Cycling skills are often overlooked as a rider concentrates on developing their power and endurance. In the first of a series of articles about skill in cycling, coach and former elite athlete Chris Chamberlin looks at single leg training and how it is a good method of increasing mechanical efficiency and muscle endurance.
In terms of fitness, the use of one leg at a time allows a greater volume of blood flow through the leg per minute (or unit of time) than happens with both legs working together. There is a great mass of muscle in both legs put together and together they can use more blood each minute than the heart can physically supply. When one leg works alone there is plenty of reserve capacity in the heart and a lot of blood can flood into the leg.
Read the full article here and learn how to integrate single leg cycling into your training – single leg cycling.
Following the birth of our daughter Amy, my wife Rieko was keen to get back into training so we contacted renowned pre and post natal fitness expert Angela Lockwood for her advice for new mums looking to return to fitness following childbirth.
Angela has written a Post Natal Fitness Guide for Women that answers the questions many new mothers have when it comes to exercise and returning to training such as ’how soon after giving birth can I start exercising?’, ‘What exercises can I do whilst waiting for my 6 week post natal check up?’ and ‘how do I train my pelvic floor muscles?’.
“Core stability is of great importance during pregnancy due to the many postural changes that occur. It is, however, equally important to help restore you as a post natal mum to a full functioning super mum/ triathlete” says Angela. Read her Post Natal Fitness Guide for Women and visit her website at www.physically-fit.co.uk
Throughout the winter, a group of us have been working on our triathlon run speed down at The Windsor Slough and Eton Track. We meet every Wednesday at 6:30pm for anyone keen to join in.
We have progressed from 400m intervals through 800m’s to 1,200m’s and onto mile reps. Now we have reached race season the run training has switched slightly to allow us to keep running hard even when our muscles are fatigued, thus simulating triathlon without all the other stresses that are involved.
This run circuit will spice up your training offering variety that you may not have tried before. It is a very tough session and easy to over-cook because you set out too hard or to underperform because you are not rested enough before starting. Always try and do it in a group or with someone else so that you can motivate each other.
If done correctly you will notice it takes big chunks of time off your run splits….so give it a go.
One day, around the end 1992, after I had spent a few years as a professional triathlete, based in Japan, while I was ill, and looking through my old training diaries, I realized the route of my problems.
I was concerned that I was getting sick too often, and was determined to find out the reason, because it was playing havoc with my training and was affecting my race results. Having studied sports science, I know the theories, that it is only by training regularly and constantly over long periods of time will you improve.
However, I was always getting sick and I was not improving from year to year.
My aim was to do 30 hours training a week in the winter, mostly longer slower sessions, cutting it down to around 20 hours a week pre-season and then down to 15 during race weeks, when the intensity was very high. This was sound in theory and would give me an average of 20 hours a week for the year. It was what all the top pro’s were boasting they did at the time.
When I look back at the 1992 season, I discovered to my shock, although there were some big weeks in at 30 hours, there were many blanks when I was sick. At the end of 1992, I decided on a big change. I added up the hours of training for the whole year and was shocked to find I had only averaged 11 hours a week!
My solution was to set out a programme for 1993 where I would aim to average 12.5 hours a week for the whole year. If I was successful this would be a 13.6% increase in my annual training volume which would be a huge jump up. The 30 hour weeks went, and were replaced by 20 hour weeks, the 20 hour weeks were replaced by 15 hour weeks, and race weeks were slashed to 4-5 hours. I built in easy recovery weeks along the way of only 8-10 hours…the results were more that much better that I really expected.
As a professional, I had all the time in the world to train. In fact it was easier to go out training than to stay at home. However, as a professional my ultimate aim was to win races, not to see how many hours a week I could train for.
Too many people forget what they are training for, and the training takes over, like an illness, they become addicted to training…”If only I can get an extra bike ride in”…”If I do an extra 1,000m swim per session I will get faster”. You must have heard people boasting such things as…” I did an awesome 200 mile bike ride yesterday” or …”We managed to get 6 sessions done over the weekend!”…or…” I did a 4 hours bike ride, and felt great so ran for an extra 2 hours afterwards” etc. etc. etc.
WHY?…What is the purpose of it all? To make the training diary look good?
I can write this because, I was that person, I was addicted to training and just kept adding in more and more, until I broke down and got sick…then I would recover and start building up more and more again. The hardest thing for me was to accept this and finally say… “NO MORE!”.
