ThomasDark Posted July 30, 2013 Report Share Posted July 30, 2013 I have found that when riding my quads, hip flexors, and calfs are the muscles that are most fatigued at the end of the day. For my quads it's the very tips next to my knee, which can be difficult to exercise. To work them out I've found a couple useful methods. 1. VERY deep squats. I like to put about 25# on each side of a standard 45# squat bar and do about 5 sets of 30. When doing each squat I go down until the angle between my shin and thigh is 30 or less. I basically go as low as I can. It's important during this exercise that you perfect your form doing squats and keep your knee caps directly over the balls of your feet. Since I have done a lot of squats in my life training for ski racing I found my balance point long ago but I do remember that when I started it took a few workouts to even be able to execute the proper squat movement with just my bodyweight. At first I did them near the end of a squat rack facing it so when I missed the balance point (butt too far back) I could catch myself with my hands and finish the movement properly. If you are not performing a squat with proper form you will destroy your knee joint over time and possibly cause an injury requiring surgery in the short term. 2. If you don't want to learn the proper squat technique or aren't into the gym thing just go find yourself a steep hill. I've found that a 1:2 slope/50% (1 foot rise for every 2 feet of horizontal distance) or steeper is about the shallowest slope that works but the steeper the better. Hike directly up the hill. If you hike as straight (directly the opposite direction that water would run) you mimic the movement in #1. In addition you'll end up doing quite a few 'sets' of very high reps since it's hiking and you'll end up taking hundreds if not thousands of steps during a hike. On the return trip down be as careful and try to follow the same "fall line" direction. Stay in control on your way down. The act of constantly slowing/controlling your decent will work the quads as well. If you're savvy, on your way up toss in a calf raise at the end of each step and you can work out your calf too which helps during the "tighten your quad" method of locking onto the tank that is taught in Level 3. This will also work the hip flexors. 3. Bench step ups in the gym. For this you take any bench press bench and step up onto it from the floor. Feel free to add weight as you see fit. This is basically the same as hiking, yet in the gym and less dangerous then going straight up a hillside. Toss in a calf raise or a front knee kick at the top of each rep and you'll get those hip flexors/calf as well. Just some workouts I've found to work the muscles that are constantly sore after a trackday on me. Caveat: After taking Level 3 my quads take a much smaller hit during trackdays due to not picking my body up off the seat between each turn (Hip Flick)... So thanks for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franco802 Posted September 8, 2013 Report Share Posted September 8, 2013 I have been doing the Stronglifts 5x5 program for almost 3 months now and the results are amazing. Much more strength and stamina. Only 3 days a week, squats are in every workout. Its amazing how squats strengthen the core. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobie Fair Posted September 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 I just started experimenting with side lunges...this seemed to help the inner thigh muscles--anyone else tried this one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotfoot Posted September 10, 2013 Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 I just started experimenting with side lunges...this seemed to help the inner thigh muscles--anyone else tried this one? I do those, except I add a variation: I bend over at the waist so that my back is flat, parallel to the ground, and I look up/forward as I do the lunges. That way it also helps strengthen my neck, one of the areas where I get sore on track days if I haven't been riding a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobie Fair Posted September 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2013 Do others have the neck issue? I'd like to know, wonder how common it is. Or maybe you have a kinda scrawny neck? CF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotfoot Posted September 11, 2013 Report Share Posted September 11, 2013 Do others have the neck issue? I'd like to know, wonder how common it is. Or maybe you have a kinda scrawny neck? CF I think it's my heavy helmet, I need one of those snazzy carbon fiber ones like YOU have!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted September 13, 2013 Report Share Posted September 13, 2013 May i recommend wrestler's bridges and neck bridges as the ultimate neck workout? That should get your scrawny/creaky necks to speed soon.Be very very careful though, start slow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScrmnDuc Posted September 13, 2013 Report Share Posted September 13, 2013 Do others have the neck issue? I'd like to know, wonder how common it is. Or maybe you have a kinda scrawny neck? CF Only if I haven't rode in a couple of weeks or more. It's hard to ride if the bike is a few hundred or thousand miles away. Then it normally takes 2 or 3 days of riding before all is well again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobie Fair Posted September 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2013 I must have a thick neck, as the only time I've had problems are when I don't drink enough, and my neck gets tight. A doctor friend told me the disks dry out/dehydrate like anything else, and the fluid in the spine is like molasses, so takes a bit to rehydrate them. Excuse me while I reach for that water bottle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 DO measure your neck in inches and tell me.You must be 6 feet or so? Remember neck fat does not mean you have a strong neck.You should have a good 18-19 inch neck for your frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobie Fair Posted September 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 6 feet...only when I look up about 3 inches . I wonder if Hotfoot's neck is 18-19 inches? