improving leg strength

[bigwill]

i'm an individual that stays fairly physically fit after 4 months of not being in the water i finally got back in last weekand to find my legs cramping pretty bad . can anyone give me some advice on some excercises to do to get my legs stronger as well as more conditioning ,besides swimming . also any foods that will help against cramping .any info will be greatly appreciated

 

[bwerb]

Here's a couple ideas...

1) Exercises: Basic weightlifting exercises like Squats, Leg Extensions/Curls and Straight Leg Deadlifts.

2) Foods: Think hydration and potassium to avoid/alleviate cramping. Example: sports drinks like gatoraid, water and fruit with potassium like bananas.

Good luck, see you in the water.

Brian

 

[Jonathan]

drag yourself into the water in the winter and are a member of a gym check to see if they have a ski fitness program. I know a lot of gyms in the UK do these ski fitness classes and a lot of that will be on leg tone as well as general cardio - all good stuff for diving.

Cycling would be another good one.

But if you do keep generally fit as you say it could be more to do with finning technique or diet than fitness. Can't help on the diet front - I'm more of a seefood man myself!

Jonathan

 

[Jonathan]

and welcome by the way!

feel free to pop along to introductions and introduce yourself....

Jonathan

 

[mddolson]

I use a stair climber 3 days a week and swim on Sundays.

welcome Bigwill

Mike D

 

[redacted]

I'm hating that stair stepper machine 3 to 5 days a week. Diving, even in current, is a piece of cake.

 

[Caffiend]

Squats are king for leg strength (full body really) exercises. Don't bother with leg extensions, they aren't going to mimic real world muscle usage. You could also get on a road bike and start working on some extended climbs.

As for cramping, bananas, man, bananas. Stretch well and get that potassium.

-will

 

[gatorboy]

mddolson once bubbled...
I use a stair climber 3 days a week and swim on Sundays.

welcome Bigwill

Mike D

It's nice to see someone else who uses the Volo's with their doubles. I've tried to convince my techie friends that they work really well, but they don't believe me. I tried a pair of turtles and couldn't believe the difference. THe turtles were so heavy they hurt my feet. They also had the stailess spring strap. I'm glad I didn't spend the $100 on them because they hurt my heel as well.

Regards
Jody M

 

[large_diver]

A few things that work for me -- pre-dive stretching & calf raises (not pre-dive...ion the gym;-)

i do calf raises one leg at a time with no weights. Do them to failure, switch legs....repeat as part of a circuit so you have some time to recover.

 

[divemistress]

are excellent for building strength, particularly in your quads. the most common are leg lifts in all four directions (front, back, right side, left side). do one leg at a time, reps till failure.

if this sounds easy, try doing 100 front lifts with each leg. if it IS easy, strap on ankle weights.

good luck!