Gym training for trail centre black runs

nigpay1

I ride trail centres when i can in the warmer months. I don't struggle with the technical side of things but do struggle with the fitness, especially on some of the longer climbs.

I've recently joined the gym and have begun to do longer runs on the treadmill.
I wondered though what the best training to do is. Obviously I can sit on a bike for an hour or run for an hour but will this really help?

help appreciated

thanks

pauljoes

I would say squats and a bit of weights on the legs nothing to heavy tho and of course keep the cardio up. Does your gym do spinning classes? dont forget the top half of your body either try pull ups and dips with plenty of core work on the the big plastic balls.

Tom Barton

Im very lean naturally and building more muscle I found was very useful especially when powering up climbs but obviously you don't want to go all power and no endurance. Didn't use a gym to start with - pressups, squats (maybe with some free weights to really build power), sit ups, calf lifts (ie standing with your toes on a step and lifting yourself with your calfs). I throw a little running in for different muscles and I get out and ride lots. Stretching to warmup and cool down is good too - improves flexibility.

I tend to ride/run on alternate days to lifting exercises with at least 1 or 2 rest days a week. See what works for you though. Also cutting out really unhealthy stuff from your diet will help you drop a little bit of body fat and improve power.

militiacore

Core work on Swiss Balls equals complete waste of your time. If start to do movements like Squats then this will also strengthen up your Core far more effectively than anything you can hope to achieve with a Swiss Ball. Planks and Dumbbell Pull In's would be about the only movements I would look at for hitting Core.

As mentioned though try not to go too heavy on Squats as this will start to impact your legs over longer distances although you will notice improvements on short, flat sprints and short, sharp climbs so assess where your priority is and train accordingly or simply mix up the weight and reps every few sessions. Personally I find a combination of Jump Squats and Step Ups onto a Bench or Platform a good compromise and adding small increments of weight as you become stronger.

Stuntman

buy a kettle bell and train with that.

and think that when you downhill race you and normally standing and moving your body. Try a devils chair(sit against a wall with a flat back and suspend your weight with your knees bent at 90degrees), do this for a minute and then immediately do 30 seconds of body weight squats.

Think about it, you are on your bike, then have to pump the track, power corners etc etc.

That plus some pressups, chinups, dips and planks should have you pretty fit.
Get to some group circuit classes as you'll put more effort in when other people are around and get more out of your training. Or rope in a mate as a training buddy, the gym prevented me doing more injury to myself and helped me ride stronger for the summer last year.

Splottboy

Do: Top, Middle, Bottom, with about 10 -15 reps, moderate weight.
Only 2 - 3 sets.

Eg, Press up, sit up, 1/2 squats. Rest 2 mins, then,
Tricep dips, crunches, lunges, Rest etc, carry on.

Total time about 45 mins, not more.

Light stretch to finish etc.

2 - 3 times per week.

RallyBiker

front squats,holding the bar between the croock of your elbows with arms crossed, and normal squats with bar resting on back of neck, will strenghten quads and hamstrings. Deadlifts to strenghten core and abs, as well as floorwipers.

endurojcb

The best thing you can do to make those climbs easier is do a couple of spinning classes each week if they do them at your gym.

In the classes you'll be working up to your VO2 max and staying there for extended periods, (you'll want to give up and die like most of us, but don't) which is basically that your lungs are absorbing as much oxygen as they physically can and putting it into your blood for your muscles and organs to use. Training up to your VO2 max regularly helps your body become acustomed to strenuous exercise and in effect needing more oxygen than it can actually get and therefore this in turn increases your VO2 max. Increasing your VO2 max means that you can work at the same pace as before 9when you were gasping for air) without being completely out of breath. You'll notice a big difference within 2-3 weeks of starting spinning!

I love it cos when my mates are gasping for air on the uphills, I'm normally doing fine and can just get out out of the saddle and mash those pedals past them to the top and whoop there arses without being out of breath!!

Give it a go!

