Articles en-us http://www.powercranks.com/news N/A http://www.powercranks.com/news jmckenna@powercranks.com 20 http://www.powercranks.com/news/articles/48/1/PowerCranks-Impression---a-summary-of-the-first-90-days/Page1.html FIRST IMPRESSION My first trial with PowerCranks has been in October 2007 when a friend of mine let me borrow his bike with Powercranks. I used it for 5 training rides each lasting less than one hour. I was well trained and fit and I did not have big problems dealing with it. I was impressed about the possible improvements in pedal efficiency that I have talked with my trainer and asked my team a second bike to use this tool throughout the whole season. They did it. After the end of season rest period, I started training again in mid November, setting up 2 bikes, one with PowerCranks, on the hometrainer (actually I first went out on the road, but did only 9 km and got back immediately. Because of the rest period, I probably needed more endurance) I have started practicing on PowerCranks on the rollers first, doing 3 session a week, starting from 20', then 15'x2, 15'x3  and improving up to 1hr. Once I completed 60' consecutive on the hometrainer, I decided I was ready to go out on the road. It took me 2 weeks and 7 trainining sessions. ROAD WORK-OUTS I planned with my trainer to use powercranks to do specific strenght work-outs called SFR (salite forza resistenza) One typical session would be like this: -60' warm up with some tempo (2x10') -from 4 to 6 x 5' climbing at low cadence (50-55rpm) recovering 3' -another 45-60' of riding at higher cadence; of course the first time that work-out were very demanding and I arrived home really tired, but in a few session I improved my efficency. After 8 weeks I reached a point where I could do a complete 3hr training without being death in the end. Pedal adence has been low (70-75) the first ride, now , after 3 months, I can handle with higher cadence 80-90 without problems. PERCEIVED BENEFITS I went at the first training camp in mid January where I got tested and I recorded a power output at my anaerobic thesold of 370W Last year, same period, same test, I did 350W When I am at home I use to test myself on a 4kms climb. The test itself is pretty simple: -I go full gas for the whole climb and record the average power -I go back down the descent, spin-off for 10' -I go full gas again on the climb and record again the average power output. I did this test after the second training camp (mid February) before starting to race, like I did last year. I averaged 384 and then 382 The year before I averaged 385 and then 360 That meant that my fit level is the same, but I am more efficient and more fresh after the first test.  Definetely this is what it makes a difference in a race with many climbs. In the end riders who are able to develop the same poweroutput of the first climb are the ones that finish in the top field. I feel that using PowerCranks is helping my legs to work with less fuel and to become more economic. I have the feeling that after a 5hr ride I am not really tired and the day after I can still do an intense work-out. The first races have been good, compared to other years. This could have many reasons, and one of them is more pedal economy and effectiveness. DURING RACE SEASON Once the season is started I reduced strenght work-outs to one session a week. I have been using the PowerCranks on the rollers everytime that the bad weather forced me to train indoor. I found out that one hour spent on the rollers with PC is high value, no interruptions, easy to focus on cadence and safe. Right now when I am not racing during the week I am doing (4 times a week) 10'-15' on PC on the rollers before break-fast. I found that this helps me to set my neuromuscular system for the daily work-outs, improve my base metabolism and strenghten my core muscles. I have been working on core muscles with specific off-the-bike exercizes, and I have seen that PC use helped me to get leaner and stronger my pillar. As the use of Powercranks during racing season is still new for me, I suggested my trainer that I can do a 2hrs training session the day before a race. I did it 2 times so far and, despite his doubts, I feel already warmed up the following day and able to keep with the fast starts of a one day pro-race. function reloadCaptchaImg(){ window.location.reload(); } function CheckAdvancedSearchForm() { if(document.getElementById("AQuery").value == "") { alert("Please enter your search query."); document.getElementById("AQuery").focus(); return false; } if(document.getElementById("searchArticles").checked == false && document.getElementById("searchComments").checked == false && document.getElementById("searchBlogs").checked == false && document.getElementById("searchPages").checked == false && document.getElementById("searchNews").checked == false) { alert("Please select a search area."); return false; } if(document.getElementById("searchAuthor").checked == false && document.getElementById("searchContentBody").checked == false && document.getElementById("searchTitle").checked == false) { alert("Please select a search field."); return false; } return true; 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A breakaway of four went up the road. On the final lap, one of the riders, Ryan Morris of Cornell University, had flatted, and we picked him up road-side. Two more guys were scooped up, leaving only Dan Zmolik up the road, able to stay away for the victory.   