Causes for Back-of-Knee Pain Every Cyclist Should Know
Does it hurt behind your knee while riding? Hamstring strength might contribute.
Strong quads are the poster children for us cyclists, but hamstrings are equally important for an efficient pedal stroke.
While you’re using those quads to push down on the pedal, your hamstrings need to be lengthening in a controlled fashion to help control how quickly your knee is extending at the bottom. Strength in this lengthened position is super important to both protect your hamstrings from strain and to keep the pedals moving smoothly.
Try these eccentric double-leg hamstring sliders to help build this capacity.
I like to prescribe 3 sets — a set being as many as you can do with good form and maintaining that nice bridge position throughout. If you’re regularly able to do 3 sets of 8 with good control and a full range of motion, you can move on to single-leg sets.