Power Drills / 4 of 4 - Tabata Intervals

Our final drill in this series was shared by Ken Vida of the Stradalli Racing Team. One look at his quads and you know he can pack some power!  Here is his contribution to this power set.

Tabata Intervals to Build Power
Written by Ken Vida

Developed by Japanese exercise scientist Izumi Tabata, these intense efforts train your body to use more muscle, as well as increase the intensity you can sustain over a 60-minute time trial, which corresponds to your lactate threshold. Sprint as hard as possible for 20 seconds. Coast for 10 seconds. Repeat six to eight times.

Recently, I have moved to doing a trainer workout where it is 1 minute all out followed by 1 minute of super easy pedaling 16 times.  It is based off the video called Revolver which you can find at www.thesufferfest.com

I would recommend if people really want to improve their power, intervals on an indoor trainer cannot be beat.  You never have to worry about slowing down for traffic or red lights, you can completely focus on your efforts, and there is no cheating because you can't coast. 

http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/tabata-intervals-build-power

 


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There you have it: four weeks of four power-packing drills that when done consistently and with purpose can revolutionize your riding.  Feel free to give feedback of your experiences with these drills in weeks to come. It would be great to hear from you!

Finally, be sure to check back next Wednesday to see what the new series of articles will be about.

 
Resources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1o9XNxi4Us&feature=fvwp
http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/tabata-intervals-build-power

 

Power Drills / Part 3 of 4 - Off-Season Power Grab

One of the incredible benefits of social media is getting to know people in the racing / cycling community despite miles of geographical distance between us. Such is the case with one of my new cycling friends who lives in a town where I lived for years. Michele Moulton is her name and here are some impressive stats about her recent accomplishments on the bike:

 

2012 Georgia Championships Series Winner -Elite Women (P,1,2)
2012 Georgia State Road Race Champion
2012 Southeast Regional Time Trial Champion
2009 Georgia State Criterium Champion

Michele is the Director of Pecan City Pedalers Race Team in Albany, GA. A Cat 1 racer, she has been racing since 2008 and is a girl after my own heart who has been a fitness instructor for 23 years (like me!) A multi-talented lady, she also writes a monthly Health & Fitness article for the Albany Herald. Too bad we didn't know each other while I lived there. http://www.pecancitypedalers.org/

I asked her what she does to attain explosive power on the road. This was her reply:

"In the off season I did tons of interval drills. 5 x 1 min with a 20 sec sprint at the end.
5 x 3 min..... 6 x 5 min. (At TT effort with equal amount of rest in between each)."

As for leg strength, she gives credit to lunges of all forms: walking, with dumbbells, without dumbbells, alternating lunges and so on. Keep in mind that proper form on lunges is to have the knee directly over the foot in front; lower yourself slowly and return to stand with a nice, tight squeeze of the glute. Want a challenge? Add a small jump at the end of each lunge; this will help give you power as well as improve your balance. Just make sure that you don't jump with dumbbells in your hands, however.

 

So if you happen to be involved in a race where the Pecan City Pedalers are present, be sure to look for Michele. She will be the one with quads of dynamite who rockets by others like there is no tomorrow. At the end of May we will finally get to meet and no longer be "imaginary" Facebook friends only. It will be great to see her in action as she shows off her powerful pedal strokes at the Southeast Regional Series. http://www.srs-racing.com/georgia.php

 



Michele on the attack



 

Power Drills / Part 2 of 4 - Build Your Own Power

While riding with Grant Potter last week I simply asked him what he does to get his famous quads - and the power he unleashes from them.

Without blinking an eye he said "one legged squats." Take one look at his legs and you will know that genetics play a role in his success but so does a tremendous amount of hard work.


Let's take a look at a few varieties of 1-legged squats so that you can choose the best and safest ones for you to add to your training program.
 
1-Legged Squats with Bench
Stand in front of a chair or bench with one leg raised to the front. Keeping weight on your heel, lightly touch your glutes to the bench and return to full stand. Repeat 10 times on each leg and build up to 3 sets.



paxauxbellum.wordpress.com 

Challenge 1-legged Squats

As you are standing, add a jump. Yes.... starting and landing on one leg; thus the reason for the name "challenge." You just might surprise yourself with how few inches you can get off the ground!

 

Ultra Challenge 1-legged Squats

Once you master the jump of the challenge level, ass a short block or platform in front of you to jump upon. Yes.... still with one leg.

Modification for the beginner: Do these in a doorway and hold on to the sides; no jumps.

Safety Tip: Keep hips higher than the knee always and knee over toes of standing leg.

 

 While challenging, these powerful exercises are not impossible. Keeping safety in mind at all times, be sure to follow the tips for correct form and alignment. With power comes greater risk of injury so discontinue this exercise if you have any pain or discomfort in the knee join. If it bites your quads and / or glutes then it is working effectively. Keep up the hard work and you will notice a difference as your power on the bike increases. What are you waiting for? Get to squattin'!

