Core Training

tubaonwheels

For the last 12 or so years my main work has been drystone walling, on an average day I'd be moving/lifting at least 5 tons of stone, in many different ways - but all carefully. Pretty sure this has led me to have a pretty strong core. So, no need to go to the gym, just have a change of job
Steve.

reacher

Well I can tell you I train, so If i'm doing it so must others I don't realy get that statement however going back to doing training other than riding a bike, some people myself included choose to explore other ways of conditioning/training ourselves which may or may not impact directly on performance on the bike in a way that you can simply say I have done some core work for 6 weeks lets see how much faster I can go, training does not work that way, training is a combination of many things that come together to give a result in improved performance or could be just being able to train better, recover better or maybe just feel better. Core training is simply a descriptive phrase to cover what is essentially a type of training that works certain areas of weakness. Not to mention the fact that a lot of people do training in gyms, cyclists included simply because they like doing it and the benifets are huge in terms of physical well being. The bottom line is doing core training will not make you slower or unable to train less so if you have spare time and want to do it then what's to lose at worst your going to have a improved yourself physically more than someone who has not done any

top_bhoy

Imposter wrote:

Top_Bhoy wrote:

Imposter wrote:

That's not to say core training is not useful if you have a functional issue or previously diagnosed weakness or injury.

Core training should be seen more of a preventative activity to strengthen the body muscle groups instead of one which is only undertaken after the damage or weakness has been identified.

You could say that about any muscle or muscle group in the body though. Where do you draw the line?

True - I wasn't saying you are wrong (I agree with you) but when its stated that it is a useful activity for post-injury recuperation and resolving functional deficiencies perhaps some people then overlook its preventative application. For the moment, drawing the line to the muscle group being discussed in the topic thread.

reacher

What a lot of people who dismiss work that can be done in the gym miss is that the human body works best when it works as a whole, each muscle/ joint working as it should do to support/help the function of the part next to it. The core in many athletes view being an integral part in achieving that balance and preventing injury and to deliver more power. That's the reason many view core work as being one of the most important areas that they can work at improving when training. Watch anyone in a gym try to train with a weak core they look like bendy toys

rpaton

Getting aerodynamic, and how aero do you want to be.

"What we also have to think about is the longevity of the rider and their general health and wellbeing. The primary focus of the exercise we're doing with Geraint is what we call posterior chain - so really looking at strengthening the muscles around the shoulders and down the back, your gluteal muscles, so your bum muscles, and hamstrings. That's relative to areas that we see as a weakness, but also to what we see in terms of where we can improve - for instance in his time trial performance. As a team what can we do to get him in a better position on the time trial bike, which is a more extreme position, so he has more stability and more control? Because without those two he either becomes less aerodynamic or loses power, because he's trying to use different muscles to hold and control himself on the bike, rather than generating the power straight into the pedal and going faster."
Read more at http://www.teamsky.com/teamsky/news/art ... 6D9F9yo.99
http://www.teamsky.com/teamsky/news/art ... m5TgKqt.97

reacher

squats are better, or maybe Jan Ullrich is his new coach didn't he used to do these

sloppyschleckonds

reacher wrote:

squats are better, or maybe Jan Ullrich is his new coach didn't he used to do these

Probably recommended after three leg fractures

TriathleteIain

If you want to improve your core there are plenty of 30 day plans that if you stick to them will improve it. Also don't stop when you get to 30 days, keep going to maintain. Chance are if you cycle regularly you can probably skip the first week or so and start part way through as your core will not be weak already.

diy

I love the strategically placed towel to hide the weight he's lifting.

bompington

I'm a Computing teacher so I regularly practise my programming skills.

I'm sure that helps me ride faster too.

reacher

bompington wrote:

I'm a Computing teacher so I regularly practise my programming skills.

I'm sure that helps me ride faster too.

I don't get that, I'm sure I should though ?

bompington

I've also been doing lots of vacuuming as that improves my driving considerably

dennisn

bompington wrote:

I've also been doing lots of vacuuming as that improves my driving considerably

Heh heh. There does seem to be a sort of undercurrent in cycling that you must buy everything, have all the "stuff", and buy into all the idea's that people have, and this will make you a cyclists "in your own mind".

reacher

bompington wrote:

I've also been doing lots of vacuuming as that improves my driving considerably

I see your trying to illustrate a point, which is ?

bompington

Already wrote:

viewtopic.php?f=40011&t=12780320

EDIT: to clarify - I'm just amused at the endless nature of training arguments, particularly ones where strength is repeatedly raised as an important thing to train. The referenced thread is one where Alex (who is a seriously top-level coach) was repeatedly challenged by people who clearly don't understand the laws of phyics, never mind how to train for cycling.

Hence a little fun-poking.


PS isn't it time we had a helmet debate? Strength training threads have had this sort of thing to themselves for way too long ;-)

reacher

bompington wrote:

Already wrote:

viewtopic.php?f=40011&t=12780320

EDIT: to clarify - I'm just amused at the endless nature of training arguments, particularly ones where strength is repeatedly raised as an important thing to train. The referenced thread is one where Alex (who is a seriously top-level coach) was repeatedly challenged by people who clearly don't understand the laws of phyics, never mind how to train for cycling.

