Reposted information from another Blog Site, most excellent reading:
I posted a blog in December of last year entitled "The Perfect Stroke" that you may want to read (see archive on the left side of the blog page). This IS the time of the year (training season) to work on perfecting your pedal stroke. (It's also not a bad time to check your bike fit. Yeah, I hear ya...you already got fitted to your bike years ago when you bought it. But, that's the problem..you got fitted years ago..and your body DOES change. Can't hurt to re-check your fit at your LBS.)
This colored graphic (above) highlights/illustrates the muscles that do the work- in each position of the pedal stroke. You'll see the Quads engage from 12 to 5 o'clock, the Glutes from 1 to 6 o'clock, Calves 1:30 to 6:30, etc. But, check out the position in which the Hamstrings do the work (6 to 10) or more importantly the Hip Flexors (9-11). Also, check out the thicknesses of each colored plot- which shows the relative amount of useful power that each muscle produces. Now you know why you read all those cycling articles about how you should be scraping mud off your shoes, pulling on the upstroke, pedaling with eggshells under your feet (that you don't want to crush), etc. when you pedal. All of these articles are intended to help teach you how to pedal in a more balanced complete circle while developing the lessor used Hamstrings and Hip Flexors.
Now I know why my Hip Flexors were hurting on my Sunday ride. It's from all of the Isolated Leg Training/Drills (ILT) I've been doing the past couple weeks- in addition to the high cadence riding. I supposed my Hip Flexors really are underdeveloped/out-of-shape and need some strengthening. I bet you yours are too (underdeveloped), unless of course you consciously pedal in full-circles when you ride. I know I don't. I'm probably like the masses where each leg mashes on the downstroke (12-6) and recovers on the upstroke. Isn't that how you pedal? C'mon admit it. The real advantage, in my opinion, of developing the lessor-used Hammies and Hip Flexors is that it will give your Quads and Calves a break (while you're racing or suffering in that tough group ride) while still maintaining a high intensity/power output. And, that little break may be all that your over-worked Quads need to flush out some lactic acid and continue working at such a high level.
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In case you didn't know, that's the whole idea with Power Cranks. For more info. on Power Cranks, click here:
http://www.powercranks.com/#muscles I'm not a Power Crank user, nor do I know anyone that trains with them. But, I'm sure they can't hurt. I'm just not a fan of shelling-out $1000+ for them when I can work on the same concept with my home ergometer using ILT.
If you want to go on vacation, you must first pick a destination. You have to be specific about where exactly you want to go and how you are going to get there. If you want Ripped SIX PACK ABS, you must do the same. To see your abs you must be under 10% body fat and your body will lose approximately 2 lbs of fat a week. Knowing this you can begin writing down your specific goal. Do not just write down “I want to get fit.” Instead write “I want to have 5% body fat.” Writing down you goals makes your goal more clear and forces you to really think about what it is you want to achieve. It may seem like a petty task but, people who write down their goals are much more likely to achieve them. Write down a long term goal and some short term goals you must reach in order to be on track to achieve you long term goal. Be Specific!
Getting SIX PACK ABS is not easy and does not happen over night. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to believe they can transform their body in days or weeks. In reality it takes months or even years to transform your body. Your body can only burn 2lbs of fat per week. If you try to drop weight too drastically it will most likely come at the expense of your muscle tone. Drastically weight loss will leave you looking thin and flabby, so take your time and set realistic deadlines. Your deadline should be challenging but it should be realistic.
For years I tried to get Ripped, but I was only able to get SIX PACK ABS after I told all my friends and family that I was going to compete. By sharing your goals and deadlines you create a support team. People will begin to encourage you and hold you accountable to reaching your goals. I even had my younger brother yell at me if he saw me holding food that was not in my diet while I was preparing for my first body building competition. I think he really enjoyed the opportunity to yell at me but I did not give him too many chances. The point I am trying to make is that we all make mistakes and get discouraged, but by sharing our goals with others, they remind us of our goals and help us stay focused.
