one legged intervals

[cyclechick2008]

When I was asking about cadence, someone mentioned they were doing 1 legged intervals. I have started that when I'm stuck on the stationary bike.

I am doing 1 min then both 1 min then the other 1min. I can do this 2 times before my legs are jelly. Tell me it gets better, and how many times a week are you doing this? I'm shooting for 2 times a week. However when the weather is good enough outside I won't be doing this. You haven't seen my balance issues.

Kim

[kelownagirl]

I started with 15 seconds one leg, 45 seconds both, 15 seconds of the other, 45 of both. I worked my way up to 30 of each, then 45 of one leg etc. I was able to do it for 15 minutes total that way. Maybe you just need to work your way up?

[ehirsch83]

I do 5 sets of one on one off for each leg, big gear low cadence.

For me, the point of this is to make sure my pedal stroke is complete. So getting into a bigger gear with a low cadence is optimal with the goal of making complete rotations- not letting there be any dead spots.

Now I have to say, when I started doing them in September or Oct. I couldn't even do 15 seconds without it being horribly ugly and embarrasing!! Now they are nice and fluid for the full time.

So all it takes is patience,practice, and being ALONE while you do them to get better(because I swear, if anyone had seen how horrible I was at them I would not have continued practicing, it was embarrasing)

Oh and I only do them when I am on the trainer.. So lately that is twice a week b/c my shoulder can't handle the pressure of being on the road 6 days a week, but up until then it was only once a month or so.

[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!

[espirit]

I am doing 1 min then both 1 min then the other 1min. I can do this 2 times before my legs are jelly.

Kim

I think you should have more recovery time between the single leg intervals. The emphasis should be on form not fatiguing your muscles. I thought the main aim is to teach you to pedal smoothly to improve your speed and efficiency.

[maillotpois]

I guess its like riding a bicycle....

I used to do a lot of these, working my way up to long intervals. I haven't done them for a while, but in my century Saturday on the last hill (mile 95), I got a gut wrenching inner thigh cramp. I couldn't even keep that foot clipped in the pedal or it would seize up. so I rode about 1/2 mile, up hill, with my cramping leg dangling down unclipped pedaling with the good leg. people thought I was showing off. I explained I was just trying not to fall over!

But I guess once you drill it into your head (and legs), you remember how to do it...