Building strength/sore from cycling?

[GraysonKelly]

Hi there,
I have no idea if this is really working or if it's just me, but I kind of made up my own activity specific exercise for my core. Since I get so bored on the trainer, I practice sitting up and then gradually curling my upper body with my arms out reaching for the handle bars. Kind of a crunch on the bike while I'm pedaling. I don't know if it's really working but I'm almost to the point where I can control myself all the way down before my hand touch the handle bars. I do some crunches and upper body stuff (mainly push ups and dips since I hate going to the gym). But it's worked pretty good for me.
Hope that helps. Have a great day!
Gray

[Tuckervill]

I started hundredpushups.com about 3 weeks ago. I'm doing them at an incline, and will probably work up to 100 on an incline before I start over on the floor. I can't believe how muscular my arms are getting just in 3 short weeks!

Karen

[OakLeaf]

Just do 'em with your hands close in and be sure to keep your scapulae retracted, shoulders in their socket. I learned all that the hard way and I'm still nursing rotator cuff trouble from those pushups (and I only got to 69...)

I don't understand how you could hurt your back doing something isometric like planks? Yeah, if you add hip dips or leg raises, but just plain planks? Care to elaborate?


I'll add another thing that I referenced in another thread - how important it is to maintain the lumbar curve. Cycling and Pilates really tend to accentuate the loss of lumbar lordosis that comes with age. Yoga (for me, with an EXCELLENT Anusara Yoga instructor) is helping me restore that curve.

[tulip]

Just do 'em with your hands close in and be sure to keep your scapulae retracted, shoulders in their socket. I learned all that the hard way and I'm still nursing rotator cuff trouble from those pushups (and I only got to 69...)

I don't understand how you could hurt your back doing something isometric like planks? Yeah, if you add hip dips or leg raises, but just plain planks? Care to elaborate?


I'll add another thing that I referenced in another thread - how important it is to maintain the lumbar curve. Cycling and Pilates really tend to accentuate the loss of lumbar lordosis that comes with age. Yoga (for me, with an EXCELLENT Anusara Yoga instructor) is helping me restore that curve.

I'm having trouble picturing pushups with your hands closed without crushing knuckles. Or do the knuckles just get crushed? I don't want a rotator cuff injury (again).

I have not done planks, but my brother's back problems increased when he was doing planks. I don't know if he added leg raises or what. Just be careful with all of these so you don't hurt your back.

[OakLeaf]

Well actually some people do them on their fists, but what I meant was with your hands near your shoulders and your elbows near your ribcage, rather than with your upper arms making a "T" with your spine.

[GraysonKelly]

Doing push ups on a closed fist is easier for some people (me) because they have wrist issues. I'm not sure that I do them exactly the way I should, but when I do them that way I'm not putting weight on my closed fingers. I'm actually on the distal metacarpals making a straight line from where I'm contacting the floor up through my wrist and forearm. It took a while to get used to that. I also use the perfect push up system which is a lot harder, but still is easier on my wrist.
Gray

[Flur]

I don't understand how you could hurt your back doing something isometric like planks? Yeah, if you add hip dips or leg raises, but just plain planks? Care to elaborate?

Sometimes when the person gets tired they start to hang on their shoulders and ankles and their belly sinks down. Basically the abdominal muscles aren't doing the work anymore, the low back is. The low back SHOULD be doing some of the work, but not all of it, and if the low back is weak it can be too much and cause strain.

To avoid this, focus on keeping the abdominal muscles engaged and make sure you're not letting your body hang. If you get to the point where you can't keep those muscles tight, and you're hanging there, it's time to stop. Supplementing with supermans, swimming, locust or any other low back exercise is a good idea.

Also, make sure you're not letting your shoulders creep into your ears when you do planks, our you might end up with a sore neck and/or upper back.

[cylegoddess]

thanks.now doing planks every morning( at 720 am , yuck).