Whether we have six more weeks of winter, or not, the amount of daylight is increasing - Daily! You still have time to get caught up on your cycling and other exercises before the shorts and bare midriff season is upon us.
In today's posting I wanted to answer some of your questions about exercises to develop the abdominal muscles. I did a little research and ran across the perfect article. It's short and jam-packed with information. It not only provides good exercises but points out how essential "core strength" is to cycling. I've posted a copy of the article below, along with links for more information. And while we're on the subject of our "core", I wanted to share another article I read in this month's Bicycling Magazine, about Yoga and reducing some of the tension created in our muscles while cycling.
Here's to a stronger core!
The following article was retrieved from the RBR (Road Bike Rider) Newsletter on Thursday, February 2, 2012. The link to this article and more information is: http://www.roadbikerider.com/cadence
You’re on a long bike ride -- pedaling hard up steep hills, flying down the other side, barreling along the flats. Your legs, like powerful, well-tuned pistons, push through the miles. Ten fly by, 15, then 20.
At 30 miles, your legs are still going strong, but you notice you’re starting to wobble in the saddle from side to side, your lower back is hurting, your shoulders and neck are getting tight and sore. You start losing power. What’s happening? Your ride has just been sabotaged by a flabby core.
“Most cyclists have marshmallow middles,” says boot camp trainer and ironman athlete Kris Plant. “Road and triathlon cyclists need a strong core to form a good tripod position to sit properly on their saddle.” That means sitting on their sit bones -- the ischial tuberosities (those two bones in your bum that make you fidget when you sit too long on a hard bench). A strong lower back and abs form the foundation for pedal efficiency and strength. Unfortunately, cycling doesn’t build core strength.
A solid core:
Plank -- Simple, but so effective. Works transverse abdominis, upper and lower back
Comment
Laurel-Lea Shannon is publisher of www.WomensCycling.ca, an ezine that promotes recreational cycling and encourages women of all ages to get outside and ride. RBR has partnered with Women’s Cycling.ca to take the female focus on cycling issues in Women on Wheels. The column runs each month in RBR Newsletter
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Here's the second Article:
Increase Speed
Retrieved from Bicycling Magazine on February 2, 2012 at: http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/get-3-minutes-faster-4-weeks
Hammering in the drops of your handlebar can shave more than three minutes off a 40km (24-mile) ride. But that means leaving the comfort of your brake hoods to hunker into an aerodynamic tuck--a position few recreational riders find comfortable for very long.
The solution: yoga, the quickest route to balanced strength and flexibility. "Cyclists are notorious for having tight hips and hamstrings, which makes generating power in the aerodynamic position difficult," says Lara Garda, R.Y.T., yoga and fitness consultant with the University of Pittsburgh. "Yoga improves range of motion in your hips, strengthens your core, and minimizes muscle imbalances so you can ride longer, climb better, sprint faster and feel better on the bike."
What's more, yoga improves balance, body awareness and muscle control, all of which will make you a better bike handler. "If you devote 15 to 20 minutes to yoga stretching several days a week, especially on days you ride, I guarantee you'll see results in as little as a month," says Garda.
Garda recommends the following four poses for better cycling fitness. For the best results, perform each stretch three times, holding the pose 30 to 60 seconds. Remember to breathe deeply throughout each move. If you stretch beyond the point at which you can comfortably breathe, back off. A good stretch causes mild discomfort, but never pain.
DOWNWARD DOG Start down on your hands and knees, feet flexed so that the bottoms of your toes are on the floor. Press your hands and feet into the floor, raising your hips toward the ceiling, until your body looks like an upside-down V. Then simultaneously lift your tailbone toward the ceiling and lower your heels to the floor as far as comfortably possible. Hold. Then release. Cycling Benefit: Stretches and lengthens tight calves, hamstrings and low back muscles, so you can tuck more comfortably.
BUTTERFLYStart seated on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Bend your knees and pull your feet in, so the soles of your feet are touching, knees out to the side. Keeping your back straight, lean forward from the hips. Grasp your feet with your hands and deepen the stretch by gently pushing down on your knees with your elbows. Hold. Then release. Cycling Benefit: Relieves tension in inner thighs and hips, for smoother pedaling in the aero position.
RABBIT Start in a kneeling position, with the tops of your feet flat on the floor, toes pointed behind you. Sit back on your heels and lower your chest to your thighs. Stretch your arms behind you and grasp your ankles with your hands. Pull your navel to your spine and drop your head until the crown of your head is on the floor. Hold. Then release. Cycling Benefit: Provides a maximum stretch along the length of the spine and strengthens abdominal and back muscles, so you can hammer in the drops with greater ease.
HERO Start in the kneeling position, sitting back on your heels. Lift your butt slightly and move your feet apart, placing them on either side of your butt. (Keep your knees together.) Place your hands behind you by the soles of your feet. Lean back about 45 degrees. Hold. Then release. Cycling Benefit: Increases flexibility in the quads, hips, knees and ankles for improved range of motion all the way around the pedal stroke.
At 30 miles, your legs are still going strong, but you notice you’re starting to wobble in the saddle from side to side, your lower back is hurting, your shoulders and neck are getting tight and sore. You start losing power. What’s happening? Your ride has just been sabotaged by a flabby core.
