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Have a look around and see if your local park has some of the outdoor gym equipment, easy enough to pop into mid, end or start of ride if you can find one.
Been to the gym a couple of times but both time early ish on a Sunday morning and it was very quiet. Mines a local council one and I thinks it's well managed. I've also went swimming for the first time the other week and again it was well managed.
I'm no gym bunny but like the fact that I can feel like I've actually got some quality training in less than an hour in the gym. Where on the bike I feel like I need to ride for at least 2-3 hours to get any benefit.
Basic (front) core is actually pretty easy - sit on a kitchen stool or chair. Put your hands on the sides and lift butt up - shoulders away from ears. Lean forward to make it easier - backwards to make harder.
Play with lifting the knees up and down, extending the legs in front, crossing them over each other.
30s is pretty hard - 60s is very very hard. Do it in front of the telly/youtube.
I did a couple of 5Ks last week. First time I’d been running in about 15years. Despite doing a fair bit of cycling my legs ached for days but what I’d didn’t expect was my core ached even more, so I assume running must give your core a pretty good workout.
When I run it's my glutes and hip flexors that get a beating.
As an MTBer and therefore someone who likes the outdoors I would say it is TRX for the win for all your gym like needs. If feeling flush add a TRX Rip too and possibly a kettlebell. A combo of the three (and some riding for the aerobic) is all most folk need unless the ultra-hench aesthetic is your main goal in going to the gym.
TRX strapped to your favourite tree-with-a-view or to a mount point in your house/garage on days you can't be bothered to travel to your outdoor gym beauty spot is pretty liberating.
Basic (front) core is actually pretty easy – sit on a kitchen stool or chair. Put your hands on the sides and lift butt up – shoulders away from ears. Lean forward to make it easier – backwards to make harder.
Play with lifting the knees up and down, extending the legs in front, crossing them over each other.
30s is pretty hard – 60s is very very hard.
This is a good one. Ouch. Easy for a desk worker to do regularly, then add in some planks and pull-ups.
Just need to figure out something that works those muscles along the lower back, I think. Kettlebell squat/swings I think would work those muscles in the middle of your lower back?
Does anyone know - if you strengthen the front/sides of your core, which seem to be easier to stress with simple exercises, does that support your back in the road/XC position while pedalling hard? Or is working part but not all missing the point as I suspect it may be?
I found riding a singlespeed helps loosen me up after riding geared for a bit. Less time sat spinning a twiddly gear is A Good Thing and it works pretty much everything when you're rowing the sodding thing up another sodding hill 🤣 It has the benefit of being able to be done on the same bike you ride now, no need to buy anything, just leave it in suitable gear and off you pop.
I've been going to the gym since they re-opened. It's a small private gym and very Covid conscious; the staff are constantly cleaning the apparatus and the members are also expected to disinfect each piece of equipment when they've finished with it. From what I've seen, everyone is complying.
I'm currently doing Stronglifts Monday, Wednesday, Friday and cardio on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In an attempt to mix it up a bit, I've got a session with a PT who going to devise a HIIT workout to replace Wednesday's Stronglift session. Depending on how that goes I may alter the ratio of cardio to lifting in a few weeks.
if I’m at a loose end for 5 mins just do one or other of these exercises, maybe three or four times a day, you’re just working a muscle group a wee bit above normal for a short period, and then just get back on with your day
I think that's called greasing the groove.
Key to any long term improvement is consistency so whatever you decide to do, you will need to do it often to achieve any significant strength gains. 3 or 4 times a week for 20 mins is a good aim, and expect 2 to 3 months to really notice improvement. Motivation will come and go, don't expect to always enjoy it, just commit.
Planks and core-specific stuff will help but as suggested above, take a look at calisthenics, as this makes it something of a 'project' with skills and movements to work on. Keep things v simple to start with with a few basic push and pull movements. Make the sessions challenging but stop short of failure, leaving one or two reps in the tank to minimise risk of injury esp to joints and tendons. Use leverage plus some minimal equipment such as coloured resistance bands, gym rings or trx bands and gradually increase the resistance (weight) as you progress.
and expect 2 to 3 months to really notice improvement.
Yes, for sure. Starting in Oct as a block of 2-3 months so that long winter rides don't make this any worse, then should have had 6 months of core work (of sorts) before March-April when I start looking at bigger rides. Everything done in 3 month blocks seems to work out well.