In the downhill sprint, Morris, off the front for most of the race, was STILL able to take the sprint for 2nd. Pretty. Damn. Impressive. It was apparent that when Morris flatted, the horsepower of that break flattened, too…   I raced with him a month later in Rhode Island at the Jamestown Classic. We got into an early breakaway, and man this kid could ride! We were caught mid-way, a rider soloed off, and in the final sprint – you got it – this kid Morris took the sprint for 2nd! He had a very fluid, effortless pedal stroke, able to power in TT-mode for long stretches, and he could also sprint…   In May 2006 I found myself in a 2-man break with him at the Hollenbeck Road Race, Cornell’s home race. We hammered for 44 miles, and this kid just did not seem to tire. He crushed me in the steep uphill finish, putting 11 seconds into me in less than 200 feet. Afterwards, we got to talking, and he told me of his training secret…   As an engineering major at Cornell, Morris was thinking of inventing the ultimate training tool: independent cranks. But then he realized they already existed: POWERCRANKS. Morris was on them immediately, riding them a ton, and in less than two years, he went from being a Cat-5 to Cat-1 and one of the top time-trialists in America.   Purchasing a set of PowerCranks, second only to a power meter, is where you should put your money if looking to improve performance. Carbon frames, aerodynamic wheels, lighter pedals, hugely expensive wind-tunnel testing, the latest 10-speed groupset – these things should not be your ticket to getting faster. PowerCranks offer a plethora of benefits: they teach you how to pedal more efficiently, strengthen your core, strengthen your legs, help you maximize your strength, and teach you how to best fit on the bike…   PowerCranks force you to pedal each leg independently. When you get on the bike, both crank arms are hanging down. You clip in and must pedal each leg individually, picking your leg up and pedaling in complete circles – there is no fixed bottom bracket holding the cranks together in a 180° position. You can pedal one leg at time, both legs at the same time. The moment you stop pedaling, both legs fall to the down position. Most guys who get on them either want to not ride them again, sell them, or can do only 5-20 minutes at a time. You usually ride very slowly and the cadence is very, very low – most likely you find the 11 and keep it there! You are hitting new muscles you never hit before and simply do not have the ability to keep picking your foot up…   But if you stick with it, PowerCranks will help you create the perfect pedal stroke. Let’s break down the pedaling action: your hamstrings are not only used on the upstroke. As you’re pedaling down, you should already be pulling back. There is a lot of hamstring in the downstroke. If you can access this large muscle in your downstroke, you will increase power.   As you get to the bottom of the downstroke, Greg LeMond’s advice from the 1980s remains the best and most succinct: “Scrape the mud off the bottom of your shoe.” Never will you feel like you’re scraping mud off the bottom of your shoe as much as when you are PowerCranking…   The upstroke is primarily a hip flexor and hamstring effort. One way to improve your pedal stroke, without using PowerCranks or doing pedaling efficiency drills, is to mountain bike as it forces you to pedal in circles to gain traction and get over rocks, roots, steep inclines, and other challenges in the trail. When you start mountain biking, you’ll realize how important a perfect pedal stroke is as you struggle through a rock garden or ride over a log… It’s not surprising that many fast mountain bikers are also avid PowerCrankers – mountain bikers have excellent pedaling action…   The final part of the pedal stroke is the top, and you need to drop the heel as you come over the top of the stroke, something PowerCranks automatically make you do. I can tell you from absolute experience that after first riding these things, muscles in your ankle, in your calf, behind your knee – muscles that you never knew you had – will be sore because you’ve never used them on the bike before.   Team Campmor’s Eddy Ceccolini, New Jersey’s fastest and one of New England’s best professional mountain bikers, rides PowerCranks religiously. Fast Eddy commutes to work on them 2-4 times a week during the race season, and in the off-season he’s on them usually 4 times, generally 8-12 hours a week. He doesn’t try to do too much structure – he just tries to ride them consistently as he knows how beneficial they are.   