Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
"
To Stretch, or Not To Stretch: that is the question."
I have posted that warm-up riding is my way to “using (loosening up) the joints.”
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
…When I first started a training schedule for a century, I noted at what mile I spontaneously realized I felt completely warmed up, i.e. I did not consciously look for it, and it usually occurred at about 6 miles.
My basic riding routine is: to ride at my RPE [Relative Perceived Exertion] of 50% for six miles to warm up, 50% is "fairly light" (my usual happy-go-lucky pace without thinking about it)
Originally Posted by
livedarklions
It clicks in really fast for me. I usually feel "warmed up" after the first half mile or so.
Originally Posted by
Sapperc
Enough already! Anyone ever hear of yoga? Yoga relies heavily on flexibility training exercises — that’s a fancy name for stretching!
Moreover, any and every activity that elongates muscles, joints and connective tissues anywhere in your body is stretching. Everyone stretches.
More specifically, to the point of the OP’s question, anyone fit enough to do vigorous activity benefits from warming up and cooling down their muscles and joints and connective tissues beyond the thresholds that will be used during the most strenuous periods of activity. It’s really just common sense.
There are are lots of professional trainer guides available on how to do this safely, efficiently, quickly and easily.
Or don't do whatever it is you consider specific “stretching.” That won’t necessarily hurt you, but you will absolutely be missing a key piece of a well-rounded workout.
Either way, best of fortune and happy cycling!
Originally Posted by
livedarklions
Yeah, no. I'm not "missing" anything. In my younger days, I was essentially forced to do stretches, and they never made anything better. I also find them quite unpleasant. As a result, I have no interest in yoga, so I'm not sure what your point is there.
Saying "It's really just common sense" to people who have tried something and found it useless or worse is pretty silly. There's no evidence that what you assert is true, and frankly, when you put it that way, it's a rather stupid-sounding assertion.
Why would you "warm up... beyond the thresholds that will be used during the most strenuous periods of activity"? That's the opposite of warming up--you're asking more of a "cold" muscle or joint than you will when it's warm.
"Common sense" in this context just means you believe it, and you've just assumed everyone else believes it too. To me, it just sounds like a recipe for injury.
Your post is a rather passive/aggressive way of telling people you know what's better for them than they do. Frankly, you're just wrong.
I ‘ve previously posted about yoga and cycling:
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
I have been doing yoga almost daily for the past two years (2007-2009) along with year round cycling. In addition to balance and core strength, I find yoga helps with breathing and what I would describe as "energy flow." IMO, cycling improves my yoga more than the reverse.
This has been a good cycling summer and I've attained the most extremes in some postures, even more than when I did the same yoga over thirty years ago.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
My understanding of overall physical fitness is that the four components are endurance, strength, flexibility, and balance. For me yoga incorporates flexibility and balance. For various periods of time I did yoga daily, and about six years ago I even could stand on my head.
My practice waned, including after a serious bike accident with a fractured sacrum and I didn’t take it up again until last month (2016).
I have found over the years it to be very effective for flexibility and balance though I don’t think it necessarily helps my cycling (endurance), but I think my cycling helps my yoga.
In my current practice, I do seem to be limited by my deformed sacrum.
Epilogue: One day in August 2016 I was doing a position that involved standing on one foot, and I had a sudden onset of excruciating foot pain. I thought I had a pathologic fracture, but X-rays showed nothing.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
...In August, I developed plantar fasciitis, and couldn’t safely mount my bike for about a month. So I deteriorated for couple months…
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 08-10-19 at 04:55 AM.