot further, the great thing about it though was cycling didnt wear me down as much as running.

pma-ire

*In Monthy Python Voice*

Back when I were a lad!

When men were men and cars were bicycles!!

I used to ride the bike to training (about 4 miles). Train for 2 classes, then back home!!

I lived on the bike back then, going to see the buddies that lived over the other side of Cork which meant going up many hills!!

My legs were like rocks! It really made a difference to my kicking and general fitness!!

Roper

My Missus was told that cycling, despite being low impact, was one of the worse things she could do for her knee problem. She was told to use one of the cross trainers like the skier or if they weren't available an eliptical trainer.

Dave Joyce

Hey Gerry, ditto to what Barry said, and my missus is a fitness instructor and personal trainer (mind ya, not that you'ed think it to look at me:D). However, I explained your situation and she said the following:

You can cycle BUT no hillwork whatsoever and no going mad! (However, thinking of you, not sure thats appropreiate:D)
Do some resistance training to build the stablising muscles ie quad and hamstring
Make sure to strap the knee before you head off and make sure to take it off after finishing AND always ice it afterwards.

Personally, I would also avoid any kind of carbonated drinks as they can play hell with knee problems, so Khun Gerry, nam, OK, no Nam soda!!:D

Roper

Dave Joyce wrote:

Personally, I would also avoid any kind of carbonated drinks as they can play hell with knee problems, so Khun Gerry, nam, OK, no Nam soda!!:D

News to me Dave. Not that I'd drink carbonated drinks but thats an interesting one.

Millionaire

Thanks for the input Lads!

Ok so its flat land here, so I am ok...a nice easy pace. OK!

See I sometimes cannot accept that I am 24 and not a 19 year old Thai pro fighter, who is train since 6 years old, and Paddy Farang here, be's trying to hit the bad harder and faster. that mixed with a few strains over the years I think is causing the strains.

But lets me honest...how can I hit a bag light and easy in a thai camp!!!!!

Thats an VERY INTERESTING thing about fizzy drinks, and lets me tell you why. I used to drink a few pints of beer a night, and past few weeks I have given it up. Now I do not drink fizzy drinks, but decied to start to wean myself off the beer habit, which is working nicely.

Now that matches the excact time frame of Knee strains..
not that its the total cause, but it is a factor.

anyway easy cycling is the way forward, maybe 45 mins every 2nd day to let it rest.

No More Chang nor Singa...Nam by the bucket! Kap!

Clive

I think you should forget that crazy cardio stuff and just get back on the beer!

Millionaire

I ve done enough beer for 10 lifetimes! (no gut yet either!!).

Nope, took a run out the road, to spec out some cycling routes and its flat most of the way which will help the ol knee.

I actually hit the bag, light this morning...( a new thing for me!).

It will be great for the mind, to cycle out for an hour after morning boxing. before it gets too hot, look at the palm trees, the paddy fields and the buffalo!

plus keep me in great shape. did 50 mat furey style hindu squats this morning to build up quads too. hope it helps knee!

FiannaGym.com

The problem with cycling with MA is that it shortens your hamstrings and calfs. as such it makes you less powerful and less flexible. So when you cycle make sure you stretch very well and make sure you are maximising your stroke (when you push down it should bottom out with your leg almost completely straight, cycling around with bent legs all the time equals terrible posture, weak legs etc).

Other than that it's really good. Make sure you check out crossfit style workouts as they (IMHO) are way better, not as chronic (shorter, no really long runs and stuff like that) etc.

I cycle around 7 miles everyday.

Peace

Drummo

I used to cycle about the same distence per day as Stokes and my leg flexibilty was awful. That's not to say I couldn't have done something about it, I could! I could have made sure I stretched more but I never bothered.

Now I have a motorbike because I'm a hardman (isn't that right Stokes? :rolleyes: ) Let's see if my flexibilty gets any better....

TapouT

Millionaire wrote:

Any more ideas on cycling.

Would a 45 - 60 min run, good steady pace,
burn the fat, keep the sparring wind up etc?

Any exercise which keeps you in your cardio or fat burning zone for that lenght of time is going to be good.

I'll agree with what Dragan said about the dodgy knee and cycling. Its vital that your bike is set up correctly, mostly to ensure that (like squats) your knee is not being pushed further that your toes, that your not hyper extending your leg on the downward cycle and if you can, get yourself some proper cycling shoes. Proper shoes will make a big difference to your training, your knee's and lower back as they have a firm sole which gives proper support through not being flexable like a pair of trainers are.

If your not using proper cycling shoes (with cleats) get some foot straps on the peddles and on the downward cycle you should also be pulling with the other leg (upwards). its not a hard aggressive pull.

I love cycling, but I don't believe its hard as good for stamina as running/jogging unless your really putting up the milage.

