I Love Bicycling

I Love Bicycling is a website that is geared towards cycling for beginners with road cycling tips, training articles, nutrition tips, weight loss, how to’s and bike repair articles.

Training

JOIN Cycling: A New Training Platform for Cyclists

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Our friends at Dynamic Cyclist had the pleasure of using the JOIN Cycling app recently. Check out what they had to say about this innovative new cycling platform!

As people dedicated to enhancing the wellness and performance of cyclists worldwide through stretching, strength training, and injury prevention programming, we at Dynamic Cyclist have had a phenomenal experience exploring the JOIN Cycling platform. 

Our team has been in the cycling industry for close to a decade, and are no strangers to the digital experience of helping cyclists perform at their best. What JOIN Cycling has created is nothing short of impressive. 

Over the past few months we’ve been lucky to test out the programming and apply it to our personal cycling goals. Our team has been pleased by the ease of use, training efficiency, and adaptable training plans that fit into our busy schedules. Let’s dive into the main reasons why we love using JOIN Cycling!

Adaptive Training Plans

JOIN Cycling’s smart, adaptive training plans are a standout feature. They flexibly fit into our daily routines, allowing us to maintain a balanced training regimen that supports our holistic approach to cycling health. Whether it’s a long ride day or an easy recovery workout, JOIN Cycling’s schedule adjustments keep us on track without having to worry about overtraining.

Easy Access to Data

One of the highlights has been how simple it is to access and interpret the training data. The app presents everything from ride stats to fitness trends in a clear and accessible manner, making it easy to track improvements and understand the impact of each workout.

Community and Support

The social features within JOIN Cycling are a welcome bonus. Meeting local riders through the app and finding upcoming races has allowed us to go beyond our training metrics and further integrate ourselves into the cycling community. 

User Interface

We have found the user interface to be intuitive and incredibly easy to navigate, as well. Some digital training plans out there can seem too information-heavy, making the experience overwhelming and difficult to understand. JOIN Cycling does a great job of organizing everything into categories that transition smoothly and blend well with the social aspects of the app. 

JOIN Cycling is not just a training app; it’s a comprehensive training partner that understands the dynamics of modern cyclists’ lives. It’s been a go-to tool in our training arsenal, and will continue to be going forward. We are impressed with how the training plans adapt, not just to our cycling goals, but also our daily schedules. This perfectly complements our Dynamic Cyclist commitment to riding pain-free! 

Here’s to more cycling, more goals being achieved, and continuing to enjoy the sport we all love so much!

Join Cycling is  the perfect companion app to Dynamic Cyclist, and is offering a 30-day free trial to you! CLICK HERE to sign up for your risk-free subscription today, and discover what adaptive and flexible training plans can do for you.

The Benefits of Cold Exposure for Cycling & Life

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In recent years, the topic of ice baths and cold exposure have become incredibly popular in the fields of sport, health, and fitness. Beyond the social media videos of people jumping in lakes and tubs full of ice, however, is a discipline that isn’t just for show. It can have a profound impact on your well-being and cycling performance, and this article is going to show you why.

cold exposure

(Image Credit: Adobe Stock)

What Is Cold Exposure?

Cold exposure refers to the practice of deliberately subjecting the body to cold temperatures for varying lengths of time. This can take many forms, including cold showers, ice baths, immersion in natural bodies of water, or even exposure to cold air. Each of these has their own unique benefits and disadvantages. 

Cold Showers

Cold showers are one of the most accessible and moderate ways of introducing yourself to the cold. You can control the temperature if things get too intense, and you’re also only periodically exposing each part of your body to the cold as a result of the directed nozzle. Ending your normal shower with a cold 30 seconds to a minute is a great way to get started.

Cold Bath/Ice Bath

A cold bath or ice bath is a significantly different experience than the shower, because your body is actually submerged in the cold for a given length of time (you don’t actually need ice, your coldest water setting will be plenty). It is best to only submerge your lower body in the beginning, as things get even more intense when the upper body and neck are submerged.

Natural Bodies of Water

Being out in nature and embracing the cold is one of the most invigorating experiences a person can endure. It is also, however, one of the most dangerous. You truly have to surrender to Mother Nature and be able to handle the fact that you have no control of the things outside of you. This mental aspect, though, is also one of cold exposure’s biggest benefits, regardless of setting.

cold exposure

(Image Credit: Adobe Stock)

Benefits of Cold Exposure

The benefits of voluntarily subjecting yourself to the cold are far-reaching, indeed. Prescribing somebody a cold bath, for example, dates as far back as Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, and the classical Greek period (specifically between 460 BC and 370 BC). Cold baths were believed to stimulate the body’s natural healing mechanisms – which turns out to be true. 

