# Single best gym exercise discovered to help the aging body on the bike?



## cjcrawford (Jun 2, 2008)

Hi - 57 years old here. I couple of years ago I started doing really low weight terminal knee extensions (last twenty degrees) to failure to help activate my VMO inner quads, and standing squats on a machine that insures that my knees never moved over my feet (usually 3x20 @ 120 lbs). These seemed to have helped my grindy knee situation. I'm just wondering what your discoveries are for all those weak spots: knees, neck, shoulders, lower back. Thanks. Chris.


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## ashwinearl (Jan 2, 2004)

Farmer's walk has helped me with my posture more than anything I've tried


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## Ryder1 (Oct 12, 2006)

Mindfully bracing/activating my core muscles when standing, walking, sitting down, sitting up, lifting weights, etc. I had lousy posture for the first 40 years of my life and never realized it.

When lifting weights (esp. bench presses), replacing barbells with dumbbells. Also, avoiding/replacing exercises which simply don't feel right. No matter what an expert or trainer tells you, the body trumps all.

Moving cleats rearward to maximize foot/lower leg stability, and take stress off the knees. Standing climbing benefits, fast spinning suffers, technical skills improve (IME).


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Bent-over row, stiff-legged/Romanian deadlift, and Supermans are amazing for lower back. Kettlebell swings that engage your posterior chain really get things in shape too. Shoulders...I personally like dumbbell presses and avoid barbell presses as it doesn't allow natural rotation and movement of my shoulders...and I have terrible shoulders from years of heavy benching. Shoulders also get a lot of work from doing all the other movements too. I like to do simple shoulder raises to the side and rear at the end of a shoulder workout to finish things up but with light weight. Don't forget about your rotator cuff either.


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## stoplight (Mar 8, 2009)

any exercise program developing core strength, using your own body weight etc, p90x has worked well.


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

Single leg squats.


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## Ptor (Jan 29, 2004)

Hyper-back extension. Do these regularly and you won't be able to use the excuse that you need to ride a full suspension because your back gets tired.


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## Ryder1 (Oct 12, 2006)

Nubster said:


> I like to do simple shoulder raises to the side and rear at the end of a shoulder workout to finish things up but with light weight.


Laterals with light weight? You mean you're not one of those meatheads who practically throw their back out trying to swing 35lb dumbbells up in the air? 

Last night at the gym there was a guy screaming during the final reps of nautilus bicep curls, pouring his whole body into the reps. In the age of the Internet, it amazes me how many people in the gym have no idea what they're doing.

I used to have lots of problems with fingers/hands/wrists/forearms/elbow/biceps/shoulders. About 8-9 different problems from riding and lifting, some mysterious in origin. I think they're all gone now. I cut out barbells, often use a neutral/hammer grip in the gym, prioritize mind/muscle connection over lifting maximum weights, do mostly compound and/or bodyweight exercises, take curcumin (turmeric) and joint supps daily, and like gobs of backsweep on my single speed's handlebars. I'm even trying a quasi-alt-bar on my FS rig (720X20). My handlebars are here.


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Ryder1 said:


> Laterals with light weight? You mean you're not one of those meatheads who practically throw their back out trying to swing 35lb dumbbells up in the air?


I've always prided myself on using good form but there's been times when I handled too much weight and it pulled me out of form. But yeah...shoulder raises...usually 25's are good for me. But I do or used to get a bit meat headed on bench day. I'm paying the price now though with roasted shoulders, busted wrist, and grizzled elbows. But I did hit my ultimate goal on the bench so it was all worth it...right?


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## Ryder1 (Oct 12, 2006)

Nubster said:


> But I did hit my ultimate goal on the bench so it was all worth it...right?


300lbs?


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Ryder1 said:


> 300lbs?


500 at 285 body weight and 39 years old. Disclaimer...I know this is the 50+ section and I'm only 40. I saw the talk about exercise and couldn't resist jumping in and adding a little to the conversation.

Video is me doing 500x2 with a Titan Ram which is the thing on my arms going across the chest. Can help a little with the lift but this one was too big and warn out so it was mostly there to help keep my arms tucked to protect my shoulders. At most...it might had helped a couple percent.


