Cross training to improve your trials ability

[dave33]

Does any one on here do any weight training or plyo metric training to improve their trials ?

Some people say that Olympic liftings will help improve power etc.

I'm a real novice at that kinda stuff and I was wondering what kind of thing people do for training etc

Not just your average rider, I'm wondering what kinda training the pro riders do. I know riding is a big part but fitness, and conditioning must play a big part. Most pro athletes these days do other training than their actual sport. Don't they ?

[Danny00135]

I've heard it can mess up your riding (don't trust me on that)

Surely I'd of thought a cycling machine would improve stamina though...

[Jake.]

No a rowing machine will be better for stamina.

[clerictgm]

Why? Why not just ride more? Stamina? Do alot of moves in a row. Stability? Just practice and practice.

[Kevinfor]

Some explosive squats should help you jump higher (in theory?) And any explosive calf exercises could also help.

[Danny00135]

No a rowing machine will be better for stamina.

Ima go buy a rowing machine now...

[dngr2self]

I found some good stuff on youtube before about pro athletes training for explosive power.

[dave33]

Why? Why not just ride more? Stamina? Do alot of moves in a row. Stability? Just practice and practice.

This doesn't work as your body gets used to what ever your doing. Repeating the same stuff your body gets to a level then stops.

I thought you need to fake your body into thinking it needs to get stronger etc but I'm no expert

You can only ride for so long before you start getting tired and that stage I can't see how you can improve technique.

[Mule]

This doesn't work as your body gets used to what ever your doing. Repeating the same stuff your body gets to a level then stops.

I thought you need to fake your body into thinking it needs to get stronger etc but I'm no expert

You can only ride for so long before you start getting tired and that stage I can't see how you can improve technique.

If your starting to get tired you'r body will recover stronger/ fitter but unless you do a form of resistive/ explosive training it will only be marginal

[the mysterious leemur]

This doesn't work as your body gets used to what ever your doing. Repeating the same stuff your body gets to a level then stops.

I thought you need to fake your body into thinking it needs to get stronger etc but I'm no expert

You can only ride for so long before you start getting tired and that stage I can't see how you can improve technique.

This is true. If you lift 5kg dumbells for example , your biceps , forearms ect will grow to a point they can lift 5kg without problems and then they will stop.If you want to get stronger you have to keep doing a bit more than you can handle to get growth.

[ChrisTrials2012]

I would say that a programme of heavy squats, plyometrics, weighted jumping, leg curls, super setting your calves, and jogging would be the best for the lower body and fitness of a trials rider. For the upper body, I would do the bench press, working from low to high weight and back. And do shoulder presses, and also bicep curls, and forearm exercises. Then I would do weighted sit ups and oblique crunchs, aswell as weighted back rises, and I would also do serious amounts of lat machine work, and work on your traps. What is heavy is defined by you. Also a sprinting programming such as 20 fifty metre sprints in a row, with no more than a minute rest between sprints, always going as fast as possible, will be great for speed and endurance. As you can see, trials requires a lot of work, because it is a discipline and sport that uses the entire body.

[Azarathal]

Chris rather than do various isolation exercises why not work on compounds - deadlift will work lats, traps, lower back biceps and importantly grip plus it'll work your legs. Bench press in both incline and flat variations work pecs, shoulders, triceps. Squats (atg) will work your calfs, quads, hammys and glutes plus a little back. It'll also work any muscles helping to stabilise the bar wheras machines won't.

[weebryan]

For me the insanity workout, really does work although you would struggle to do anything else for 60 days

[dezmtber]

Check out you tube for ski training these are the kind of things a trial rider should be doing

[ChrisTrials2012]

Chris rather than do various isolation exercises why not work on compounds - deadlift will work lats, traps, lower back biceps and importantly grip plus it'll work your legs. Bench press in both incline and flat variations work pecs, shoulders, triceps. Squats (atg) will work your calfs, quads, hammys and glutes plus a little back. It'll also work any muscles helping to stabilise the bar wheras machines won't.

