Originally Posted by
Roody
My unprofessional advice is to work at it until you can do squats, etc with just your body weight, then gradually hold heavier weights as you develop strength. People can have enormous lower body strength--especially women. Do fairly low reps (6-8) with heavy weights if your joints can handle it. Some muscle fatigue is normal even a couple days after an intense workout. I find fatigue is minimized if I eat a good high carb, high protein meal right after working out (replacing glycogen in the liver and muscle cells). For a day or two, I just spin on the bike and avoid steep hills if possible. (Or I walk up the hills.)
For me leg day vs no leg day is related to how many more bike errands I have to do that day and the next. Basically any time I leave my neighborhood I have have hills to tackle on the way home or there. The scenic route means slighter hills (except the last block or so). The most direct route has the steepest hill options. So I try to save my legs, particularly if my stops are not the ones directly in route from the gym. If i am going home right after and don't plan on doing something else on my bike then I tackle it.
Today I went to the gym and did super light dead lifts. Then I decided to stop at the farmers market. Oops. The direct route home is a mile up a hill with escalating steepness. The scenic route doesn't have a bike lane and has a steep 3-4 block section with a narrow road. It is best to just walk up that part. Then tackle the next two blocks of a slighter uphill on pedals. On the up note of that route, the last 2 blocks home are downhill. Weeee!!!!
i am happy I don't live one block up. Even the Lycra people walk their bikes! Lol. The hills just keep getting worse.