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## Druman (Jun 29, 2007)

Nubster said:


> Bent-over row, stiff-legged/Romanian deadlift, and Supermans are amazing for lower back. Kettlebell swings that engage your posterior chain really get things in shape too. Shoulders...I personally like dumbbell presses and avoid barbell presses as it doesn't allow natural rotation and movement of my shoulders...


Ditto to all that plus lunges with dumbells and goblet squats.


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

I hate lunges...they hurt so good...lol...but they are great unless you have knee issues...then use caution. Goblet squats are another good one.


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## H0WL (Jan 17, 2007)

Squats! 

Whatever exercise you do, find someone to help you with form. All the exercise in the world won't help if it injures you. 

I'm been working for a year and a few months with a guy who has lifted for 30 years and is a massage therapist and anatomy teacher. I work with him at a gym once a week and on my own for the rest, but with structured workouts. Not unusual to reference an anatomy chart to clarify which muscles are doing what for a specific exercise and how to engage those muscles. Alignment. Structured workouts and periodization. 

It's been the best thing ever. Had I tried to launch this on my own, it would have been a disaster. He works with a lot of older people, so he understands what's up with that. 

Refining hip extensions with focus on maintaining posterior kinetic chain. No more backaches these days.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I have been lifting for 2.5 years and mountain biking (xc and dh) for 8 years, I love both. I'm 55+ 5'5'' and 136 lbs. My most recent accomplishments is back squat 160 lbs and I recently PR'd my dead lift at 200 lbs. I can do a 95 lb clean & jerk and 70 lb snatch. I had a set back in August following a devastating crash but I'm slowly getting back to PR's. Lifting and the sculpted my bod brings me one kind of enjoyment, mountain biking brings me the adrenaline of the downhills and serenity of being in the woods.

My weight routine is prescribed workouts at my crossfit box 1 hour/5 days per week which includes routines for strength, balance, core work. Besides the weightlifting equipment, we also use kettlebells, rings, pull-up bars, weighted balls etc. Burpees, boxjumps, pushups etc. Biking is 6-12 hours a week depending on time of year. I also run with a target of 10km on average/week.

My suggestion is do what you like and follow a regular routine that is varied, well balanced, and record your progress so you can look back at your achievements


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## OwenM (Oct 17, 2012)

Ptor said:


> Hyper-back extension. Do these regularly and you won't be able to use the excuse that you need to ride a full suspension because your back gets tired.


Bit of wishful thinking on that last part for those of us with back problems(FS is getting really tempting!), but hyperextensions are a great exercise, and the hyperextension bench/Roman chair also works for gently stretching when the low back is stiff. 
I have a gym quality one in my basement next to a pullup/leg raise stand, and those see some use even when all my free weights are sitting untouched. 
Supersetting hyperextensions with full leg raises and Roman chair situps or an isolation exercise like ab roller crunches hits the "core" from multiple angles and helps maintain mobility and posture.


Nubster said:


> At most...it might had helped a couple percent.


Seems to have gotten you through the sticky part smoothly, and it really looked like you could have hit another rep, the way you powered it up. Good job on meeting your goal-shoot, I've never squatted that much. Mine always get cut short due to injury(which I have quite a list of), and my days of 1RM bench presses and squats for sets of 10 with double my body weight are gone forever, but that was some good motivation, regardless!:thumbsup: Every time I get back to pumping 225 for high reps(bench, can't squat any more), and start putting some weight on the bar, I either lose interest or get stove up again. It's a vicious cycle. I leave 135 on the bar for when I start back up. Used to take 3 weeks to get back to "normal" after a layoff. Now it takes that long to get past the baby weights without lots of soreness and I'm just about to be 45!
'Course I want my big muscles back tomorrow, but am taking it slow and easy with an eye toward longevity from here on out...


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

I hear ya. That video was one of the last times I benched. It was I want to say last July...I had hurt my wrist doing close grip back in March I think. A week later I had a competition and even though I was hurt...benched anyways. For the next 10 months my wrist hurt even after I stopped lifting several months. Plus my elbows were just painful all the time...even to the touch. Shoulders fried. I tried again to see where I was last month. Still could handle over 300# but it hurt. For me...I don't think it's worth it anymore. I'm getting ready to start working out again (other than riding) with the intentions of losing weight and just improving my fitness...but I know how I am when I get around weights. I'm just hoping the daily pain I have is a strong enough reminder to take it easy and work out for fitness...not to try and move stupidly heavy weights.