Stronger Immune System

Cold exposure is a stress on the body that activates the immune system. Your body responds to the stress by executing a series of defensive processes, similar to fighting off an ailment. This marginal stimulation is similar to the slight tearing of muscle fibers during exercise, which grow back bigger and stronger. The outcome in this context is better disease resistance and immunity.

Brown Fat Production

Brown fat is not like body fat (adipose tissue/”white fat”). It is a metabolically active tissue that helps you regulate your temperature by using body fat as fuel (like a furnace). People who work outside or do regular cold water immersion have higher levels of brown fat, making them more comfortable in the cold, and also serving as an important indicator of health and longevity. 

Improved Circulation

The human body contains a vast network of blood vessels, upwards of 100,000 miles worth (that’s enough to go around the Earth 4 times). When the cold water hits you, everything inside contracts, and blood rushes away from the extremities and towards the core. As you’re warming up, everything dilates, giving this entire network an internal workout and massage.

Waste Removal & Recovery

The flushing of blood helps facilitate recovery through the removal of waste byproducts (such as lactic acid) and the delivery of nutrients to tissues throughout the body. Also, by strengthening your circulatory system through the adaptation to this stressful stimulus, you will be better prepared to recover and perform in future rides, workouts, and other training.

Mood & Alertness

Cold exposure has been shown to produce a staggering increase in noradrenaline and dopamine by 530% and 250%, respectively. Noradrenaline (norepinephrine) is responsible for arousal and alertness, while dopamine is known as the pleasure hormone, and is released when we are doing something that makes us feel good (and also depressed when we are feeling…depressed).

Mental Resilience

Cyclists know how tough our sport is, and how important the capacity to deal with discomfort is. Voluntary cold exposure allows a person to consistently and systematically override their fear response and learn how to handle stressful situations and sensations. Not only is this beneficial for your riding, but for every other area of stress management in life, as well.

(Image Credit: Adobe Stock)

How Do I Do Cold Exposure? 

Start slow. As we’ve already established, getting into cold water is a stressful event, and needs to be taken seriously. Many people say they don’t like the cold or even hate the cold, and that cold exposure is something they could never do. Well if that’s you, you’re not alone…but you can do it. Here’s some quick technique tips followed by a few pieces of beginner advice.

Technique Tips

Breathing is your biggest friend when doing cold exposure. When you get into the water, everything contracts, and your breath will want to become short and shallow. If this continues, you will panic and get out. Focus on forcing in a big inhale, and then slowly exhaling with as much control as possible, no matter how uncomfortable. 

This will signal your body to relax and surrender to the cold, where you can then focus on managing the discomfort through control of your mind and focus on your breath. You’ll notice as you practice that the less control you have over your breath, the harder it will be to stay in the water, and vice versa.

Recent studies have shown that 11 minutes TOTAL throughout a given week is enough to achieve many of the benefits of cold exposure. This doesn’t mean 11 minutes at a time, but spread out over the course of 7 days. Daily 2 minute exposures in an uncomfortable, yet tolerable, temperature is a great goal to aim for.

Beginner Advice

A cold shower is one of the easiest ways to start. End your shower with a cold shower by turning the tap as cold as it can go (or in between, if you’re really hesitant). The low back and buttocks are the least sensitive, so they can be good places to start. Try 10-15 seconds (or longer). Slowly increase this time until you can do 2 minutes on cold with water covering your entire body.

The next step would be a cold bath. Keep in mind that this will be substantially more intense than the shower. Fill the tub with your coldest water. For your first time, only fill half way so just the lower body is submerged. Try to stay in for two minutes. You can progress to full body submersion to the neck when you feel comfortable. Take your time.

Natural bodies of water should not be attempted until you have built up a high level of confidence in the tub. You should also never be alone. Especially if it is fall/winter time, the water outside will be even colder than the tub (approx. 2-3℃ to 7-8℃, respectively), and you will have other things to deal with like wind, noises, etc. Safety is the most important thing.

After you get out of cold water (shower, tub, or otherwise), try to avoid hopping right into a hot shower or wrapping yourself in blankets. Much of the strengthening and immunity benefits comes from your body working hard to warm itself up through shivering, which also releases a molecule (called succinate) that stimulates the production of brown fat.

ice bath

(Image Credit: Adobe Stock)

When Should I Do Cold Exposure? 

