by Jo McRae
If you really struggle not to fall over when you get into position you can put both feet against the wall, spread wide but with your hips facing forward, as shown for the Swiss ball side bend that follows.
Movement
From this seated position, keep your navel drawn in as you lean over to the side, until your body is in line with your top leg making a diagonal. Your head and neck should be in line with your body, not tilting upwards, and with your chin tucked in so that your head is not forward of your body. Once in position, hold firmly, before bringing your shoulder towards your hip in a side bend to come back to a seated position on the ball.
Here, I am using a dowel rod to check alignment in the frontal plane.
How many reps and sets?
Since this exercise is an isometric position, the focus is on increasing your core endurance in the position with progressively longer holds and shorter rest periods. In the set descriptions below ‘on’ means that you are in the position and ‘off’ means that you come out of the position. Suggested progressions to work through are:
3 × 20 seconds on 10 seconds off × 2–3 sets
3 × 30 seconds on 15 seconds off × 2 sets
3 × 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off × 2 sets
3 × 1 minute held with 30 seconds’ rest × 1 set
One set of side leans means one set on both sides. Perform one side as described here, and then immediately the other.
Swiss ball side flexion
This side flexion exercise is a more dynamic version of the Swiss ball side lean. I highly recommend you work through the progressions of the side lean for several weeks before moving on to this Swiss ball side bend.
This exercise challenges all the muscles of the side body, but the dynamic movement develops the oblique abdominals in particular. This oblique strength gives you more power potential when you pull on the bars out of the saddle, to climb, to sprint or to accelerate uphill.
Preparation
Sit sideways on your ball with both legs stretched out and braced against the wall, as wide as feels comfortable and gives you a stable base from which to move. Position the ball so that you are sitting on half of the ball as you look down on it. Your hips and body should be facing forward, perpendicular to the wall. Hold your arms up, with your elbows out and your fingers by your temples. Sit tall on the ball, lifting your chest and drawing your navel in to prepare your abdominal muscles for the dynamic movement.
Movement
Bracing against the wall with your legs, keep your hips and body facing forward and bend over the ball until your elbow is lengthened across the ball, and then actively pull back in the opposite direction to side bend back to the seated position. This movement should be dynamic and springy, unlike the static side lean. You should take only a second to touch your elbow over the ball and bend back again. It is very challenging to move only in the sideways plane. Common technique faults can be: rotating your torso as you side bend, or slumping through your upper body. Work hard to keep your elbows wide, and your shoulder and hip in line throughout the movement to maintain good form.
How many reps and sets?
Perform 8–12 repetitions for 2–3 sets. Switching sides saves time with this exercise, so it’s best to work one side and then immediately the other side, with just a brief rest in between. One set of side bends means one set on both sides.
Exercises for transverse plane core strength (twisting)
Strength across your core is important on the bike when you stand out of the saddle, pushing with your legs and pulling on the bars as you move your bike from side to side underneath you. Core strength (and mobility) in a twisting movement is also important in maintaining a healthy spine and avoiding back injury. Loss of both mobility and core strength in a twisting movement can leave you vulnerable to back injury, more likely off the bike than on it, so working on your transverse plane core strength is an important preventative measure to include in your conditioning programme.
Swiss ball lower-body Russian twist
I have chosen this Swiss ball lower-body Russian twist because it’s one of the safest ways you can start to strengthen your core muscles in a twist movement, even if you have a vulnerable back. It also helps to ensure that your inner muscles are working correctly and emphasizes the ‘lower abdominals’, which tend to be the weakest. It has the added benefit of helping to restore mobility at the same time, giving you a rotational stretch between every core contraction.
Preparation
Lie on your back with your legs up on the ball and your arms out wide, palms turned up. Actively pull the ball close to you, so that it’s hugging the back of your thighs.
Movement
Keeping a hold on the ball by pulling it close, drop your knees to the right so that the ball rolls to the side. As your legs drop to the right, press down and back with your right arm so that you don’t roll over, and catch the point when you can just keep your left shoulder on the floor.
From here, draw your belly button in and pull the ball back to the centre, focusing on keeping the abdominals strong as you move.
Then, drop your knees to your left so that the ball rolls to the side and repeat on this opposite side. Ideally, you should breathe in as you drop your legs to the side, and breathe out as you drag the ball back to the centre, drawing your navel in. This breathing rhythm should help you achieve the correct engagement of your deep core muscles.
Lower-body Russian twist with medicine ball
This variation with a medicine ball held between the knees is a simple and effective way to progress the exercise. The additional weight of the ball increases both the strength needed in the abdominal muscles, but also the range of the stretch.