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## Kevin Gordon (Oct 2, 2008)

As a lifetime oarsperson, I've spent a serious amount of time in gyms. For both the rowing and lifting, my issue has been knowing what I could do and not trying to do it any longer (in the spirit of disclosure: 57yo).

My rowing is now always guided by heart rate, with workouts within all the heart rate bands and attention to warm-up and warm-down.

My lifting is no longer. My daughter introduced me to TRX, with its ability to infinitely (and immediately) vary the load and emphasis on core strength development. I have my TRX bolted under the eaves on my deck, and my wife (and biking partner) joins me. We can each lift what we can in the moment and correct each other's technique. Our TRX travels with us and can be slung over a tree or gym equipment. 

I always separated my sports into competitive (rowing) or recreational (cross country skiing and mountain biking). My challenge was moving the strength/power away from the competitive column and not focusing on what I could lift but rather what I can lift at this moment, today. I am much better not knowing the numbers.

The unstable core training is very helpful for mountain biking.


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## H0WL (Jan 17, 2007)

One thing I've noticed at the gym are a lot of people (99% young guy people) who do front, front, front, front and totally neglect the back. This is easy to spot because their shoulders are big are rounded forward. 

50% of the 'core' is the back. Make the back strong while protecting the lower back. 

Also, on hip extensions, I lower only as long as I can continue to fully engage the back, and then come up slow to the start position. I see a lot of people snapping back up and full compressing the lower back (kind of a back whiplash) -- which looks like a recipe to rupture a disk over time.


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## panchosdad (Sep 21, 2008)

Turkish get-ups, Goblet squats and SL deadlifts are my core exercises. I also do the Foundation back book series once or twice a week, and some low resistance shoulder work my PT prescribed to counter shoulder impingement work.

I just need to quit work so I can focus full time on maintenance.


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## 53119 (Nov 7, 2008)

^+1 for turkish get-ups. indo board exercises


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## velo99 (Apr 18, 2014)

Trashed shoulders make for interesting and creative ways to stay in shape. I've been doing body weight, cardio exercises for a while now. It's slow but not injurious. I started biking to lose weight and improve my health. Then I started exercising to improve my biking. It's a vicious cycle  weight, and bp are way down. Strength and cardio are way up. I think I can continue this regimen for a long while.


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## GSJ1973 (May 8, 2011)

I don't think there is just 1 "single best" exercise, nor would I want to do just 1 exercise. 

I've been doing 
- Dips
- Pull ups
- Bicept curls standing
- Hammer Curls standing
- Farmers Walks (with 60 pounds in each arm)
- Dumbell overhead press

I also had a left over 60 pound bag of concrete from a project. I wrapped it in duct tape and have been lifting it from the ground to my chest gripping the sides, then pressing it above my head using multiple hand positions as the bag goes from ground to above my head so it also works you core in a pretty good way. Honestly I feel like this and a combo of dips along with riding my bike keeps me super fit and strong. I never have been able to stay consistent or too motivated with the sitting types of exercises.


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## Sandman29 (Jan 22, 2009)

I just got back from the gym and I have a question...

How come there is always some old guy at the gym walking around naked in the locker room?

Can't they wrap a friggen towel around their waist?

I go in the locker room to take a piss. Then I am washing my hands and I look up at the mirror and see some old guy walking around naked. 

How friggen long does it take these guys to get dressed? Why the [email protected]#K can't they put their deoderant on after they put underwear on?

They need to cover that thing up...Nobody wants to see that thing.


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## Ryder1 (Oct 12, 2006)

Sandman29 said:


> I just got back from the gym and I have a question...
> 
> How come there is always some old guy at the gym walking around naked in the locker room?
> 
> ...


No doubt! They have to walk from one end of the locker room, naked, to the other side, just to weigh themselves. Then they find a half dozen other things they must do, naked. And they're always 80 years old. I think it's a thrill for them!


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