Want to increase all round biking fitness:

My preferred riding is mostly trail-centres so think grinding out climbs followed by red/black graded descents.

I want to smash both as quickly and comfortably as possible!

I have a couple of kettle-bells so want to incorporate them.

Experience/recommendations most welcome. Cheers

Doing squats made a big difference for me. Climbing became much easier and doing shoulder and arm exercises will benefit you too. I just use weights on a barbell and have never try kettle bells so don’t really know about them.

+1 for squats. I love ’em. Doing Stronglifts, and my legs/shoulders and chest have improved loads.

I think James Wilson (mtb strength & conditioning) has a load of videos on pinkbike, many of them using kettlebells. He seems to know his stuff. I should be careful though, he is a bit like Candyman or something, say his name on a forum and the thread invariably descends into a slanging match of flats vs clips.

There ya go.

Stronglifts here too. Great progressive workout where you don’t have to mess around with a hundred different exercises, just the five and you soon start to see and feel the results. Girlfriend’s well impressed. 😀

Did this twice a week pretty much the whole of 2011 with KB’s – this workout takes me 50 mins:

@12kg kettlebell (warm up)

Pressup wide = 24
Pressup Diamond = 24
Kettlebell ladder 200 x 55 (20 swings, 10 pressups, 20 swings, 9 pressups etc to zero)

@16kg kettlebells

Chest Press = 12 x 2
Tricep Press = 12
Torso Press = 12
Bicep Curl =12
Chin Lift = 10
Clean & Jerk = 15
Bent over row = 2 x 12
Russian Twist = 12 x 2
Deadlift= (2x16kg) x 12
Alt Chest Press = 12
45 deg Chest Press = x 2
Chin Left x 10
OH Press 2 x 5
Chest Press = 2 x 12
Tricep Press = 12
DH Swing = 20

Gives you an idea of the versatility of the ‘bells……… All the exercises can be found free on the internet

We do this at my local bootcamp for 1 hour jesus it is hard.
http://www.metafit-training.com/

Patriot pro.
Yes kettle bells will make a huge difference
Any work on core / shoulder / arms will pay dividends for trailbcentre work

I’ve been doing the gym since jan and notice a HUGE difference
Less tired, more focussed through the day = more fun

Plus our gym has lots of nice people too !

How far are you through it chorlton?

I have been doing split routines like Kryton’s for years…with SL I have more gains since January than with all those isolation exercises.

I get stars in my eyes when I squat, and have to rest 3/4 mins between each set. Legs on climbs just feel super strong, and can’t believe upper body!

How far are you through it chorlton

Started it mid March and like you had piddled around with split routines for years but SL just works and you feel that it works.

I need to get my hands on some squat racks, because, before long I got to the point where anymore weight would have been too much to press over my head.
Making it easier to landscape our garden is a definite bonus too. 🙂

I got a handy mate to make squat racks:

(that was an old hollow bar that bent with about 100kg…use a solid bar now)

Racks make overhead press easier as well – you don’t have to lift it from the floor before you start.

I find the barbell row the hardest.

Wow! Cheers for the advice, plenty to go at there – Just got rid of my barbell to my nephew so will have to think of another way to do squats tho…

I have the kettle works DVDs. Six weeks worth of progressive cardio, core and resistance. Use a 5kg kettle bell and it’s helped me loads!