Power Drills: Introduction / Part 1 of 4

Power Drills

Hmmmm... .probably not what you came here looking for, huh? I don't blame you; not quite sure what to do with one myself. However, I have learned a good bit from riding with power houses who have been known to simply roll away from the competition - over and over again. I'd like to take the next few entries to share with you what they have been so kind to teach me about.

There are many, many drills and techniques out there to help improve power. There are power meters, power sprints, power climbs and the list goes on and on. We won't cover them all but will touch on a few and give you tips on how to incorporate them into your workouts so that YOU might one day be known for the dominance on the bike.

What is Power?
As defined by Miriam-Webster, power is "(1) : ability to act or produce an effect." In The Cyclists Training Bible (by Joel Friel) it is described as "work divided by time." I like that. More work in less time. Is anybody game for that? If so, read on and learn about a drill that I can hardly wait to start incorporating into my work outs.

Power Start
Carmichael Training Systems is the originator of this drill so I will give full credit to them and share with you all the exact article that I read about it:

"Goal: To increase your muscular power to the pedals.

 

How to do it: This workout should be performed on a relatively flat section of road. The gearing should be very large, depending on your level of physical development. The Power Start should begin at a very low speed, at a near stand still. Jump up on the pedals, out of the saddle, driving the pedals down as hard as possible. Pull on the handlebars using the leverage of the handlebars to move your body over each pedal as you drive the pedal downward. The Power Start should not last longer than 8-10 pedal strokes or 8-12 seconds. This is a muscular workout and heart rate will not have time to respond. "

 

my.moxymonitor.com

So why not give it a try and see how it works for you? Listen to your body and if you feel pain or discomfort in your knee cap area it may be a bit too much torque. Give it a few weeks' time to make a difference. This will help you catch the wheel of someone passing you by, increase your speed and power out of corners / turns as well as make you as good a sprinter as Mark Cavendish...or at least make you feel like you are. It was suggested to me by Dave Viney to do it after a good warm up and maybe even on a slight incline. Perform this drill 4-6 times, cool down and see how you can better your time (or power if you have a meter.) Have fun with it!

Source:
http://www.active.com/cycling/Articles/Carmichael_Training_Systems

Who's More Wrong: Cyclists or Drivers?

If you skip this video clip and jump down to more text, you will miss something totally hilarious. So, why not take 42 seconds to click this safe link and get ready to get a little insight to why some drivers are haters?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KJaJbBRdtg

What a scream, huh?! I laughed so loud that I gave my dogs a fright. Perhaps we can learn some lessons to help us do our part in reducing motorist - cyclist animosity.


www.urbansimplicity.com

What causes drivers to be so angry with those of us who just want to ride our bikes and get some healthy exercise? What do we do to them? These are a few responses that I have asked through an unscientific poll of friends, clients, acquaintances
and the occasional curious drivers that I meet at convenience stores.

"You All Break Traffic Laws"
Of course, "you all" means ALL cyclists. Of course not ALL of us do but how many stop signs to we either buzz through or roll through? Yes, the signs are often in inconvenient places; yes, they mess up our averages, yes it's frustrating to have to stop BUT please consider how it makes "us all" look when some of us disobey the signs and rules of the road.

"Cyclists are Rude"

Google images

Once again we are all grouped together but we can't change that unless we change as a group. "We" do hog the lanes sometimes. "We" don't always single up when we know a car is trying to pass. "We" have been known to blow through a red light if we don't see cars approaching close enough to make impact. Perhaps the drivers have a point. Let's face it: "we" who dare to don spandex publicly, shave hairy legs and ride 100 miles "for fun" just might enjoy living on the edge a tiny smidgen. Let's be sure to live politely.

"We Don't Know What You Are Doing"
Many drivers have told me that they are afraid of hitting us. "They" don't understand why we do what we do nor. "They" are ignorant to the cycling rules of the road (pardon me if that sounds rude.) While most drivers can probably guess what a right or left arm out means but they don't generally understand our hand signals, how a rotating pace line works (they just know that we are side by side and they think that's illegal), or how fast we ride. Some drivers have said they are afraid we are going to drift into their path (like I said, "they" are ignorant.) At times I believe drivers are more afraid of us than we are of them!

What can we do to change our image? Talk to folks you meet on your rides. Let them know you are human (most of us are anyway.) Be sure to follow traffic laws --- YES, even stop annoying stop signs - especially when drivers are present. Don't be rude but be considerate: smile, wave, say "Hi!".  Be predictable. Hold your line and encourage others in your group to do so also. When you "must" do a sprint to the next green sign, be sure to give a look over your left shoulder before doing so. The life you save could be your own.
Above all --- never, ever, use someone's hood to balance with while at a red light!

 

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Top 25 Tips

No More!

 

Someone told me when I first began group riding that I was a Rookie for at least the first two years of group cycling. I embraced that title for a while but figure that it is now time to shed the designate. Along the twenty thousand plus miles over the last two and half years many people have shared advice, training tips, pace line etiquitte and rules of the road. There have been too many people to cite as references but you know who you are if you happen to be reading this. I am grateful for your help!

