? How to schedule biking and leg work ?

C

Cid

Cathlete
I'm taking a chance that you'll catch this amid your busy week! My question is how do I balance and even categorize road biking/spinning with lower body weighted work? Right now I'm using Spinervals with my bike on a trainer at least once a week and it really fries my legs! But some weeks--in trying to fit in enough weight training--I lift for lower body within 24 hours of a tough spin. Like today, I did floor work and now I'm setting up spin with DH. My legs feel the work already, but I really need the cardio. What do you think? Too much, or is the repetative nature of spinning mostly cardio rather than resistance? Thanks!

Preparing to sweat buckets,
CinDee
 
Hi CinDee,

I have only spun a few times, but I distinctly remember my legs being fried and jello-ish. While spinning is more of a cardio workout, the time and effort your legs put in is huge which can result in just as much, if not more, soreness than doing leg strength training. While I like to aim for hitting the lower body twice/week with weights, you may be able to just do one weight workout. Spinning definitely tones your legs.

After I use weights for the lower body, I usually take a day off or do yoga. I have found that if I try to do cardio the next day, especially cardio that is tough on the legs, I don't perform as well. So, I prefer to wait a day and feel like I've gotten a better workout. I just can't give it my all the day after lower body training.

Hope you find a schedule that works for you...

Gina
 
I like to do my lower body work right after my Spinervals. I keep them at 45 minutes and then go into weights. I can't lift heavy of course. It's mostly endurance work. It feels great being so warmed up though.

I only lift for lower body 1x/week.

Andrea
 
Yeah, uh, it's either Spinervals OR weights for me! Wed. was the spin day and yesterday I hit the elipitcal trainer at the Y and today my legs are needing a rest. I was going to just do upper body today, but I may not! (Obviously I work out at night!). Thank you for your responses and sharing your experiences. I think between weighted work, spinning, kickboxing, walking, and machines at the Y my lower bod is getting about all it can handle. Just wanting to do the right thing, especially with summer around the corner. Now if I could just trim the mid-section...

CinDee
 
CinDee, I hope you see this and don't mind a question. Do you have a mountain bike? I want to get a trainer and spinnervals, but I have a hybrid moutain bike (fat tires) and I've been advised if I don't get a treadless tire to put on before putting it on the trainer I will have rubber flying all over. I don't like the idea of having to buy another tire and take it on and off the back with all the chains ugh!

Thanks for any input!
 
I used a mountain bike on a trainer & didn't have rubber flying. Seems like a trainer would chew up a less durable road tire quicker than a mtb tire. Wasn't a high quality trainer either.

Debra
 
I used a mountain bike on a trainer & didn't have rubber flying. Seems like a trainer would chew up a less durable road tire quicker than a mtb tire. Wasn't a high quality trainer either.

Debra
 
I use my road bike to spin. My husband is the bike buyer and researcher for our family (Cathe is my sport, biking is his and I join him on it!)and he says that the treadless tire is needed for a trainer, or get the trainer that runs off the rim of the tire. He hasn't heard either good or bad about the latter trainer. Hopefully your local bike shop will have some info on that. I don't have any old catalogues around or I'd look up the rim-training one. Try Performance Bike or Excel or Colorado Cycle (?right name?) on line, too (you probably already know that!). I hope it works out for you because Spinervals are some great workouts.
CinDee
 
I use my road bike to spin. My husband is the bike buyer and researcher for our family (Cathe is my sport, biking is his and I join him on it!)and he says that the treadless tire is needed for a trainer, or get the trainer that runs off the rim of the tire. He hasn't heard either good or bad about the latter trainer. Hopefully your local bike shop will have some info on that. I don't have any old catalogues around or I'd look up the rim-training one. Try Performance Bike or Excel or Colorado Cycle (?right name?) on line, too (you probably already know that!). I hope it works out for you because Spinervals are some great workouts.
CinDee
 
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