... how much the chest and back are involved in bicycling.
I biked to the gym today. We did 20 minutes of 3 barbell cleans, in pairs. Myra and I got 15 sets in the 20 minutes. Scott finished us off after a five-minute rest with 100 push-ups. I can't remember the last time I was so miserable. It took me 10:15 if I recall correctly. I was doing singles after about 50.
I hung around for a while before riding home (only 7.5 miles). As soon as I got on my bike I was already fatigued from supporting a small portion of my weight on my arms (via chest muscles). I soon learned I also have a tendency to shrug, or something, which instantly made the center of my back between my shoulder blades ache. (Boohoo.) I made it home. It was a beautiful evening.
I biked to the gym today. We did 20 minutes of 3 barbell cleans, in pairs. Myra and I got 15 sets in the 20 minutes. Scott finished us off after a five-minute rest with 100 push-ups. I can't remember the last time I was so miserable. It took me 10:15 if I recall correctly. I was doing singles after about 50.
I hung around for a while before riding home (only 7.5 miles). As soon as I got on my bike I was already fatigued from supporting a small portion of my weight on my arms (via chest muscles). I soon learned I also have a tendency to shrug, or something, which instantly made the center of my back between my shoulder blades ache. (Boohoo.) I made it home. It was a beautiful evening.
It is amazing how much chest muscle power is used on a bike. You can work out your chest and arms especially well if you concentrate on not locking out your elbows. If your arms are bent a little bit, you will flex your chest and abs to keep your back straight and in good posture. I bike a lot and that has helped me with my core.