This list of tips is no way exhaustive but will hopefully be a helpful reminder to you veterans of the sport as well as contain new things to practice for the Rookies. Feel free to add more to the list in the 'comments' section at the end of this post. Let's work together to share some things we know so that others can benefit from our insight. If you happen to be fortunate enough to work with new cyclists, please pass this on to them.

 

 

1. When approaching a car at a stop sign be sure that they see you; wave and/or make eye contact with the driver. Remember: cars always win.

2. Practice getting your water bottle with each hand.

3. Make sure you can unclip with each foot easily; try not to get used to using the same foot all the time to touch down at stops.

4. Hold the handlebars with one hand near the top tube while getting a drink.

5. Be courteous to other cyclists on the road - smile & wave.

6. Figure out why you ride --- then remember it as you go out on the road.

7. Standing up on flats is a good thing to practice; it makes you stronger.

8. Give others the BOD whenever possible.

9. Stertch ater a ride, not before.

10. Give 1-legged drills a try - but not on a group ride.

11. Do your very best. Train hard, train smart and never, ever give up on your goals.

12. Be kind to new riders, patient and willing to teach them. You too were a newbie once upon a time.

13. Practice patience during your group ride.

14. Realize that there is a difference in a standard group ride and a training ride.

15. Just because you can doesn't mean that you have to. Don't be a show off.

16. Standing up on the hills is a good thing to practice; it makes you climb better.

17. Hard work has awesome rewards.

18. Being in a cycling club has its advantages.

19. Ride for a charity; it's good for others and for you.

20. Be predictable as you ride; don't make sudden movements.

21. Hold your line on straights and in turns.

22. Stay away from squirrley riders; put them behind you politely.

23. If you start to fall off pace, work hard a little bit harder so that you can rest on the wheel once you catch it. Riding solo is more difficult.

24. Standing up on hills and throwing your bike, keeping hips over the cranks and pulling the handlebars toward you makes you climb faster and stronger.

25. Above all, be safe for those around you and for yourself.

Alignment Alliance / Part 5 of 5: The Shoulders

Our last topic in the five-article series on alignment is a quick look at the shoulders. There are several issues that can arise from shoulders being too tense, too weak, unlevel or even crooked when viewed from the side.

Samantha Heinrich, Lake Mary Crit, FL 2013

Shoulder Stiffness
A friend of mine used to ride beside me and smack my elbow with the back of his hand as he barked, "SOFTEN THOSE ELBOWS!!!" in his rigid New Englader voice. It didn't take long for me to learn that with slightly bent elbows, suddenly my upper body instantly became more relaxed.  My neck wasn't as stiff.  My elbows stopped hurting on long rides.  He explained that our elbows are to used as shock absorbers and that they would relax the shoulder girdle (impossible to do with straight arms.) Finally he stated that we will experience far less neck tightness once we learn how to soften those 'bows. He was right!
 - Remedy: practice keeping elbows slightly bent and relaxing the shoulder girdle. Drawing the abs in will take pressure off of your hands, thus allowing for soft elbows.

Uneven Shoulder Levels
Perhaps you have ridden behind someone whose shoulders are not even. I like to try and figure out why: a spine issue? Weaker muscles on one side of the torso? Is one hip slightly twisted forward, causing this problem? Could there have been a broken collar bone in the history of this rider?  There can be many causes. A partial tear in the rotator cuff can lead to a drooped shoulder (inward rotation toward the chest.)
 - Remedy: Check your posture in the mirror. Have someone photograph you as you ride (from behind and beside.) Engage in gentle stretching of your shoulders, neck and upper back after each ride. Here are some good stretches.



Anatomybox.com

Overzealous Traps
As you ride, think of keeping your neck long. This will help alleviate stiffness in the neck caused by trapezius muscles who think too highly of themselves. They are busy-bodies: always wanting to butt in and take over. Refuse to give in! When you drop your chin and allow your shoulders to rise up to meet your ears, you are conditioning these traps to stay in this contracted state. This can cause headaches, decreased range of motion in the neck and other unpleasantries during - and after- your ride.
- Remedy: Stretch your neck by dropping your right ear towards you right shoulder. Hold and count to 20. Repeat on the left. Now drop your chin to your chest, hold for 20 counts. Slowly rotate your chin to your right collar bone; hold. Repeat on the left side. All the while keep your shoulders down and pressed back.

As stated in each of the five artices in this series many (if not most) of these alignment issues can be remedied through a consistent stretching and strengthening routine. Seek the help of a professional for an assessment or if you have questions about any of the topics covered during this series. A pro bike fitter, personal trainer, chiropractor, physical therapist, massage therapist or even orthopedic doctor can each help you find and correct most of the problems discussed. There is no need to ride in pain or discomfort. Afterall, we ride to be stress-free!



Sources:
http://balanced-movement.com/2010/07/13/cycling-shoulder-position-and-upper-body-pain/