Work out, how?

[Shifting]

Hey Zoo, remember Its a smart man who builds a shed over his tools!

Woody, just saying good in general.

[zoohoot393]

ROFL...thanks Shifting

[Woody_393]

Yeah, shed.. that's what I'm calling it too. My wife doesn't buy that, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[Shifting]

Originally posted by zoohoot393
ROFL...thanks Shifting

Sorry...ROLF...explain? Still new.

[Woody_393]

Rolling Laughing Floor = ROLF (it's a bit messed up) It's usually ROTF

LMAO = Laughing my rear off

[Shifting]

Yeah i know most of them .. just didn't know that one.

[mxerhale]

I got in on this a little late, but I do 3 days a week of weight lifting and 2 days of hard cardio not including actual riding. I am big into sadism so during the racing season I'll either ride 30 miles on my road bike or 10 on my mountain bike for cardio and do 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps on the weights. My wife and I are really into the nutrition side so we eat a low fat high protein diet consistently, no red meat and lots of water.

[Shifting]

What can I do to better myself for 2 days of hard riding. I have about 21 days to do something. Its 25 degrees out side and lots of snow. Any ideas or just show up fat and out of breath?!

I work in a physical work environment (Les Schwab) so I'm not a complete loss...

[Frakke]

Would be a nice forum. Especially if you include the 'how to come back after an injury' aspect. It's always a good thing to learn how you can train your injured bodypart (after reapair) the best without overdoing it. Count me in Woody !!

[Woody_393]

Cool. I'll put up a vote when I get a chance

[shiftMX]

keeto... i see training like this...take a honda civic (endurance) 33 miles to the gallon, and an avg. 120hp (stock), this is a car you would take a road trip on to neighboring states. why? economical isn't it? now take a corvette (stock) actually not much larger than the civic, but with an engine that produces 320+hp and gets about 18 mpg... now you could take this same corvette on the road trip, but to do the same distance it would cost more money. but now, if you were going to race a 1/4 mile...it's obvious the car you would want...the stronger, faster car right? moral of the story is that there are trade offs when it comes to the type of training someone does. and unfortunatly only elite athletes can combine endurance and power to their fullest extent together, but even those are very rare...i can't name one personally. if you could chart muscle strength, it would look like a backwards dyno chart...staying high, but the further down the chart, the more the power will drop off.

truth behind it is muscle fibers...there are 2 types...fast twitch and slow twitch. slow twitch fibers are the one that are targeted to do endurance like marathons or tour de france, fast twitch are the fibers trained to sprint and leap for example. although these fibers are in the same muscle, they do not work together as you might think. they are not used simultaniously at full power when trying to accomplish something like riding a mx track or playing soccer. fast twitch fibers are like mafia hitmen, they aren't used for mugging the public, they only suit up when a job calls for their special talents...to get the job done quick and right. these fibers arnen't like yin and yang, there is no perfect balance between them...when training, it is one or the other, you can't berfectly train them both.

oh, and sorry for all the analogys guys...i just used those because i know if i am confused i can kind of understand when someone simplifies it in terms i understand, so i hope they do help someone who reads this.

[Frakke]

I like the analogys. Clears the picture great if you ask me. Off course there are alot off people who talks against each other so who is right? I'll try your training for a while Shiftmx, and I'll see what it can do for me. If I think my earleir training suited me better I switch again. Anyway, agreat idee for a forum I think, if I see all the reactions on it. Everybody trains in their own way and with this we can share it and look if there's somebody doing stuff that actually work for you too!! nice one not?

[Keetoman393]

LOL, good analogies there Shift and thanks for Health 101. I know about the muscle fibers but you missed my point alltogether.

My point was, to be in tip top shape for enduros or MX you would ideally want to train both fibers of muscle. This would give you strength and endurance so that you aren't wasted after a moto.


Look at all the top MX stars for example. All of them do cardio training as well as strength training. Same thing for the GNCC and enduro riders. You can have all the strength in the world but if you don't have any endurance, it is all for nothing.

I went to an Observed Trials school years ago that was taught by one of the top guys in the world and he put it best. You need to be like a cat: agile, strong and have endurance. This was for Trials riders but it is the same no matter what you ride. You still need the same abilities to excel.

Bottom line is, you need both strength and endurance muslces to excel. With endurance training comes strength. Do you think that Enduro or GNCC riders are weak compared to MX riders? Ever tried wrestling your bike on hills or in the mud and rocks for 100+ miles?

[Woody_393]

I agree, you need both. I think that is what you both are saying too, just a little difference on the # of reps etc.

[Woody_YZF]

I think I want to get into an exercise program. I play basketball from time to time and that's about all the good exercise I get. I don't want to be super sore on Saturday at Mesquite like I was last time, so getting into shape would probably be a good thing. I think my biggest issue is diet. I eat terrible. I eat a lot of sugar. I could also use some upper body strength, when I race by about the 3rd lap, I'm feeling pretty fatigued, but I still have good cardio, so there's my weaknesses. I don't have any weights either, so I need to figure something out to build some upper body strength, mostly my arms. Any ideas?

[Frakke]

Originally posted by Woody_YFZ
I think I want to get into an exercise program. I play basketball from time to time and that's about all the good exercise I get. I don't want to be super sore on Saturday at Mesquite like I was last time, so getting into shape would probably be a good thing. I think my biggest issue is diet. I eat terrible. I eat a lot of sugar. I could also use some upper body strength, when I race by about the 3rd lap, I'm feeling pretty fatigued, but I still have good cardio, so there's my weaknesses. I don't have any weights either, so I need to figure something out to build some upper body strength, mostly my arms. Any ideas?

isn't there a gym in the neigborhood? They will have weights there and some programs to do, creating some upper body strenght!! Don't forget the legs 2, Very important!! I'm now working out like ShiftMX told me to do. A little more weight and lower reps. Works fine for me!! Feels like I'm doing cardio and muscles all in once!! check out the link for some programs!!

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

[Woody_YZF]

It costs money to go to local gyms. I'll just have to figure something else out. I'm sure I can round up some free weights or something.

[MotoMan]

Woody, check in with some local high schools, I know our local school will let you use the facilites in the evenings for like $15 per year or something.

[Woody_YZF]

The fact is, I hate lifting weights and I know I won't stick with it, so I've been trying to play basketball at least once a week. I've played two days so far this week and it's only Tuesday and I can run the floor pretty good, so I hope I'm doing alright. I'd kind of like to get to 160 lbs. though, which means I'd have to lift some weights and bulk up another 5 lbs., but I know me better. I won't do it, I don't have the motivation.

[Woody_393]

Oh man tell me about it. Motivation... where can I get some of that???