Have found in the past with really hard rides I can often feel sore in my QLs afterwards, did Black Giant -4 last night feel it all the way up my posterior chain, in my traps, maybe slightly in my lats as well. Obviously I am engaging my core quite a bit to keep myself steady when pedalling that hard but feel my leg strength is likely a bit out of balance with my posterior chain back strength.
I would say the only back exercise that I find will give me a similar strain is 2 handed kettlebell swings. Any other suggestions? General back routine is mainly focused on dead lifts, bat wing DB rows and back hyperextensions. Other than adding in more kettle bell swings, any other suggestions.
Admittedly due to time constraints, stress, I haven’t been in the gym much in the past ~18 months but am trying again to maintain 2x a week of gym work along with my LV TR workouts and commuting by bike (6-10 hours of riding a week).
Just with a back sorer than my legs today, it is a bit of a “this is what you get for slacking off in the gym” reminder.
I’m a relative newbie to kettlebells, and still in the honeymoon phase after a year plus. My new minimum routine uses the first two warmups from the playlist linked to in this post Starting over at 50: Order of operations to protect limited supply of "matches"? - #3 by WindWarrior followed by KB deadlifts and swings. Then some KB single arm bent-over rows, and a few other things. My posterior chain has never been stronger, but I spent three decades working a desk. All weights at home, 20-30 minutes over 3 days/week. Not interfering with my cycling. Over the past year I’ve gotten more flexible and aero on the bike.
I’m also relatively new to kettlebell training. Just started last Dec but maintain a consistent MWF workout schedule in between my MV TR workouts on TTHSS. I might suggest a few other core exercises to strengthen your overall core and not just posterior chain such at the windmill, bent press, and turkish getups.
Just an alternate POV- maybe your back working so hard is a sign that your abs are weak and posterior chain is overcompensating, rather than your posterior chain is too weak.
I did Kettlebells for years until I developed back pain. I had taken courses to make sure technique was solid but truth was I’d figured out how to do the exercises with abs that weren’t firing. So they looked ok but they weren’t. For me, I’ve had to go back and really focus on dead bugs/ diaphragmatic breathing to get my abs sorted. It’s slowly getting better but still have a ways to go.
This may not be your deal at all but keep it in mind. If your issue doesn’t improve (or gets worse) with the posterior chain work, maybe see how well your anterior chain is working.