“Most cyclists have marshmallow middles,” says boot camp trainer and ironman athlete Kris Plant. “Road and triathlon cyclists need a strong core to form a good tripod position to sit properly on their saddle.” That means sitting on their sit bones -- the ischial tuberosities (those two bones in your bum that make you fidget when you sit too long on a hard bench). A strong lower back and abs form the foundation for pedal efficiency and strength. Unfortunately, cycling doesn’t build core strength.
Why Do You Need a Solid Core to Cycle?
Strengthening your core will help you develop a good tripod position -- making you a stronger, faster cyclist. “For cyclists, that means doing exercises that target the obliques, transverse abdominis, lower back, hamstrings, gluteals, and hip flexors. The rectus abdominis -- also known as 6-pack abs -- are not as important for biking,” says Plant.A solid core:
- decreases upper body sway
- helps maintain proper bike form and posture
- reduces or eliminates shoulder, neck, and lower back pain
- increases pedal stroke efficiency
- helps you to use your leg strength properly and more effectively
Plank -- Simple, but so effective. Works transverse abdominis, upper and lower back
- Lie on your stomach and place your elbows directly under your shoulders with forearms and hands on the floor.
- Place feet about hip-width apart.
- Slowly lift your hips off the floor, keeping your back straight.
- Squeeze your glutes together. Don’t sag through the hips or arch your back.
- Hold for 10 to 20 seconds. Work up to 30 seconds.
- Repeat 3 times.
- Lie down on your back, bend your knees and place your heels near your bum (6 to 8 inches).
- Place your arms at your sides, palms down.
- Pull your navel toward your spine (to eliminate any space between the floor and your lower back).
- Squeeze your glutes, while you slowly raise your hips off the floor and push up from your heels, forming a straight line from shoulders to knees.
- Pause, then slowly lower your hips to the ground.
- Repeat 5 times and build from there.
- Lie on your back with legs straight, and place both hands under your head.
- Pull your navel toward your spine (to eliminate any space between the floor and your lower back), and raise your shoulders off the floor.
- Raise your legs 6 to 8 inches off the ground (you can start higher as Plant does here) and scissor them: left leg over right, then right over left. That’s one rep.
- Repeat 10 times and build from there.
- Kneel on all fours with your hands placed flat on the floor under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Raise your right arm while extending your left leg. Keep your back straight and your hips level.
- Hold for 1–5 seconds. Do other side.
- Repeat 5 times and build from there.
Comment
Laurel-Lea Shannon is publisher of www.WomensCycling.ca, an ezine that promotes recreational cycling and encourages women of all ages to get outside and ride. RBR has partnered with Women’s Cycling.ca to take the female focus on cycling issues in Women on Wheels. The column runs each month in RBR Newsletter
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Here's the second Article:
Increase Speed
Get 3 Minutes Faster In 4 Weeks
For maximum speed, there's no place like om.
BySelene Yeager
Hammering in the drops of your handlebar can shave more than three minutes off a 40km (24-mile) ride. But that means leaving the comfort of your brake hoods to hunker into an aerodynamic tuck--a position few recreational riders find comfortable for very long.
The solution: yoga, the quickest route to balanced strength and flexibility. "Cyclists are notorious for having tight hips and hamstrings, which makes generating power in the aerodynamic position difficult," says Lara Garda, R.Y.T., yoga and fitness consultant with the University of Pittsburgh. "Yoga improves range of motion in your hips, strengthens your core, and minimizes muscle imbalances so you can ride longer, climb better, sprint faster and feel better on the bike."
What's more, yoga improves balance, body awareness and muscle control, all of which will make you a better bike handler. "If you devote 15 to 20 minutes to yoga stretching several days a week, especially on days you ride, I guarantee you'll see results in as little as a month," says Garda.
Garda recommends the following four poses for better cycling fitness. For the best results, perform each stretch three times, holding the pose 30 to 60 seconds. Remember to breathe deeply throughout each move. If you stretch beyond the point at which you can comfortably breathe, back off. A good stretch causes mild discomfort, but never pain.
DOWNWARD DOG Start down on your hands and knees, feet flexed so that the bottoms of your toes are on the floor. Press your hands and feet into the floor, raising your hips toward the ceiling, until your body looks like an upside-down V. Then simultaneously lift your tailbone toward the ceiling and lower your heels to the floor as far as comfortably possible. Hold. Then release. Cycling Benefit: Stretches and lengthens tight calves, hamstrings and low back muscles, so you can tuck more comfortably.
BUTTERFLYStart seated on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Bend your knees and pull your feet in, so the soles of your feet are touching, knees out to the side. Keeping your back straight, lean forward from the hips. Grasp your feet with your hands and deepen the stretch by gently pushing down on your knees with your elbows. Hold. Then release. Cycling Benefit: Relieves tension in inner thighs and hips, for smoother pedaling in the aero position.
RABBIT Start in a kneeling position, with the tops of your feet flat on the floor, toes pointed behind you. Sit back on your heels and lower your chest to your thighs. Stretch your arms behind you and grasp your ankles with your hands. Pull your navel to your spine and drop your head until the crown of your head is on the floor. Hold. Then release. Cycling Benefit: Provides a maximum stretch along the length of the spine and strengthens abdominal and back muscles, so you can hammer in the drops with greater ease.
HERO Start in the kneeling position, sitting back on your heels. Lift your butt slightly and move your feet apart, placing them on either side of your butt. (Keep your knees together.) Place your hands behind you by the soles of your feet. Lean back about 45 degrees. Hold. Then release. Cycling Benefit: Increases flexibility in the quads, hips, knees and ankles for improved range of motion all the way around the pedal stroke.
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