Exercise Program!

[2Blue]

I need to start exercising bad! After each race I was so exhausted!!! What's a good program that's geared for racing.

Thanks

[JimWilson29]

Get on your bicycle and ride.

[Jim 'smooth' Brewer]

Personally, I do a lot of road biking since for me the injury to seat time ratio is better than with mountain biking.

MX/trail riding is also good - just ask Otis. I don't work in a shop, though, so the KTM/riding gear maintenance time tends to be a problem.

[Wahooman]

I recommend focusing a lot on your core and strengthen that.....also some forearm excercise would be good.
You should contact XBAM and she can give you some ideas as well about what to work on, as well as some stretches that will help you.

[DingleBerns]

Just my 2 pennies...

I do a lot of cardio mixed in with muscular endurance routines. These include 3 sets of 40 for push ups, sit ups, squats, dumbbell bench, and some others. 3 days cardio and 3 days endurance training. The cardio consists of both running and using the row machine, which is a whole body workout....

[T Baggins]

I sit on my ass all day, calling clients and sending e-mails. I drink one glass of red wine each night, and always try to have at least two margaritas the night before racing.

That seems to work for me.

[Spicee Brown]

Good Job Dude! What a great first race weekend, huh!
Lookin good out there. Just remember to start everything you do new off slowly. I do trail running in the winter..and cycle all summer. Ive skipped weight (cuz Im lazy)..but weights will help bone density. Plus, as a bonus, the more muscle you carry, the more calories you burn just by HAVING the muscle. My problem is I eat like a horse when I do weights, and spend hundreds more a month on suplements. So Im not only lazy, Im cheapo! HAha. A heart rate monitor has also entered my training again, after years of not having one. Im pleased to say my max heart rate is still up there, just not as high as it was in my twenties!
...anything to motivate you ..from new shoes, to a bicycle, training partner, will help. Space your meals, eating 4 or 5 smaller "snacks", instead of 3 big meals. Graze.
After you get cycling, running etc...change it up a bit and do different things . If you see a plateau, you can bust through this by shocking the muscles into something different. Im now doing Bike Polo again, yes bike polo! Its all sprinting..REST..sprint again..good excuse to drink beer afterwards, too. And get a polo mallet in the face..great for the complexion.
And listen to Bree at XBAM, she knows her stuff big time! I just do this for fun. Shes total pro.
Hey, send up some pics when we were chatting!
Dave Strain
Colorado Powersports
38 years goin on 17

[2Blue]

Thanks everybody for your input. Looks like I need to pick up a cheap bicycle at Wal-Mart and start riding around after work. I'll try to incorporate some situps and push up's as well.

Dave, I'll be in touch.

See ya at Hasting's

[2Blue]

I forgot to ask, who's XBAM and do you have her contact info?

Thanks.

[dragos13]

Whats up Curtis, nice to finally meet you this weekend.

You can find info for Bree here:
http://forums.mra-racing.org/viewtopic.php?t=5527

Just shoot her a PM and I'm sure she'll get back to you.

[Wild Cheetah 612]

Dirtbiking...cardio like soccer, yet you still get to practice your m/c skills

[benfoxmra95]

Heart rate monitors.... Terrible invention. all there good for is telling you, your ass is dragging and you need to step it up. :cry:

Brown, do you monitor your heart rate when your doing your cardio? what's your average rate? and your max rate?

Just curious as you and I are about the same age and I am always wondering if Im about to give myself a heart attack.

Lance Armstrong has a resting heart rate of 26 bpm... :shock:

I generally use a bicycle with that has rowing bars on it, so your pedaling and rowing with your arms at the same time.

This has been the one machine that has kept my interest and keeps me challenged.

I used to run on a treadmill, but that's boring as crap and wrecks my knees.

I tried an eliptical for awhile and that's just such an awkward feeling for motion that I couldn't get used to it.

