Bike
Fitness Training
5 exercises to make you stronger on your bike
Tone up from the comfort of your living room with five simple exercises that'll make you bike fit.
There's a host of exercises you can do from the comfort of your living room that'll make a considerable difference to your performance on the bike. Darren Roberts, who's in charge of athlete rehab and high performance for a number of Red Bull athletes, talks us through five of the most bike-relevant exercises you can do without needing to leave the house.
1. Press-ups
An exercise ball can help add variety to workouts
© Brett Hemmings/Red Bull Content Pool
The imagination is the limit when it comes to press-ups: wide, narrow, feet up – you can make them as hard or as easy as you like. Being able to handle your own body weight is key to absorbing impacts as you rattle down the hills.
Whatever progression you choose, keep your back straight, head in line with your back and your core tight. If you can't do full press-ups just yet, find a chair or steps to put your hands on to start with, or even lean against a wall. As you get more proficient you can work your way down into a full press-up.
2. Skipping
Skipping can help improve muscle endurance all over the body
© Ryan Taylor/Red Bull Content Pool
Skipping is great for an all-over workout as it works the ankles, calves and legs, as well as your coordination and timing.
As you get fitter and more competent, you can make your routine more complex. Double-unders, triple-unders and a large range of moves will keep it challenging. Speed, strength, plyometrics, fitness and having to use your mind all in one move is the ideal prep for riding.
3. Planks
The plank can have lots of different variations
© Marv Watson/Red Bull Content Pool
Just like press-ups, there are a number of variations of the plank, which you can make as easy or as hard as you feel like. Sit-ups and back extensions are also good, but planks are more of an overall challenge to the core, upper body and also the mind.
The plank is a variation of a press-up, but instead of being on your hands with your arms straight, you support yourself on your elbows with forearms flat on floor. Keep a straight line from your head to shoulders right down to your feet and hold the position for as long as you can handle it, engaging the core at all times.
4. Pull-ups
Pull-up are good for making your back strong
© Seu Trinh/Red Bull Content Pool
A pull-up might not seem very bike specific, but you need to be able to pull, as well as push, to ride a bike. Pull-up bars that you can install on your door frame are inexpensive and can be found easily online.
If you can't do full pull-ups initially, give the jumping pull-up a go. This is where you jump up, grab the bar and lower yourself as slowly as you can before repeating the process. This is a high-strength move, but mastering it will pay off in the long run.
Overarm, underarm, wide and narrow – there are a number of variations. Once you crack them, you can start adding weight to yourself to up the gains. However, before all of that, start small and work yourself up to that with good, strict movement to get the most out of it.
5. Squats and lunges
Try not to let the knees come past the toes
© Alex Goodlett/Red Bull Content Pool
Bodyweight air squats, lunges, split squats – again there is a huge variation with what you can do to work the legs. Whichever variation you choose, keep the head in line with the body and the core as straight as possible, leading with the chest while trying not to let the knees come past the toes. Drive through the whole foot rather than the toes – this helps you use your whole leg rather than just your quads.
Get more fitness tips from Darren Roberts as he shows you how to get a six-pack like Gee Atherton's and click on the related stories below for more bike-related fitness tips.
