Off the bike training

A light bike doesn't replace good fitness.

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pocari123
Posts: 39
Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2017 5:14 am

by pocari123

I've been reading some pro cyclist autobiographies recently and noticed that a few of them spend time in the gym in addition to their bike workout. Although they don't go into detail what types of workouts they do, I'm guessing it's mostly core work.

So I was wondering if you all do any core work off the bike and which core exercises do you find are best for cyclists?


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sanrensho
Posts: 433
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 5:54 pm

by sanrensho

I do kettlebells year-round, concentrating on core/upper body and incorporating lower body during the winter. Has completely eliminated back pain during riding (and running). Equipment is minimal and requires little space. There is an endless variety of kettlebell exercises to keep from getting bored.

Core/upper body: Swings, round the body, rack and shoulder press, goblet press, bent/upright rows, bicep curls, shrugs. Bodyweight: Pushups and pullups.

syplam
Posts: 90
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2017 7:30 am

by syplam

sanrensho wrote:I do kettlebells year-round, concentrating on core/upper body and incorporating lower body during the winter. Has completely eliminated back pain during riding (and running). Equipment is minimal and requires little space. There is an endless variety of kettlebell exercises to keep from getting bored.

Core/upper body: Swings, round the body, rack and shoulder press, goblet press, bent/upright rows, bicep curls, shrugs. Bodyweight: Pushups and pullups.


How many sets/reps do you do?


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Rubik
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2017 1:59 pm

by Rubik

None. Any time I would have to do that I would instead ride. Best way to get faster/better.

recompany
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2017 2:58 am

by recompany

Doing balancing work and flexibility training can increase performance on the bike as well as injury prevention

sanrensho
Posts: 433
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 5:54 pm

by sanrensho

syplam wrote:
How many sets/reps do you do?


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General rule of thumb is 2-3 sets x 5-12 reps each. During periods of heavy riding, I'm in maintenance mode, so I may only do a core/upper body superset and spend 5-10 minutes at the start or end of the day.

There are also tons of kettlebell exercises that can be done for lower body/legs, which I incorporate from late fall to early spring.

JohnHunt1990
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2016 10:18 am

by JohnHunt1990

It's worth consulting a physio during the off season. I had a bike fit in the middle of the season and the physio doing the fit identified that the position I was in was fine, however I was a mess. I was then given a series of exercises to do to work on my weaknesses - loosening tight areas and strengthening weaker ones.

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robertbb
Posts: 2179
Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:35 am

by robertbb

Swimming. I use a snorkel (especially designed for swimming, goes up the front over the forehead) which ensures spine/neck are straight. I use hand paddles for resistance and a pull buoy between legs to ensure legs are not engaged. I swim only freestyle, and do 1500m to 2000m two to three times a week (depending on volume on the bike), at a zone 3 (steady state) tempo. I find for maintaining both flexibility and core strength this is the best workout and won't result in much if any weight gain unlike weights.

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