Originally Posted by
Quinn8it
I object to strength work that is not focused on making people strong.
bench with barbells is fine- possibly an improvement on the barbell version- but its not a lift id put on the must do for cyclist, and it gets really hard to get into the starting position once the weight gets to where it should be for it to be worth your time..
as far as Bulgarians- ive done them- prescribed by a coach who came up with your coach- i just happen to object to a technically difficult exercise that brings in too many unnatural elements that make it hard- instead of raw leg strength bulgarians are hard because of the balance. thats why you have to do them with barbells. Im sorry- but the strength needs of the Track Cyclist are major- you cant lift major poundage in a Split Squat Stance.. (i feel the same way about Over-Head Squats- why add an element to a squat that makes it so you cant squat anything like your maximum? just because something is hard doesnt mean it makes you faster)
the Deadlifts with the Barbells... there is no point in doing a deadlift that isnt Heavy (for you).. so at the weight that a deadlift is effective for strength gains barbells become to big and hard to use..
Carleton- you are a big strong guy- are you really standing behind deads with 5lb dumbbells?
I think we should differentiate between Strength and Conditioning.
Strength being: Getting as strong as genetically possible. And Conditioning being: Raising one's base level of general fitness.
I trained with Jennie right after leaving Steve's program. I had lots of questions. She understood and answered every single one of them. Who am I to disregard that?
Also, the guys in the videos use low weights in order to demonstrate their point. I've done LOTS of heavy dumbbell training in the past.
To be honest, there is no perfect program...especially for new racers. Something is better than nothing. If a guy says that he's not interested in joining a gym and wants to know what he can do without setting up a squat rack at home...guess what...there are PLENTY of things he can do
Also, just google "Prison Workouts" and see what is possible with few resources...and plenty of time.
Notice that I started my post with:
I think joining a no-frills gym (the kind a typical girl wouldn't set foot in) would be a good idea.