One of the bittersweet ironies of life is that we use it up learning how to live it. By the time we've matured into what we hope is deep wisdom, there's not much time left. We've all heard variations of the "if only" statement: "If only I'd known, at age 20, what I know today." This irony plays out in an athletic career as frequently as it does in life itself. Many aging athletes, who take up the challenge of the metabolic barrier too late, end up singing the "if only" blues. The performance boost they begin to enjoy brings the realization, too late, that if they had used flexibility training to challenge the barrier at the beginning of their athletic careers instead of at the end, their performance achievements would have been far greater.

Increased performance gains are harder and harder to come by over time. With each small improvement, there is an increased cost. Ramped up metabolic training offers slight gains in cardiovascular efficiency, but with a significantly greater potential for overuse injuries. This is especially true at the elite level.

Air resistance is a huge limiting factor to speed, so aerodynamic considerations are often critical. Many times the most efficient aero positions come into conflict with the individual biomechanics of the body. A cyclist who is stiff, with limited range of motion in the joints, will either be unable to attain an efficient aero position or unable to maintain it. The information we are presenting is based on years of personal experience and experimentation. We'll give you a detailed overview of our process so that you can apply it to yourself.

In looking at the body it is important to determine the individual's strengths and weaknesses. We start with the athlete's bike on the CompuTrainer, utilizing the Spin Scan program to get data about the athlete's power stroke. We ask about patterns of pain that may have become chronic, and whether the pain is constant or intermittent, localized or diffuse, etc. Many of the causes of these cycling problems will be obvious from watching Spin Scan on the CompuTrainer.

The color bars on the CompuTrainer Spin Scan bar-graph start bobbing as soon as the athlete starts pedaling. We warm our riders up and then take them to perceived anaerobic threshold, say 10-15% below max heart rate. At this level of exertion we get an accurate picture of their pedal stroke. We watch the lower valleys on both right and left sides, noticing the percentage of watts for each. A common problem is a lack of muscular force, and a lack of consistent force at the bottom of the stroke. We define this area as the recovery portion of the stroke, at roughly 6 to 12 on the clock face. This tells us the hip flexors muscles, primarily the Psoas and Rectus Femoris, are not holding up their side of the muscular equation. The solution is to systematically stretch, then strengthen them with single side isolated pedaling or better yet, Power Cranks(tm). As the muscles become more flexible and stronger, and the neuromuscular pathways are reinforced, a smoother more powerful stroke will result.

A related problem is the pattern of power spikes on the right and left sides at the peak of the stroke. If the color bars are higher or wider at the peak on one side this indicates a lack of smooth force to the pedals. This problem is usually brought about by a splayed knee, a tight external hip rotator, and or a tight I.T. band.

Corrective Program
Once we analyze the athlete's muscular imbalance, muscular weakness, or leg length discrepancy, we formulate a corrective program. We provide a set of prioritized stretches that initially look like they have little to do with riding the bike.

Most of our clients are pro and amateur triathletes and cyclists. Some of them have either not stretched at all or have stretched very little. Many of those who have been stretching have actually increased their tightness by improper technique; hence, our first priority is teaching correct stretching technique. We begin with some introductory movements to "wake up" the core muscles and elevate body temperature. This reduces both the exacerbation of old injuries and the creation of new ones.

We begin with a series of light active and passive isolated stretches that are derived from works of Dr. Ferrel, Bob Anderson (note his cycling series in the his book Stretching) Arron Mattes and his series of active isolated stretches, massage therapist Doug Thralls, and Chris Maund, of the C.H.E.K. Institute in Encinitas, CA. These are followed by a strengthening program, which is initially based on floor exercises using foam rollers and a large ball. Later, we progress to a gym, and finally to the bike. This sequence is critical: if you make the mistake of strengthening the muscles before exploring their full range of motion, you are potentially limiting your power output. This work is an individualized form of training, and it begins with understanding the initial position analysis on the bike. The athlete must start with a pre-training stretching program. The best time to start this is immediately and it should be maintained for life. Inflexibility should be understood and treated before we start strengthening the muscles. Cyclists have some common flexibility issues, and the following stretches address these. Still, each person is an individual with slightly different needs, so the generic program is never fool proof.