Just remaining upright on the PowerCrank bike forces you to use core muscles in your abs and lower back that you don’t use when pedaling traditional cranks. Westwood Velo’s Mike Gisler, the 2007 New Jersey State Time Trial Champion, noted that if he gets back on the Power Cranks after a break, his core is sore the next day. He credits Power Cranks for not only giving him a more powerful and efficient pedaling stroke but also a very strong core, a powerful ingredient to time trial success. Mike believes he also avoids injury because his tendons are super-strengthened, not to mention PowerCranks prevent muscle imbalances because his pedal stroke has become complete.   As the name implies, PowerCranks also do just that: they improve your power. Because it’s tiresome to keep picking your leg up, you end up pushing a bigger gear than normal, putting more stress on your quad. I should also mention another important fact about PowerCranks: they are HEAVY. When I put them on my Ghisallo, I added close to three pounds to my bike. So, when pedaling you can certainly feel the weight of these suckers, making the workouts even harder!   After PowerCrank training, on your regular bike you will notice that you can push a bigger gear, either when climbing, riding at threshold, or just cruising at tempo. But the Cranks FORCE you to strengthen your hamstring and hip flexors, so if you’re now using three muscles more effectively as opposed to one on the road bike, do you think you can ride harder, longer? The muscular workload is divided more evenly.   Something I’ve discovered is PowerCranks can take your strength and maximize it – The Tale of Two Opposite Time Trialists. Westwood’s Mike Gisler rides them a lot, and he is wicked fast on them. He time trials at around 80-85 rpms, so he's right at home on these things. At 80 rpms on the TT bike, he's putting out even more power because he’s utilizing a complete stroke. I've been riding the PowerCranks for almost a year now. I'm the opposite of Gisler, spinning a much smaller gear in TTs, 105-110 rpms, and I’ve still garnered improvements because of the Cranks. I thought the PowerCranks would help lower my cadence, but they really didn’t – the cadence has actually increased! On the Cranks, I'm usually at 90-95 rpms. But I notice when I'm time-trialing, I can stay at a higher cadence without fatiguing because my pedal stroke is much improved. As a result, I feel much, much more comfortable time-trialing now. The quads, hip flexors, hammies, core – everything just feels solid. My legs aren’t fatiguing like they used to, whereas before I lacked the massive power to TT fast at 110 rpms… PowerCranks catered to my personal riding style and helped my capacity for time-trialing.   Succinctly, PowerCranks help strengthen your strength. If you are a sprinter doing sprints on them, I can guarantee you will sprint faster on your road bike (you truly learn to balance your body – you can’t even sprint on PowerCranks without a powerful core). If you are a climber and consistently did hill repeats on them, whether a spinner or big-gear masher, when you get on your road bike you will climb as if shot out of a cannon…   Once you put the Cranks on a spare bike, over time you’ll tinker with the position so you can ride them better. On my PowerCrank bike, I now have my handlebars higher, my saddle more forward and a little lower. I’ve found that with my bars higher, I can keep my hip angle open, allowing me to keep picking my leg up. Additionally, if you slide the saddle back, you’ll find it easier to ride the Cranks.   However, I’m focusing on TTs, so I have the saddle more forward, making it harder to pull up (further back, you can ride longer because you’re incorporating more leg muscle and core, and further forward you’re more aero but relying more on your quads and will fatigue faster – this is why if you want to become a good time trialist, as with anything else, you need to train the position).   I also found it easier for me to pedal with the saddle slightly lower, as I can pedal THROUGH the stroke more effectively. I see too many riders with their saddles too high, hips almost teetering up there, feet pointing down to reach for the bottom of that pedal stroke, and if they had that same height with PowerCranks, they’d have difficulty. With the saddle a smidge lower than usual, I can power down and through the stroke with more control – when I made the adjustment, I felt exponentially more competent on the Cranks. If you began applying these concepts to your road bike fit, I guarantee you’d benefit similarly…   Roger Aspholm of FinCraft Endurance Sport Coaching and one of the nation’s strongest 35+ racers has been riding PowerCranks since 1999. He understands that you need to balance the body and get both legs equally strong, that you need to properly tune that V8 engine! He thinks they’re pretty much the greatest training invention, teaching the neurological system to pedal perfectly.   Aspholm makes a good point in that it takes a long time to build strength on these things. “There is no shortcut to stardom, so be very patient,” Roger says. “Once you have eliminated all your weak spots in your legs, you can pretty much train normal on these. I do sprints, hill intervals, longer steadier intervals, and once in a while even fast group rides on these. If you have a PowerTap, then you have something to stare at when you are dealing with the pain. Pain is good!”   Now is the time to ride them. In the winter, we should all be returning to the gym, hitting up a progressive lifting program. As the leg strength is developed, endurance and force work on the bike can then be done. All the while, we should be working on our pedaling efficiency – so this means hitting the PowerCranks regularly! In my program, the first six weeks of Foundation training focuses on pedaling mechanics – this is what we need to do as we embark on winter riding. As the training progresses, you'll be able to do tempo and force work on them, and then during the season you should ride them at least once a week. Last year I rode them on my easy days, hoping to get acclimated to them. This year, I'm going to hammer on them once during the week, actually make a PowerCrank day – they're that important. Doing group rides on PowerCranks is beneficial because it gets you on the Cranks for a few hours, usually without going too too hard. Don’t get me wrong: PowerCranks HURT. During a group ride, you’re working twice as hard as the guy next to you. But because you really can’t focus primarily on the downstroke and are instead hitting your hamstrings and hip flexors so much, it’s difficult to get out of the Tempo zone, or even elevate the HR up for extended periods… In a way, PowerCranking prevents you from going too hard and keeps you in the proper training zone because it’s difficult to hammer 100%.   PowerCranks are not magic, not some fast secret, not an easy recipe to the podium. You need to put in the time and be willing to suffer. Aspholm makes a good point in that success does not come overnight. Like with everything, you need to take your time with them and gradually find improvement. But this much is guaranteed: if you have the desire, motivation, and the ability to push yourself, PowerCranks are a great way to help you realize 100% of your potential.   Kenneth Lundgren   Elite Endurance Training Systems www.EliteEndurance.com   Coach@EliteEndurance.com (Kenneth Lundgren) Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.powercranks.com/news/articles/45/1/2008-IM-Western-Australia-Report/Page1.html The participation in Ironman Western Australia ended a very ordinary period for me as a full time, competitive triathlete. It was a tremendous relief knowing that a month out, I was injury free and a definite starter. A correct diagnosis of my problem as iliopsoas bursitis/internally clicking hip, finally resulted in a successful rehabilitation campaign. The generous assistance and expertise of Kieran Bell from BIOSYMM certainly was the catalyst to the recovery. I had 3 months to prepare for Busselton and I couldn’t have done it without the assistance of my athletes. I hosted many group sessions in the lead up to the race, and it was the enthusiasm and spirit of these occasions that made the sometimes onerous training bearable, and, dare I say it, enjoyable. As always, when in Busselton I stay at the Mac Shack, courtesy of Mumbles and Sports Fever. Unfortunately, on this occasion, there was need for emergency evacuation of the premises on the first night of our stay. Mumbles’ two children had fallen ill on the way down with gastro and none of the competing fraternity in the Shack wanted to risk contracting the bug prior to the race. An emergency call was made and temporary digs organised for a couple of nights. It must have been a nightmare for Cara, Mumbles wife, as she was parked on the side of the road in the dark and the middle of nowhere with a car full of vomit and two bleating little rug rats. Even worse, I would say, when the truckie with no teeth stopped to help! Mumbles and GMac were sent to save the day. Raija and I feverishly packed our belongings – after waiting this long to race, every detail was being addressed to make sure it actually happened. Apart from this very minor inconvenience, the lead up to the race went pretty much to plan, aside from having to abandon one of our final training sessions due to precipitation. I follow a rule that states: “don’t, under any circumstances, ride your bike in the rain, especially when it is 2 days out from an Ironman and you don’t really need to be out there anyway”. I hope this decision didn’t contribute to my 9 minute deficit off the bike. Generally I don’t get too anxious in the lead up to a race, and despite not having raced since August of 2006, this occasion was no different. I didn’t experience any sleepless nights in the last fortnight at all. Waking on race morning is usually a different story though. Even one day out from the race the enormity of the task at hand can be somewhat diluted. However, when you wake on race morning there is no escaping the reality of the situation. I know at some point during the day I am going to be under significant physical distress, and I am not looking forward to it. I was quietly determined on race morning. I had paid my money and was eager to get some return for investment. The big carrot was early qualification for Hawaii, which would mean a US campaign focussed on Half Ironmans. The other was the hope of a decent prize cheque at the finish (This is, of course, relative. As far as I am concerned, none of the prize cheques are decent for what you have to put yourself through to earn them). I probably wasn’t expecting to win, that was going to be a huge task considering I hadn’t raced for so long and I couldn’t use my altitude tent for this preparation, but I was quietly considering a podium finish - not out of the realms of possibility considering my training form. I completed the usual race morning procedure and walked to the water to have a warm up. I entered the water east of the jetty to swim to the start line and as I walked in the shallows I was certain a crab nipped me on the foot. Although not really a conspiracy theorist myself, the thought did cross my mind that the crab had been planted there for that exact purpose. Why they didn’t plant a bigger specimen to really get the job done is beyond me. As the gun went off for the swim start there was the unavoidable argy bargy caused by everyone swimming in different directions in search of the fastest feet.  As it turned out, the fastest feet were too fast, and they swam off into the distance. We all had to be content with the fastest group, and I was pretty happy to realise after 500m that I was swimming comfortably within it. I wasn’t quite sure where I was after about 300m had been swum – I could’ve been anywhere, but I was thinking the worst at that stage because I was in a large amount of oxygen debt and what felt very much like floundering. Two hundred metres later, I had settled down, gauged the situation and realised I was where I wanted to be. I have to say that I was very impressed with my new 2XU V-1 wetsuit. I wouldn’t say it did the swim for me, but I am certain I was better equipped than those that didn’t have the luxury of swimming in it. On the outward journey, I glanced up and saw Mumbles, Raija and Ratey following me along the jetty and even had the hide to give them a wave – a bit rich you would have to say after chastising Ratey for doing the same thing in the Busso Half when the positions were reversed. While the swim out to the end of the jetty was relatively “easy”, the return journey was a bit harder. I don’t know whether it was me getting tired, someone picking up the pace, or my bad positioning in the pack on the way home. By the time we reached the last buoy that designated the easterly turn towards the exit point, I was experiencing high physiological stress and was ready to finish the swim then and there.  With such a small distance to go, it was always going to be possible to dig deep to maintain contact with the pack, but as I exited the water, I wasn’t smiling like our mate PJ I can assure you. A comment was made after the race about the lack of spectators on the jetty following the swim. The swim in Busselton is unique from a spectator perspective and it amazes me that not more people take advantage of the situation. As I started the cycle leg, I realised I was a lot longer from the tail of the leading pack than I wanted to be so I set out to catch them as quickly as possible. The chase to the lead pack set the precedent for much of the cycle leg. The first two athletes I passed on my way to the lead pack jumped onto my wheel and settled in a lot closer than the required 7 metres. When I did catch the lead group at about the 15 kilometre mark, I went straight past and into the front position. I am not quite sure what I was thinking at this juncture. Surely the sensible thing to do would have been to reach the tail end of the group, take advantage of the generous stance of the officials on drafting and save some energy - even more so, considering I had pushed a higher wattage than I should have to catch the group. Instead, I did the exact opposite and went straight to the front and continued to push 15-30 watts higher than planned, in a vain attempt to blow the group away and get some distance for myself. All I achieved was to give the numerous athletes behind a relative rest for 40 kilometres and deplete the energy reserves I would need for the remaining 125km of the cycle leg. The end of my tenure at the front of the group came at the 55 kilometre mark of the first lap. I had just towed the group into the moderate headwind coming back into town along the newly laid Layman road and decided that enough was enough and sat up. Almost immediately the big South African attacked. A number of athletes were able to follow, but I was under too much physiological stress at the time and had limited reserves in the tank in order to respond. I tried to bridge the gap, but I thought better of burning off any more reserves and resigned myself to a lonely final 120k. The only other highlight for me during the cycle leg was when Mitch and Chris McDonald came by at the 90km mark. After the previous debacle, I decided to “play the game” and rotated the lead with Mitch for about 30 kilometres before I really blew up. I then had 60km of purgatory left. It wasn’t pretty as I dropped 9 minutes in that 60k alone. Not even my InfiniT electrolyte formula could stop the bleeding – I was pretty happy I had it on board though, after tasting the on course product prior to race day. When Mitch caught me he asked me why I didn’t just sit on. I think the reply went something like: “because I am an idiot” - I am also a fair racer and believe in reward for effort. In hindsight, after reading a recent triathlon magazine, I should have been asking a couple of the lads for a fee for towing them on the first lap, because Mitch would have caught them a lot sooner if I hadn’t. When I got off the bike, my lower back was so sore that I could hobble to the transition tent at best. I was spent and really didn’t want to run. I had a very relaxed transition as a result and emerged to start the run a very sore and sorry sight indeed. Even the ranting of my younger brother could not inspire me at this time. I knew I was in trouble and got to the 400m mark of the run before I had to walk. My back was in spasm and I had to stop, there was no way I could run in that condition. Many things go through your head at a time like this. Foremost was the desire to quit – I’ll admit it. Then you start thinking about: how you will feel the next day, how you will explain it to your friends, family, sponsors and the acquaintances you have met through the sport, the hours and hours of arduous training you have done to get to the start line, the fact that it is your first race in 15 months and how you wanted to race for so long but couldn’t, the fact that it is a long race and it starts on the run…… It is those thoughts that provide the impetus to persevere and continue when things are not quite going to plan. After some soul searching, stretching and walking, I was able to commence my run in earnest. I knew my running was competent; it was just a matter of getting those Brooks Racer ST’s rolling. I started the run in 7th position and by the 400m mark I was in 9th after being passed by Stephen Bayliss and Craig McKenzie while nursing my back. At the start of the third lap I had regained 7th position after running down Stephen and passing Luke Dragstra on the back of an approximate running pace of 4 minutes per kilometre. I felt great for the first two laps, after pulling myself together, and a top 5 finish was still a distinct possibility. It started to get a bit harder at the start of the third lap, but I was able to maintain a steady pace until hitting a minor wall with 6 kilometres to run. At this stage, I had Chris McDonald in my sights and passed him with 5k to run. He wasn’t going like a winner, and I crept past him at an agonisingly slow rate – it was like two pensioners with Zimmer frames crossing the road. I just hoped he had nothing in the tank, because I was running on empty. With 4k to run, I was given the info that 5th place was just up the road. It didn’t seem like “just up the road” as it took about two kilometres to finally sidle up alongside. My fifth place combatant was the German - Uwe Widman. I was desperately hoping he was running on fumes too. The instant I inched past Uwe into 5th, Stephen Bayliss, bolted by and I was relegated to 6th. I really thought that the next time I would see Stephen after passing him earlier would be when I saw him cross the finish line behind me. It was a gutsy effort on his behalf to run me down again and finish 5th. Uwe was biding his time and cruising to the finish line at this point because he had the juice to be able to follow Stephen and leave me in his wake too. I know this because after the race on the presentation dais I said “I wasn’t expecting you to go by me again after I passed you” and he replied with “I wasn’t expecting you to catch me”. With the lads surging ahead of me with two kilometres to run, I had to be content with a 7th place finish because I had nothing left. My legs were stumps and my quads were protesting vehemently with every pathetically small stride. I was disappointed at that instant because 5th looks a lot better than 7th but I was content also because I knew that I couldn’t have gone any faster on the day. As far as my goals were concerned, neither was fulfilled. The Hawaii slots rolled down to third and fourth place and my prize money cheque barely covered expenses. However, not all was lost as it won’t hurt to have this race under the belt in order to help fulfil my goals next time. If I had approached the race a little differently, there is no doubt the result could have been better, but that would have been at the expense of my own sense of fair play. The athletes that were able to save the most energy were in the best position to win. If I had “sat in” I would have probably finished the cycle within reach of a podium position, but that is not the way I chose to race on the day. It is disappointing that, on a course like this, under certain circumstances there can be limited reward for effort on the bike and, unfortunately, it is has the potential to be the same each time. The next time I do this race I will be more patient and tactically savvy on the bike – the rewards pie is small and I want to make sure I get my fair share of it – doing the “right thing” doesn’t