General Cycling Discussion - How does one avoid chicken legs?

I don't want my average frame to look like its balancing on a couple of toothpicks.

ride man ride... Chicken legs??? no way.

Eat beef!!

Buffalo wings.

do what i did and just build up your upper body to a frigetning level then ride a bunch . it might not prevent chicken legs but nobody will say it to your face

To work the lower part of my legs I do a bunch of calf raises and reverse calf raises.

To work the lower part of my legs I do a bunch of calf raises and reverse calf raises.


What is a reverse calf raise?

How does one avoid chicken legs?

Genetics, genetics, genetics.

:beer:

I don't want my average frame to look like its balancing on a couple of toothpicks.
Climb ice or rocks. Both great for the calf muscles. Ice is better more on weight on the toes front pointing.

I don't want my average frame to look like its balancing on a couple of toothpicks.


This is my view, if your jewish GOOD LUCK!

if your italian, well you know you aint gettin no chicken legs!


(I am both Jewish and Italian, but i got the Italian side, HUGE LEGS! AND WIDE SHOULDERS the wide shoulders aren t the best though, if you dont have the right jersey you in trouble)

What is a reverse calf raise?

Thats just what I call it, I'm not sure of the proper name.

Stand on a lege with the heels on the ledge and the other half od the foot hanging off.

Dip your toes towards the ground.

Raise your toes up again as far as possible.

This works the muscle on the outer part of the leg. I think it's called the anterior tibialis(sp).

I don't want my average frame to look like its balancing on a couple of toothpicks.

Then go back and choose your parents and go throug a re-birth! I have been doing heavy squats for probably more years than you have been alive, and still have slim legs - you can't fight genetics.

How does one avoid chicken legs?

Genetics, genetics, genetics.

:beer:

Or, steroids, steroids, steroids :)

Big big gears and lots of protein.

Then go back and choose your parents and go throug a re-birth! I have been doing heavy squats for probably more years than you have been alive, and still have slim legs - you can't fight genetics.
I have gone through a re-birth, but it has nothing to do with my parents or cycling! :)

Anyone care to post a pic of chicken legs? They say a picture says a thousand words. :)

Anyone care to post a pic of chicken legs? They say a picture says a thousand words. :)

Here you go.

Here you go.
Yea. Thats what I am talking about. I sure want to learn how to avoid my legs looking like that also. :) :) Will overttraining and too much sun exposure cause that or is it the high grain diet?

run a higher gear than you would normally, or focus on sprints...your legs will fill out nicely at that point.

My legs are pretty beefy from my work commute, since I'm usually sprinting on my way there (due to me never being able to leave the house at a reasonable time)...I don't do the gearing trick though since I deal with headwinds on my trip...

Basically do something that will make your legs give out way before your lungs, and just keep going.

Stay out of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

On the serious side - - with a little help from a friend, tippy toe on the edge of a bottom stair or street curb. Let your body weight lower your heels past the edge, so that your toes are pointing upward. Then tippy toe again. Repeat. My Sensei had us do that to strengthen our ankles and calves.

I don't let those chicken legs scare me, I go right past 'em to the rest of the buffet!

Chicken legs... I wish... I genetically have "huge" legs... now if more of those was muscle...

Just look at track sprinters. Then, do what they do. Oops, first get born with the right genetics

How does one avoid chicken legs?

Just don't ask her out.

Seriously, ride a BMX bike 44X16 and hammer the the whole way. IF you don't get monster quads, then its genetics.

Implants.

Embrace your inner chicken

Ride.

Doesn't help? You're not riding enough.

hills... hammer on hills. That'll get your calves working.

Apparently we don't have muscles in our thighs. Go do some squats too. If you wanna beef up, do low reps with high weight. Get your 80% max for squats, lunges (great for biking) and calf raises. Those reverse calf raises will better your balance, but unless you attach some weights somehow to hold your toes down, your TA isn't working too hard. Then do low number, 3 sets of 6/8. Go hard. It's classic, tried, tested and works.

Oh, and work out your upper body too. Proportionality is key. Muscle develops best if you're working the whole thing. Just ask Ahhhnuld, who prior to moving to America had not worked out his calves. He added them in with a new trainer, and the rest of his body grew in tandem with his calves. Amazing how the body keeps its own symmetry.

-RotD

Synthol or calf implants?
I can just imagine taking a nice 10' drop on my MTB and watching my nice fake calf muscles slide into my ankles. :)

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ronharris8.htm

Soccer! I'm a scrawny guy, but my legs have picked up a fair amount of mass due to the sprinting in soccer. I'm still scrawny, but more balanced. Pro soccer players legs can get pretty awesome.

Who cares if you have chicken legs if you can average 20 mph over hilly terrain?

There are a few ladies riding in the local club who are not sporting tree trunks for legs. They do very well for themselves and I have yet to beat one of them in a sprint at the velodrome. I think performance speaks far more about you than initial appearances, but then again that may just be the old theory about a book and it's cover. If working hard does not build them up then I second the comment of embracing your inner chicken.

At Airborne school in Benning we were told to avoid chicken legs in the mess hall. It's a traditional thing.

Soccer! I'm a scrawny guy, but my legs have picked up a fair amount of mass due to the sprinting in soccer. I'm still scrawny, but more balanced. Pro soccer players legs can get pretty awesome.
Soccer's hard to get into; developing ball skills is hard.

Do ultimate frisbee. I've NEVER had calves hurt so much. Best sprint workout you can get.

I used to have long skinny chicken legs- I'm not tall but have long legs. However, riding has given me nice muscles, and I'd also recommend weight training in the off-season. Go to the gym and do some weight building leg exercises, just ask the trainer to show you some. If you have naturally skinny legs, you won't get huge sprinter thighs but you'll build nice strong quadriceps and hamstrings. But remember to stop doing weight exercises about 2 weeks before you start cycling again.

Always ask for white meat!