Dear Alex,
Are you riding "Quad Dominant"?
Most Everyday Cyclists are and if YOU ARE, it could be:
*Making You Much Slower in the Hills.
*Increasing Your Susceptibility to Back fatigue.
*Decreasing your power and speed potential.
*Leading to Chronic Imbalances and Potential Injury.
What is Quad Dominance?
Basically, it refers to a very common, over-dependance on the
contraction of the quads through the pedal stroke and more
importantly, a decrease in Glute/Hamstring/Hip Flexor utilization
leading to most of your power, coming from the front--not the rear.
Very common for people in general, not just cyclists and is
a PRIMARY REASON for most peoples back pain/problems.
In cycling, I refer to it as "mashing the pedals" as opposed
to "levitating the pedals". Again, very common in cyclists.
Usually, we want a 60-40 split in action power between our
glutes/hams/flexors and our quads. However, most of us are
more likely to be 50-50 or worse, 40-60. The 60% being the
power supplied by the quads alone--WAY TOO MUCH!
If you cramp a lot, have trouble snapping out of the saddle or
getting low and hammering at high leg speeds--you more than
likely are QUAD DOMINANT.
IN A NUTSHELL: "You're Not Pedaling from your Hips & Core!"
Basically, you're IMBALANCED and you're not alone!
What can Quad Dominant Imbalances cause?
In my experience...
*Poor climbing power due to weak glutes/hams.
*Increased back fatigue, usually from a weak core.
*Inability to get aero and for longer periods. (poor flexibility)
*Increased susceptibility to knee pain/injury. (big one!!)
*Cramping! Cramping. Cramping! (insidious truth)
Not to mention, losing huge potential for MORE POWER!
If you use my Cyclo-TRAINER Sessions, you know how
much emphasis I place into teaching you to RIDE FROM
YOUR HIPS and CORE! (at nauseam) Keep doing them!
It's my "core philosophy" and one that works incredibly well
to help you re-balance your hip power, quad strength, and
leg speed for more efficiency, for longer periods of time.
I'll attack your hips, core, leg speed, & power in
every trainer session we'll do together...
**TRAINER SESSIONS #1-10 + BONUSES (special today)**
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**NEW 2.5 Hr "CLIMBING EPIC" TRAINER Special (#17):
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***NEW Strength & Wt-Loss TRAINER Bundle (# 11-13 + IN 5')
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My Cyclo-TRAINER sessions will systematically help you:
*Retrain your hips and core to ACTIVATE while riding.
*Increase Glute and Hamstring Utilization and Power.
*Strengthen the back and open the hams for aero stability.
*Decrease dependance on your quads for power.
*Open new channels for more leg speed & efficiency.
*Super-charge your climbing muscular endurance.
You see, to help you balance your quads and hips, I need
to attack your body in multiple ways, that do not always
utilize the bike--which is why in many sessions, we get off the
bike and I'll attack you with Cyclo-CORE like training.
In fact, the more you ride with quad dominance, the more
quad dominant you become! READ THAT AGAIN.
Use my Cyclo-TRAINER Sessions 1-3x week, and I promise
you, you will be quad dominant no more and finally begin
to MAXIMIZE YOUR POWER & STRENGTH by tapping into
your "Cottage of Wattage".
I use to be quad dominant for years and I always had back
pain, tight hams, and was weak in the hills. Really weak.
Then, I started Cyclo-CORE Training and Cyclo-TRAINER
sessions and not only are those problems solved--but I'm
climbing and riding stronger than I was when I was in my 20's.
I want you to feel the same!
Ride Hard. Balance Your Quads. Dominate!
--Graeme Street
Totally makes sense. There is a huge reservoir of power in the back of your body.
You just need to tap into it...
Monday, January 31, 2011
Quads
Interesting email I received from Graeme Street, owner of Cyclocore:
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5 comments:
This is exactly the problem power cranks addresses. I tried them once and my hip flexors gave up in just 45min of soft pedaling. Because I do some form of ski workouts about half the year, it keeps my hip flexors tuned up. I find when I fatique on the bike, my hip flexors often come to the rescue.
What about pulling with the hamstrings? I find when I'm climbing seated I'm probably upwards of 70% of power coming from glutes and hamstrings. I save the quads for when I get out of saddle. I have found that mountain biking has improved my pedaling power at the top of the stroke.
I've read that mtb also helps to round out the stroke in that you often have to maintain torque throughout the stroke, say, when climbing a steep, loose hill.
Some riders bring way too much ankle into the picture. Their toes point downward at the bottom of the pedal stroke, then the foot goes nearly vertical on the up stroke. I know my calves are not built for this kind of abuse. I think how much hamstring, glute and hip flexor you bring into the picture and what part of the stroke you bring them in has much to do with the ankle. I tend to keep a very flat foot through the entire pedal stroke. That probably means my knees and hips bend greater angles than someone that ankles. I don't have a problem with my joints. I suspect I use more hamstrings and hip flexors at the limits of the cycling than someone who puts a lot of ankle into it.
Interestingly, when I borrowed Tom Ramsey's CX bike for the Pikes Peak hillclimb, I had to drop his saddle three inches. We have about the same inseam. I bet Tom has almost full ankle extension at the bottom of the stroke and probably places his cleat quite far forward on the foot. It seems to work for him though. He has the potential to break the 60 year old age division record on Mt Washington. I used to get calf cramps years ago. My saddle height has dropped over the years and my cleat position has moved back. Knee angle in bottom position has not changed.
You don't want excess ankle flex at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Doing that robs the power of the hamstrings and glutes. My seat is fairly low relative to my inseam and my cleat is fairly far back.
I often wonder how much cycling efficiency factors into the whole equation. Seen any studies out there? Seems to be a neglected skill set.
It's called cycling economy. I'll see if I can dig up any studies. Only way to measure it is on erg with metabolic cart. CE is partly set by genetics (type 1 vs 2 muscle comp). It can also be trained, in terms of fit, biomechanics and training techiniques. I'm pretty sure my CE sucks, as I consume 30% more calories than slow twitch guys for same rides over course of a week and still lose weight.
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