Cressey Helps Us Cyclists

[Kaiser]

This article was linked at EC's newsletter. The first in a series of 3 - can't wait for the next 2. Maybe EC will give us a preview?? Anyway, for those of us that have a lot of saddle time, this is useful stuff.

http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=13929

[FishrCutB8]

EXCELLENT! I've been wanting something like this for a while. Good find, K.

[Pman]

Very nice read. Thanks for the heads up Kaiser!

[ODB]

Thanks K!

[finboy]

Great stuff. Thanks for the heads up Kaiser.

[rgv]

awesome! cressey is probably my favorite guy to read, always has great info with tons of science to back it up. great find.

[Eric Cressey]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone; glad you liked the piece!

[emartin10]

Very nice Eric, thank you.

E

[Kaiser]

Yippee! I got my foam roller today to more regularly do soft tissue mobilization stuff. I know I should've gotten it a year ago when I heard Hartman talk about it at last year's summit, but Cressey's article finally got me to get off my ass and order one of my own. Until now, I'd used the ones at one of the gyms I teach at, but that was only 1 or 2 times a week, and usually at a rushed pace. Even then, I could tell my legs recovered faster after a workout when using it than when not. Now I can use it after my rides too. I am excited - for the first time ever I am taking proactive steps to be a better and faster rider. I hope it pays off (it's already my best and fastest spring ever so far).

[Pman]

Originally Posted by Kaiser

Yippee! I got my foam roller today to more regularly do soft tissue mobilization stuff.

Which one did you end up getting? I too am in need of getting in gear on foam rolling.

[Kaiser]

I think there are some good sources referenced in this thread. I got one from elitelifts for $19 + shiipping (which was $8). It's the same durable quality white one that is at my gym.

[Kaiser]

Looking for more help for us 'endurance athletes' on the forum, people who prefer to ride insane distances instead of pick up weights during the warmer months, I asked Robert dos Remedios to give us some advice. For those that don't know, Dos is a spin instructor, and was also the NSCA S&C Coach of the Year. Plus he's one big and strong dude, but like us.... he rides! And he's a vegan to boot. Plus he's one hell of a nice guy in helping to explain stuff to us lay people.

I have also read EC's piece and like it as well. It's quite simple really.....cyclists should #1 use the foam roller DAILY (our athletes wouldn't know how to function without them!) and #2 train the posterior chain with a vengance. I even go a step further to say that a snatch grip dead is even better (always stressing the shrug and scap retraction when possible). The position during cycling is just not a very healthy one for the spine. I remember doing a lecture on strength training for spin instructors years ago @ UCLA....I basically talked about posterior chain training, deads, squats and any exercises that make you sit UPRIGHT! Also that driving the hips back during climbs was crucial in recruiting hamstrings.

I asked him to explicate a bit more. Specifically, I wanted to know about frequency (once a week? twice a week?) and a bit more about exercise selection.

I would train posterior chain at least twice per week. You don't have to do full deads....wide grip RDL with perfect posture is actually what i would aim for. For me, I like to do hang high pulls, cleans, snatches etc. as well as single leg back estensions and good mornings. For my legs I tend to rely on single leg squats (although i am not cycling nearly as much as you these days). I always classify cycling as a push-push-push activity....you need to counter by doing pull-pull-pull activity in the gym. Rows, GM's, RDL's, Oly lifts, Swiss ball SHELC's, back extensions etc. etc. Of course, you want to make sure to train all your muscle groups but the reality is that when you are in this awful position for so many hours of your life, you need to take measures to pull yourself out.

[kuri]

Thanks Eric, Dos and Kaiser!

I recently started adding more weighted single leg squats in my routine and love them. Give 'em a try Kaiser.

[finboy]

Excellent advice...thanks for bringing it to us Kaiser.

[Kaiser]

One more thing from Dos about periodization:

I would periodize using maybe 3 week microcycles.....you don't have to do max strength stuff but it is always good to move from the 8-12 rep ranges to the 4-6 reps ranges on the compounds.

So if I can take the liberty of trying to sum up Dos' pointers (which are an explication of Cressey's article, part 1):

1) Foam roller - use daily.
2) As much pull, pull, pull posterior chain stuff as you can stand, at least twice a week, as well as upper body work. Rows, good mornings, Romanian deadlifts, Olympic lifts, single leg hamstring curls on a swiss ball, and back extensions should be on your lifting menu for the week. Anything to counter the rounded back posture you get while riding.
3) You can periodize your lfiting on 3 week microcycles, using various rep ranges.

[FishrCutB8]

Curious--can I use a Swiss Ball and get the same results as a foam roller? Why or why not?

[Kaiser]

Do you mean 'medicine ball' - because then it would work the same way, but I'm not sure how a swiss ball would perform the same function as a foam roller. Unless it was made of foam and you were a giant who was 20 feet tall.

[kuri]

Fish DID say he was a stud so you never know, it might work

Try a tennis ball or two tennis balls taped together if you don't have a roller. It would likely work better for certain areas anyway.

So Kaiser, have you been following the advice lately? And how do you like it?