I don’t mind making up for lost ground in the cardio bit of the gym, rowing/running/bike, but I find it really difficult to motivate myself to get into the weights section. I do sometimes, but find it a bit dull.

Any Arnies out there who might have some tips and tricks?

Squatz & Oatz.

find yourself a local Crossfit or ‘functional fitness’ gym…

Lose the excess through healthy eating and cardio – then every time you do some weights you will see a difference, which will motivate you for the next session.

To be honest, I’m as lean as – I find the cardio a chore (half hour) and relish the weights (an hour).

Second Crossfit, whole different kind of hurt, in a good way 😀

I do weights on a Mon/Tue/Thus/Fri with 20 min inclined walking on the treadmill to finish with… Wednesday I do 50 mins of Cardio (20 min bike, 15 min crosstrainer, 15 max Inclined H.I.I.T on the treadmill)

Biking at weekend..

Sometimes with weights people benefit by having a training partner – bit of healthy (or unhealthy 😉 ) competition motivates some people.

i do weights to help maintain and improve the strength around my back and shoulders…. in the past i’ve done weights for vanity reasons but then i get caught up in the whole ‘i could lift more than that chap over there’ thing and it always lead to a bad mental relationship with the gym for me.

having a specific goal of trying to help past injuries and slow down the deterioration of my back problem stops me from taking it too far but keeps me focussed and motivated 🙂

mix it up. doing the same thing every time will not only leave you bored but your muscles will get used to it.

What exercises do you do for your back?

I do free weights every other day. If I go by myself I just listen to some interesting podcast. Works for me! I don’t understand why gyms play awful music.

Been advised to go to a gym by a physio to help with a muscle imbalance i’ve got in my back that causes me grief so also be interested in what work outs you do philconsequence.

Any Arnies out there who might have some tips and tricks?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Starting-Strength-ebook/dp/B006XJR5ZA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354357594&sr=8-1

I do a circuit training class once a twice a week at a crossfit gym it’s a great fun way to do some weights and other stuff. I really hate burpees though!

squat, deadlift, press, pullups and bench. Do these and you will get stronger.

Being strong is fun. Being weak is not.

I agree with Kudos….we all wanna feel strong.
commit to a training plan for a month and after you’ll see the positive changes and that should motivate you to continue

squat, deadlift, press, pullups and bench. Do these and you will get stronger.

This is exactly what I do to the letter. 5 sets of 5 reps each. As heavy as I can manage.

Apparently kettlebells are where it’s at. I did 50 swings on thursday and i’m now walking like a cripple.. man it hurts

Find a corner with no mirror.

Squats.
The amount of weight, sets and reps you do will totally depend on what you want to get from it and how you ride. BMX/Track riders will be doing low reps at very high weights. But if you’re riding further than that you’ll be wanting to lots of squats with smaller weights using something like a kettle bell or a plate.
Chris Hoy said if he could only do one exercise for track cycling it would be the squat.

Tom KP

squat, deadlift, press, pullups and bench. Do these and you will get stronger.

This and some rows. All with an olympic bar, no machines.

5 sets of 5 reps each. As heavy as I can manage

This with good technique and range for every last rep.

Being strong is fun. Being weak is not.

😀

Squats (4×50 75kg)couple times a week.
Makes me feel less guilty about riding less in these winter months.

I really like the weights machines- something about the perfect repeatability, it’s the same sort of appeal as rowers I think. Every lift/press is the same.

Squats, hamstring curls, leg press, calf raise. 3 sets of each twice a week.

GB

I really like the weights machines- something about the perfect repeatability, it’s the same sort of appeal as rowers I think. Every lift/press is the same.

And thats exactly why they are not as good as free weights. They eliminate the need to use many Stabilizing muslces.

Why do weights? What’s the objective? Not critising, just wondering why you choose to supplement riding with weights rather than anything else…

I do 3 sessions of core strength a week. Has a massive impact on strength with riding and running – really allows you to get the power down…

birney29 – Member

And thats exactly why they are not as good as free weights. They eliminate the need to use many Stabilizing muslces.

Yup. But since I don’t enjoy free weights much, machines are better than nothing.

Find the machines you enjoy using/ work the muscles that you want to work, then try to replicate that move with free weights. Go light until technique is perfect. The sentiment is questionable, but my old boxing coach was of the opinion that using machines only makes you better at using machines. I try to replicate physical activities that I do any way, for example, dead lift to biceps curl works same muscles as lifting an ambulance carry chair, weighted lunges (forward and back) similar to cycling through treacle on a fat bike with flat tyres.

Why do weights? What’s the objective? Not critising, just wondering why you choose to supplement riding with weights rather than anything else…

I do 3 sessions of core strength a week. Has a massive impact on strength with riding and running – really allows you to get the power down…
you won’t find a better core strength exercise than heavy squats

See a decent PT to get some good technique before trying the Olympic lifts; you’ll get better results and less likely to do yourself an injury – form is important! Learn to squat, dead-lift, press and bench – then start on complexes, getting stuff overhead and upping the weights!

I’d say dead-lifts can be up there with squats for core strength for what it’s worth.

(Machines; god’s way of keeping the idiots off the barbells according to my PT. Aside from cables and TRX there’s not a machine to be seen in my local gym…)

Why do weights? What’s the objective? Not critising, just wondering why you choose to supplement riding with weights rather than anything else…

I do 3 sessions of core strength a week. Has a massive impact on strength with riding and running – really allows you to get the power down…

Lift big weights, get core strength. Its as simple as that.

I’d love to join the gym n get massive, but cba. Cant see it benefitting my cycling much either. I do the odd press up though!

Just bought You are Your Own Gym- Mark Lauren, on the first week of bodyweight exercises. Will see what happens if i make the 10 week program.
Have always done core work, and squats/press ups and concentrated on form rather than weight, more to keep the back ok after years of running abuse, has definitely strengthened my glutes which has helped my climbing abilities.
Would probably improve more if i didn’t have a cake weakness!

Question for those who know their way around a gym.

I am struggling to put together a decent leg routine because for various reasons I find it impossible to squat. What alternative exercises are there ( other than leg presses and weighted lunges) that hit the same muscles but are not squats? I do dead lifts already.

Have you tried the leg press machine?

Edit – sorry, didn’t read your post properly

Piggyback squats with your training partner?

When you say you can’t squat – is that, full-stop can’t, even body-weight, or just with a bar & weights across your back?

Bulgarian splits? There are endless variations on lunges, there’s the TRX and what about pylometric / explosive stuff like jump sequences?

I struggled with squat form due to really short hamstrings – lots of stretching and practice has helped no end…

It’s the bar across the back that is the problem. I cannot hold it due to a knackered/inflexible shoulder, and I can’t keep good form due to a bit of a curved spine.

Piggy back square would work but I tend to train on my own.

Front squats? Use the smith machine?

Pistol squat

Ahh – well you can try a heap of stuff – I’d take a DB or KB and goblet squat. Or try front squats (you can rest bars across shoulders if you can’t bend your arms back that far). Or try sumo deadlifts. Grab a bench or box when you’re squatting to check you’re getting down far enough – stick it behind you, your backside touching the bench on the way down. If you can be bothered send me an email and I can send you 5 or 6 sets of 4 different exercises for legs – body weight and weighted and TRX etc…

You can also try the Sting-ray squat aid; helps more than a plain pad to keep the bar in the right place on your back. Recommended.