TapouT

FiannaGym.com wrote:

The problem with cycling with MA is that it shortens your hamstrings and calfs.

My physio told me the same thing after I done my achillies while cycling.

Millionaire

thing is, i used to cycle like mad, 10 or 12 miles a day, and do kickboxing,
and I could always kick head high, and I still can...though it does not come as easy...

now I am on Thai style kicks..and i have yet between my time with Paddy Clint, nor over here in Thailand...yet to see a thai boxer spend more than a few secs stretching..esp over here. I did a kickboxing typical MA stretch out for 6 or 7 mins the other day, and they were looking at me like i had 2 heads...

anyway point being, flexibility is not as important to me these days. trying to keep the kicks low anyway!

so yes, shall pick a bike up and start consistent routine most days. just for general fitness and tone etc.. and keep the hindu squats up!!

Dragan

Put simply there is a huge difference between able to stretch ballistically and slowly.

For example, i'm 6'3 and can kick to roughly my own head height, yet i can't touch my toes.

Granted, i am still working on my flexibility is slower ranges and over different dynamics.

damo

See I sometimes cannot accept that I am 24 and not a 19 year old Thai pro fighter, who is train since 6 years old

I was amazed when i was in Thailand how young the first fighters at shows were. 5, 6 year olds fighting each other and really hitting each other properly elbows knees the lot! They must be so damn tough by the time theyre adults its insane.

The fights in Lumphinee were great, i think Bangkok is like the premiership of Muay Thai in Thailand? The standard there seemed way way higher than the shows i saw on the islands and in Chiang Mai...great shows all round though.

Dave Joyce

Gerry, just thought I'd mention something about doing squats. Try to make sure your knees DO NOT pass over your toes, as you squat, as this really fuvks with the knees. Not sure if you also want to go to this extreme and it could be hard considering where you're living but try going without anything with citrus in it for a couple of weeks and see does it help with the knees. My sister is a kinesologist and said if you've inflammation and you're taking citrus its like pouring acid on the inflammation. Definately worth a go.

I did a kickboxing typical MA stretch out for 6 or 7 mins the other day, and they were looking at me like i had 2 heads...

Ahhh man, I nearly pissed myself when I read that! Jaysus, all this talk about the land of smiles is making me really want to head over again. Haven't been back since 2003 and I'm getting withdrawal symptoms. Only problem for me is the whole family have to be in tow, so it tends to cost a bit, like this year's Sama Sama (and it would have to be in bloody Florida, think I need ANOTHER re-morgauge. Gerry, you're a jammy bastard:D

Millionaire

My the way I am 34,,,not 24...if I was 24 I would be defo training to fight....might even throw my gloves in the ring with these MMA lads! LOL!!!

I never had a great ring fight career, only a few fights (though was good enough to fight international, and have some sort of irish title years back), mainly due to living abroad where no training was available, or because of very bad coaching in Ireland. I really feel deprived i did not get the opportunities to fight like many of the lads on here. are doing now, or have had. At 34, unless I win the lotto and can devote 6 months to intensive trainig....it probably will not happen... : - (

Ya know Dave...Thailand is Fcuking great! I am so lucky to live here, and still earn a living from ireland (teleworking to the extreme!!!). Aside from the training...it amazing. Yesterday Master Pramote called me (thats Nampons and Nambucan Trainer), and told me to come to his house...he had for ladies there all in mid to last 30s. all good jobs, and they had photos of themselves, and he asked me to help them to find foreign husbands! I near wet myself, trying not to laugh.... of course I had to take the whole thing serious!!!

So anyone late 30s up and wants an educated Thai wife...please PM me!!!

as I said before I live in Esan, North East 100s of miles from tourist places, so I get to see the real Thailand.

As Damo asks, yeah the real fights are in Lumpinee...alot of those fights in Koi Samui etc are for the tourists, and the same fighters would be on all the time. As some one said to me...in Koi Samui its the worlds championship every night!

So off I go to get me bike!



I think,,,and the more knowledgeable Thai boxers on here probably will give you a better idea (even though I am always on about MUay Thai..I am only a beginner with 1 years experience)... I think many of the Thais retire in early 20s from fighting. I know for a fact in Fairtex camp...if your not up to champ levels...your out at 21. (something like that).

Dave Joyce

I think,,,and the more knowledgeable Thai boxers on here probably will give you a better idea (even though I am always on about MUay Thai..I am only a beginner with 1 years experience)... I think many of the Thais retire in early 20s from fighting. I know for a fact in Fairtex camp...if your not up to champ levels...your out at 21. (something like that).

Yep, thats right Gerry, mind you, some of the very clever ones come to Europe where they can have a long and rewarding career well into their '30's.

Hmmmm.... just wondering if I could convince the wife I need a second wife:eek: