Mobility for cyclists

Training and Performance Fundamentals
#1

So being 55, the recognition of the need for a strong focus on mobility becomes real, real. I have been deep in research on this subject for the last year or so and feeling like I am starting to get a strong grasp of best practices. Not that flexibile yet but have eliminated all the tight muscles and soft tissue issues.

I want to start an education and discussion process around this. During this thinking, and with a great lack of time a friend offered to write a blog post on ankle mobility. His article is here

https://blog.trainerday.com/off-season-tune-up-ankles-9e2377728dbc

I will continue adding a lot more about mobility as well as getting advice and some of the science around how mobility affects and can potentially improve cycling. Generally we know cycling is a very lopsided sport so we need some other activities to try to get a bit of balance. Rowing on Concept 2 for example is a good one. The right strength training might be the best one. Anyway I will keep providing updates on this.

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#2

I personally have a stretch routine I carry around since 2002. It’s 7 minutes, I used to do it in martial arts and It’s kept me in a state where the doctor/physio always asks if I practice yoga on a regular basis.

Rowing helps immensely with romboids. and works a lot of muscles.

so personally, I ride a day, stretch. On days off, I typically will row and add push ups.

That’s it.

Have fun :wink:

#3

I have nagging hamstring issues pulling my achilles… Now I (try) to do daily yoga/stretching. I think it helps to control it.

#4

Yes very tight hamstrings was a problem for me too as well as tight calves. Both of these leading to other problems, nothing serious but I always on the edge. I finally feel confident (ok semi) I have a solution after experimenting for the last 10+ years. Foam rolling my hamstrings and calves aleviated most of the problems but was seriously time consuming and had to be done almost daily to keep up. Reducing periods of sitting also helped. Lots of short breaks, standing/sitting desk… so that managed it but if I got lazy things would go south. About a month ago I bought a theragun (I have read cheaper alternatives are just as good and much better value). This thing is amazing. 5-minutes of theragun is considerably better than 30 minutes of foam rolling.

As Alex pointed out in that article you then need to lock in your mobility improvements once you have them. So softening my soft tissue issues, makes me more flexible or feeling like I am capable of being flexible.

I have always hated stretching, partially because I am not good at being highly consistent and could never see obvious improvement. I have been working on going deeper and deeper on squats and realize now my squat mobility has improved a lot. So this is stretching with out practicing stretching. I am working with a new 30-year Coach (Robert) on a new TrainerDay solution and he knows a lot about a lot. He pointed me towards the superiority of resistance stretching which I realized is exactly what I am doing with these deep squats. This is the first time I in my life I have ever seen clear, obvious and rapid mobility/flexibility improvements and so with theragun to fix the tight muscles in combination with resistance stretching I see the possibly of a very flexible future. This resistance stretching is popularlized or even created by Bob Cooley. Not that it means anything but he is featured on Oprah :slight_smile:

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#5

I have one as well. Tho I still prefer to use my foam roller as well as 2 lacrosse balls in a sock.

#6

Interesting. So you say prefer, I assume you mean it works better or faster than gun for you? Or maybe just felt better? My gun is seriously intense, not necessarily pleasurable, except the after effects. As I allueded to this gun is incredible for me. I am 55 and I could never fully relax my muscles with foam roller or lacross balls, although at the time I felt they worked reasonably well (compared to not doing anything). Now I feel reasonably supple and just doing 10 minutes or so every few days.

Oops wrote I am 55, last year I told everyone I am 57 now I tell them all I am 55 but really 56… Not a good sign :slight_smile:

#7

Also do you have actual TheraGun? If so which model? I would think most TheraGun’s are similar (At 189cm and 93kg I am “bigger” so wanted most powerful version) but other brands might be a significantly different experience. It seems TheraGun owners seem consistently happy but other brand users seem more hit or miss. Now TheraGun users pay more so maybe they need to pretend they are happy to justify their purchase :slight_smile:

I mentioned above that my squat mobility has improved and this allows me to go much deeper on the rowing machine without my knees seriously cracking. My ankle flexibility is significantly improved from a squat depth focus.

#8

No. The Theragun and it’s variation are just way too expensive in my part of the world. I contemplated making my own from DIYs I saw on the net (using an electric saw) but after a while, then came the “alternates” and I got one of those.

My beef w/ the one I own is that it’s just not “deep / strong” enough for some area. (Mainly the inner thigh, just beside the pubic bone - sciatic is it?)

W/ regard to squat mobility, not an issue (for now lolx) I can do the Asian Squat (Asian Squats - How to Perform, Benefits and Why Everyone's Talking About Them no issue.

#9

Yeah it’s crazy expensive here too but I was desperate. I sold a house in the US and had some “extra” money… Spend now, poor in retirement :slight_smile:

The Theragun is seriously powerful and can get that deep glute area (sciatic? this the nerve but not sure if that is the name of that spot). That is less of a problem area for me though.

Yes I saw the electric saw solutions also :slight_smile: I can almost do Asian Squat but not comfortably and not for long, my heals want to lift off the ground, a little more practice and I think I could do it ok. Weight lifters call this ass to grass :slight_smile: I am going almost that low for empty bar (20kg) but with loaded bar I am not so ambitious but trying…

#10

The Theragun is that expensive that you had to sell a house to be able to afford one :stuck_out_tongue:

I actually did go to a reseller/distributor to test it out, but I didn’t come out as impressed as the price. Yeah… it’s the sciatic nerve, and it’s not the name of the spot, but it’s in that general area and that pain is largely at that location.

But it’s good enough to be used for this purpose.

#11

I see you say inner thigh. Maybe you mean adductor muscle? I have problems there for sure but it is so tender I don’t need a powerful gun yet. Maybe once it is improved. That is the one area I am still working on and not resolved yet.

#12

yeah… one of the adductor muscles in that area.