The Importance of Hip Flexors and Quads
Following the bio-kinetic chain, the first muscles we look at are the hip flexors and quads. One of the strongest hip flexors is the Psoas muscle. When the Psoas is properly engaged, it adds tremendously to pedaling power. The same is true when the Vastus Medalius is properly engaged. A stretching and strengthening program to mobilize and strengthen these muscles should be a priority. Simple exercises such as walking lunges replicate the precise motor response of pedaling. Take care to place the knee in front of the ankle. In the gym, isolating the hip flexors (and hamstrings in the reverse position) with lower pulleys is a great way to power up the body for improved turn over. On-bike drills, including a series of specific hill repeats, integrate the muscles for a more effective transfer of power into pedaling. Along with the Vastus Medalis, the other quadriceps muscles need to be trained through isolation exercises. If you can train these ancillary muscles, you may or may not see dramatic increases in power and performance, but you will sustain more power for a longer period of time.

There are a few mechanical devices available that improve the pedaling stroke by activating the hip flexors. Dr. Frank Day's Power Cranks are probably the best.

Hip Rotators
It is important to activate the hip flexors, but for the majority of cyclists, the five-muscle group that externally rotates the hips is probably the most troublesome, since it causes splayed knees. This problem is exacerbated by various causes, such as poor body biomechanics, bad habits and trauma. Their chronic contraction causes splayed knees and a consequent loss of power in the most powerful arc of the pedaling stroke. Splayed knees also create poor aerodynamics and a decrease in stability, especially on descents. A seat that is too low will also play a part in this condition. The ideal is to have the legs come straight up and down, like pistons in an engine, with the proper amount of flexion to maximize your power safely.

Weak Vastus Medalius Obliques. The v.m.o. muscles are one of the primary quad muscles involved in smooth pedaling action. When the v.m.o. are weak, the knee joint can no longer track smoothly, thus contributing to knee pain which can quickly accelerate to chronic degeneration if left untreated. This problem is common among runners who take up cycling with no corrective strength training. An effective way to treat this problem is with short arc quad extensions. Do repetitions with one leg bent only 10-20 degrees, toes pointed in. Repeat with other leg. Very gradually increases in weight.

Weak Core muscles. Abdominals, Obliques, Erector Spinae and Quadratus Lumborum. The Q.L. starts going south under pressure from big gears and low aero positions. Eventually the Q.L. fades out with an accompanying dull ache in the low back area that seems to never go away. The remaining core muscles are also compromised and become less effective. When this happens the Glutes begin to tire rapidly, and speed and power drop significantly.

More on Stretching
Stretching needs to be a part of your life style. It is most effective right after a ride and just before bed. As we age, poor postural habits, past injuries, and increasing stiffness, sneak up on us. Finally, we can no longer deny what has happened to us. We move with a certain rigidity and we're prone to injuries that are slow to heal. Recommended stretches

Resources
John Howard has been a competitive cyclist since 1965 and a cycling coach since 1982. His School of Champions athletes have won over 150 national and world titles including RAAM. Howard is a three-time Olympic cyclist with 15 national championships and an Ironman Triathlon victory to his credit. He is also a member of the USA Cycling Hall of Fame. Howard has written four cycling books: The Cyclist's Companion, Multifitness, Pushing The Limits and Dirt! For additional information on his camps, contact him at http://www.johnhowardschool.com or www.multisports.com for coaching. His email is jhschool@aol.com

Dr. Ernie Ferrel is the past Vice President of ACA Sports Council, Director of Chiropractic Services for USAT, Certified Elite Cycling coach and creator of Dynamic Motion Therapy. He can be reached at (805) 963-3232

Ian Jackson Contact him at www.breathplay.com His email is breathplay@cs.com

Chris Maund for the C.H.E.K. Institute www.chekinstitute.com

CompuTrainer www.computrainer.com

Power Cranks www.powercranks.com