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Unless HotFoot wrestled professionally and beat some rather large men i doubt it... If you are 5 9 then 16-17 in is a good size that can withstand cornering well. DO remember even simply rotating your neck in the morning can help a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotfoot Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 6 feet...only when I look up about 3 inches . I wonder if Hotfoot's neck is 18-19 inches? I don't believe I've ever had occasion to measure it, but I can assure you that my neck is elegant and feminine and I will NOT be spending any time trying to bulk it up!! I am enthusiastic about riding but not enough to want to look like a linebacker. Now you boys get back to comparing each others measurements and quit picking on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 HF, women's necks won't bulk like men's.I do recommend you work out to prevent back and neck problems later in life. IN fact everyone should workout to prevent future problems.Lord help you if you have a slipped disk or something.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khp Posted September 21, 2013 Report Share Posted September 21, 2013 OK, so why should a taller person necessarily have a wider neck? I'm 6'6" and my shirt necksize is 40-41, ie around 16 inches. For me, I experience that whenever I start up after the winter, my neck is sore the first couple of weeks of riding, due to the helmet getting bobbed around by the turbulent winds. Then it stops being a problem again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted September 21, 2013 Report Share Posted September 21, 2013 It is not a necessity.16 inch arms may look massive on a 5 4 guy.The same will look good or even average on a 6 2 guy. Similarly, tall people ( who tend to have taller necks and longer heads ) should have a little more development to support the bigger head and also to avoid looking scrawny in the neck region. As a 6 6 guy you may have spine problems later in life.People 6 2 and above usually do.So take care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khp Posted September 21, 2013 Report Share Posted September 21, 2013 As a 6 6 guy you may have spine problems later in life.People 6 2 and above usually do.So take care. Oh, I have personal experience about that. Good news is that it's my legs that are abnormally long (38" inseam). Thanks for the concern Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted September 21, 2013 Report Share Posted September 21, 2013 I have a question - As a taller man can you get the bike over easier? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khp Posted September 22, 2013 Report Share Posted September 22, 2013 I have a question - As a taller man can you get the bike over easier? If you mean crouching over the tank, then sorta-yes, sorta-no. I rarely ride with a fully vertical back, but with bent arms and some crouching. But getting into a full crouch is difficult, because the bike is really a bit too small. My elbows hit my knees/thighs and so on. As an example, when I do the Level 3 exercise where the elbow has to point straight down to the asphalt, I have to move my leg out of the way first, in order to do this. My friends claim that I make any bike look small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANORXIC'51 Posted September 23, 2013 Report Share Posted September 23, 2013 Just picked up a '13 Bianchi Zurigo cross bike for offseason training as well as mid-season workouts. Getting tired of my legs running out of steam towards the end of sessions/races. Comes with slightly wider knobby tires for use on grass/gravel in addition to road cycling. Excited for next season! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted September 23, 2013 Report Share Posted September 23, 2013 Squats and lunges would serve you better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANORXIC'51 Posted September 23, 2013 Report Share Posted September 23, 2013 Maybe so, but cycling will also build cardio endurance. There's gotta be something to it when we see a lot of AMA/BSB/WSBK/GP/etc riders posting pics of them road cycling for training. Heck, even a lot of our local racers bike so they can do their 8+ races per race weekend or run double-time (running in both Nov & Int or Int & Adv) @ trackdays. Plus, I'm just not self-motivated enough to do gym exercises....especially if doing them at home. If I can find something enjoyable that gets me more "riding @ 95+ %" for a longer period of time, I'll keep doing it. Cycling looks like it'll fit that need for me. YMMV. -Christian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted September 24, 2013 Report Share Posted September 24, 2013 I stay clear of cycling because you kinda sit on your junk...but that is just me. Please do whatever helps you ride better, and that is a lovely ducati. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobie Fair Posted December 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 Something I tried in the last few months: Arnold has a bodybuilding encyclopedia. I had a chance to try a number of the exercises in there, and was pleasantly impressed. I found the ab exercises really helped my back (we've all heard that before) but I hadn't really noticed it much myself, until doing the exercises in the book. There are tons of pics, makes it quite clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nismo300zr2 Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 Squats and lunges would serve you better. Id like to know the science to back the quote. As ANORXIC'51said, cyclling will definitely build the endurance needed in riding lap after lap. I've also seen more pictures of the pro riders cycling than squatting. Not to say either or is wrong or better.. as i do both also, but in my personal experiences i would have to say the cycling trumps lifting for the benefit of riding. Concerning sitting on your junk.. Body positioning?? LOL. They do make seats with cutouts to alleviate that issue though. The general area is sore after a good cycling workout.. but 'the junk', no. Then again.. im Asian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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