Well we're finally in to cycling season here on the West Coast. It was a long wait, but most of us are thankful to finally be out on the trails and roads with our favourite toys, getting some fresh air with our workouts.
A lot of my clients Road Ride, they all know that right now my passion lies in Mountain Biking although I have done a fair bit of Road Riding too. I'll often get asked in sessions, how much of a workout it is when I'm out on the Trails compared to the Road. It's always hard to compare as the metrics used in Road cycling don't tell the whole story when it comes to the upper body involvement in MTB.
Here's a great video comparing the two.
So why does it matter? Well as far as I'm concerned, good on anyone who is making out there in their time off. At Nexusfit we care about the physiological effects your hobbies have on your body and how we can best help you to enjoy them while making sure we keep you fit and healthy all around.
For mountain Bikers; You'll require more upper body strength and even upper body endurance - my favourite (also least favourite) exercise lately has been the assault bike which works upper and lower body at the same time. It's the closest feeling I have experienced to those short powerful (think 1000W+) pushes we need to get up over vertical steps and grades of 30%+. Time mountain biking will vary in position so you're not going to get as stiff as a Roady, but hip and thoracic mobility should be a focus to ensure you protect those lower backs and shoulders and also so you can stand up straight after a long ride!
For Roadies; Stay Mobile! You're glued to that seat for long periods so take opportunities to stand and pedal whenever you can, shift around on your saddle from time to time to vary your body posistion. Most of all, get a good mobility routine and pepper it in throughout your week. It will make you more comfortable on the bike as well as ensure you stay flexible away from the bike. Road riders are notoriously stiff and can run in to back and hip problems! For fitness - think legs, legs legs! In the gym we can expand your legs ability to produce power using resistance. Think squats, lunges, step-ups. We can teach you how to push the pedal hard and apply power. The endurance will come with time on the saddle. And, well the purists would say don't waste any weight in your upper body.. but who wants to look like a T-rex - especially when you're wearing lycra all weekend?!
