It's cold, snowy, and my bikes are under tarps. Fairly average for Minnesota this time of year. So, if I can't ride I'll at least attempt to get ready to ride. In the middle of a set of dead-lifts I flashed back to a summertime struggle of getting my fully loaded and freshly dumped KLR up out of a sandy mud-puddle... I got to thinking, does anyone else train for picking up their bike or do they carefully select riding buddies who seem physically capable of doing it for them? This leads to other poignant questions: -What's the appropriate procedure for a riding buddy who just gave himself a hernia? Point and laugh, leave them, shoot them to put em out of their misery, all of the above? -Does BMW or Touratech release branded hernia trusses for GS owners? -Are there toxic levels Bengay or Tigerbalm? -Is ATGATT less a question of safety but more a clever system for hiding one's beer gut?
As a bite-size person myself, strength training is imperative for me to keep the bike upright. I haven't even tackled the beast off-road yet; can't imagine the hip adductor/abductor and leg muscles needed to maneuver her in the mud. That being said, gotta go pump some iron . . .
Nother one stuck in MN I hit the weights every winter, not so much in the summer. Between lifting and bicycling I'm in Ok shape for a 41 year old guy. I don't look like a gym rat but that has never been my goal. I have a pretty good gym set up and usually hit it pretty good (for me) for about 3-4 months. Lots of leg work and deadlifts. I picked up a GHD this year and talk about a killer hamstring workout. Between squats, leg press, GHD and DLs I am pretty well covered for legs and then work in some upper body... I'll be breaking out the bicycle as soon as the roads clear a bit.
Despite my ribbing of GS owners in the first post, I find I now am one. The wife and I planned a two up trip around Colorado and Glacier in August. Found a GS at a price we couldn't pass up. So, the weight routine changed the next day. The wife enjoys endurance sports and her coach who has a history of motocross offered up the following advice. Compound joint movements, avoid isolation exercises (Except when rehabbing an injury), cardio cardio cardio. I try to do something everyday, Pull ups and dips every morning, only cardio a few days a week, lift two-three times a week randomizing a selection exercises from the list below. I hate cardio.... --Before Stretching --Cardio Run Bike Elipticle --Lower Dead Lift Squats Single Leg Squats Single Leg sled --Upper Pull ups Dips Bench (Incline, straight decline) Rows Military Press --After Lots of stretching
I do weights 2 or 3 times a week and cardio five to seven. This is in the winter. When I lift it's all machines fillowed up by a three mile run on the treadmill. On non lifting days I run 5 or six miles. You'd think I'd be totally buff but I eat ice cream and drink beer all winter. The excercising helps with skiing and just about everything else at age 48. It definately helps with riding, especially core strength. I think that's just your muscles holding everthing in place more than anything else.
