How Do You Warm Up

iwilldoit

Hi All

Only been at this for around 3 months but really enjoying it, before you go on a ride do you warm up or stretch to get your muscles warmed up and ready for action?

As I started MTB ing at 50 and now where near fit ( getting better ) it would break my heart if I pulled/hurt a muscle and couldn't get out on the bike and went back to square one

The Northern Monkey

I always do the 1st bit of a ride fairly slowly to allow muscles to warm up and then stretch out my legs.

Yiu dont want to stretch while youre cold

iwilldoit

What sort of thing do you do for stretches ?

The Northern Monkey

Covers the basics for legs, there are variations you can do stood up.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Page ... retch.aspx

You could also do some dynamic upper body stretches such as arm rotations.

iwilldoit

The Northern Monkey wrote:

Covers the basics for legs, there are variations you can do stood up.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Page ... retch.aspx

You could also do some dynamic upper body stretches such as arm rotations.

Thank You for that

cooldad

I start riding and ride.

I only get hurt falling off it.

cooldad

ps I am over 50.

stubs

A couple of laps of the car park in bottom gear. Spinning the legs with no pressure on helps to get my legs and lungs ready for the shock of the 1st climb

Angus Young

Just get on and ride.

kajjal

I just riding slowly with little power for a bit and build it up as I warm up.

brucie45

Start off genlty riding ie car park or street, after 10 mins get off and do basic streching all over focusing more on legs.

Dont forget the cool down and stretching once finished, its just as important imo.

UncleMonty

I just go and ride too !

The Northern Monkey

brucie45 wrote:

Start off genlty riding ie car park or street, after 10 mins get off and do basic streching all over focusing more on legs.

Dont forget the cool down and stretching once finished, its just as important imo.

does that include stretching out an arm for a nice cool beer?

brucie45

The Northern Monkey wrote:

brucie45 wrote:

Start off genlty riding ie car park or street, after 10 mins get off and do basic streching all over focusing more on legs.

Dont forget the cool down and stretching once finished, its just as important imo.

does that include stretching out an arm for LOTS of nice cool beers?

FTFY

milko9000

I ride up the hill. My last uplift day, I only realised how important that part was after I crashed off the first tabletop and dislocated a shoulder
Mental warming up is also important. So now I am resolved to do some pedalling and ideally a gentle trail before I "go big" (not very big anyway).

So yeah, I have a bit of a pedal. I find stretches very important post-ride, not so much pre.

mike hunts alpine

Bit of foreplay and then ......
Oops wrong forum

ej2320

Either the car park or a warm up short circuit if there's one at the trail centre.. Then just 30 seconds quick stretching, just basic stuff.. Just make sure you don't stretch cold muscles, that will damage a muscle if you're not careful

Also don't make the mistake of assuming you don't need to warm up if the first section is just downhill.. In some respects downhill is more demanding on the legs than sat in the saddle spinning

Also going vaguely off topic.. try some squats and deadlifts in the gym if that's available to you, they will generally strengthen legs and core, everything you need for cycling really.. Plus if you legs get used to heavy use they'll hurt less or even not at all on/after the ride

The Rookie

brucie45 wrote:

Start off genlty riding ie car park or street, after 10 mins get off and do basic streching all over focusing more on legs.

Dont forget the cool down and stretching once finished, its just as important imo.

Which proper studies have shown to be a waste of time...

Briggo

The Rookie wrote:

brucie45 wrote:

Start off genlty riding ie car park or street, after 10 mins get off and do basic streching all over focusing more on legs.

Dont forget the cool down and stretching once finished, its just as important imo.

Which proper studies have shown to be a waste of time...

Correct.

Not once either on road bike or MTB have I 'warmed up or down'. Certainly don't take it easy and not caused any damage by doing so.

Just ride at a slower pace for a bit, but even if I go straight into a climb then its never a big issue.