get you anywhere. I must thank my generous sponsors for their support:   Mumbles and Craig from SPORTS FEVER Frank and Andrew from POWERCRANKS Kieran from BIOSYMM Greg Mackenzie from PHARMACY 777 Ralph and Nev from RYDERS Eyewear Raj and team from BROOKS Rick, Jamie and Aidan from 2XU Michael and Peter from INFINIT nutrition courtney@courtneyogden.com (Courtney Ogden) Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.powercranks.com/news/articles/44/1/Keep-Balanced-using-PowerCranks/Page1.html As the days become shorter and the temperatures start to drop, many cyclists will soon review their progress from the 2007 cycling season and set goals for 2008. In addition, many cyclists will begin cross training to maintain their existing fitness and focus on muscle groups that have been neglected. It is important to note that neglected muscle groups can result in muscle imbalances and asymmetry that have an impact on the cyclist’s performance and comfort on the bike. The detection of muscle imbalances and correcting them before injury occurs is critical to cycling longevity and performance. Most cyclists develop muscle imbalances due to over use of the hip flexors (mobilizers) and under use of weak gluteus muscles (stabilizers). This type of muscle imbalance can cause the pelvis to tilt upward and extend the lumbar spine causing a lordotic tilt (arched lower back) of the pelvis. Cyclists should conduct periodic screenings for muscle imbalances and correct the abnormalities of muscle strength and length to prevent musculoskeletal pain and irregular function. Evaluating muscle length is not difficult via standardized tests.  However, evaluating muscle strength can be more challenging. The primary focus on evaluating muscle strength is to be able to isolate the action of individual muscles. The majority of muscle strength evaluation concentrates on testing the mobilizers (hamstrings, adductors, hip flexors and abdominal recti) because they are easier to isolate than stabilizers (transversus abdominis and posterior glutei mediae).  If the cyclist is unfamiliar with muscle imbalance testing they should look for a professional to evaluate them and make sure a protocol is established to assess both the mobilizers and stabilizers. As discussed earlier, muscle imbalances can cause a lordotic tilt of the pelvis. The tilt of the pelvis can also be more pronounced on one side of the body due to asymmetry where one side of the body is more dominant than the other. There are many factors to consider when addressing muscle asymmetry.  However, there are two primary factors that cause muscle asymmetry while riding the bike. The first is bike fit and proper rider positioning on the bike.  Muscle asymmetry will become more pronounced if the rider is on the bike incorrectly.  A major factor to determine if the cyclist is on their bike correctly is if he or she is able to engage their core muscles while sitting on the saddle of the bike.  If the cyclist cannot engage their core muscles, there is dysfunctional stabilization and no lumbopelvic stability.  When the cyclist lacks core stability he or she will be pedaling outside their natural alignment and more muscular effort is required to recover to a stable position.  In short, while pedaling long distances the dominant side muscles groups begin to work more than the less dominant side muscle groups, thus causing more muscle asymmetry. The second factor to consider when addressing muscle asymmetry is the cyclist’s riding habits.  For example, reaching down for a water bottle with the same hand reinforces muscle asymmetry.  Another example is while stopping at an intersection and extending the same leg to the ground while the other leg remains contracted reinforces muscle asymmetry.  A third example is looking back over the same shoulder when checking for traffic reinforces muscle asymmetry.  To test your level of asymmetry do what I call “the one-armed interval.” To do the “one-armed interval” all you do is ride your bike for 5 to 10 minutes with only one arm on the handle bars at an easy pace.  Then switch arms and ride another 5 to 10 minutes with only the other arm on the handle bars.  If you are right side dominant, you will notice while riding with your right hand on the handle bars and your left hand off the bars, your left glutes (stabilizers) and left side core muscles will be working harder than when you were riding with the left hand on the handle bars.  When your left hand is on the handle bars and you are right side dominant, your glutes and right core muscle groups are not nearly as taxed. There is no easy answer to eliminating muscle imbalances.  The only way to prevent or eliminate injuries is to learn where you have muscle imbalances and adjusting them with the correct strengthening and flexibility exercises.  Once you understand more about your muscle imbalances begin a daily stretching and strengthening routine.  Doing yoga and/or pilates is a great way to strengthen weak muscles and lengthen tight muscles.  To effectively address muscle asymmetry, first ensure you are on the bike correctly.  