Hence a little fun-poking.


PS isn't it time we had a helmet debate? Strength training threads have had this sort of thing to themselves for way too long ;-)

If you wish to talk about helmets instead of improving your physical well being then feel free to do so

bompington

reacher wrote:

bompington wrote:

Already wrote:

viewtopic.php?f=40011&t=12780320

EDIT: to clarify - I'm just amused at the endless nature of training arguments, particularly ones where strength is repeatedly raised as an important thing to train. The referenced thread is one where Alex (who is a seriously top-level coach) was repeatedly challenged by people who clearly don't understand the laws of phyics, never mind how to train for cycling.

Hence a little fun-poking.


PS isn't it time we had a helmet debate? Strength training threads have had this sort of thing to themselves for way too long ;-)

If you wish to talk about helmets instead of improving your physical well being then feel free to do so

Sorry for my mistake, I thought this was a cycling forum. Silly me.

reacher

bompington wrote:

reacher wrote:

bompington wrote:

Already wrote:

viewtopic.php?f=40011&t=12780320

EDIT: to clarify - I'm just amused at the endless nature of training arguments, particularly ones where strength is repeatedly raised as an important thing to train. The referenced thread is one where Alex (who is a seriously top-level coach) was repeatedly challenged by people who clearly don't understand the laws of phyics, never mind how to train for cycling.

Hence a little fun-poking.


PS isn't it time we had a helmet debate? Strength training threads have had this sort of thing to themselves for way too long ;-)

If you wish to talk about helmets instead of improving your physical well being then feel free to do so

Sorry for my mistake, I thought this was a cycling forum. Silly me.

So you don't consider improving yourself physically to be of any benefit to being a cyclist ? That sky team must have it all wrong then, I take it their putting their people in the gym to do all that core training because it's too cold to go out and train on the bike

imposter2.0

reacher wrote:

So you don't consider improving yourself physically to be of any benefit to being a cyclist ? That sky team must have it all wrong then, I take it their putting their people in the gym to do all that core training because it's too cold to go out and train on the bike

Don't be confusing what the pros do, with what is good for yer average, everyday mamil. 'Improving yourself physically' might be beneficial for all kinds of reasons. Whether any of those reasons translate to a better performance on the bike for the likes of us is debatable. All of this stuff has already been discussed ad nauseam in this very thread.

mamba80

bompington wrote:

I've also been doing lots of vacuuming as that improves my driving considerably

logical, improving arm strength and flexibility is going help when going for that 320 yd par 4, i hope you work both arms though?

reacher

Imposter wrote:

reacher wrote:

So you don't consider improving yourself physically to be of any benefit to being a cyclist ? That sky team must have it all wrong then, I take it their putting their people in the gym to do all that core training because it's too cold to go out and train on the bike

Don't be confusing what the pros do, with what is good for yer average, everyday mamil. 'Improving yourself physically' might be beneficial for all kinds of reasons. Whether any of those reasons translate to a better performance on the bike for the likes of us is debatable. All of this stuff has already been discussed ad nauseam in this very thread.

Yes I just read through that thread from 6 odd years ago, very interesting it was. I do find that a strange comment though as the whole debate and argument against it seems to be, do what he pros do as thats all you need to do, to be a good cyclist. Nor does it apply to what I'm interested in which is improvement and being able to train better/ harder at my age, however I do find a continuous theme runs through all these debates that the people by an large who say its a waste of time have no actual experience of having done this extra work to back up this theory. Like I said the sky boys are not doing this stuff to pass time or are you saying they are wasting their time doing it as well

dennisn

reacher wrote:

Imposter wrote:

reacher wrote:

So you don't consider improving yourself physically to be of any benefit to being a cyclist ? That sky team must have it all wrong then, I take it their putting their people in the gym to do all that core training because it's too cold to go out and train on the bike

Don't be confusing what the pros do, with what is good for yer average, everyday mamil. 'Improving yourself physically' might be beneficial for all kinds of reasons. Whether any of those reasons translate to a better performance on the bike for the likes of us is debatable. All of this stuff has already been discussed ad nauseam in this very thread.

Yes I just read through that thread from 6 odd years ago, very interesting it was. I do find that a strange comment though as the whole debate and argument against it seems to be, do what he pros do as thats all you need to do, to be a good cyclist. Nor does it apply to what I'm interested in which is improvement and being able to train better/ harder at my age, however I do find a continuous theme runs through all these debates that the people by an large who say its a waste of time have no actual experience of having done this extra work to back up this theory. Like I said the sky boys are not doing this stuff to pass time or are you saying they are wasting their time doing it as well

Sort of well said BUT with one big exception. You, me us, simply don't have the time, the desire, the knowledge, the support(family & friends), and, most important of all, the ability to do what is required to make us Pro material. The "...do what is required..." are the key words. It's not about trying to do what the pros do. You must find what is required for YOU. In the end you'll most likely find that you cannot do it all. Many try, few get there. Ask yourself why that is. If you want to get there you must do WHATEVER it takes and that includes tossing aside everything in your life that interferes with that one goal. Even then it's only maybe.