I used a ERG rowing machine for a long long time and that was the most challenging, but I really didn't feel as though my legs were getting pushed to their limits.(I did take much pride in the fact that, I got to the point on the rowing machine where if I was stranded on the ocean in a little effen row boat, I would make it to at least one of the continents somewhere) Hope I never have to tap into this skill :shock:

Pedaling is where its at. once you get into shape on a pedal bike, then 8 lap roadrace sprint races are nothing. and after a 30 min endurance race your still ready for more riding.

[cu260r6]

One year I was too obsessed with losing weight through cardio and found there was a threshold I crossed where I didn't have enough muscle to flick the bike around quick enough. At 6'2" I just have to realize I wasn't cut out for 160lbs. My point is that targeted muscle gains can help with speed just as much as cardio, so hit the gym too.

As for cardio many racers seem to do long routines at lower heart rates which may help if you're racing for 30 laps at Valencia in Moto GP, but our 7/15 lap races require a different training focus. I try to simulate sprint races and concentrate as much on how quickly I recover as how quickly I'm able to exercise. For example, instead of running 4 miles I'll do two two mile sprints with 15-30 minutes of rest between and gauge my improvement by how quickly I do the last mile, not the first. Cycling seems to be the favorite among racers, but that can get very expensive if you get into it. Rowing machines are a cheaper alternative that may give a more complete workout.

I really like heart rate moniters especially the oens that calcualte your calories burned. 1 lbs of fat is about 3k calories, so if you burn 500 calories each time you can say you gained 1/15 if a hp for free. Mike Applegate and I wore heart rate moniters racing once, and he was in the 140s after a Tony Baker type exercise program while I was in the 160s even after miles and miles of running. He was just much more relaxed than I was, so remember to tell yourself to breathe and relax on the bike.

[Clarkie]

If you are exhausted when you climb off the motorcycle after 7 (or even 14) laps you are working too hard, by that i mean you are doing too much work. Make the bike work for you, rather than the other way around, and the biggest thing to remember is that at tracks like Pueblo RELAX down the long front straight, it will give your muscles time to recover. If you ride tense you will not only be exhausted after 7 laps you increase your chances of crashing :wink:

[bluedevil]

If you are exhausted when you climb off the motorcycle after 7 (or even 14) laps you are working too hard, by that i mean you are doing too much work. Make the bike work for you, rather than the other way around,

Dont think Im the only one who would ask... but learning HOW to do that is probably what separates the people who get off the bike and do an interview like they just got out of bed, and the guys who can hardly hold their bike up after a 5 - 6 race day...... Ive found it harder as I get older... but one thing that has been unsaid so far is diet... Not only the things you do for excersize but the junk you put in your body really make a difference. Putting the right things in will help you get better stuff out of the body.... Ive found over the past many weeks, that cutting out useless crap has really helped me feel overall better.... Things like Soda, high fat or salt food, high empty carb rich foods...... By eating leaner and higher protein meals, I feel over all better and have more energy in addition you begin to burn fat as well....

I cant tell you that switching from a taquito and ice cream meal to a spinach and shrimp meal will do for you in terms of how well you feel in general..... by just this simple switch Ive gained nearly 2 horse power in the past 3 weeks :wink: Now if I can get the endurance to hold out for 5 sprints and 1 endurance race, Ill be in business... 8)

[2Blue]

This is great info! I'll try varying my workouts and follow some sort of diet.
Til now my workout consisted of walking from my car to my cubicle at work.
Riding loose and relaxed is one of my goals, but it seems easier said than done.
You have my word, I'll work on it!

Thanks!

[XBAM]

I think it's cool as hell that you are trying to improve how you feel so you can ride better!
In my humble opinion, consistency is key in both diet and exercise. Finding stuff that you like doing and that fits into your (probably very full) day is great too.
I love mountain biking, I find having strong legs and core muscles (low back and deep abdominals) gives me a lot more power.
I probably would have met you last weekend in Pueblo if my canopy hadn't gotten eaten by the huge wind on Friday and Saturday...by Sunday I had had enough. Look me up in Hastings in a couple weeks though, I'm usually set up in front of the red and white chow tent.
Best,
Bree at XBAM