The Rookie

To complete that, studies have shown that warming up is a benefit, be that a 'structured' warm up or just taking it easy for a bit, it's just the so called warm downs that studies show to give no benefit (physical anyway, they may give a psychological one!)

brucie45

Ok, maybe stretching afterwards doesn't give any proven benfits nor cooling down, but it is never good thing for anyone to have a rapid decrease in body temp, heart rate and blood pressure. Maybe this is why the cycling pros, mtb pros, football pros, rugby pros etc. do it.

It certainly doesn't do any harm and is just one of those things I have been tought in the many sports I have done at a high level.

milko9000

Is stretching the same thing as warming down? I'm not sure it should be. Pretty sure stretching post-workout is proven to be a good thing to do and every physio I've ever had (sadly too many) has advised it in strong YOU MUST DO THIS terms. No idea about warming down by slowing down. I have seen a few studies suggesting that static stretches before exercise aren't a good idea.

It's true a lot of the pros do something like that, though. I work at a lot of PL and international football matches and usually anyone who came on as sub for a bit will be found doing various running drills on the pitch after everyone in the crowd's gone home. Maybe it's like dogs and they just need to make sure they've had enough exercise

pilch

The Rookie wrote:

brucie45 wrote:

Start off genlty riding ie car park or street, after 10 mins get off and do basic streching all over focusing more on legs.

Dont forget the cool down and stretching once finished, its just as important imo.

Which proper studies have shown to be a waste of time...

In what context? If you ride now and again and dont really push yourself, age and general body fitness apart, other than feeling a bit sore for a day or 2 warming down is not really an issue.

However, If you train regularly and train hard, you will get problems unless you do a bit of preventative maintenance. Specifically, warm down is a part of the training regime, as is stretching after, as recommended by the trainers and physios i've used. I'm not an expert in the subject (I do tend to take the advice of those that are however) but from my own experience (& injuries) it does make a difference, particulary spinning after a big workout, as it is like giving your legs a good massage.

97th choice

Circle the carpark, a few bunny hops and then get going.

I've never had any injuries that weren't caused by a failure of talent at the wrong time

Tigger con carne

Only received wisdom says you have to warm up and cool down before/after exercise. There is no hard evidence that you need either. In fact, I read something recently saying that stretching before you set off can actually increase fatigue. Cycling, more than most other activities, is based around the same mode of movement so just doing it warms you up. As others have said, a few laps of the car park or maybe riding to your start point in a gear or two lower than you normally would pedal is all you need

The Rookie

brucie45 wrote:

but it is never good thing for anyone to have a rapid decrease in body temp, heart rate and blood pressure. Maybe this is why the cycling pros, mtb pros, football pros, rugby pros etc. do it.

Or it is perceived wisdom that has never been challenged....and is in fact not wise at all!

Actually watch most pro's that have just been subbed, blanket over shoulders and sit down.....

2x10

Im fast approaching 60 and think a warm up is vital, for other people. I encourage my son who is in his 30s to warm up in the hope that he will be knackered before we start, hasnt worked yet!

brucie45

The Rookie wrote:

brucie45 wrote:

but it is never good thing for anyone to have a rapid decrease in body temp, heart rate and blood pressure. Maybe this is why the cycling pros, mtb pros, football pros, rugby pros etc. do it.

Or it is perceived wisdom that has never been challenged....and is in fact not wise at all!

Actually watch most pro's that have just been subbed, blanket over shoulders and sit down.....

In that case their cool down technique is to cool down gradually by using a balnket or adding extra layers. Many of the tour de france riders are doing cool downs on turbo trainers between stages. I think its a bit of a grey area but until I'm told it is bad for you I shall probably keep doing it.

markhewitt1978

I can take a while to warm up properly, it can be up to 20 minutes or after the first major climb or effort, short of doing a half hour blast on the turbo trainer before I go out there's nothing much to do other than ride.

milko9000

I'm liking the idea of sitting wrapped in a blanket after a ride. So long as it's not one of those foil ones because I've had a big off, at least. But yeah, a nice tartan number, Thermos of tea...

rockmonkeysc

I only ever warm up for downhill races. Lots of riding around at the top of the hill to get my legs warmed up.
Going straight from sitting around waiting in to a flat out sprint is no good at all.