I stuck to my new regime like glue and it felt easy. I thought that I was being lazy, I was never tired, and had lots of free time. Initially, I felt guilty, as if I was cheating my sponsors, because I was training so much less, but as the weeks went past I built up a solid base.
Early season racing in 1993 was not great, but by September, when I cut back the volume back to only 5-6 hours a week, my performances went through the roof. That was the start of my most consistent and highest level of racing which was to last for the next 11 years.
I won the Japanese Olympic Distance National Championships in September 1993 and over the winter I stepped up my training a bit more and averaged about 14 hours a week in 1994. To my amazement at this low level of training, and in my one and only Ironman triathlon I set the British record at the time of 8 hours 52, at Ironman Japan.
Since I was doing so well on lower volume, higher quality training, I did not take my annual weekly average over 16 hours a week, and after 2000 when I retired I dropped it to about 10 hours a week.
This actually gave me an extra boost, so when I started to race for Great Britain again, I surprised myself at the age of 41, reaching No. 2 in the ITU World Duathlon Rankings behind the legendary Benny Vansteelant. It was also at 41, I managed my last sub 30 min 10km run and won the Master’s 10,000m World Championships.
I am sorry it if this looks like too much self indulgence, but I want to add impact to my advice.
If as a full time athlete I could only cope with 11 to 16 hours training a week, how many hours can you cope with?
I am sure that with full time jobs and family commitments, most of you are over training and under achieving if you are attempting those heady heights of 20-30 hours training weeks.
My advice is to keep the quantity low and the quality high, and…if in doubt, cut it out!
A thorough warm up is essential prior to plyometric training. Attention should be given to jogging, stretching (static and ballistic), striding and general mobility especially about the joints involved in the planned plyometric session. A cool down should follow each session.
How Many?
It is wise not to perform too many repetitions in any one session and since it is a quality session, with the emphasis on speed and power rather than endurance, split the work into sets with ample recovery in between.
Summary
Plyometric type exercises have been used successfully by many athletes as a method of training to enhance power. In order to realise the potential benefits of plyometric training the stretch-shortening cycle must be invoked. This requires careful attention to the technique used during the drill or exercise. The rate of stretch rather than the magnitude of stretch is of primary importance in plyometric training. Plyometric exercise and weight training can be combined
Upper Body
Press Ups & Hand Clap
Press-ups with a hand clap in between is a particularly vigorous way to condition the arms and chest. The pre-stretch takes place as the hands arrive back on the ground and the chest sinks, and this is followed quickly by the explosive upwards action. To get the best training effect keep the time in contact with the ground to a minimum.
How to perform the drill
A box high enough to elevate your feet above your shoulders when in a push-up position- advanced level. Usual push up position – mid-level, and knees bent push up for beginners
Face the floor as if you were going to do a push-up.
Push off from the ground with your hands and land. Progress to clapping after push off
Catch yourself in the starting position
Keep the catch time to the shortest time possible
How Much?
1 to 3 sets
Allow a full recovery between each set
10 reps per set
Quality of Push Ups is far more important than quantity
Lower Body
Single Leg Hill Hopping
How to perform the drill
Stand on one leg
Push off with the leg you are standing on and jump forward, landing on the same leg
Use a forceful swing of the opposite leg to increase the length of the jump but aim primarily for height off each jump
You should land on the ball of the foot, allowing energy to be stored by the elastic components of the leg muscles, and immediately take off again
Keep the foot touch down time to the shortest time possible
Try to keep your body vertical and straight
Perform this drill on both legs
Beginners will use a straighter leg action where as advanced athletes should try to pull the heel toward the buttocks during the jump
How Much?
Three to six sets of 20 hops. (Alternating 5hops left leg, 5right,5left,5right)
Choose a moderately steep incline (6-10%)
Allow a full recovery between each set, walk back or take a long jog
Quality of hopping is far more important than quantity
Hill Hopping
Hill Bounding
How to perform the drill
Jog into the start of the exercise
Push off with your left foot and bring the leg forward, with the knee bent and the thigh parallel to the ground
At the same time, reach forward with your right arm. As the left leg comes through, the right leg extends back and remains extended for the duration of the push-off
Hold this extended stride for a brief time, then land on your right foot
The right leg then drives through to a forward bent position, the left arm reaches forward, and the left leg extends backward
Make each stride long, and try to cover as much distance as possible
You should land on the balls of the feet, allowing energy to be stored by the elastic components of the leg muscles, and immediately take off again
Keep the foot touch down time to the shortest time possible
How muchOne to three sets over 30 to 40 metres
Choose a moderately steep incline
Allow a full recovery between each set, walk back
Quality of bounding is far more important than quantity
Wind Sprints
How to perform the drill
Jog into the start of the exercise
Push off with your left foot and bring the leg forward, with the knee bent and the thigh parallel to the ground
Push-off keeping the cadence as high as possible,Leg speed is more important than stride length.
