Running For Your Legs

changepartners

Hi,

I'm a cyclist looking to get some extra strength in my legs during the winter.

Is running any good for this? Or would I be better off doing specific exercises/weights for my legs?

The bulk of my training will be on the bike...

Thanks!

Slydice

I used to cycle a lot. Then took up running to lose weight. Didn't notice much in the way of improvement in the legs for cycling.

JamesRussel

Start doing weighted barbell squats.

MightyMandarin

Squats and Deadlifts will help building strength in your legs.

Brian?

MightyMandarin wrote: »

Squats and Deadlifts will help building strength in your legs.

JamesRussel wrote: »

Start doing weighted barbell squats.

These will give you stronger legs, no doubt. But probably not what you need for cycling.

OP, what's the goal? Better at sprinting, climbing or endurance?

JayRoc

Brian? wrote: »

These will give you stronger legs, no doubt. But probably not what you need for cycling.

OP, what's the goal? Better at sprinting, climbing or endurance?

And in which of these scenarios is having "stronger legs" "not what you need"?

changepartners

Brian? wrote: »

These will give you stronger legs, no doubt. But probably not what you need for cycling.

OP, what's the goal? Better at sprinting, climbing or endurance?

Sprinting. Im very much a climber endurance guy. I thought more sheer strength in the legs might help.

colossus-x

walk like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQZLfQb0UrE

Alf Veedersane

JayRoc wrote: »

And in which of these scenarios is having "stronger legs" "not what you need"?

Very different training for them.

Look at a sprinter and look at a climber.

Brian?

JayRoc wrote: »

And in which of these scenarios is having "stronger legs" "not what you need"?

Most of them actually. Cycling is about endurance, not strength. Even sprinting, which requires recruiting fast twitch muscle fibers, is usually more about endurance unless it's track sprinting.

Brian?

changepartners wrote: »

Sprinting. Im very much a climber endurance guy. I thought more sheer strength in the legs might help.

I am not 100% on this, but if you do hit the weights and gain muscle mass then there is every possibility you'll compromise you effectiveness as a climber.

I'm currently the opposite, I'd happily lose some of my explosiveness in sprint to drag myself over climbs in better shape .

To be honest I'd keep my gym work targeted at injury prevention. Cycling is a very quad dominant exercise, unless you climb like Contador, so you want to add in plenty of glute and hamstring work. Core work is a must too.

How bad is your sprint against guys of a similar size? Are you looking to compete against sprinters?

Alf Veedersane

Brian? wrote: »

I am not 100% on this, but if you do hit the weights and gain muscle mass then there is every possibility you'll compromise you effectiveness as a climber.

I'm currently the opposite, I'd happily lose some of my explosiveness in sprint to drag myself over climbs in better shape .

To be honest I'd keep my gym work targeted at injury prevention. Cycling is a very quad dominant exercise, unless you climb like Contador, so you want to add in plenty of glute and hamstring work. Core work is a must too.

How bad is your sprint against guys of a similar size? Are you looking to compete against sprinters?

You can do a lot of gym work to strengthen your legs without building big bulky leg muscles.

Also, you canb do plenty of sprint training on the bike. What you sometimes see happen is people who classify themselves as climbers train to improve their climbing and vice versa for sprinters. No harm in training to improve the weak points. Not necessarily to be the focus of your training but just to involve it a bit more.

Brian?

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

You can do a lot of gym work to strengthen your legs without building big bulky leg muscles.

Also, you canb do plenty of sprint training on the bike. What you sometimes see happen is people who classify themselves as climbers train to improve their climbing and vice versa for sprinters. No harm in training to improve the weak points. Not necessarily to be the focus of your training but just to involve it a bit more.

I don't disagree with any of that. I'm asking the OP questions in the hope of fine tuning answers.

Alf Veedersane

Brian? wrote: »

I don't disagree with any of that. I'm asking the OP questions in the hope of fine tuning answers.

I know. I was just chipping in

changepartners

Brian? wrote: »

How bad is your sprint against guys of a similar size? Are you looking to compete against sprinters?

I'm not far off and I think it will be mainly solved by doing that stuff on the bike in the new year. The "fast" stuff but I thought through the winter when I'm not focusing on speed that it might be of some use to do some other work like running or gym to build some extra strength in the legs.

Alf Veedersane

changepartners wrote: »

I'm not far off and I think it will be mainly solved by doing that stuff on the bike in the new year. The "fast" stuff but I thought through the winter when I'm not focusing on speed that it might be of some use to do some other work like running or gym to build some extra strength in the legs.

Running won't build any extra strength in the legs for cycling.

have you done much/any strength work in the gym before?

Brian?

changepartners wrote: »

I'm not far off and I think it will be mainly solved by doing that stuff on the bike in the new year. The "fast" stuff but I thought through the winter when I'm not focusing on speed that it might be of some use to do some other work like running or gym to build some extra strength in the legs.

Gym work will do no harm, speed work on the bike is better for speed on the bike though. If you get me.

If you're taking time off the bike for a few months, I'd do something involving squats, deadlifts, presses, power cleans etc. . I wouldn't bother with running unless you enjoy running or are planning on purchasing a wet suit as well and becoming one of "them"

How many days a week are you planning on training in the gym?

Alf Veedersane

I'd also do as much unilaterl/one-legged work at least as much as the like of squats, deads etc. Stuff like lunges, split squats, step ups and single-leg squats. Just because sprinting is about generating force unilaterally.

jtthom

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

You can do a lot of gym work to strengthen your legs without building big bulky leg muscles.

Bit of a thread hijack here but can you do the above whilst playing your sport (be it rugby, football, cycling) and for it not to have a negative impact on that sport? Or is it inevitable that you're going to suffer some dip in speed/whatever? I just started a thread on something similar.

Alf Veedersane

jtthom wrote: »

Bit of a thread hijack here but can you do the above whilst playing your sport (be it rugby, football, cycling) and for it not to have a negative impact on that sport? Or is it inevitable that you're going to suffer some dip in speed/whatever? I just started a thread on something similar.

It's possible but you need to get your eating and sleeping tight so you recover well.

If your sporting performance starts to suffer, then you have to ease off or look at what you could be doing better outside of sports/gym.

Kinda depends on the sport (and the position you play in that sport) as well. If you're a centre half in sawker, for example, you get plenty of recovery time in a game and you only have short sprints so you'll recover quickly enough.

You'll have a good enough appreciation of your recovery so you'll know how ready they would be for squatting or deadlifting during the week but at the same time you want to have enough recovery time between leg work in the gym and your next tag rugby session.

changepartners

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

have you done much/any strength work in the gym before?

Mostly core work and a bit of upper body, I'm reluctant to do anything much in the gym without really knowing how to do it properly...

Alf Veedersane

changepartners wrote: »

Mostly core work and a bit of upper body, I'm reluctant to do anything much in the gym without really knowing how to do it properly...

The single leg exercises are pretty straightforward. There should be a trainer in the gym to show you how you how do squats and deadlift but the single leg stuff you could crack on with.