All that is mainly cardio fitness for me though. Cardio seems to be gained or lost faster than basic strength, so I also wonder if it takes longer to gain strength.
Might not be anything like you, but I detest the gym, hated turbo training and basically any "exercise" that was for it's own sake rather than for fun. Really enjoying Ring Fit Adventure on the Switch, look forward to playing it daily and it's pretty easy in the game to focus activity on core type stuff.
I was told by a specialist to do the plank to strengthen my lower back. So I did it and ended up with a double hernia....
Ring Fit Adventure on the Switch
Computer game? Perhaps an online thing is not a bad idea. I'm really not into computer games or zwift etc but an app sort of thing could work. There will be loads I'm sure.
If I could track what/when and have an idea of it getting easier or doing a few more, holding it longer etc that could be enough to get the focus to do a few reps, seems there's no real way of making this an enjoyable activity apart from live somewhere where I can climb and sea-kayak (dreams)
if you strengthen the front/sides of your core, which seem to be easier to stress with simple exercises, does that support your back in the road/XC position while pedalling hard?
Yes
Or is working part but not all missing the point as I suspect it may be?
Also yes.
Computer game?
Yes - it's like a role playing game, where your character moves by your actions (using a big resistance band and a leg strap). So you have to do things in the game and your success is down to how well you perform the exercise. So you encounter some enemies, for example, and you have to defeat them by doing reps of exercises, your effort is mirrored into the game. If games aren't your thing then maybe not for you (plus Switch isn't cheap!). Working well for me though.
Thanks Olly. I think there's 3 or 4 exercises I can do that will cover the basics, just need a weight for one of them and that was the one I was wondering if I could skip. But imbalance is what got me to this point.
Rich, no not going to be my thing but it got me thinking about how I could set it up to feel like less of a gym chore, thanks.
The nice thing about your core is it doesn't take much to work it. They are relatively small muscles. To work your back, planks, the Y into handcuffs (looks easy, til you try it). That sort of thing. The caveat of course is that doing the exercise properly helps, doing it wrong hurts.
Just as an experiment, I tried riding my road bike with my hands on the goods but with no weight on them. My entire back was screaming in protest after about 1/2 mile.
Can of beans, jug with water in it is just as good as a weight.
I tried riding my road bike with my hands on the goods
Careful now.
To work your back, planks, the Y into handcuffs
Care to elaborate, not sure what you mean.
Y Into Handcuff - results of a search were work-safer than expected
^^^ that's the one. Although I do the variation where you turn you hands so your thumbs are up. Dunno if that's easier or not.
Careful now.
Manuals are for amateurs. Real riders always ride with their hands on the goods
My HIIT session went well yesterday. At least I think that's what the weird full body leaden sensation meant when I woke up this morning...
I gave up weights after a back injury and am now enjoying callisthenics. I use the routine in the link below, it includes a lot of different exercise options to cater for different levels and offers a nice progression so you can track your improvement.
http://www.startbodyweight.com/p/start-bodyweight-basic-routine.html
I'm finding the Chloe Ting workouts on youtube more fun than most others I've seen, they seem easier to follow!
FWIW I'm going to try doing one core exercise a day Mon-Fri as an alternative to a longer session 1 or 2x a week. There's no more enjoyable way to focus on the areas needed and I can do these at least once a day easily/fast enough. Small repeatable habits rather than anything more committed or needing to go to a gym etc.
Front Plank
Pull-ups with leg lift
Side Planks
That lift-off-seat mentioned above
Y-to-Cuffs
.. front, sides and back covered, build on time / reps as I go.
Thanks for all the input here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FGilxCbdz8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTPzazK0lOk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_nzO_bm05s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8yepxk_qsY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGKocQM6xbA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNl5gKt2aIg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ic0URFZrzw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e0H7bvoMH0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ8s3UmHPrw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALL1FgicrTg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viUymX1s3fE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRdt3gO1oBM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g7FSeuS9JU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-L3HgyDRPg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYtrdeGDlWs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWs_Jug-ZoQ
Look up the McGill big three. And Deadbugs. V effective!
Yeah, don't do any of those an exercises except under close supervision of someone who really knows their stuff, unless you are trying to cause yourself disc issues.
As chief said, mcgill 3 or Dead bug.