For cyclists, and athletes in general, there has been some controversy about when cold exposure should be done for the best results. There is evidence showing that immersion in cold water is an effective recovery tool after endurance and high-intensity training (which cycling would fall under). But is after always the most ideal?

When we look at the question scientifically, it’s actually pretty straightforward. When you exercise, you damage the tissue in a minor way, which causes inflammation in the body. These inflammatory markers serve as important signals for the body to repair the tissue and adapt to the stressors that you’ve applied to it. Cold exposure, as we’ve determined, reduces inflammation.

This can work both for and against us. If we are competing in a multi-day event or have to recover quickly between sessions, doing cold exposure immediately after a ride or bout of training can help us recover through reduced muscle soreness, restoration of muscular power and improved perceived feelings of recovery. 

If, however, we are just on a normal training schedule where we aren’t competing, there aren’t time constraints, and we’re looking to reap the long-term benefits of each training session, the protocol is different. Cold exposure should then be done before or significantly after (4+ hours) our training so we don’t inhibit the inflammatory/adaptation process from occurring. 

Closing Thoughts on Cold Exposure

Having cold showers and immersing yourself in cold water is proving to be a phenomenal way to promote long-term health, mood elevation, and athletic performance. Overall, it is an accessible tool that we can all try, experience, and learn from. Something to help us take control of our well-being, ride pain-free, and enjoy the sport of cycling and life as a whole. 

The Ultimate Hill Climb Training Guide

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Hill climbs are definitely a love/hate relationship for most cyclists. We know how good they are for us, and we know how good it feels to finally reach the top and cruise through that descent – but man do they suck. We’re here to give you some tips on how to make hills the strongest part of your ride, and how you can train more efficiently and endure less suffering in the process. 

cycling hill climb

(Image Credit: Adobe Stock)

Classic Cycling Hill Climb Training

If you’re a beginner cyclist, simply experimenting with different routes and building a general foundation of fitness is your first step towards developing any level of hill climbing prowess. There is simply no point in exhausting yourself with specific climbing workouts when you haven’t yet acclimated to general volume on the bike. So that’s step number one.

Step number two is doing repeated hill climbs on the bike. This type of training is definitely effective at developing leg strength and endurance…to an extent. You have to be careful about repeating the same gradients and hill distances (for example, ones in your general area), because you are going to adapt quite quickly if you already have some level of cycling fitness.

Try to vary the routes you take and incorporate ones that involve more, longer, and different gradient-type hills. Experiment with sessions where you isolate the hill climbing component, and spend time doing 5, 10, even 20 climbs on the same hill (depending on the length and severity of it, of course). Wrestle your way to the top, recover on the way down. Repeat.

There are ceilings to this type of training, as there are with all types of training. You are going to find limits not only physically but geographically. The methods we’ve just discussed are always something that should be regularly rotated into your programming, but let’s now take a look at some more conventional techniques that will greatly supplement your time on the bike.

cycling hill climb

(Image Credit: Adobe Stock)

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

In recent years, studies from the running world have shown the efficacy of doing short, high-intensity, sprint-type workouts for improved performance in the longer distances. This is great news for cyclists, and even more specifically for the benefit of hill training on the bike. Let’s briefly explore how we can use this information to our advantage. 

A HIIT workout using hill climbs will differ from the aforementioned hill climb repeats in the following way. You’ll want to keep the hill short and steep, and you’ll want to attack the climb with as much effort and intensity as you can manage, as opposed to just steadily making your way up. Descend and take whatever other necessary rest period, then repeat. 

This form of training allows you to significantly reduce the amount of time you’re actually riding, but still get a massive benefit in the form of improved maximal oxygen uptake, cycling economy, and other physiological adaptations both muscular and metabolic. Let’s now extrapolate this method to an even more intense variation that you can do off the bike. 

Sled Training for Hill Climbing Strength

(Image credit: Adobe Stock)

Pushing and pulling a weighted sled is enormously transferable to cycling, mainly because of the lack of eccentric contractions in both. Refer to these brief definitions:

Concentric Contraction

The concentric phase of muscular contraction is when the muscle is shortening, thereby pulling on the tendon and moving the joint. This is typically seen in the lifting part of the exercise. For example, when you push yourself out of the bottom of a squat, your quadriceps (thigh) muscles are working concentrically to extend the knee joint.

