Building Leg Muscle Strength by Cycling

L

Lanna Cyclist

0
Hi Everyone,

I've got so many knee problems that I can only swim and cycle. I would like to find a programme to help build leg muscle strength mainly for support but an increase in size would be very welcome. I can't do squats or leg extensions with weights etc and so it's mostly down to pushing the pedals.

After some research it seems that I should mix the following:

Calf raises on a step - single heel raises.

One legged cycling on static cycle trainer.

Gradual resistance cycling - adjusting static cycle trainer to simulate hill climbs.


I would be grateful for recommendations about the above or any other suggestions you may have. I don't know how many reps etc I should do as well as the frequency of One legged Cycling - how long for each leg and how many reps. Also, how many times per week is it recommended for each exercise?

My thanks in advance for any help you can give .
 
Cycling as with any activity will stimulate different muscle types dependant on how you do it. The muscle more likely to grow, white fibres, is stimulated by high load short duration regardless of exercise.
As such you want to be doing high resistance short duration sprints ideally in interval formation. Basically crank up the resistance as high as you can while being able to move it and go flat out for 30 seconds or a minute, then slow down and bring resistance to a level where you are practically free-wheeling for a period long enough to recover in, back up again repeat a set number of times or until you vomit.
Doing this a few times a wek will be good. Remember growth happens after repair so recovery is very important. You can do light work on the bike to get some strength into your knees and keep the ticker going daily but not the HIIT style shown here.
 
In cycling we build what's knows as our slow twitch (Type I) muscle fibers. And to be a good cyclist, we concentrate on spinning the cranks and lettign our aerobic system handle some of the load. This is how a trained but a mere recreational cyclist is able to ride 50 miles and be fine the rest of the day.

If you have knee problems (and even for those that don't), mashing the cranks (i.e. pedaling in a high gear with high resistance) is not recommended. It'll exacerbate your knee issues. Aim for a cadence of between 90-100 RPM's for a good balance of aerobic and muscle work. I mean the goal is to put less pressure on the knee correct?

And you cannot simulate climbing on a trainer no matter how high a gear you choose or how many books you put under your front wheel. It simply cannot do a suitable job at simulating the evil effects of gravity.

The # of times/week or the lenght of a workout or intensity really all depends on your level of fitness and what your body can handle and recover from. As well as what your specific goals are.
 
Many thanks for the replies, especially 'Da Troof'. You're spot on with me wanting to put less pressure on the knee.

I haven't got a defined goal, yet. I've been a recreational cyclist on and off for years. The main thing is to do aerobic and muscle strengthening as much as I can. I've always loved watching the pro road races but never had a road bike before; I just love being out on the bike. I'm thinking that I do need some goals as I will probably lose interest.

I like what you say about the cadence. Not sure if it's the right thing but till now I've been doing about an hour on the static bike at 75 RPM about 4 days and on the road with MTB for about 90 mins on 2 days, but don't know the RPM.
 
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