core exercises?

jim55
jim55 Posts: 93
edited February 2012 in Road beginners
my climbing is rubbish and whenever im out the saddle the bike feels as if its all over the place ,iv watched a few riders climbing and when they are out of the saddle the bike hardly moves from sise to side whereas im all over the shop ,i mentioned this to a good rider and all he said was its a diff set of muscles used in that pos ,what do i need to practice cos i feel as if iv very little control of it ,i go to the gym a bit and am prob quite strong but in other areas i guess
other than riding hills anything i can work on off the bike ?

Comments

  • thescouselander
    thescouselander Posts: 549
    My Mrs swears by body conditioning sessions at the gym - other than that I found doing some spin sessions got me riding out of the saddle more. I guess its just a mater of practise.
  • neilo23
    neilo23 Posts: 783
    http://www.bikeradar.com/road/fitness/a ... bike-28320

    There are a couple of core exercise here which you can do when you're alone (to avoid looking like a *?%&§).
  • griffsters
    griffsters Posts: 490
    Interesting topic, often wondered this.

    When out of the saddle it seems natural for the bike to go from side to side..occasionally i'll try and keep the bike straight. What is the correct technique? Would I be conserving energy by keeping the bike still or is it better to go with the flow?
  • jordan_217
    jordan_217 Posts: 2,580
    I've been doing some and have found they work for me, particularly when I'm down on the bars/in TT position.

    Things I've been doing in the gym, which I think have helped my cycling:

    * Cable wood chops
    * Swiss ball hamstring curls
    * Hungarian squats (add weights with progression) - more for the legs but adding weight helps with core stability, apparently.
    * Dead lifts
    * Planks

    For me, when climbing I'm more concerned with staying in the saddle and keeping the pedals turning at a steady/high cadence than what I am about being out of the saddle. I try to keep my upper body as still as possible too. You need to support your own body weight when out of the saddle so you will zap your energy quicker.

    Some high resistance, low cadence efforts on the turbo are good for this too, IME.
    “Training is like fighting with a gorilla. You don’t stop when you’re tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired.”
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    As long as the wheels go in a straight line, then how much swinging of the bike is down to technique - canting the bike over on the down stroke means the force is directly applied to the pedal, putting less lateral load on the joints.
    Whilst some gym work can help, as with all climbing, just riding hills is what makes you better - do hill repeats varying your technique every time: seated spinning, out-the-saddle and on the drops, bigger gear you can turn.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    Do you honk or dance? Some good tips here:

    http://www.perfectcondition.ltd.uk/Arti ... onking.htm
  • dawebbo
    dawebbo Posts: 456
    Fully agree with Monty.

    If you can readily access somewhere to do hill repeats, this will be by far a better way to improve your climbing than doing core work. If it's a choice between nothing or core work, then obviously it will help.
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaYeGviEzT8

    good selection to do with no equipment in that vid.
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Practise on the turbo with good resistance IN the saddle.
    Shift your arse back to simulate a hill.. put 2 yellow pages under front wheel to make feel more 'realistic'
    When climbing , I believe in that old axiom of 80/20... 80% in saddle 20% out of it for a bit of a stretch.

    You say you go to the gym a lot.... perhaps a sign that you are imbalanced for the bike...
    MORE bike work!
  • velocanman
    velocanman Posts: 19
    It sounds to me like you need to work on your climbing technique, not core strength. Don't fight the bike and don't push it with you hands, over-emphasizing the swaying. Too much can be wasted effort.

    You definitely want to focus on riding a straight line up the hill. Not only is it the shortest distance up the hill, it is also the safest for those around you.
    Watch Your Line: Techniques to Improve Road Cycling Skills (Second Edition)
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watch-Your-Line ... 1463517629
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    Pilates ...

    My missus bought a pilates DVD by a ballet dancer ... Watched the full 45 mins, then the 10mins a day programme ... The 10 mins a day programme works wonders after a ride ... I even got away with running a 10k (<46 mins) after not running for 7 years and only 6 trainng sessions, no hobbling round after any of the runs doing the 10 mins of pilates after each run ...

    I know it looks like it's for middle aged American women or elderly Hollywood actors but works for me ... Esp. As I'm notbfexible enough for yoga ...

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