# Types of workouts for fast twitch muscles?



## carlflow (Jun 12, 2012)

Hello

Could someone give me (or point me to a thread) SPECIFIC training workouts on the bike that utilize my fast twitch muscles? Ive been doing endurance rides for a while now and realized they arent going to help me anywhere with speed and explosive power that I need for races.

I was told climbing hills and doing intervals creates bigger legs and more speed and is overall a more effective training routine that slow twitch muscles. 

Anything I should try doing?


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## Rich_Racer (Jul 12, 2002)

Sprints, both uphill to add resistance and on a slight downhill-to-flat to train speed. Try short (5sec) and long (30 sec) sprints. Don't make yourself tired. Have long recovery periods in between efforts (not short like with intervals) - you're not training for endurance. Fast-spin drills - spin legs over 120. Plyometric exercise drills like leaps and box jumps.

Btw - you probably can't change the ratio of fast and slow twitch muscle. What you do when you do these exercises is build both, plus build muscle memory to be able to perform the sprint well.


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## carlflow (Jun 12, 2012)

Rich_Racer said:


> Sprints, both uphill to add resistance and on a slight downhill-to-flat to train speed. Try short (5sec) and long (30 sec) sprints. Don't make yourself tired. Have long recovery periods in between efforts (not short like with intervals) - you're not training for endurance. Fast-spin drills - spin legs over 120. Plyometric exercise drills like leaps and box jumps.
> 
> Btw - you probably can't change the ratio of fast and slow twitch muscle. What you do when you do these exercises is build both, plus build muscle memory to be able to perform the sprint well.


Thanks for your reply. But I was wondering if the sprints you mentioned are too short (5 and 30 seconds)? I was told 1 minute was optimal but you said they arent intervals which I am confused from.


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## kbiker3111 (Nov 7, 2006)

Short short short efforts. 15-30 seconds top. Lots of recovery in between. Anything with low recovery or long effort is a slow twitch workout. 1 minute intervals are for anaerobic power, which is important but its not the same.

Strength workouts on the bike:
Sprints: 10-15 seconds all out, 100+ rpm x 3 minutes recovery x 12 efforts.
Standing starts: starting at <5mph in a big (53x14 or bigger) accelerate up to speed as hard as you can. It should take less than a dozen pedal strokes. 10 or fewer efforts per ride.
Stomps: In a big (~53x15) gear and on the trainer or up a moderate and steady hill, start at ~60 rpm and seated and stomp out the gear for 15-20 seconds. You should be overgeared enough that your cadence doesn't rise much over the effort.


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## carlflow (Jun 12, 2012)

kbiker3111 said:


> Short short short efforts. 15-30 seconds top. Lots of recovery in between. Anything with low recovery or long effort is a slow twitch workout. 1 minute intervals are for anaerobic power, which is important but its not the same.
> 
> Strength workouts on the bike:
> Sprints: 10-15 seconds all out, 100+ rpm x 3 minutes recovery x 12 efforts.
> ...


Thank very much. I will be sure to utilize this but another noob question:

What is the difference between intervals and these sprint workouts your giving me? Arent they essentially the same thing (sprinting extremely fast for a short time and resting for a long time) and yield the same results? (bigger legs and more power - ultimately what I want)


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## kbiker3111 (Nov 7, 2006)

carlflow said:


> Thank very much. I will be sure to utilize this but another noob question:
> 
> What is the difference between intervals and these sprint workouts your giving me? Arent they essentially the same thing (sprinting extremely fast for a short time and resting for a long time) and yield the same results? (bigger legs and more power - ultimately what I want)


I think you may want to go back to basics: what exactly are you looking for? Do you want fast twitch, sprint power or do you just want to be able to sustain higher speed? There is a difference. Do a little reading on the basics and set out the goals that will best help you.

To answer your question, they are very similar and perhaps synonymous. The difference is that an interval workout is generally very structured and has only enough rest to let you hit the same level again. You're always on or off. Strength workouts are more efforts sprinkled inside a ride. You need much longer recovery periods so its hard to build them as interval sessions.


