Effect of leg strength training on FTP
I generally do various strength training exercises to keep IT band issues at bay - typically stuff like lunges and squats, etc. I'm curious what the general thought is within EN of the effect of these kinds of exercises on FTP and bike power - are they helpful or are they a hindrance?
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It says there are limited (or no?) benefits from strength training to try and increase your FTP.
Yep. Think out it -- if we were in the weight room and I asked you to put a weight on the leg press that you could lift 90x per minute for hours and hours, how heavy would that weight be? Not very.
The fact is that the ability to produce force, ie, how much weight you can lift, is not the limiter on how many watts you can put to the rear wheel.
Fine to lift weights for general health reasons, to fix stuff, etc, but it won't make you faster. I do a core strengthening routine, mostly because when I don't I get this sick-to-my-stomach feeling on hard runs especially, sometimes the bike. I do a couple pull up days and push up days per week, so I don't look like a Schleck and/or have to ask Joanne to open the pickles
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But I don't do anything that will affect my ability to ride and run by best every day.
The reason it came to mind is that I know for myself and others who have had IT band issues when running, for example, doing strength training helps because it keeps form from falling apart and drastically reduces or eliminates the compensation effects that ultimately lead to IT band irritation. I've found that in turn, it has allowed me to run at the same speed as before, but with less effort (or faster with the same effort). One wouldn't initially think that 15-20 reps a day of something as simple as lunges with body weight would have an effect on mechanics of something repeated approximately 90 times per minute, such as each time a foot plants on the ground during running. But perhaps that is more true with running, since form and durability are factors that are more front and center with that activity, as opposed to a bike.
Thanks!
Ryan,
If you're doing that stuff to help fix, maintain, improve stuff, that's cool. That's all good. But if you're going into the weight room and hammering the squat rack or the leg press because you think it's going to make you a faster cyclist or runner...it won't. And it becomes extremely counter productive the deeper you get into your season, as your training volume and intensity ramps up, etc.
hey Ryan
Quote: Rich Strauss - Yep. Think out it -- if we were in the weight room and I asked you to put a weight on the leg press that you could lift 90x per minute for hours and hours, how heavy would that weight be? Not very.
The fact is that the ability to produce force, ie, how much weight you can lift, is not the limiter on how many watts you can put to the rear wheel.
Then what is/are the primary limiters? (I probably should know this...)
I will be 45 in October.
Probably spent about 15 years in the weight room before triathlon. Been doing triathlon 10+ years.
I am 6'2.5" and about 176 lbs.
After I got out of the weight room and put in the race specific work, albeit some grueling and numerous 2X20 sessions as well as long bike rides, I sit at about a 4.0 - 4.1 w/kg ratio today. That with the volume of running and swiming on my body as well.
Different things work for different people, but I cannot argue with the results behind doing the work and staying focused on race specific movements/training.........