Fitness (Preparing your Body)
The season has finally drawn to a close and the off season is officially here. For the racers out there it seems to be a time where CV’s are being put together, the up and comers are looking for some sponsorship to go racing next year . It is also a time to look forward to next season’s race calendar and think about what you want to get from it.
Being physically prepared is a crucial factor in helping you reach your potential at a race. Some tracks will require less physical prowess where others will make it clear who has the strength and power to ride fresh and smooth from top to bottom.
This time of year is such a good chance to make a big difference to your riding. However, the nights are now long, the days cold and often wet and for most people riding a bike in daylight (especially downhill) or the heat is a scorcher. Without exercise or training the fitness that you have currently will fall away rapidly. Don’t fall into the rut of winter blues until Christmas and it will be a harsh wake up call.
This is why trying to work regular exercise into the week now is so important. Steady-moderate exercise is ideal to build that all too often quoted ‘Endurance Base’.
Basically this does a few vital things:
• You are training the body to become more efficient at burning fuel. It will burn fat more readily with endurance training thus helping to spare Carbohydrate stores and helping you to become leaner and exercise for longer.
• It improves the endurance capacity of the muscle fibres trained- a muscle that tires quickly is no good to a cyclist- regardless of discipline.
• There is an improvement in blood supply to the muscles. More blood flow to the muscles basically this means you can exercise at progressively higher levels without accumulating dreaded lactic acid
The guys why not head to the sanctity of a gym? And girls can take up some dance classes to strengthen and fine tune. Its fun and you getting a work out.
Weights Training works in a very different way to Endurance training:
• It increases the strength of a muscle group by increasing the size of the muscle fibres. You can focus on any perceived weak areas and work in ‘relevant’ exercises for the demands of cycling.
• Upper body strength is very beneficial for bike control and lower body strength is the best way to get up to speed faster. This strength is developed into Power as the season approaches with more specific exercises.
• 4 cross specific riders and BMX riders will have a very developed strength training plan. A professional BMX riders strength training is often very developed and one reason they cross over to 4 cross so well. If you’re racing 4 cross and not strength training you’re missing out on so much potential!!
• Strength training can help stabilise joints and help prevent dislocations and injuries- good examples are shoulder and knee joints where muscle development around the joint will help resist injury.
I really hope the information above will help you out to keep fit and keep yourself in shape for next year’s race season.
Wishing you and your families a very festive season and all the success in 2008
Happy Training
Pens