A WHOLE NEW YOU
1. Swallow Some Immunity. The amino acid L-glutamine helps repair muscles and boost you immune system. Restocking glycogen stores with carbs helps replenish the glutamine you lose while riding – but heavy training makes it hard to keep up, which leaves you vulnerable to everything from dead legs to upper respiratory infections. Stay healthy by taking about 10 grams of glutamine (pill or powder) after a long effort, “such as a four hour bike ride.” says Liz Applegate, Ph.D., author of the Encyclopedia of Sports & Fitness Nutrition.
2. Add Strength Without Bulk. Your upper body carries a third of your weight and absorbs shock on rides-one reason roadies with weak upper bodies crack, says Andy Pruitt, Ed.D., director of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine in Colorado. Stability ball push-ups strengthens your chest, abs, shoulders and triceps, without adding unwanted muscle weight. Assume the push-up position with your hands on either side of the ball, shoulder-width apart, fingertips pointing toward the floor. Tighten your abs for stability, and lower your chest towards the ball, stopping when your arms form 90-degree angle. Press back to start. Do five to 10 reps, three days a week. Too difficult? Push the ball against a wall to start.
3. Build a bridge. “Cyclists are notoriously de-conditioned in the core (abs, obliques, back), which leads to back pain and lost power.” says Pruitt. This simple stability ball move strengthens the supporting muscles along your spine and core, as well as your glutes and hamstrings. Lie on you back with your feet on top of the ball, and flexed. Contract your glutes and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your heels. Pull your right knee into your chest. Straighten it and return it to the ball. Repeat with your left leg, then lower your hips back to the ground. That’s one rep. Perform five to ten reps, two to three days a week.
4. Get Hip. Sports docs say weak outer glutes contribute to wobbly knees while pedaling. “Building buns of steel and stable hips means better knee stability and a stronger, healthier pedal stroke,” says Pruitt. Try this hip stability move from Mark Verstegen’s Core Performance. Start on your hands and knees, back flat, head in line with spine. Pull your navel towards your spine. Tuck your right knee to your chest. Contract the right glute and lift the leg out to the side of your hip. Then rotate it in a circle until your leg is tucked back to your chest. Repeat for five rotations, then reverse direction for five rotation. Switch legs. Do two to three days a week.
5. Soothe Your Soles. Your $200.00 cycling shoes might have a 25 cent insoles – a weakness that hurt your feet and your performance. Research shows that today’s stiffer shoes increase pressure on the bottom of your foot, contributing to the pain commonly called “hot foot” as well as to fatigue. What’s more, without proper ergonomic support, some cyclists’s feet (especially those with low arches) may pronate or roll inward on each down stroke, causing excessive rotation that strains the knee, hips and back. Bicycling recommend Superfeet footbeds (superfeet.com) which provide more cushioning and realign your foot and anklebones so your legs function optimally
Keep working on those core muscles and you will ride faster.
Kenneth
