Training & Nutrition - Weight Training legs

I have been doing some weight training on my whole body since around mid-October. One area of concern is the disparity of strength in my different leg muscles. My hamstring curl weight maximum for both legs is only around 120 pounds at 5-10 reps. However, I can do around 12-15 at 150 for the leg extensions and near 300 pounds 3X10 for the calf raises. Is there any problem with this?? Is this adequate for cycling?

I don't do isolation exercises, myself. But one's leg extension is generally more than one's hamstring curl.

I prefer squats, deadlifts, and the occasional leg press to any isolation exercise for legs. I'll still do calf raises for my calves, but that's the exception.


Try squats and deadlifts. See what you get out of them. I get a lot out of them.


If you do decide to squats and deadlifts, though, get someone to show you good form. Or, you could use this website:

http://www.bsu.edu/webapps/strengthlab/home.htm


Happy training

I also do squats. That is my core exercise. It really works out all the muscles. I just wonder what type of balance or ratio I should strive for...

you should strive for like a 60/40 difference between the quad/hamstring. the bottom limit is like 70/30. any more extreme, and you are setting yourself up for muscle imbalance injuries, and they will probably show up in your knees.

Your only as strong as your weakest muscle.

In an ideal world, your looking to get a 50-50 balance between opposing muscles.

Thanks for that. That's what I was looking for. What about calves? Are they their own entity since they don't have opposing muscles?

Thanks for that. That's what I was looking for. What about calves? Are they their own entity since they don't have opposing muscles?

The shin muscles are the opposing muscle to the calves. Very hard to train. There are very little people that train there shins although as a cyclist your training them unawaringly. If your putting 100% into the push of the pedal stroke and 100% into the pull of the pedal stroke you will come close to getting the 50-50 balance between shin and calves.

Just a note if you do your calf raises on blocks you can move your feet foward on the blocks (as opposed to hanging back off)to focus more on the shins.Note I do this technique on seated calf raises where balance is not so much of an issue.You can move your feet foward to where your toes are off the front of the block this way.

get in the sled.