Gym training for MTB racing?

[Particle]

4 weeks in to DB Combos now, core is feeling great.

[rod9301]

A lot of mountain bikers do not lift weights for legs.
My personal experience:

I stopped using a leg press about 6 years ago because of a knee injury.
Last year,i restarted the leg press and I got to where I was before, 550-600 pounds, a few sets of 12 reps,3x a week.

My climbing went from 34 minutes to 29 on a small test hill.
I gained a few pounds, probably in my legs, as the circumference went up by almost 2 ".

Nothing else changed in my riding routine.

I could also pedal in a higher gear, actually 2-3 gears higher on a test grade.

I also think that stronger legs will help develop endurance, because you can push longer and harder.



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[Big E]

It's a fallacy that being strong requires being massively jacked.

Agree 100%. I have only in the last year or so come to understand this. Building strength and building muscle are two totally different things. Strength is needed in EVERY sport, but being stronger does not mean being bulkier, weighing more, etc. Building strength means getting more of the muscles you DO have to actually work together.

Building muscle mass has relatively little utility outside of body building comps. Possibly useful for impressing the ladies at the beach... as long as an Olympic lifter doesn't show up.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

4 weeks in to DB Combos now, core is feeling great.

No doubt, I started week 5 yesterday. All the meatheads at the gym look at me funny, especially when doing TGUs.

Agree 100%. I have only in the last year or so come to understand this. Building strength and building muscle are two totally different things. Strength is needed in EVERY sport, but being stronger does not mean being bulkier, weighing more, etc. Building strength means getting more of the muscles you DO have to actually work together.

Building muscle mass has relatively little utility outside of body building comps. Possibly useful for impressing the ladies at the beach... as long as an Olympic lifter doesn't show up.

Yup, I work with this juiced up meathead who sprays his clothes on every am. Dude is about as strong as I was when I was 15. A bunch of useless extra mass to carry around.

I regularly have to torque stuck nuts/bolts for him, etc and he is 5'9" 200# and I am 5'7" #155.

[Dhelihiker]

Heavy lifting alternated with spin class and things. Slow twitch muscle laced with fast twitch. Steroids and yellow bracelets seem to help too

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Bumping this up. Doing the Bike James dumbbell combos again. Feels good, but I want your guys input on this kind of workout.

Seems like interval combo drills really kick my ass in a good way. ie burpee>cheater curl>db press repeat for 30 seconds then rest for 30 and repeat. Those kind of combos where I dont look too insane in a crowded gym?