Preparation
Lie on your back with your legs up on the Swiss ball, and your arms out wide, palms turned up. Actively pull the ball close to you, so that it’s hugging the back of your thighs. Place a small medicine ball (2–3kg will be enough) between your knees and hold on to it by squeezing your knees together.
Movement
Stay in contact with the Swiss ball by drawing it close, and the medicine ball by squeezing your knees, drop your knees to the right. As your legs move, press down and back with your right arm so that you don’t roll over, and catch the point when you can just keep your left shoulder on the floor.
From here, draw your navel in and pull the ball back to the centre, focusing on drawing your belly button in as you go.
Then, drop your knees to your left so that the ball rolls to the side, and repeat on this opposite side. The breathing pattern is as for the previous exercise.
Swiss ball lower-body Russian twist with cross crunch
This variation of the exercise includes flexion at the end of the movement, and should be avoided if you have a history of lumbar disc injury or lower back problems. However, as a final progression of this sequence it allows for full contraction of the abdominal muscles in rotation at the end of the movement, as well as allowing you to progress from the basic exercise if you don’t have a medicine ball.
Preparation
Lie on your back with your legs up on the ball, fingers at your temples and your elbows out wide as shown. Actively pull the ball close to you, hugging it with the back of Δyour thighs.
Movement
Drop your knees to the right. As you move, press down and back with your right elbow so that you don’t roll over. Catch the point when you can only just keep your left elbow on the floor.
Draw your navel in and pull the ball back to the centre, curling up and bringing your left elbow across to your right knee. Your elbow does not need to reach your knee. Then release back, allowing your elbow to come back to the floor and your knees to drop to the side into a diagonal stretch. Breathe in as you drop your legs to the side, and breathe out as you drag the ball back to the centre, and ‘cross-crunch’ towards the opposite knee. This breathing rhythm should help you achieve the correct engagement of your deep core muscles.
Lowe
r-body Russian twist with cross crunch (no ball variation)
If you have no Swiss ball available (for example if you are travelling) then you can perform this exercise effectively without any equipment at all. It helps if you have worked on the exercise variations with a Swiss ball first, but offers an equipment-free option if you need it.
Preparation
Lie on your back with your legs raised with your knees bent. Your knees should be directly above your hips. Rest your fingers at your temples with your elbows out wide, as shown. Actively engage your abdominals by pulling your navel in and imprinting your lower back into the floor.
Movement
Keeping your core engaged, drop your knees to the left, keeping them perpendicular to your hips, and pressing firmly down with your left elbow so that you don’t roll over. Catch the point when you can only just keep your right elbow on the floor, and then from here, pull your knees back to the centre, bringing your right elbow across to your right knee as you do so. Make sure that you feel your abdominal muscles are fully contracted (you need not ‘sit up’ so that your elbow reaches your knee), and then ‘unwind’ the movement, allowing your elbow to come back to the floor and your knees to drop to the side into a diagonal stretch.
Breathe in as you drop your legs to the side, and bring both elbows to the floor, and breathe out as you drag your knees back to the centre, and ‘cross-crunch’ towards the opposite knee. This breathing rhythm should help you achieve the correct engagement of your deep core muscles.
Preparing the body for upright (axial) loading
This bicep curl is just one example of many simple lightweight dumbbell exercises that can be used to help train your standing postural alignment. As discussed earlier in this chapter, good standing posture is an important precursor to loading the body upright, such as with those exercises you will see in Chapter 3 on strength essentials. You can train the frontal plane by using one-sided exercises or the transverse plane by moving a dumbbell across the body or, as in this case with the bicep curl, target the sagittal plane by carrying weights in front of you.
Standing posture trainers (dumbbell bicep curl as an example)
Preparation
I recommend you use a doorframe for reference when you first try this exercise, or even throughout the exercise to give you some feedback as to how you are standing. Rest your back against a doorframe, with your feet about half your foot’s length away from the door, and hip-width apart. Ideally you should be touching the doorframe in three places: your pelvis, between your shoulder blades and the back of your head. Bend your knees slightly and tilt your pelvis down at the back until there is a gap behind your lower back just wide enough for the thickness of your hand, but no bigger. Lift your chest and tuck your chin down to extend your spine and lengthen the back of your neck. If your thoracic spine is very stiff, you will struggle to make contact with the doorframe with your head. Don’t force the position, but stand as tall as you can with your chin tucked down and the back of your neck long.