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## carlflow (Jun 12, 2012)

kbiker3111 said:


> I think you may want to go back to basics: what exactly are you looking for? Do you want fast twitch, sprint power or do you just want to be able to sustain higher speed? There is a difference. Do a little reading on the basics and set out the goals that will best help you.
> 
> To answer your question, they are very similar and perhaps synonymous. The difference is that an interval workout is generally very structured and has only enough rest to let you hit the same level again. You're always on or off. Strength workouts are more efforts sprinkled inside a ride. You need much longer recovery periods so its hard to build them as interval sessions.


I see now, thanks very much for the clarification!


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## Hiro11 (Dec 18, 2010)

When I was racing seriously, I did the following to build speed and power capacity (if memory serves, it's been a while)

Intervals:
Maybe 90 seconds on, 2 minutes off. You really have to work these. If you can do more than about eight, you didn't work hard enough. You need to dread that clock ticking over to the next "on" period.

Fartlek:
A training tactic adopted from running. Semi-random mix of on-off intervals of varying length. This helps you get used to pace changes, bridging/catching wheels and accelerations in a race. 60 on, 30 off, 90 on, 30 off, 20 on, 60 off etc.

Sprints:
Groups of five - ten riders, find a half mile stretch of straight road with no traffic and go to town. We used to do 5-10 riders group sprints, match sprints with lead-outs etc. This helps with tactics and strength as well. Tons of fun.

Hill intervals:
Find a fairly steep grade maybe three minutes in length. Max power up, coast down. Maybe four minutes between efforts. This also sucks.

Weight training:
Squats, quad extensions, hamstring curls, calf extensions and plyometrics (jumping, lunges etc) help enormously with power and explosiveness.

IMO, track workouts are probably the ultimate way to devlop speed, but that's not possible for almost everyone.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

Hiro11 said:


> IMO, track workouts are probably the ultimate way to devlop speed, but that's not possible for almost everyone.


Doing this tomorrow.


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## Ric_Stern/RST (Oct 22, 2004)

carlflow said:


> Hello
> 
> Could someone give me (or point me to a thread) SPECIFIC training workouts on the bike that utilize my fast twitch muscles? Ive been doing endurance rides for a while now and realized they arent going to help me anywhere with speed and explosive power that I need for races.
> 
> ...


Hi,

Rather than suggesting you need to utilise your "fast twitch muscles" and that you need more speed and explosive power, perhaps you could give a little more indication about what is going wrong in your races. 

For e.g. are you getting dropped on hills, mid-distance, or is it just the sprint at the end, etc?

cheers
ric


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

carlflow said:


> (bigger legs and more power - ultimately what I want


Keep in mind that the two aren't necessarily related. In my younger days, I used to be able to generate and sustain a fair amount of power. One of my training partners had legs like toothpicks, but was able to drop me whenever he felt like doing so. 

It also sounds like as if you're confusing force ("strength") and power, which people (including myself) do all the time. No need to read a physics book, but it helps to have a basic understanding of the difference if you want to train effectively.

/w


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

carlflow said:


> Thank very much. I will be sure to utilize this but another noob question:
> 
> What is the difference between intervals and these sprint workouts your giving me? Arent they essentially the same thing (sprinting extremely fast for a short time and resting for a long time) and yield the same results? (*bigger legs and more power - ultimately what I want*)





Ric_Stern/RST said:


> Hi,
> 
> Rather than suggesting you need to utilise your "fast twitch muscles" and that you need more speed and explosive power, perhaps you could give a little more indication about what is going wrong in your races.
> 
> ...


it seems like the OP is more concerned w/ 'looking' like a sprinter than actually riding like one.


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## dreww (Jan 22, 2004)

cxwrench said:


> it seems like the OP is more concerned w/ 'looking' like a sprinter than actually riding like one.


Who the hell wants to look like Cavendish?? 

He must mean Chipo


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