What other exercises do you do to improve your riding?

[FatPunkChris]

Are there any strength or core exercises you do to improve your riding?

I have been doing floor wipers and planks, bent over rows and pressups to try and get more stable when riding...

Would deadlifts be beneficial to my riding?

C

[Mr. Cleetus]

The best thing to do to improve your riding is: more riding. Really. There's not a lot of evidence to support gym work will make you faster - usually endurance is going to be your limiter and your muscular endurance will improve with riding. Possibly if you are looking to improve your sprinting or max wattage then maybe some gym time. If you have injury issues, maybe the story is also slightly different - and if you want to do those things cuz you want to do them, that's awesome; however if you are looking to solely improve your riding - riding more is a much better and more efficient use of your time.

[Simon E]

The best thing to do to improve your riding is: more riding. Really.

+1. I've followed threads on other training forums and experienced coaches say that it core strength stuff can help if you have a specific weak area (or conversely a pro looking for every possible advantage) for most people the time is best spent doing the thing you want to be better at.

There's nothing wrong with doing core work, so carry on if you feel it's helping. I hope you're stretching too. I'd say this is more important - cycling is a sport where you spend long periods in a fixed position and your muscles go through a limited range of movement, I forget the exact term, is it compression? And you don't do the opposing extension moves. Therefore you need to stretch the muscles.

Oh, and making sure you are a good fit on your bike. A professional bikefit is expensive but you could get someone who knows what they're doing to examine your position and try some tweaks.

[fredrikw]

Yeah, core strength will not make you faster, but for cycling in general, and especially MTB, having a weak core can indeed be a limiting factor with lower back pain and fatigue as a consequence. So it do makes a lot of sense to include core strength in your training program. I wouldn't bother doing deadlifts though, doing body weight core work will do you fine without messing with your cycling (you shouldn't replace cycling with core work, but add it to your existing training schedule).

Stretching is a hot topic, and there are conflicting opinions on that. I usually don't bother because I notice no difference in performance when I do or don't, and whenever I see a physio I ask about this and they say that my range of motion is ok and not a limiting factor.

[Mr. Cleetus]

.... having a weak core can indeed be a limiting factor with lower back pain and fatigue as a consequence. So it do makes a lot of sense to include core strength in your training program...

It depends on if off the bike core work has any relevance for your muscular endurance (& fatigue) when sitting on the bike, and the jury is still out on that (eg if 50 crunches is specific to hours seated on the bike) and there is little evidence to support it. Pain/injury is something different but just doing random core work may not necessarily help with that if you're not sure where it's coming from and not targeting the right area(s).

[fredrikw]

I'm not diagnosing injuries here, rather saying that having weak core muscles can indeed be a bad thing when doing whatever, and this includes cycling. I doubt there's any jury still out on that issue

Having said that, I'm really bad at doing core work, even if it's included in my training program, so I'm not sure where that leaves my argument

[the crazyest vegan]

I definately noticed an improvement when i started core work.
I also gave up recovery rides and started doing 1-2 hours of yoga instead and noticed a massive improvement, yoga doesnt just stretch you but works your core and upper body as well which is perfect really, it makes you stronger without giving you any more muscle mass.
But as far as weights and the like go i cant be bothered although if you think it helps than keep it up.

[Mr. Cleetus]

I'm not diagnosing injuries here, rather saying that having weak core muscles can indeed be a bad thing when doing whatever, and this includes cycling. I doubt there's any jury still out on that issue

I doubt it too, and that is not what I said. The question is whether doing core exercises has any relevance to improving one's necessary muscular endurance to hold your position, etc. on the bike; there is little evidence that it does.

...and you're not doing core work and I'm doing Pilates....

[fredrikw]

I'm not diagnosing injuries here, rather saying that having weak core muscles can indeed be a bad thing when doing whatever, and this includes cycling. I doubt there's any jury still out on that issue

I doubt it too, and that is not what I said. The question is whether doing core exercises has any relevance to improving one's necessary muscular endurance to hold your position, etc. on the bike; there is little evidence that it does.

ok, good point, although from a purely layman's point of view it sort of would make sense that a strong core would help in that, but I really have nothing to back this up with...

...and you're not doing core work and I'm doing Pilates....

... not even anecdotes... so much for credibility then.

[Alistar]

I've just started doing core work in the last month. Nothing major, just sit ups. When I started I could only do 12 and got back strain. So obviously I had quite a weakness! Now I can do 40 (which still is pretty average etc but anyway). It hasn't made me any noticeably faster on the bike so far (hard to tell though as my leg strength, heart and lung fitness is still very average, being very early in the season here in NZ), but has meant I can keep seated on steeper gradients without straining my back. And it has helped me remain comfortable post 3hr ride, without the usual stiffness, lower back muscle fatigue, and back spasms.

Core work my not make you any faster on the bike, but it definately seems to help post ride which has to be good in the longterm

[the crazyest vegan]

Personally i noticed core work helped my crit racing a hell of a lot, before after 30 mins of racing my stomach muscles would be cramping up and absolutely screwed, a lot of core work helped my racing a hell of a lot.

[Herbsman]

...your muscles go through a limited range of movement, I forget the exact term, is it compression? And you don't do the opposing extension moves. Therefore you need to stretch the muscles.

Concentric contraction vs. eccentric contraction?

[downhillingdemon]

For DH - strength training - front squats, press-ups, shoulder press, core work. I haven't been lately though and it is really showing, I'm struggling to manhandle the bike round a bit and I really need to get back to the weights asap. The squats help sprint strength loads, and after a day's uplifting, my triceps are on FIRE if I haven't been doing enough upper body.

For XC - riding, riding and more riding is all I find I need.

[fitnessnoob]

I do not do anything except pressing up! I think that you are necessary to ride more and it will be the best way to improve riding!

[Herbsman]

yoga for core strength - stops the severe lower back pain i often experience.

im too weak to do more than 5 press ups unless i spend days building up to it