Gym/Working Out Thread.

This is probably the appropriate place to talk about this and it's not another thread about the failure that is AMA or Trucks.

Since I quit smoking and started going to the gym again I'm trying to find a decent routine and the what I'm finding online is all over the map. I figure since I'm going to the gym it wouldnt hurt to actual tailor it to stuff that would actually help with racing.


Right now I'm going 5 days a week. Sunday-Thursday.

Sunday - 100% Cardio - 45minutes to 1 Hour on the elliptical.

Monday/Wednesday - 2 minute jump rope
1 set of full upper body (back and core included)
1 minute jump rope
1 set of full upper body (back and core included)
1 minute jump rope
1 set of full upper body(back and core included)
2 minutes of jump rope.

Tuesday/Thursday - 2 minute jump rope
1 set of full lower body + core (ass to calfs)
1 minute jump rope
1 set of full lower body + core (ass to calfs)
1 minute jump rope
1 set of full lower body + core (ass to calfs)
2 minutes of jump rope.

I could honestly care less about looking good. I just want to be in better shape. I can't do a ton of cardio because I end up shedding weight like crazy. I already eat 5 solid meals a day.

I'm not trying to lose weight. (I'm already 6'5" 185lbs) Just get the appropriate stuff in shape for racing, endurance up, etc.

I am doing cardio to keep my heart in shape and get my lung capacity back.


Maybe you could share what you guys are doing, how many days a week, etc etc. Free weights or the Machines? Anything you guys changed or specifically do to help you with racing more so than just being stronger? Does anyone know any good protein/afterwork out shakes that aren't whey or lactose based? I'm 100% allergic to lactose. stoner syndrome.

suggestions/input welcome. whatever.

 

I do a lot of boxing and muay thai - almost every day. I've never found heavy weights to be very useful for any of the actual sports I've done.. squats were about the only useful lift I've ever done, for when I was playing rugby.

For motorcycle racing specifically, I'd do a lot of bicycling and core-oriented body-weight exercises. I think boxing (and even moreso, muay thai) is actually a fantastic cross-training sport for racing because it a) trains leg and core strength, especially in hip flexors and b) because it forces you to make split-second decisions even when you're physically exhausted. That's something a lot of people don't consider - when you become physically tired, one of the body's compensations is to start thinking more slowly. In both racing and fighting, if you start thinking more slowly, you're gonna get hurt.

 

If you are trying to do cardio to keep in shape and increase endurance then I would probably do it more than once a week. I also believe in only doing 1 body part/group per rotation. Not entire upper body, entire lower body shifting back and forth.

Myself I do 5 days on (Mon-Fri) 2 off.

Mon - Chest + cardio
Tues - Back + cardio
Wed - Legs (no cardio)
Thurs - Shoulders + cardio
Fri - Bi's/Tri's/Forearms + cardio

Mon/Wed/Fri - ab work

For me cardio is 30-35 minutes on the elliptical, I have no use going 45min - hour. For me the only thing I really changed for racing was adding in more cardio and probably lowering the amount of weight I use just a bit. During the off season I cut way back on cardio and increase weights a bit. As it starts getting warmer I ramp up to what I have up there, usually about 4 days a week. Diet also cleans up accordingly.

 

if you want to increase your cardio relatively quickly... you don't need to spend an hour on the elliptical.
You can spend ~5 mins warming up at 50% max heart rate. Then go as hard as you can (HR & VO2 max) for 30-60 seconds... then double your max effort time for recovery for a total 5-9 reps/intervals with a 2-3 min cool down when youre finished. Done properly you get an intense work out in less than 30 mins. You will need a good HR monitor to get the best results.
You can do that once every 3 days for 4-6 weeks and see a dramatic increase in your cardio/endurance. Its helped my biking & ride fitness.

 

all awesome suggestions.


my one issue with cardio is what ends up happening when i start doing a ton of cardio everyday is that i shed weight like crazy. which is why ive been going so light on cardio. but maybe i'm doing something wrong. my metabolism is through the roof though.

 

There is only one reason to go to the gym and it can be said in two words:

yoga pants

 

Too long and too high intensity? I only keep it medium intensity and not longer than about 30 minutes.

 

anyone suggest crossfit? i have been doing 2 days a week with 2-3 days of light weights and ab workouts.

the crossfit workouts suck, but it seems to hit everything needed for racing.. cardio, core, legs, concentration, etc..

 

I have been doing CrossFit for 2.5 years now. Love it. My office is actually over my CrossFit gym....lol.

 

i like the results.. but the workouts suck..

 

swimming for cardio (but thats because i was a swimmer in high school and despise running.
i found the first thing to give up on me while riding was my forearms, getting arm pump in 5-6 laps. When I took a financial break from racing I got back into rock climbing and found it does an incredible job of working your forearms that arm pump never bothered me again, even through solo 20s at Jennings and Roebling in the middle of the summer. Climbing is more legs and balancing oriented, but I use my arms a lot more than I should to muscle through things.

Im looking at trying crossfit, but I'd really like to get into a boxing gym a couple nights a week and train with those guys.

 

I enjoy them....

I am going to do today's with my wife -

 

yoga and burpees. (are the ones i like to watch)

 

Weight is just a number. If you're doing the right things to get in shape, forget about the number. Your body is finding a new equilibrium.

Besides, eventually you'll stop shedding water weight (probably what's happened to you in the past), and start putting on muscle mass.

 

Yeah the crossfit workouts can suck. But in a good way to me. I guess that's the whole reason I enjoy it. Because it is HARD. Half way through a hero WOD and your thinking you are going to physically die on the spot. But you push through it and sure enough you get it done. I feel good about it at that point. It's addicting that's for sure.

 

Mountain biking, dirt bikes, rock climbing, yoga. Why spend time just exercising when same benefits can be had doing something fun?

Insanity is good stuff too for the little time it takes.

 

:up:

 

6 days a week for me:

Mon-upper body, mainly arms
Tues-abs and 50-60min cardio
Wed-upper body-mainly shoulder + core
Off Thursday
Friday-abs and 60-70 min cardio
Saturday-chest, back and some legs
Sunday-abs and 50-60 min cardio

May not be the best workout but the results are showing, proper diet and not drinking really has helped. I have lost too much weight (as said above weight is just a # though)but got my body fat where I want it, so I am going to start building more lean muscle and switch my workout up a bit over the next couple weeks.

 

And one thing that really worked for me when doing cardio is a Polar heart rate monitor. It often saves me from myself and pushing too hard. Its great for doing intervals.

 

because my dirt bike is in a million pieces and i was suppose to bring it out to RM to have the cylinder re-plated like 8 months ago and i never did.

mountain biking requires a decent inital investment especially since i rode bmx for 12-13 years and i break every single bike i get on. my bmx bike was like $1600. plus i would rather use that extra money to go racing than to buy a mountain bike.

rock climbing is expensive. my gym membership is $35 a month. rock climbing is waaaaaaay more than that.

i'm doing yoga on my 2 days off.


plus when it's not 14 degrees out go hiking for at least 10 miles once a week. i was doing that with a smoke hanging out of my mouth the whole time. now i'm feeling better about it.