Back & Core Strength

nweststeyn

Hi guys,

I'm certain there are already threads on this, but I could not find much in the search because the word 'back' can be used in so many situations... SO...

I've found myself suffering from backpain lately as I have upped my weekly training time and spend more time on the bike. It usually starts to ache a little bit in the lower back region after around 2 and a half to 3 hours riding. Does anyone have any exercises they would recommend to improve the strength in my back (is this even the problem?) and my core strength in general?

I have a fairly long one (back, that is), at 6ft4", and I used to play basketball so had a fair level of upper body conditioning. However, a recurring knee injury put me back on the bike and now my legs are stronger than ever but I can feel the upper body beginning to struggle.

ut_och_cykla

AS its getting close to cycling outdoor season I'd skip back/core stuff & wait fornext winter. Instead spend more time looking at your position. Are you too stretched out/low for your current flexibility? It might just be you've increased your mileage suddenly in which case just be patient but its likely that the extra load has found a weakness in position on the bike.

symo

Started doing Yoga in order to incrase joint flexibility for skateboarding a few years ago. I stopped owing to a bike accident. Recently started 5 reps of sun salutation after i get out of bed everymorning. Also add in sideways planks whilst on the mat. I am already noticing less stress in my posture. Go to a Yoga class, will be worth it.

I would also recommend that if you are sat down a lot at work you have a regular walk around every 15 minutes.

ride_whenever

Reduce the severity of your position and stretch hip flexors and do glute activation exercises.

Bozman

Slightly highjacking the OP(sorry) but i've got the same thing at roughly the same time, the more i put the hammer down the worse it gets, if i go for a plod with a mate i don't get it at all.

DRCorsa

My recommendation would be to do stretching after every single workout. Don't be tempted to cancel them.
You can also follow some basic low back strengthening exercises as in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbb0nrX8zhg

Herbsman

I have the same problem as Bozman. I'd take simo's advice - I did similar and the pain reduced.

Also, get a bike fit. Proper position = less pain for me.

cyco2

I should think that exercise is good but when I was road racing I loved riders like you because it told me to increase effort. I got back pain but I did something about it. One of which was to rub some Ibuleve cream in to the pain spot before hand. Or just take some Ibruprofen part way in to the ride.

shockedsoshocked

Stretch, especially your hamstrings and lower back.

Zoomer37

If your getting lower back pain then its more than likely something is set up wrong on your bike. The months upon months of stretching will be of little benefit if your bars are to low, stem to long, saddle to high etc..

You could be someone who is as flexible as a house brick, but if you are not overreaching and your set up correctly you should be able to ride your bike for days without any problems.

Make some minor adjustments to get more comfortable on the bike

nweststeyn

Thanks everyone, I'm going to try a shorter stem first when I can!

cougie

And maybe look into Pilates classes to build up your core muscles so you aren't straining your back.
Forget DVDs - you need proper supervision. A few mm makes a massive difference to an exercise.

slowlanejane

cougie wrote:

And maybe look into Pilates classes to build up your core muscles so you aren't straining your back.
Forget DVDs - you need proper supervision. A few mm makes a massive difference to an exercise.

+1 pilates. Do a course of 10, see the diff it makes.

Girya

I'd do calisthenics, working through the Convict Conditioning program, rarely get back pain now. I also found stronger forearms and 'core' results in less fatigue which helps by stopping leaning on the arms on long rides.

Herbsman

nweststeyn wrote:

Thanks everyone, I'm going to try a shorter stem first when I can!

That's what I did. I swapped my 120mm stem for a 90mm stem because I felt like I was in Obree's 'Superman' position. I felt less stretched out with the 90mm stem, and at first this felt more comfortable. However, I was still getting really bad back pain at times. After more trial and error I went to Adrian Timmis who sat me on my bike on a turbo, made measurments and inspected my position and adjusted my bike to fit me. I ended up with a 130mm stem after that and the bike felt more comfortable. I haven't had back pain from riding my bike since that point. So don't assume that a shorter stem will fix your problems.

I should add that my back problems started way before I started riding a road bike. While I don't think it can be 'cured', having a bike fit put me in a really comfortable position which hugely reduced the pain that resulted from hard efforts on the bike.