Eccentric contraction

The eccentric phase of muscular contraction is when the muscle is lengthening under load, storing energy in the tissues and resisting the force that is being applied to it. This is often seen as the lowering part of a lift. In the squat example, when you are lowering yourself down into the bottom, the quadriceps are working eccentrically and resisting the force being applied to them. 

In cycling, there are virtually no eccentric contractions, only concentric contractions. You’re never resisting a load under stretch, muscles are either working concentrically or are relaxing and going through a passive stretch. When you push a sled, it’s the same thing. You press your leg into the ground, but as soon as you lift it to take the next step, that leg relaxes. 

The benefit of the sled is you can grossly overload the leg drive that you need to push a pedal, which will make those hill climbs feel so much easier by the time you’re doing them. It also gets you off the bike to train in a new and invigorating way, helping to reduce the likelihood of overuse injury. Try different sled pushing and pulling variations in your next workout.

Overall Strength & Conditioning

Similar to the use of a sled, performing separate strength training sessions, mobility, and other injury prevention work while off the bike is going to contribute massively to your hill climbing strength on the bike. By bringing up the weak points that cycling misses, your body will be in a better balance and more able to produce force when the incline gets tough.

Focus on building up your glutes through exercises that forcefully extend the hip, such as hip thrusts, deadlifts, and lunges. Also, having a strong core gives your legs a stable foundation from which to push off of. Challenge your abdominal muscles in various ways by doing exercises that flex the trunk, rotate the torso, lift the legs, and bend your body in all different directions.

Our programming over at Dynamic Cyclist has all the strength and mobility workouts you need to ride pain-free and become a force to reckon with when it comes to hill climbs. Simply press play, follow along, and do your best, no matter where you are. Included in the membership is a BONUS 4 week training plan specifically for mastering hill climbs. Try it out for 7-days free by clicking here.

Note on Mental Strength & Cycling Hill Training

A benefit to isolating hill climbs in your training and focusing specifically on them is learning how to deal with the negative self-talk and self-defeating programming you may or may not have already worked through. Tackling a nasty hill can make for some of your darkest moments while cycling, and learning to conquer that beast is something that usually takes a fair bit of practice.

By incrementally progressing to tougher, longer, and steeper climbs, you will gradually learn the limits of your body, and build confidence in your abilities on the bike (which will transfer over to the rest of your life, as well). 

Remember this, you are far more capable than you think, you can always do one more pedal, and the pain will be all but gone just minutes after stopping. So, are you going to quit? Or are you going to keep going? Only you know that answer.

How to Treat & Avoid Shoulder Pain While Cycling

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In cycling, the shoulder doesn’t get challenged in many ways, apart from the load we bear as a result of leaning on the handlebars. Many of us have experienced shoulder pain while cycling, and it can be largely due to a number of factors, including the inadequate stimulation of all the tissues that surround, support, and move this complex joint.

shoulder pain cycling

(Image credit: anut21ng/Adobe Stock)

Shoulder injuries are one of the most common gradual onset injuries in recreational cyclists. This means that they develop slowly over time, usually as a result of the overuse of some muscles to the neglect of others. It often starts as a dull, aching sensation that gets worse with further use, as opposed to a sharp, acute pain that we really only see as a result of falls and accidents.

It’s important to know that the most mobile joint in the human body is the shoulder joint. Several bones, muscles and other tissues have influence on its structural integrity and movement capacity, which can make the causes of non-specific shoulder pain from cycling hard to identify. However, there are some common issues cyclists face simply due to the nature of the sport.

Poor Bike Fit & Prolonged Riding

Making sure your bike is fitted properly to your body is always one of the first things you should check when addressing pain. This is because as cyclists we stay more or less in the same positions for long periods of time, making us incredibly susceptible to overuse injuries and muscle imbalances.

If your handlebars are too low or too far away from you, it will force you to lean more forward, and you’ll resultantly have to support more of your bodyweight over the handlebars than you would otherwise. Think of an incline pushup (where your hands are elevated on something), and how the pushup gets harder as you move your hands lower towards the floor.

The constant weight bearing on the arms has a significant effect on the shoulder, and can often result in something called shoulder impingement syndrome. Pain when lifting the arms, pain while trying to reach overhead or behind you, pain in the front/side of the shoulder, arm weakness and stiffness are all symptoms of shoulder impingement syndrome.

Two of your four rotator cuff muscles (infraspinatus, supraspinatus) have tissues that pass between the humerus (upper arm bone) and acromion (top outer part of the shoulder blade). Constant load bearing on the arms, like you see in cycling, can compress, rub against, pinch or otherwise impinge upon these tissues, resulting in the symptoms previously listed.