RallyBiker

300 workout. It will sort your upper body and core as well as legs. It's gruelling full body work out. I do it once a week, and it's worked wonders for my endurance and strength on the MTBing. Make sure however you're fit to start otherwise don't bother! http://weightlossandtraining.com/300-workout-routine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veVJa4vBlZ4

Stuntman

Agree with spin classes. find one that's an hour long if you can.

Front squats are pretty hard core too, and love the dead lifts/snatches and stuff.

The 300 is a tough routine! I would only do it once every two weeks and I use to use it as more of a test to see how everything was working and if I was getting fitter.

Chronicbint

My current program at the gym to help me get fit for cycling, trains legs and core muscles.

10 minute cross trainer warmup
stretch
10 minutes bike, hill climb program, maintain 100 rpm minimum.
20 pressups, 20 crunches(repeat 3 times)
10 minutes bike, killimanjaro program, maintain 100 rpm minimum.
20 squat lunges(Squat, lunge right, squat, lunge left) then 20 lat crunches (repeat 3 times)
10 minutes bike, hill climb program, maintain 100 rpm minimum.
10 minute cross trainer warm down
stretch

Other days I will add some weight work.

glauciaregina9

Or if like me you've become bored with structured exercise regimes and such like, may I suggest a wild and radical idea... ok, brace yourself, this is pretty extreme stuff...

If you want to improve your riding, ride your bike.
Just ride further, or for longer, or up more hills, or in a higher gear etc.

And surprise surprise, as if by magic, you'll get fitter and stronger. And you'lll be outdoors having fun at the same time.


Woah! See. There, I warned you it was an utterly mad, crazy, possibly foolish scheme.

Chronicbint

glauciaregina9 wrote:

Or if like me you've become bored with structured exercise regimes and such like, may I suggest a wild and radical idea... ok, brace yourself, this is pretty extreme stuff...

If you want to improve your riding, ride your bike.
Just ride further, or for longer, or up more hills, or in a higher gear etc.

And surprise surprise, as if by magic, you'll get fitter and stronger. And you'lll be outdoors having fun at the same time.


Woah! See. There, I warned you it was an utterly mad, crazy, possibly foolish scheme.

That works fine but what if you dont have the time for long rides all the time....a good hour in the gym helps to maintain and build fitness.

glauciaregina9

Chronicbint wrote:

glauciaregina9 wrote:

Or if like me you've become bored with structured exercise regimes and such like, may I suggest a wild and radical idea... ok, brace yourself, this is pretty extreme stuff...

If you want to improve your riding, ride your bike.
Just ride further, or for longer, or up more hills, or in a higher gear etc.

And surprise surprise, as if by magic, you'll get fitter and stronger. And you'lll be outdoors having fun at the same time.


Woah! See. There, I warned you it was an utterly mad, crazy, possibly foolish scheme.

That works fine but what if you dont have the time for long rides all the time....a good hour in the gym helps to maintain and build fitness.

Absolutely, fair point

Stuntman

Or ride your with weights?? two birds, one stone.

Stuntman

Or ride your with weights?? two birds, one stone.

Paulie W

Chronicbint wrote:

glauciaregina9 wrote:

Or if like me you've become bored with structured exercise regimes and such like, may I suggest a wild and radical idea... ok, brace yourself, this is pretty extreme stuff...

If you want to improve your riding, ride your bike.
Just ride further, or for longer, or up more hills, or in a higher gear etc.

And surprise surprise, as if by magic, you'll get fitter and stronger. And you'lll be outdoors having fun at the same time.


Woah! See. There, I warned you it was an utterly mad, crazy, possibly foolish scheme.

That works fine but what if you dont have the time for long rides all the time....a good hour in the gym helps to maintain and build fitness.

But you dont have to ride for long periods. if you want to get better at climbing, 1 hr doing hill intervals for example is going to improve your climbing more than 1 hr of squats, deadlifts, or even spinning; and (in the spring and summer at least) is a much nicer thing to be doing.

Do weights by all means but do them because they will improve your general fitness, reduce risk of injury, etc not because you see it as a way of improving your ability to cycle up hill.