Quote Originally Posted by han-grrl View Post
Plyometrics requires a HUGE amount of core stability. Most people don't have this. I think most people would benefit MORE from a good core program, than plyos.
H- I think this is very true. I was able to climb Mt. Washington in N.H. four times last summer (all of the races up the mountain were cancelled last year because of weather --but there were still opportunities to ride up for fun). What I noticed was that my muscle strength per se was not a limiting factor in how fast I could climb...it was my lower back and my core region in general that seemed to limit my ability to turn over the pedals at the cadence I was seeking. So I've been working hard this winter to build and maintain a much stronger core and this work (plus yoga) is far more important to my training program this year than is any of the weight lifting.