[bianchi77]

What kind of weight training do I need for improving my climbing ?

Squat ? how many times ? per week ? per session ?

 

[loudog]

squats, 2x/week, go for high reps.
bent over rows
jump rope
weighted calf exercises
push-ups
leg curls
sit ups

 

[bianchi77]

weighted calf exercises ?leg curls? I don't know how...
Any links related with it ? I'm gonna use my barbel...

 

[SilasCL]

Weight training won't improve your sustainable power for climbing. It's unlikely to improve anything beyond a 30 second effort.

Focus on intervals on your bike instead.

 

[I am The Edge]

use google and search for it yourself.

 

[pretender]

Whether weight training gives specific advantage for endurance sports is the great debate. The research is very ambiguous. Certainly, weight training can help your sprint; you might want to look into plyometrics if that is a goal.

One recurring theme that keeps popping up, on this forum and in other places I've poked into, is that of specificity. If you want to improve your climbing, climb.

 

[kbiker3111]

weight training mid season definitely won't improve your climbing, it may actually hurt it. If you build a weight training plan into your early offseason training, some have found it helps sustainable power.

 

[ilan]

Weight training won't improve your sustainable power for climbing. It's unlikely to improve anything beyond a 30 second effort.

Focus on intervals on your bike instead.

Weight training will improve your muscular endurance for 1-2 minute efforts. But this weight training can be done on the bicycle by riding in a big gear up a hill at slow rpm's.

Core training can also help stabilize you on the bike. You might have to do strength training if you have back problems which will limit your cycling.

-ilan

 

[mprevost]

Weight Training

Whether weight training gives specific advantage for endurance sports is the great debate. The research is very ambiguous. Certainly, weight training can help your sprint; you might want to look into plyometrics if that is a goal.

One recurring theme that keeps popping up, on this forum and in other places I've poked into, is that of specificity. If you want to improve your climbing, climb.

Not so ambiguous really....there are more like this......

J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 1998 Sep;38(3):201-7.Correlations between peak power output, muscular strength and cycle time trial performance in triathletes. Bentley DJ, Wilson GJ, Davie AJ, Zhou S.

School of Exercise Science and Sport Management, Southern Cross University,
Lismore, NSW, Australia.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between the peak power output (Wmax),
peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), lower limb muscular strength and cycling time (CT)
during a short course triathlon race. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The study involved a
cross-sectional analysis involving both physiological and biomechanical
variables. SETTING: Testing was performed at the exercise physiology and
biomechanics laboratory, School of Exercise Science and Sport Management,
Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Ten male
triathletes who had been endurance cycle training for a minimum of 12 months
prior to the commencement of the study. MEASURES: Subjects completed a maximal
incremental cycle test as well as a series of muscular function tests including
a 6-s cycle test, a concentric isoinertial squat jump as well as an isokinetic
leg extension test performed at velocities of 60 degrees (s-1, 120 degrees (s-1
and 180 degrees.s-1. In addition, each subject also participated in a triathlon
race of distance 1.5 km swim, 40 km cycle and 10 km run. RESULTS: A significant
correlation existed between CT and absolute VO2 peak and Wmax. However, no
significant correlations were found between the results of the muscular function
tests and the incremental cycle test as well, as CT during the triathlon race.
CONCLUSIONS: Wmax and WDmax are useful variables in assessing cycle performance in triathletes. However, the importance of muscular strength of the lower limbs may be minimal in overall cycle performance during a short course triathlon
race.


Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1999 Jun;31(6):886-91.The effects of strength training on endurance performance and muscle characteristics. Bishop D, Jenkins DG, Mackinnon LT, McEniery M, Carey MF.

Department of Human Movement Studies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane,
Australia. [email protected]

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of resistance
training on endurance performance and selected muscle characteristics of female
cyclists. METHODS: Twenty-one endurance-trained, female cyclists, aged 18-42 yr,
were randomly assigned to either a resistance training (RT; N = 14) or a control
group (CON; N = 7). Resistance training (2X x wk(-1)) consisted of five sets to
failure (2-8 RM) of parallel squats for 12 wk. Before and immediately after the
resistance-training period, all subjects completed an incremental cycle test to
allow determination of both their lactate threshold (LT) and peak oxygen
consumption VO2). In addition, endurance performance was assessed by average
power output during a 1-h cycle test (OHT), and leg strength was measured by
recording the subject's one repetition maximum (1 RM) concentric squat. Before
and after the 12-wk training program, resting muscle was sampled by needle
biopsy from m. vastus lateralis and analyzed for fiber type diameter, fiber type
percentage, and the activities of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and
phosphofructokinase. RESULTS: After the resistance training program, there was a
significant increase in 1 RM concentric squat strength for RT (35.9%) but not
for CON (3.7%) (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant changes in OHT
performance, LT, VO2, muscle fiber characteristics, or enzyme activities in
either group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The present data suggest that increased leg
strength does not improve cycle endurance performance in endurance-trained,
female cyclists.

 

[iliveonnitro]

Climbers don't lift weights. Sprinters, however, do.

 

[ilan]

Climbers don't lift weights. Sprinters, however, do.

