Fitness - volume training.

A snowHead

dg3, another vote for the free weights. Also try and do them in unstable positions as well, great for the core. Very Happy

A snowHead

Weights? What senseless waste of energy.
Why not do something useful?
Like gardening, or DIY, or housework?
Even washing the car. Shocked

If you don't need anything done, go and help a neighbour.
It really is a crazy world where adverts are full of Energy Saving devices and cleaning solutions - all of which cost money.
Then when we have saved all that energy, we go off to the gym to expend that saved energy - which also costs money.
So, a waste of energy, a waste of money, and obviously the real reason for Global Warming Toofy Grin

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

as I get closer to racing this season (Eurotest attempt II - another story!) I'm going to build in explosive plymetric type squats to training - hadn't heard of unstable position thing Kramer - could you clarify, sounds interesting.

and DG Orf sounds like if you keep hitting the leg press machine like that, you'll only be able to sport Golds Gym type animal print baggy elasticated trousers in neon green, with leather bumbag slung round the front for your beer money - careful man wink

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Following up on the discusion of free weights V machines... the good thing about machines is that they isolate the movement and the bad thing about machines is that they isolate the movement.

It's a good thing when you really want to focus on a specific muscle or two and it guides you through the movement so it's great for novices as it reduces the risk they'll injure themselves by doing the movement wrong. But, the downside is that in most sports where you apply the movement you've practised on a machine it is not so isolated. Take a look here at an overview of how different muscles are involved in even simple movements: http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/docs/rec/stretching/stretching_2.html#SEC11.

What this means is that if you develop the strength of a muscle but without training your central nervous system to control the supporting muscles you may injure yourself by making another part of your body the weakest link, for example leg press to increase your leg strength, but if you do a squating type movement you also need you core (ab and back) muscles to stablise you.

So it's a good idea to do a combination of free weights and machines. And also to vary the movements so you continue to challenge your muscles, for example bench press - wide grip, narrow grip, incline, flat, decline, barbells, dumbbells etc.

If you haven't used free weights before ask an instructor to show you, don't just copy what you see others doing as you may just be copying their bad technique. There is an increased risk of injury using free weights, but only if you have bad technique.

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zebedee, wise words.

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dg3, basically if you're used to doing an exercise sitting then do it standing or sat on a swiss ball, if you're used to doing it standing then do it on a bosu, or standing on one leg, or even standing on one leg on a bosu. It makes exercises far more difficult for any given weight, and I think it's a useful variation.

zebedee, I'm a big fan of functional movements as well.

After all it is free

dg3, I will admit to having a quiet laugh at some of the other chaps in the gym, they look the part with their sculpted biceps etc but in many cases I with my hardly visable biceps can actually lift more and do more reps, as I understand it there is a difference between those that compete in bodybuilding events and those that simply are trying to tone the muscles, despite the apparently high loads I use on the leg press it would appear that this is only toning the muscle and not bulking it out, if I want to bulk my legs out I'd need to go to the free weights gym and use 350Kg or more on their leg press something I only do rarely

dg3, look here http://www.jonobrauer.com/skifitness.html

NSWIS wrote the program I think...

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little tiger, Kramer, Thanks Guys - v.helpful.

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One good core squat test - but make sure that you actually really can do it! Make free weight deep squats on top of a bosu ball (the half of it with platform that is). Incredibly difficult, no need fo great weight, but forces you to use every bit of your legs and abs + back to stay on top.

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demos, there might be a point, depending on whether you believe in this study:

comprex, the study on isometric strength seems to contradict at least what to me seems common sense, i.e. isometric training and fatigue would improve resistance and maximise isometric strength. What can I say... No pain does not equal no gain? wink

What have I done all these years...

You know it makes sense.

demos, I think it's cause and effect - lifting a heavy weight for 8 reps will cause fatigue, but it's not the fatigue that stimulates your muscle to grow - it was the load that you placed on the muscle by lifting the heavy weight. That's why a lighter weight for 30 reps might fatique the muscle but won't do much for increasing your strength, just endurance.

What this means in practice is that if you plan to lift 8 reps, then doing one or two more until you can't continue probably won't make much difference. However, you could take that as a sign that you were capable of lifting a heavier weight and then next time you increase the weight you use.

The other thing that goes along with this is muscle soreness, again it's something that people use to measure how good their workout was "I could hardly walk for 3 days, what a great workout!", but this isn't necessary for muscle growth.

BTW - the study mentioned above involved movements through a full range of motion, they just used isometric contractions as a way of measuring strength.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Other than my first day at the gym I've managed to steadily increase the loads etc without any pain, generally I increase the loads by 5 to 10 kg per week on each bit of kit until I get to the maximum load so for example I started the Chest Press at 40 Kg and can now manage to lift 100 Kg

No Pain but plenty of Gain Cool

A snowHead

demos,

A snowHead

Its all well and good talking about technique and theory, but the lets not forget the most important part of going to the gym is what you do in the kitchen. Also, have a look for Chad Waterbury he has loads of detailed regimes on testosterone nation. I found 5x5 working around a push pull legs routine to be extremely rewarding, however your CNS will be annihilated for the first 2 weeks NehNeh

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D G Orf,

That's a frightening amount of weight. How tall are you? I have 23" thighs and am 5'9" and do no weight training at all. Even when I get to the gym (which is seldom) I do upper body and core stuff because they are so relatively weedy compared to my legs.

I do cycle a lot and run a bit but most of my leg muscle is just genetic. Despite the chunk legs I'd not be on the same planet as you in terms of strength. How do you think leg press compares to cycling as conditioning for skiing? I'd have thought cycling was more similar unless you are dealing with the huge loads involved in downhill racing?

Cheers,

J

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jedster, just over 6 ft tall, 26" Thighs 18-19" Calfs

I think you can get a very similar movement on the leg press to that of the classic downhill crouch position, if you do the stupid number of reps that I sometimes do then I think its very similar to skiing loads, however the cycling is probably just as effective and a lot less work wink

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D G Orf, Or - (and I have never attempted this) - pick a steep rocky gully and jump up it. Now that will build stamina Twisted Evil

After all it is free

For training 'fast twitch' muscle try spring jumps onto a picnic bench, really helps in knee deep powder Toofy Grin

Bones, why in the world do you need fast twitch muscles in pow? Shocked

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comprex, Depends how steep the powder is... if you have to do big jump turns then it may be handy, plus many skiers already have a lot of slow fibres well recruited.

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Scarpa, I could argue that on two points:

powder doesn't stick very well to truly steep slopes, unless perhaps in a maritime environment (Alaska, Sochi?)

doing big jump turns misses the point of the powder turn (unhurried floatation without sudden changes, hence near-weightlessness) and essentially wastes snow, both as a missed opportunity and as a chance to cause a slide with the slough

but there's really no point in further derailment of the thread.

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comprex, Agree with you there actually. Was just thinking aloud.

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

dg3, Are you going to either of the Alpe D'Huez Eurotests? I'm allowed leave of my fartherly duties just long enough to attend one this season and would be looking to hook up with others to run some gates during the week of the Dec or Jan test.

A snowHead

balernoStu, pm sent

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Fitness - volume training.

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