Keep relaxed
The right leg then drives through to a forward bent position, the left arm reaches forward, and the left leg extends backward
You should land on the balls of the feet, allowing energy to be stored by the elastic components of the leg muscles, and immediately take off again
Keep the foot touch down time to the shortest time possible
How much6 to 10 sprints over 40 to 60 metres
Choose a flat area or slight declining slope
Allow a full recovery between each set, walk back or take a long jog between sprints
Quality of sprinting is far more important than quantity
Warning!
Keep the bounds and hopping to up hill only. This will reduce the amount of stress that is relayed though the muscles and joints due to the forces of gravity and thus will reduce the risk of injury.
The sprints are different from the uphill bounds, and should be performed on the flat the aim is for leg speed, (cadence) not distance per stride. While the benefits and effectiveness of plyometric exercise are well documented, the risks of injury should not be forgotten.
Plyometric exercises are specialised, high intensity training techniques used to develop power. Plyometric training involves high-intensity, explosive muscular contractions. Common sense would tell us that you should always pay attention to what your body is telling you and stop any exercise that causes pain. Start very gradually and build slowly. Allow plenty of rest between plyometric workouts, and stop immediately if you feel any pain in your joints !!
I would recommend consulting a personal trainer or taking professional advise before embarking on a programme of plyometric training.
All good buildings are built on strong foundations. The same is true of training.
Plyometric training is the essential element of base 1 ‘Power Training’. This 6-8 week period during winter/spring should be thought of as laying the ‘foundations’ for the coming season.
Base training is not what athletes commonly believe: “lots of long slow distance.” It should be geared towards increasing core strength and power. With increased power the next phases of the years training can be performed more efficiently.
The most important 3 sessions of the weekly programme when developing power will be composed of weights, circuits and plyometric running (which for convenience I have simply labelled as Plyometrics.)
There is no one magical formula and set way of doing plyometric training.
It is however, important to, always be fully rested before doing plyometrics, this is why it is not possible to perform any anaerobic speed training or long distance training in the power training phase.
One final pointer: Do all exercises correctly, do not rush or take short cuts. Do not add on reps.
Remember: Quality not quantity
Development of Power: OverviewImprovement in the sport of triathlon is achieved by optimizing various abilities. The most important areas of conditioning are Endurance, Speed and Strength. Endurance is developed through longer runs and bike rides. Speed and strength should be developed via plyometric training.
Running speed is a factor of stride length and stride frequency (cadence). By developing greater strength, runners are able to increase stride length and so run faster. Increased strength helps generate greater force more quickly. Improvements in power are achieved by overloading the muscles. By making the muscles cope with a greater resistance or load than they are used to.
In a “flat” race it takes a short time to accelerate up to race speed. Once acceleration is complete energy demands drop as momentum is being maintained. As soon as a hill is encountered energy demands climb steeply. This is because travelling uphill is like constantly accelerating. Suddenly the athlete must lift their body’s weight against gravity rather than moving it across the pull of gravity. This is why hill reps are an important element of the power phase of training.
Hill Repetitions are the easiest way to develop strength. Depending on the goal of the session and the demands of your future races you can vary the grade of the hill, the length of the hill, your recovery, and your pace.
Long Hill Reps of beyond two minutes are a great way to get into oxygen debt. The legs and lungs start burning. (This is part of pre-race season training). Steep hills can really improve strength in a short time. Make sure gradients are not too steep to maintain pace. Keep repetitions short enough, so that you do not slow down during the repetition.
TerminologyCircuit training: is a mixture of cardio-vascular and resistance exercises which are great to improve your sports performance. Circuit training is a very flexible format which can be done pretty much anywhere. Indoors if it rains, outdoors in good weather! By the beach if you are on holiday.
Circuits come under the banner of Cross Training. It is the use of training methods from another sport or sports to help the training for your own. Many sports have similar characteristics, so using the conditioning or even skill practice from one will overlap into another, it may also help in reducing the risk of injury.
