Custom orthotics improve cycling power!

So earlier this week I went down to Foot Fitness Too in RI to pick up my custom orthotics built for my Sidi cycling shoes. While at the store to pick up my orthotics I also received a bike fit from Foot Fitness founder, and fit guru Bill Peterson. WOW! I couldn't believe the difference I felt in terms of power! I was riding the 53x12 on the trainer and felt that it wasn't enough gear to test my new-found power!!

Here is a link to a blog of a fairly serious cyclist telling his story of the impact of his orthotics built by Bill:

http://www.eghyde.com/2008/03/foot-fitness-review_06.html

And here is a link to the Foot Fitness website:

Foot Fitness

I can not recommend Bill and his services enough. He is only in RI every quarter or so, but the visit (and wait to see him) is priceless!

Pyramids of Fun - Oh! So much fun!

Well, last week I decided to give Ed Sassler's leg strengthening routine a try to help improve my muscular strength and endurance this off-season. Ed prescribes a routine called "Pyramids of Fun". You can find the routine under "Training-->Strength" on his website. However for simplicity I have copied the details below. Please refer to Ed's coaching website for even more great info! (see link at right) For my part, I started my first pyramid with single 10lb plates on each side of the leg press. The complete set felt quite manageable so for my second set I started with 30lbs on each side, then added plates in increments of 10lbs per side. The second set felt manageable so I decided to test myself a little more. For my third set I started with a 45lb plate on each side, but started at 30 reps and worked down by 5 reps each set. Further I added to the fun a little by doing a set of single leg presses for each given weight. I maxed out at 6x45lb on each side of the press (540lbs total). That third and final set didn't feel toooo bad, but my legs were definitely exhausted after the 45 minutes flat-out on the leg press. The next day stairs were challenging. However the following day stairs AND walking sucked! BUT....I can't wait to get back to the gym to give the Pyramids of Fun another go. I already feel stronger on my fixie and can already envision the huge strength benefits I'll accumulate in time for the spring cycling season and next year's Crank the Kanc! Thanks Ed :-)

The lion's share of work to be done at the gym is on the leg press. The glutes are the largest muscle group with the best blood flow. They are the major muscle group responsible for delivering the highest forces on the pedals.

My workout is in pyramid form, emphasizing high reps at the lower end and high weight at the top. They pyramid set is part acclimation to higher weights, part warm-up for higher workloads and part mind game. The idea of multiple pyramids is to make large increases by a long series of small increases. The multiple pyramid set also has the side effect of putting the highest load at the end when they muscles are tired. This is also somewhat cycling specific as the sprint is at the end of the race. The mind game is in the small increases and reductions - if you finished the last set you should be able to finish this one, it's only 2 reps more...

The basic format - down by 8's, up by 10's
First pyramid:
50 reps	@	1 plate per side	U P
42 reps	@	2 plates per side
34 reps	@	3 plates per side
26 reps	@	4 plates per side
18 reps	@	5 plates per side
10 reps	@	6 plates per side
20 reps	@	5 plates per side	D O W N
30 reps	@	4 plates per side
40 reps	@	3 plates per side
Second pyramid:
50 reps	@	2 plates per side	U P
42 reps	@	3 plates per side
34 reps	@	4 plates per side
26 reps	@	5 plates per side
18 reps	@	6 plates per side
10 reps	@	7 plates per side
20 reps	@	6 plates per side	D O W N
30 reps	@	5 plates per side
40 reps	@	4 plates per side
Third pyramid???

Note that there are no actual amounts of weight listed, that is up to the individual and where they are in their strength training program. Some good guidelines:

1) Start lighter than you think you need to and take two weeks to get safely settled into the start of the weight training program.

2) Weight increases only take place whey you can do workouts at the previous weight with no soreness, stiffness or discomfort.

3) Ignore what you think your limits are. Most people have an idea of how much weight they should be able to push, and how much weight it too much. Ignore that, stick with the program and make increases as needed.

Weight increases: This workout is all about the overload factor - where micro tears form in the muscle fibers which must be repaired and strengthened. After you make a weight increase in the program you should notice a slight soreness within the same range of motion. Going up stairs two steps at a time is a good, low stress test. The goal is a weight increase every 2-4 weeks, but that depends on the amount of weight added and the number of times at the gym per week. Plan on 2-3 trips to the gym per week, never on consecutive days.

On 100% Max Resistance

When I teach I like to guide the class using "% max resistance" for the simple reason that "100% max resistance" is a relative number that is the same for everyone - because it's relative! That is: while 100% max resistance is the same for everyone the absolute amount of resistance applied to each person's wheel will differ!!

So...what exactly IS 100% max resistance?
I define 100% M.R. as the absolute maximum amount of resistance you can apply to the wheel while still pedaling in a smooth, round pedal stroke at 60 RPM!

Once you have a handle on your 100% M.R. everything else becomes relatively easy to comprehend....

• A hill starts around 50% of your M.R.
• The amount of resistance required to juuust counter-balance your weight in the jog position is 35% M.R.
• Flat roads will have anywhere from 20% to 50% M.R., while one's cadence will be no lower than "your favorite happy pedaling speed" (or 80 RPM, whichever is lower).

How do I find my "100% M.R."?
Well, first warm up well and then once warm set your leg speed to 60 RPM. Now start adding resistance a little at a time all the way until you can just baaaaarely hold that 60RPM. That amount of resistance is ~100% M.R. Remember that feeling in your legs and work all other amounts of resistance relative to the feeling of 100% M.R.
Oh, and don't forget that 100% M.R. is going differ in absolute resistance on the wheel depending on whether you're seated or standing. That is, if you're at 100% M.R. you could still stand up and add more resistance! I usually estimate that there is a 10% difference in % resistance between the seated position and standing position.

Remember, if you ever hold back on the resistance the only person you're cheating is yourself ;-)

Keep those wheels spinning smoothly.

- John

The 'PMC Day 2: Cape Cod' Ride profile