Stiff Knees after class

[tas600]

I had a client recently ask why her knees are so stiff after class. I suggested she make sure she push her bum back over the seat while standing and to always make sure that she have enough resistance on the bike before standing and not too much while sitting, but she says she is still having issues. Any other ideas? Thanks for the help!

[EuroD]

Firstly, I would check her bike setup.
Telling people to add more resistance or less is relative and means different things to different people. My first thought is that she has too much resistance, and telling her to slide her bum back might be creating pressure in the down stroke.

So, that said, do a thorough bike setup. Have her take off all the resistance, and slowly add until she just feels the addition. Have her pedal at maybe 80 or 90 rpms with that resistance for several minutes (up to 10) to make sure that she's warmed up. I would then have her increase just enough to come out the saddle, watch her rise and how she sets herself. She might be doing what I call the forward rock when a person rocks forward thus putting pressure on the knees. If you see this, then you can coach her into the steady movement with the slight rock right to left.

Hope this helps.

[onemiguel1987]

I think that a lot of managing pain is mental. I am not suggesting you work-out to the point of injury by any stretch, but when dealing with pain sometimes getting your mind off of it with visualization can help.