Core Stability: I expect that at some point we have all been told to sit up straight or not to slouch. This is good advice and is pretty much what core stability is all about. The aim is to keep good posture whatever you are doing and to do this requires a mixture of muscular work and controlled breathing. A good example of an exercise that requires good core stability is a press up. A proper press up is done with the body straight (not bum in the air and not slumping to the ground!). This correct position requires the muscles supporting the spine to be in action as well as breathing control, this is where you get the core stability.
Plyometrics: Speed and strength are integral components of fitness found in varying degrees in virtually all athletic movements. Simply put, the combination of speed and strength is power. For many years coaches and athletes have sought to improve power in order to enhance performance. Throughout this century and no doubt long before, jumping, bounding and hopping exercises have been used in various ways to enhance athletic performance. In recent years this distinct method of training for power has been termed plyometrics. Whatever the origins of the word, the term is used to describe the method of training which seeks to enhance the explosive reaction of an individual through powerful muscular contractions as a result of rapid eccentric contractions.
If you want to swim, bike or run faster, plyometric training can help. This type of training is high impact and high load, and popular belief would have it that you need to have a certain amount of strength before you start. The truth is that anybody can do it. Hopping for example we have all done and that is a low level plyometric exercise which is very useful for us triathletes.
Muscle Mechanism involved in plyometric trainingThe maximum force that a muscle can develop is attained during a rapid eccentric contraction. However, it should be realised that muscles seldom perform one type of contraction in isolation during athletic movements. When a concentric contraction occurs (muscle shortens) immediately following an eccentric contraction (muscle lengthens) then the force generated can be dramatically increased. If a muscle is stretched, much of the energy required to stretch it is lost as heat, but some of this energy can be stored by the elastic components of the muscle. This stored energy is available to the muscle only during a subsequent contraction. It is important to realise that this energy boost is lost if the eccentric contraction is not followed immediately by a concentric effort. To express this greater force the muscle must contract within the shortest time possible. This whole process is frequently called the stretch shortening cycle and is the underlying mechanism of plyometric training.
Choose the method to fit the sportThe golden rule of any conditioning programme is specificity. This means that the movement you perform in training should match, as closely as possible, the movements encountered during competition. If you were a rugby player practising for the line-out or a volleyball player interested in increasing vertical jump height, then drop jumping or box jumping may be the right exercise. However we are triathletes so I listed some of the keys exercise for us below.
Swim: push ups, tricept dips
Bike: leg curls, leg extensions, leg press, body squats, burpees
Running: calf raisers, squat thrusts, burpees, hill hopping, hill bounds, sprints
Warm up with an steady run for 10 -15 minutes, do some light mobility work, do not over stretch before the session. Stretch after the session (stretches for triathletes for details)
If you keep the wind sprints short ( about 50m) you can replace an easy run with this session, which is a more efficient usage of your time.
Key Points:
Run at 90% Relax, do not strain
Build up speed and slow down gradually, to reduce the chance of injury
Lean forward, run on your toes and drive with the arms
Bring your heels through as close to your buttock as possible with a high knee lift
I was in Hong Kong recently, with very sore legs, having just ran the East China Half marathon. But I literally felt on top of the world, 35 floors up overlooking the skyscrapers of Hong Kong and Kowloon.
I had to fly there via Tokyo for business and the journey took about 30 hours, (not recommended). I left home in Reading at 9 am last Friday, and finally got to bed in Hong Kong at 2 am Sunday morning.
Unfortunately, at 5am I was up again to travel to the race in the New Territories for an 8am start. Although just aiming for 80 minutes run time, I had had to look after myself on the way to the start line. I had done all the recommended stuff on the flight, wore my 2XU compression tights, drunk plenty of water, walked around the plane and stretched. If I had not I know it would have been an impossible task to run so soon after such a long flight. I love travelling and racing at great venues around the world, so I just put up with the consequences these days. During the race, the views were spectacular; sharp mountain peaks and dark green rugged forested coast line. To my amazement within 400m of the start we turned a corner and ran up a steep hill into a country park. After that point, I did not see another building until the finish, 21km later…this was not the concrete jungle I was expecting.
After the race I went out with a group of the runners, and one of them (an ex footballer), told me how he his legs always burn up just minutes into a run. It doesn’t matter if there is a big hill in the way or not. He said he can either sprint fast or jog very slowly, but nothing in between…it reminded me of similar problem a rugby playing friend of mine told me about last summer. I began thinking; this may be a common problem amongst team sportsmen and women who take up running, cycling or triathlon.
