Best exercises for racing

I did Crossfit for a while, two years. I could do Sub 30 Murphs, and do sub 8 min 2K rows pretty easily. But that didn't have the affect that Bicycling had to improve my on bike fitness.

Yeah I didn't really think that it would. I didn't want to actually ride, I only wanted to do something because I couldn't lift. But I was happy that it did.

 

Rowing, deadlifts, and squats

 

A sub 30 Murph is impossible. The best Crossfit athletes in the world are just under 40.

Nothing wrong with cycling. I pedal a bit and enjoy it also.

 

everyone saying to gain weight just wants to have less of a disadvantage during a race.

avoiding arms and shoulders isnt a great idea. pros get arm pump from braking too. its impossible to not weight your hands/arms some. so work on them and ull get less fatigued esp on start/stop tracks

quick search says otherwise, http://www.schriever.af.mil/news/story_print.asp?id=123283599

 

Nope. No weight vest and he partitioned the reps. Not Murph.

Edit: Still impressive though!

 

From my limited knowledge of weight training, in conjunction with my experiences riding on track, I know what I have to work on. I don't know what other's requirements are but I've narrowed down my needs to this...

First off, I don't think, outside of swimming, that there's a better all-around exercise than bicycling. It works the called upon muscle groups - legs, upper and core; it's aerobic and, if you really pull while riding, you will get stronger.

Specific strength training, to develop areas I can feel need work, would focus on leg adductors(squeezing you thighs together) and the inclined press. If I balance those sets with related muscle workouts, (I would consider bicycling enough to cover that), I don't think I have to get too involved with an all-out regimen. I wouldn't do just those two weight exercises but I wouldn't go crazy working weights for the related groups...prolly do slow, light-weight reps to warm up the those muscles.

I also think stretching, in combination with calisthenics like that P90 stuff, is mandatory.
It's repetitious yoga given tacticool names - dive-bomber push-ups, bends-n-motherfuckers, good morning darlings...
You gotta do it with correct form or you cheat the benefits as well as risk injury.

Running down the road or around an oval sucks, and don't even suggest killing myself with the boredom I would suffer on a treadmill, et al. I would run through the woods, however. In fact, I've been clearing my property for just such an eventuality. The goal is a 1/4 mile trail with fitness stations scattered along the way...a confidence course, if you will. Ladders, cargo nets, beams...a grunt's nightmare, all in the name of agility, balance, grace and strength. You know, the things that animals are naturally good at... :up:

 

I prefer eating ice cream, while watching Biggest Loser.

 

That would be cool. We have a sissified version on our local trail system, but if you really went for it, it would be a good workout.

Apart from olympic lifts, I consider free weights a waste of my time. If you lift for aesthetics, then I can understand it, but for overall strength and fitness you'd be better off with bodyweight stuff combined with sand bags or kettlebells or whatever.

 

what sort of free weight exercises do u mean? i thought oly lifts covers almost every part of the body? which prob means i agree w/ u.

 

The combo stuff is good. It's hard to argue against it, when you're sitting at a machine doing singular-based stuff. I still do a lot of free weight stuff and continually find myself asking why. Cycling is big for me. Anything that puts you in the upper cardio zones for extended periods of time, is good in my book.

Also - I do a lot of core work and a lot of pull ups. All kinds of variations. Wide grip, narrow grip, inverted grip, legs down, legs at 90 degrees, "clockwise" pullups, etc. I really like the combo effect of muscles it hits.

The gym I go to just added one of those 10-20ft. long big menacing ladder/jungle gym/cross fit things (I don't even know the name) that have the ceiling ladder you can swing from/move across. I just started doing that, throwing some pull-ups in between each rung as well. When American Ninja Warrior comes to town, I'll be ready.

Overall, cardio. Pull ups. And ice cream. That's my formula.

 

Has anyone said Kegels yet?

 

That's CB's specialty.

 

How do you know this though....

 

I just mean that you can curl and bench press and dumbbell row your way to a good looking physique, but none of that stuff makes you much stronger in a way that matters on a motorcycle or in life.

I like oly lifts because you activate a ton of muscles every rep. Snatches, cleans, jerks, deadlifts, and squat/lunge variations are the only use I have for free weights.

My only beef with my program is that it puts on muscle mass that I don't want or need. I'll trade it though, because I'm having fun.

 

You are correct, I just looked, I did a sub 45 lol 44:49 min Murph.

And it's a Sub 30 Filthy Fifty.

Point being, I've done both, and while Crossfit is better than regular people's versions of cardio, when it came for me, on the bike, Bicycling had me in better road bike shape.

 

Agree with all who said mountain biking. Other types of cycling a close 2nd.

I strongly disagree on weight lifting not being a help with motorcycle racing. I credit upper body mass and strength through lifting as a factor in not being dead after my major crash and not being more hurt in some other get offs.

 

Gotcha and agreed. Thnx

 

Pick heavy shit up, put it back down. YEAAHH!!!

I love doing deads. I personally think squats(as a close second) and deadlifts are the two most beneficial lifts anyone can do. Works/activates so many muscles.

 

I'm not entirely sure the "turn around and pull your pants down" is the best emoticon choice there, NTTAWWT