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02-18-05, 08:41 PM
There've been lots of lengthy threads about the yeas and nays of weight training during the off season, most of which seem to degenerate into a "does too/does not" kind of interaction. I'd never done it before and thought I'd give it a shot this year. Be my own guinea pig, if you will.
So, I thought it might be of interest to post my observations so far. By way of background, I don't add muscle quickly. I'm probably pretty average in that regard. I'm not super-disciplined, but I've been more or less following the program described in Friel's Cyclist Training Bible, 2nd edition (I understand he's changed it a little in the new ed.). I'm currently at the completion of the Maximum Strength phase. I've also been doing a lot (for me) of strength work on the bike.
First, I had no idea how weak my core had become relative to my legs, and even my arms. In the weight room, it became apparent very quickly. These are also the two areas where I've also seen the most noticable improvement. It's too early to tell much about the impact on my road riding, especially since road time has been difficult to come by, due to weather. On the other hand, I've done a couple of rides where my average speed has picked up about 1mph over a 20-30 mile distance. It doesn't sound like much, but on the bike it's like "I need to check my computer calibration... this can't be right." The downside is that my body weight up a good 5 lbs from what I expect it to be this time of year. And that definitely is taking a toll on the climbs. Also, probably because of residual muscular fatigue and lack of power endurance development, I fade fairly quickly after 20 or 30 miles.
It'll be interesting to see how this plays out through the rest of the year as the weight work becomes minimal and my usual routine takes over. I think I will continue to do some kind of maintenance work on the core muscles in any case. The upshot, so far at least, is that it's made me a believer.
So, I thought it might be of interest to post my observations so far. By way of background, I don't add muscle quickly. I'm probably pretty average in that regard. I'm not super-disciplined, but I've been more or less following the program described in Friel's Cyclist Training Bible, 2nd edition (I understand he's changed it a little in the new ed.). I'm currently at the completion of the Maximum Strength phase. I've also been doing a lot (for me) of strength work on the bike.
First, I had no idea how weak my core had become relative to my legs, and even my arms. In the weight room, it became apparent very quickly. These are also the two areas where I've also seen the most noticable improvement. It's too early to tell much about the impact on my road riding, especially since road time has been difficult to come by, due to weather. On the other hand, I've done a couple of rides where my average speed has picked up about 1mph over a 20-30 mile distance. It doesn't sound like much, but on the bike it's like "I need to check my computer calibration... this can't be right." The downside is that my body weight up a good 5 lbs from what I expect it to be this time of year. And that definitely is taking a toll on the climbs. Also, probably because of residual muscular fatigue and lack of power endurance development, I fade fairly quickly after 20 or 30 miles.
It'll be interesting to see how this plays out through the rest of the year as the weight work becomes minimal and my usual routine takes over. I think I will continue to do some kind of maintenance work on the core muscles in any case. The upshot, so far at least, is that it's made me a believer.