Second, I recommend riding with Power Cranks.  Power Cranks are great for addressing muscle imbalances and asymmetry immediately.  When you first begin using Power Cranks you will know instantly what muscles groups have been neglected.  Over time, you will be more efficient in your pedal stroke because you will be engaging your core muscles and the mobilizers and stabilizers will be working in unison.  There is no getting around it… the Power Cranks make these muscles do their job.  Third, avoid doing everything on the bike only in a one-sided manner… mix it up. Fourth, do “one-armed intervals” to condition your weaker side. gcombs@methodist.edu (greg combs) Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.powercranks.com/news/articles/43/1/Runner-on-quotPowerCrankquot-OT-marathon-race-report/Page1.html At 400m go to I could see one last guy limping along. Could I catch him? He was moving pretty slow and it was uphill so I had a chance. I was close. The crowd was going wild. This was my last big race and I wasn't going to quit so soon. I was going to leave it all out there. At 200 to go I started to sprint (well kind of). The guy ahead was struggling but I was running out of road. Pushing to the line I passed him with 50 feet to go! One more placing up!! There is nothing like finishing a marathon strong with a cheering crowd, feeling the excitement and energy. You can soak it in. 55th place 2:23:04. czieman@cisco.com (christopher zieman) Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.powercranks.com/news/articles/42/1/Runner-on-quotPowerCrankquot--Week-10-and-11/Page1.html How far are we going to take this? The question is not how far...The question is...do you posses the constitution, the depth of faith, to go as far as is needed. czieman@cisco.com (christopher zieman) Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.powercranks.com/news/articles/41/1/Runner-on-quotPowerCranksquot-week-8-and-9/Page1.html MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.: If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream. The Trumpet of Conscience czieman@cisco.com (christopher zieman) Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.powercranks.com/news/articles/39/1/Runner-on-quotPowerCrankquot-Week-72/Page1.html Since stepping up the intensity and RPM of the PC workouts the powercranking has been improving. The planned workouts were to be at 100rpm for easy days and 110+ for the two hard days a week, with two days off a week before the speedwork sessions. Most of the workouts I'm spinning at over the initial base target of 100rpm and I'm only taking one day off a week before Tuesdays workout. I also am trying to get in one workout that is longer and longer. Its also interesting to note that since I've adjusted my seat and tilted it up in the front more than I would on a normal bike I'm a lot more comfortable. I ride w/o hands on and off at will at a very high cadence during most of my workouts now to mix it up. I think the seat adjustment comfort tilting up is because of the back stroke and pulling up on the PC which I have to balance with pressure against the seat so I don't slide off the front of the seat. czieman@cisco.com (christopher zieman) Tue, 09 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.powercranks.com/news/articles/38/1/Runner-on-PowerCrankquot-Week-62--A-runners-psyche-is-a-fragile-thing/Page1.html A runners psyche can be a fragile thing. When things are going well and you gain confidence its hard to stop running hard and take days off. When your feeling good your desire to throw down on every run increases. You want to see if you can do this run or that run faster than last time. None of that matters in the big scheme of things. What really matters is how you will perform in a race not a new PR for a training run route. Psychologically though, feeling strong and seeing improvement keeps the fire of desire and the willingness for more punishment stoked for the weeks ahead, the long runs, and the early morning running with a headlamp. All this can be derailed so easily. It doesn't take much for you to loose confidence, motivation, and desire. The fragile psyche of a runner. Self doubt, loss of confidence, focus or faith can all be lost in the blink of an eye. Something someone says to you, peripheral stress, sickness, the weather, injury, or even thoughts of getting injured. What does all this babbling have to do with me this week? It is about loosing confidence and the process of getting it back. czieman@cisco.com (christopher zieman) Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.powercranks.com/news/articles/37/1/Runner-on-quotPowerCrankquot-Week-52/Page1.html Things do not always go as planned and you have to "Adapt, improvise, overcome" (quote from Heartbreak Hill, 1986, yes I'm getting old). Last week was a mixed bag of good and really bad. When things go really bad you question what you are doing, you ask yourself what did you doing wrong, and how do you recover, change, and get back on track. But there is light at the end of this tunnel. czieman@cisco.com (christopher zieman) Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0600