Biking and lifting...again

[Cid]

I asked once before about how to fit in lower body weighted work with biking/spinning, but now I've increased my biking/spinning to 3-4 days per week in prepartion for some long-distance rides and my legs get sore! Can I safely lift the day of or day after a tough ride (which they all are...are you familiar with Spinervals?)? Is there more for me to consider than just how I feel?

Hope you have the time to answer, and TIA.

CinDee

 

[Venus]

I do not do spinervals but I do mountain bike. I actually tend to plan my LB workout on a leg cardio day because I find I get better results (pre-fatigue the legs with cardio). However you are probably going further than I am. I will try to do leg weights when I do 1 hour on the elliptical rather than biking since that's still intense, but not as long of a workout.

Also, I usually do the cardio in the am, then the weights in the pm, not back to back. In between I make sure I eat really balanced to replenish my energy.

Hope this helps you, not sure if it will since I bike a bit differently.

 

[Cid]

Thanks, Venus. It's helpful to know what others are doing. I'm still not sure how to work it in. This past week I biked T/Th/Sat with Sat being 90 min. One of the workouts uses only the largest gear so you're really grinding it out, so it's a resistance workout of sorts but definately cardio. I did PUB also but just didn't fit it PLB. Perhaps next time I do one of the shorter workouts I'll tack on some leg work and see how it goes. Thanks for the input!

CinDee

 

[AndreaL]

I do my lower body work after a Spinerval. Although lately, I'm finding it hard to fit it in and still have enough in my legs for my running and biking for the week. But, then most people lift tons more than me for lower body.

You could try it and see how you like it. You may want to lighten up a bit as your legs will be pre-fatigued.

Andrea

 

[jobabes]

Hi CinDee,

I haven't been spinning for a while now, but did a lot last year before a race. I really backed off on exclusive leg workouts beyond the spinning and found that I had very decent results for the race and another long ride for Hospice. I am not a big leg person, so I didn't want to over do it. I would say that sore legs indicate the need for rest or stretching or both, IMHO. Overall I felt that spinning gave me great endurance for other workouts and my overall leg strength has continued to be at a higher level even though I do not spin (example: I can now do lunges and squates, even low ends, without being desperate to stop):7.

Have fun! Where do you ride? We live in/near the mountains of North Carolina and some of the rides I've been on are tough but beautiful.

 

[Debra L]

CinDee, have you posed your question to Coach Troy since you're using Spinervals?

Since you're training for endurance, are you mixing hard & easy days? I would have a least one day of active recovery, 55 to 65% of max. This should be on a bike since you're training for events. The time of the recovery ride depends on how long your weekly "long ride" takes; it's proportional. A recovery ride is distinct from a true recovery day which would range from couch potato to leisurely movement & stretching.

From personal experience & exchanges with other cyclists, I know you're going to have to experiment & see what works for you. We're all different. Since you're training for an event, let how you feel on the bike dictate. Back off the lower body weight training, not the bike time if your legs aren't feeling strong. Listen to your body!

Nutrition becomes very important when training for an endurance event. If you're not confident that you've got that covered, you need to do some research. The timing & content of fuel really affects your performance & recovery.

Hope you're enjoying your rides!

Debra

 

[Cid]

Thank you so much for all the advice!

Debra, going with how my legs feel and not sacrificing bike time is what I think will work the best. Monday I did 90 minutes of Have Mercy and last night was Gauntlet...my legs really felt the weight! I thought about adding in PLB later this week, but that just might be too much.

Joanna, I live in the Pacific Northwest. The weather is off and on, but on the on days it's just gorgeous. The scenery is a nice distraction from any fatigue. I won't be racing, just accomplishing a couple of long rides this summer with DH and friends. Someone asked my why I want to bike 60 or 100 or 200 miles and I said, "Because!" I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for DH getting into biking, but I'm really glad he did. At first I felt so weak and unable since it was differnt from Cathe's workouts, but now that I'm getting stronger I'm enjoying it alot!

Thanks again, everyone!

CinDee

 

[suzannaerin]

Cindee - I, too, am a Spinerval devotee. Since I started using Spinervals for my primary cardio, I've found that I really don't need to do a full-blown strength workout for my legs (doing Spinervals has given me awesome quad, hams, and glutes--strong & toned). Anyway, I focus on "injury prevention" by doing only floorwork (Cathe's PLB and PS-L&A floorwork, plus some exercises my Phys Therapist gave me when I had a knee tracking problem due to a quad muscle imbalance). Anyway, I do the floorwork for my legs twice a week after my tougher Spinerval sessions (Big Gear Strength, Uphill Grind, etc).
Do you use a trainer or a spin bike? Since I switched to a trainer, I've really upped the intensity of my Spinerval sessions (much more difficult now on a "real" bike). Also, I've done Tough Love on my spin bike but I'm not brave enough to attempt it on the trainer!