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Lifting Q&A: got tough training questions? We've got an answer for everything

Men's Fitness, June-July, 2005

Q: I'm a cyclist, so my legs are pretty strong from pedaling. Can I just lift for my upper body?

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A: Not if you want to be a better cyclist and avoid injuries (not to mention taunts of "Hey, Chicken Legs"). What you call strength is really enhanced muscular endurance--the ability to pedal for longer periods of time. Technically, strength is your ability to produce maximal force, and that simply won't improve unless you're lifting maximal weights. "With equal training on a bike, a stronger cyclist will always outperform a weaker one," says Zach Even-Esh, a strength coach in Middlesex County, N.J. "That's because stronger muscles function more efficiently--increasing your legs' strength will enhance your legs' endurance automatically, and your cycling will improve." Also, cycling emphasizes your quad muscles but requires little involvement from your glutes and hamstrings--leaving you prone to muscle imbalances that will prevent you from performing at your full potential. "Do Romanian deadlifts, lunges, and dumbbell stepups," says Even-Esh. "These exercises will help you develop total balance in your lower body and send your performance soaring." Rotate them into your regular lifting routine, one or two exercises per workout. Do 4-5 sets of 4-6 reps for each, resting a minute or less between sets.

Q: Why do my muscles sometimes shake near the end of a heavy set?

A: You may be training to salsa music. If so, switch to metal and continue. Otherwise, it's just a sign of fatigue in your central nervous system (your muscles' command center). "Muscles have to contract for a longer period of time when you're lifting," says Bill Hartman, C.S.C.S., a physical therapist in Indianapolis, Ind. "And that means your CNS has to generate more electrical energy for a longer period of time to stimulate those contractions." During this time, certain motor units (a nerve and the muscle fibers it controls) fatigue and stop working while others "switch on" to maintain the force needed to complete the lift. "The result is a change in the electrical current--like when your lights flicker during a thunderstorm," says Hartman, and that's what causes the shakes you feel toward the end of a set. It's normal and isn't dangerous--nothing earth-shaking.

Q: I get pretty winded when I lift. Is it OK if I sit down between sets?

A: If you're lifting heavy to maximize strength gains, feel free to take a seat in your downtime. "Heavy training requires a lot of muscular and neural energy, so it makes sense to feel tired between sets," says Brian Grasso, a Chicago strength coach. "You'll need a few minutes of pure rest to recover fully."

But if you're working with lighter weights, you're better off staying on your feet and performing active recovery. "If you're doing light bench presses, try leg swings," a dynamic stretch that's done just the way it sounds, "between sets to improve flexibility for your next lower-body workout." Don't stretch the same muscles you're training--that can weaken them for the next set.

Lifting Q&A: got tough training questions? We've got an answer for everything

Men's Fitness, June-July, 2005

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