Do you start off training feeling light on your toes, only to be heavy legged, and lose your coordination too quickly?
…and do your muscles burn up and slow you down to a jog, within minutes of starting to train?
In the first of our video demonstration blogs we’ll look at ‘one legged running’ or ‘one leg hill hopping’ as a way of improving your running. One legged running will help build up your distance-per-stride by strengthening the calf muscles and achilles working on the forefoot drive.
One leg hill hopping can be done up to twice a week and incorporated into a 30-45 minute easy run, just as you would incorporate a fartlek run. Run naturally and on an uphill section just start hopping, only do 5 hops on one leg before changing legs. Repeat and then continue running freely. Your heart rate will rise and it will take a while to recover. Ensure that you are fully recovered before doing another set.
Key Points:
Maintain steady running pace between hops, do not stop to rest.
Try and think of this as one legged running
Drive with the arms, and the leg will follow
Never hop on flat sections or down hill
Next time we will look at Wind Sprints for improving cadence.
With the snow turning to slush, and the possibility of muddy fields and waterlogged run routes on the horizon, is the treadmill a viable option to turn to over the next few weeks?
Apart from having to overcome the boredom of running on the spot and a never changing scenery, I find an even bigger problem is that by not moving there is no airflow to moderate my core temperature. In short unless I put a fan in front of me, I heat up too much to enjoy running indoors.
This lack of airflow is a bigger problem than you may realise. As you heat up, you need more blood pushed near the surface of your skin to cool you down. This will then put pressure on the heart, forcing it to beat faster as your leg muscles demand more oxygen. The end result is that your heart rate is higher than it should be at any set speed, which may trick you into thinking you are training more effectively than you are. Or you may worry because your heart rate is higher than usual.
Another problem distorting training, is because it is widely accepted that you need to put a treadmill on a 1 degree gradient to simulate running outdoors. This is because you are not moving anywhere and so not creating any drag, thus running is easier.
Actually I have also discovered another flaw with the treadmill. It is very easy to get fluctuations in your training depending on how you run.
Because the treadmill is moving and you are not; all the runner has to do is bring their legs back to the start. In order to cope with higher speeds, I have discovered it is easier if I take long bounding strides. This maximizes my time in the air, and so I am able to cope with the treadmill turning at a higher speed. If I take shorter strides, I struggle more as I have more contact time with the treadmill and so get pushed back further.
Problems aside, I do think it has a place in your training. It is very good for practicing leg speed, and put on a gradient it can also offer very good simulated hill running.
I tend to use it for doing short fast sprints, for leg speed and also on a 6-10% gradient I use it for hill training. I can run 20 minute hill reps on the treadmill! But I do not have any hills of that length near my house!
My two favourite sessions are:
1. 10 x 10 seconds sprinting, with 2 minutes easy running between
and
2 . 6 x 5 minute hill reps with 3 minutes easy running for recovery
Training indoors is very convenient during times of inclement weather, and also if you need to do a hard workout on a dark winters night. However be warned the treadmill is not without its dangers, I have seen people spat off the end them , as they struggle to run at the same pace as their ego!
As with all training, the treadmill has its place, in a balanced programme, but given a choice I would rather be out in the fresh air every time.
Cycling skills are often overlooked as a rider concentrates on developing their power and endurance. In the first of a series of articles about skill in cycling, coach and former elite athlete Chris Chamberlin looks at single leg training and how it is a good method of increasing mechanical efficiency and muscle endurance.
Following the birth of our daughter Amy, my wife Rieko was keen to get back into training so we contacted renowned pre and post natal fitness expert Angela Lockwood for her advice for new mums looking to return to fitness following childbirth.
Throughout the winter, a group of us have been working on our triathlon run speed down at 
One day, around the end 1992, after I had spent a few years as a professional triathlete, based in Japan, while I was ill, and looking through my old training diaries, I realized the route of my problems.
All good buildings are built on strong foundations. The same is true of training.
I was in Hong Kong recently, with very sore legs, having just ran the East China Half marathon. But I literally felt on top of the world, 35 floors up overlooking the skyscrapers of Hong Kong and Kowloon.
With the snow turning to slush, and the possibility of muddy fields and waterlogged run routes on the horizon, is the treadmill a viable option to turn to over the next few weeks?
