one legged intervals

[cyclechick2008]

Thanks, next time I do them I'll got shorter time per rep and do more reps. I have no vanity, I don't care if the other people think I'm a goofball.

Kim

[Wahine]

I do 2 types of 1 legged sets. I chose one or the other and olny when I'm on the trainer. The first one is like the one that KG described, sets of _____ sec followed by 15 to 30 sec spin with both legs for 6 reps each side. I start with 30 sec intervals and work up to 1 min. The second drill I do involves focusing on pushing mostly with one leg while the other one stays clipped in but is only going along for the ride. This does not isolate the one leg as well but is still helpful and minimizes time switching from one leg to the other. The set looks like this: 1 min 5 sec L/5 sec R, 1 min 10 sec L/10 sec right, 1 min 15 sec rep then it switches to 2 min 20 sec reps and 2 min 30 sec then you go back down to make it a pyramid. That's a total of 12 min. I'll often do that after I've done a 12 to 15 min cadence spin up warm-up. By then I've already got almost 30 min in on the trainer.

[firenze11]

I really enjoy doing one-legged intervals but I think I've been doing them at too low of a gear actually. My pedal stroke isn't very smooth, yet. I'll have to have to change that and try some more reps as well. Great tips, thanks!

[JLMitchell]

I saw mention of these while browsing the forum and I tried them today. I couldn't even get the pedal around! Almost dead stop at the bottom of the push, sometimes I could get it a quarter of the way back up. I have normal bike pedals on my bike. After a while I was convinced that I needed to be strapped or clipped in to do this drill. It sure would have been easier, but I have a feeling that I just need to keep doing it and it will come. Is this right?

Does this mean I'm a masher?

[Pedal Wench]

You have to be somehow attached to the pedals to do these -- you're trying to teach your legs to do the pulling-up parts of the pedal stroke, which is impossible to do on platforms.

[JLMitchell]

Hahaha I figured that was it. Thanks for confirming!

[jesvetmed]

You really had a HARD workout trying to do that unclipped! Impressive! It'll be so much easier the right way!