hill climb racing

[mimitabby]

Hey Zen, my knees hate lunges; the touch the ground part in particular...

any thing else that does the same thing?

[dex]

Mimi, my knees won't tolerate lunges at all, but I can do Bulgarian Split Squats with no knee crankiness. Here's an explanation and some illustrations: http://www.fullfitness.net/routines/...lit_squat.html

[VeloVT]

If you're going to be doing lots of quad-emphasizing lifts it's not a bad idea to do a bit of hamstring work too (and having strong hams may not be quite as important as strong quads on the bike, but it certainly doesn't hurt). So, I recommend deadlifts. My all-time favorite lift. Makes me feel so strong .

I also like plain old squats, with a barbell.

For both exercises, heavy weights/low reps are best for building power. Careful of your back on the deadlifts, you need to lock your core muscles to keep your back flat (hips tilted forward). Arching your back (in a "cat back" position, with the hips tilting back) can lead to injury.

[Zen]

Hey Zen, my knees hate lunges; the touch the ground part in particular...

any thing else that does the same thing?

I can't do lunges either, those smith squats don't put emphasis on the knees though. When you use your front leg to push up the power should come through the back of the leg (heel to butt)

[Starfish]

When you use your front leg

I only use my back legs for this. Use the front legs when I need to jump up on my owner. (I realize you monkeys are much more ambidextrous with your limbs...)

(Apologies for slight drift...)

[michelem]

Remember to eat enough to support muscle growth as well, otherwise you will LOSE strength rather than gain it and end up slower rather than faster . . .

[LBTC]

Hey, mimi, when I do lunges I never let my knee hit the ground. It seems more challenging that way to me. But that split squat that dex posted would work very well. Sometimes I do that with my back foot on an exercise ball. (I use those things for everything)

I also agree with dead lifts / good mornings, lunges, side lunges, walking lunges, squat jumps, burpees and everything else that gets the glutes working. Heck, just take a kickboxing class once a week.

Sunshine, how has the training been going?

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[Andrea]

Squats, front squats, and deadlifts (both regular, with the knees bent as well as straight leg style). Make sure your form is right- keep your back flat or arched, and make sure your hips go back when you squat down (rather than going down towards your ankles). I tell people think of how you squat over a dirty toilet, not how you would go in the woods (mental image that most people can relate to!) Also, don't listen to the people who tell you not to squat low- deep squats (top of thigh parallel to ground or lower) are the best way to get to your glutes.
Start with sets of 8-10 while you're working on your form then start working your way up in weight & down in reps.
Jump squats are fun, too. If you want to try them, use about 30% of what you normally put on the bar for regular squats.

[RoadRaven]

I know alot of people hold stock by cross-training and/or working on specific muscle groups with specific exercises... so I am sorry if I bug anyone with this post...

But the way to get better/stronger at/on hills is to ride hills... at various intensities, repetitions, tempos... but ride hills.

How many hours do you think elite pro-riders spend in the gym working on their glutes? They know riding the course you want to be strong in is the best way to become strong in that discipline...