If I recall correctly, the Australian endurance track team does not specific resistance (weight) training, they do it all on the bike. Riding a team pursuit in excess of 60kph and sub 1:04 kilo is probably faster than anyone here would even aspire to, so that pretty much settles the need for specific leg strength off bike training for most people.

-ilan

 

[Alex_Simmons/RST]

But this weight training can be done on the bicycle by riding in a big gear up a hill at slow rpm's.

You would be mistaken then. Even when grinding a big gear up a hill the forces are way too low to induce anything like the physiological adaptations one would expect from weight training.

 

[tidi]

i have found that weight training taxes too much energy for my cycling performance. i agree with other posts in that to be a good climber just climb. factor in recovery time whether on the bike or not, because any taxing effort is just that, taxing. i tried minimal weight training exercises in previous times and used a barbell. exercises were stiff leg deadlift to help strengthen hip extension with the thought of not fatiging my quads. also adding some arm exercises just for the balancing out purpose. my rep range was low so i lifted heavy to get to fatigue quickly. i thought at one point that the external load on my body did help my climbing but my daily living like work etc., suffered as i was feeling a higher level of overall tiredness so i dropped the weight training and kept up the riding. i dropped a few kgs with the subtraction of fructose in my diet and my riding/climbing really hit a new level in the positive. hope this helps.

 

[ilan]

You would be mistaken then. Even when grinding a big gear up a hill the forces are way too low to induce anything like the physiological adaptations one would expect from weight training.

"For strength endurance on the bike, ride up hills in the saddle on bigger gears. That was the only strength work out team pursuit did for the last three years and they won everything there was to win with a bucket load of world records to boot. Incidentally, they are also the fastest starters." From the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Australian National Sprint Cycling Team http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-181570.html

-ilan

 

[TurboTurtle]

"For strength endurance on the bike, ride up hills in the saddle on bigger gears. That was the only strength work out team pursuit did for the last three years and they won everything there was to win with a bucket load of world records to boot. Incidentally, they are also the fastest starters." From the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Australian National Sprint Cycling Team http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-181570.html

-ilan

This does not contradict what Alex_Simmons/RST said.

Originally Posted by Alex_Simmons/RST
You would be mistaken then. Even when grinding a big gear up a hill the forces are way too low to induce anything like the physiological adaptations one would expect from weight training.

Nor does it support what you said.

Weight training will improve your muscular endurance for 1-2 minute efforts. But this weight training can be done on the bicycle by riding in a big gear up a hill at slow rpm's.

Nor does it support the implication that it’s beneficial for a road cyclist (even a ‘sprinter’).

TF

 

[ilan]

This does not contradict what Alex_Simmons/RST said.

Originally Posted by Alex_Simmons/RST
You would be mistaken then. Even when grinding a big gear up a hill the forces are way too low to induce anything like the physiological adaptations one would expect from weight training.

Nor does it support what you said.

Weight training will improve your muscular endurance for 1-2 minute efforts. But this weight training can be done on the bicycle by riding in a big gear up a hill at slow rpm's.

Nor does it support the implication that it’s beneficial for a road cyclist (even a ‘sprinter’).

TF

It wasn't a presentation to a judge (you apparently). Reading the full article in the link is more interesting that such a useless debate.

-ilan

 

[Alex_Simmons/RST]

"For strength endurance on the bike, ride up hills in the saddle on bigger gears. That was the only strength work out team pursuit did for the last three years and they won everything there was to win with a bucket load of world records to boot. Incidentally, they are also the fastest starters." From the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Australian National Sprint Cycling Team http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-181570.html

-ilan

I am familiar with the post - a version of it has been circulating for quite some time.

What he describes as "strength endurance" is really maximal aerobic power development. The miss use of the word "strength" is a little unfortunate. He really should have substituted "power" for "strength", or better still "Maximal Aerobic Power".

Strength is the maximal force generation capacity of a muscle or group of muscles.

The forces involved in pedalling at such aerobic power levels up a hill (which they must be if they are lasting more than a couple of minutes) are simply too low to significantly impact on one's strength.

What such efforts do however is provide a way to ensure sufficient time is spent riding at high aerobic power levels (~ Maxmial Aerobic Power). That "grinding a big gear" simply tends to require one to sustain a high aerobic power as well as prevent rapid accelerations that are more feasible when riding a smaller gear.

However the gear/cadence in itself is a red herring. They are no more or less effective than simply riding up the hill at the same power at a "normal" or a self-selected cadence.

 

[bianchi77]

Climbers don't lift weights. Sprinters, however, do.

Then what should I do if I don't do the weight training, some says that it's important too to build my muscle....anyway I need them while climbing....how can I climb without a good muscle ???

 

[kbiker3111]

Unless you are gaunt, muscle size is probably not the current limiting factor in your climbing. If you want to improve your climbing, climb more. I'd go find the biggest, baddest hill in your area and ride up and down it for an hour or so twice a week.

 

[bianchi77]

Unless you are gaunt, muscle size is probably not the current limiting factor in your climbing. If you want to improve your climbing, climb more. I'd go find the biggest, baddest hill in your area and ride up and down it for an hour or so twice a week.

Good Idea.....I will do it