Yea I wouldn't recommend machines, and I didn't, but compound exercises are where its at, however, it can be difficult to get the right technique, which is why the bench and squat are the ones I recommended to him, because they are easy motions. Edited January 27, 2013 by ChrisTrials2012

[gage-mann]

jump squats are really handy, get a light weight on a barbell or even just a barbell to get used to it, you squat as normal then as you preload down, jump up calmy and controlled to start off with then as you get into it try as hard as you can and even put weight on the barbell if your getting around a foot of the floor, this really helps for jumping on the bike and warms you legs up for heavy normal squating and calf workouts.

also a good core exercise would help and tricep training as you can get some powerful frenchies on the bike.

[dannytrialskid]

Weight training wont mess up your riding as long as you dont concentrate purely on going to the gym.

Keep riding your bike as much as possible and also chuck in the gym a few times a week.

I go to David Lloyd gym now and do a full body workout, which does help with going bigger for sure. But you need to make sure you aren't solely mind set on the gym. Practice on your bike as much as possible and go to the gym a few times a week and it wont mess up your riding.

I do;

Squats,

Bench Press,

Seated shoulder press,

Bent over barbell rows, (this hits your lats)

Calf raises,

And don't use machines. Free weight will give you the best results.

P.S, Using a smith is better for squats and calf raises.

Edited January 27, 2013 by dannytrialskid

[ChrisTrials2012]

And don't use machines. Free weight will give you the best results.

P.S, Using a smith is better for squats and calf raises.

Using a smith machine is the worst idea for any sort of muscle growth or balance. it halves the muscle activation, and gives you a false sense of strength as well as f**king up your balancing muscles, so if you can bench 70 kg on the smith even 40 kg is difficult off it. Free weights are the best. If you use the smith on its own you're setting yourself up for failure.

[dannytrialskid]

Using a smith machine is the worst idea for any sort of muscle growth or balance. it halves the muscle activation, and gives you a false sense of strength as well as f**king up your balancing muscles, so if you can bench 70 kg on the smith even 40 kg is difficult off it. Free weights are the best. If you use the smith on its own you're setting yourself up for failure.

Disagree.

Yes free weights are better I can agree on that.

[ChrisTrials2012]

Disagree.

Yes free weights are better I can agree on that.

Why do you disagree though?

[dannytrialskid]

Why do you disagree though?

Because it's not a bad piece of equipment.

So yeah, it doesn't help with the stabilizing muscles, but other than that I see no other disadvantage.

It's perfect for if you are going to the gym on your own without a spot and just in general a good piece of equipment.

But yeah, at the end of the day free weight is miles better, but if you are at the gym on your own and you don't want to risk any sort of injury or whatever then the smith is perfect.

[ghostrider88]

I would put it this way, if you don´t have a spotter(or good spotter), you can´t really train hard enough with free weights because after few workouts you will be well aware of what could happen if you fail to finish rep on bench or squat. In that case, smith comes in handy and you can really push yourself to the limit while staying safe. Of course you shouldn´t rely entirelly on it, but using it for the heaviest sets where failure could cause an injury is very smart idea.

[ChrisTrials2012]

Nah, I find that squats can be done in the powercage and on a squat rack, so if you fail, you aren't going to be forced into a painful sit, because the bar will be caught on either side by the rack or the cage. The valid point ye make is the need for a spotter, but still, I don't think the smith machine is great. It can cause damage to your joints and half muscle activation is shit.

[ghostrider88]

If you have power cage, yes. Most of the gyms don´t though, while I´m yet to see a gym without smith machine.

[gage-mann]

Smith machines are a bit iffy as I would rather use free weight but I still use them now and again in my gym but only for decline and sometimes incline pressing, I wouldnt think it would mess your joints up though as long as your inline with press etc. dont know what squating is like on a smith but I can see that being more off-putting with squat reps than bench pressing reps as when you squat you use your balance more than when bench press because you put your body down behind your knees with whatever weight your doing.

I dont think you would'nt get as strong from the machines in the gym but free weights you have to keep grip and handle constantly when doing whatever exercise.