This position represents good upright posture and is what you are trying to maintain throughout the exercise. You can use the doorframe for reference in this way throughout, or try to adopt the same position without aid, by keeping soft knees, tucking your hips down slightly at the back, lifting your chest and tucking your chin down.
Movement
Adopting good upright posture and carrying two dumbbells at your sides, draw your navel in to brace your abdominals, and, keeping your body still, bend your elbows to raise the dumbbells to shoulder height. Pause in this position for a moment, before lowering them back to your sides with control. Try to keep your elbows tucked into your sides throughout and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the back, lifting your chest.
How many reps and sets?
Perform 8–12 repetitions for 2–3 sets, with 30 seconds’ rest between sets.
Essential core ready reference pictures
HIP AND LOWER BACK EXTENSIONS
Swiss ball hip extension feet on ball for gluteal and upper hamstrings strength
Prone cobra for improved upper back posture, strength and for a ‘flatter’ back on the bike
Alternating superman for rotational strength and flexibility in the back
CORE WITHOUT FLEXION
Horse stances for ‘inner unit’ stability in three dimensions
EXERCISES FOR SAGITTAL PLANES (forwards and backwards) abdominal strength
Planks
Swiss ball crunch (flexion with extension)
EXERCISES FOR FRONTAL PLANE ABDOMINAL STRENGTH
Swiss ball lower body Russian twist
Standing posture trainers
5. Cross-training
Overview of this chapter
•What is cross-training?
»Choosing options that complement your conditioning
•Cross-training and the success formula
»Developing your biomotor abilities beyond the main three
»Cross-training for injury prevention and rehab
•Psychological benefits of cross-training
•Seasonal considerations for your cross-training
•Problems associated with lack of variety and the benefits of cross-training
»Symptoms of lack of variety
»Benefits of cross-training
»Cross-training checklist
THE ESSENTIAL CONDITIONING CROSS-TRAINING OPTIONS
•Individual pursuits
»Walking – making sure you put one foot in front of the other
»Walking as part of your cross-training
•Running
»Benefits of running
»Risks of running
»How much is enough?
»Treadmill running
»Footwear factors for cross-training in general
•Swimming
»Using drills and skills for variety and interest
»Choosing strokes to suit you
»Front crawl
»Backstroke/back crawl
»Breaststroke
»Pre-stretching before swimming for maximizing mobility benefits
»Benefits of swimming
»Risks of swimming
•Paired and team sports
»Indoor games and racket sports
»Benefits of indoor games and racket sports
»Risks of playing games
•Group exercise classes
•Yoga
»Yoga and hypermobility
»Benefits of yoga
»Risks of yoga
•Pilates
»Benefits of Pilates
»Risks (difficulties) of Pilates
•Circuit training
»Benefits of circuit training
»Risks of circuit training
What is cross-training?
Cross-training is the term given to using another sport or activity to improve your overall condition and physical fitness. For fitness enthusiasts, the goal will most likely be to have good ‘all-round’ fitness, but for cyclists the ultimate goal of crossing over to another sport is to bring back some valuable conditioning attributes to your cycling performance. Secondarily, and as important in the context of this book, cross-training can be a means by which cyclists maintain some of that all-important functional fitness that keeps you pain and injury free both on and off the bike, for a lifetime. With these dual goals in mind, in this chapter I am going to discuss the pros and cons of some of the main cross-training options most commonly used by cyclists.
Sometimes cross-training can be a pragmatic decision. You might be travelling without your bike and want to maintain some of your cardiovascular fitness and so use the hotel pool, or run on the treadmill. Or you might find that weather conditions outside force your bike training indoors, and so to get some fresh air and safe outdoor exercise you go for a short run twice a week, or play five-a-side football with your work colleagues.
Aside from the practical benefits, in this chapter I’m going to discus
s the cross-training options that can actually enhance your cycling fitness in the long run, as well as help you stay injury free for the long term. At the end of this chapter you should be able to mindfully select those that are most appropriate for you, based on your current physical condition and the season relative to your cycling goals.
Choosing options that complement your conditioning
A common mistake with cross-training is to select activities that you are already good at, or that give you more of what you’re already getting from your cycling training. A classic example might be choosing to participate in an indoor cycling class during the winter months to help maintain motivation and for cycling fitness.
‘Spin’ classes are good fun and can be great for general fitness, but they are often not ideal for cyclists for two reasons: Firstly, the position of most spin bikes is radically different from your actual bike set up, making it at the very least not all that specific to the cycling action, and at worst, provocative to any muscle imbalances or joint problems you may have.