(Image credit: VectorMine/Adobe Stock)

How to Fix It

  1. Get a professional bike fitting: Find a local shop that can do it in person or use an AI app like MyVeloFit to do it yourself at home. Either way, ensuring your bike is fitted to your body will immediately reduce your likelihood of injury and increase comfort while riding.
  2. Reduce cycling intensity: If you are dealing with some sort of shoulder impingement syndrome, you can see, just by its nature, how it’s not a problem you can simply work through. The body needs time to let this irritating condition settle while you work on creating more balance throughout the joint (next step).
  3. Strengthen the rotator cuff muscles: Cycling doesn’t challenge the shoulder in many ways, which is a disaster for shoulder health. It needs complex stimulation from a variety of exercises. Having a well-balanced program that trains the shoulder from all angles and in all positions is key to avoiding shoulder pain from cycling.

Faulty Breathing, Tense Neck & Shoulders

These three things are all related, and commonly found in the average cyclist. Because of the intimate and complex relationship between the humerus (upper arm), clavicle (collarbone), scapula (shoulder blade) and all their attaching tissues (which collectively form the shoulder joint), compromising any one of them can negatively influence the others.

x-ray showing shoulder joint

This x-ray shows the complex arrangement of bones that meet to form the shoulder joint. (Image credit: Nut/Adobe Stock)

Cyclists are prone to inefficient breathing and excessive stress on the neck through their positioning on the bike. The head juts forward and back the more you bend over on the bike, this can place a load of 60+ pounds on your cervical (neck) spine, because the head’s weight gets multiplied every inch it moves forward in front of the body.

A forward folded position can also inhibit movement of the diaphragm, your primary respiratory muscle. This encourages you to breathe through the chest, which strains small secondary respiratory muscles in your neck responsible for lifting the ribs. Because cycling is such a cardio-intensive activity, this type of breathing can cause significant irritation.

Both of these things can carry over into daily life, and both can contribute to shoulder pain while cycling. By compromising the head, neck and upper back through poor breathing and positioning, the shoulder will have no choice but to try and compensate. This is one example of how shoulder pain is not always directly linked to the shoulder itself, but its surrounding parts.

How to Fix It

  1. Strengthen the neck extensors & upper back: The muscles that pull your head back, as well as extend (flatten) your upper back, tend to get very weak if all you do is cycle. This is because they are constantly being stretched out on the bike. This article will show you what exercises to do and why they work for less neck and shoulder pain while riding.
  2. Practice diaphragmatic breathing: This means breathing into your belly. Most neck and head pain in cyclists can be attributed to faulty chest/neck breathing patterns. A good exercise is lying back over an exercise ball and taking long deep breaths. This stretches the abdominals while stimulating the diaphragm and forcing it to be more active.
  3. Relax the neck: Stretching the neck muscles prior to and even during your ride can force them to relax while you focus on breathing more into your belly. Being conscious of how much tension you’re holding in your shoulders will also be beneficial. Try to catch yourself while riding if your shoulders get shrugged up close to the ears.

Note on Nutrition & Cycling Shoulder Pain

Many people fail to consider the role of the organs when it comes to shoulder pain in cyclists. The phrenic nerve is a major nerve that originates from the third to fifth cervical spine nerves (C3-C5) in the neck. It descends through the thorax (chest cavity) and travels between the lungs, in front of the heart and along the surface of the diaphragm. 

You have two phrenic nerves, one going down the left and right side of the body. If the stomach, which is on the left side of the body, gets too distended or inflamed, it can press on the diaphragm and irritate the left phrenic nerve. Similarly on the right side, if the liver becomes enlarged, it can press on the right phrenic nerve via the diaphragm.

When these tissues become irritated or inflamed, they can send pain signals to the spinal cord through the sensory fibers of the phrenic nerve. In the spinal cord, the incoming pain signals from the phrenic nerve can activate nerve cells (neurons) that also receive sensory input from other areas of the body, including the shoulder. This is called referred pain.

Attention should be paid to the diet of a cyclist who is experiencing shoulder pain, especially if physio/massage interventions are proving ineffective. Stomach problems can contribute to left shoulder pain/weakness, and liver problems can do the same for the right shoulder. Common irritants like dairy, gluten and alcohol should be looked at as initial culprits.

Phrenic nerve

Phrenic nerve, highlighted in yellow. This is a frontal view. The diaphragm is the large dome-shaped muscle at the bottom. Under the elevated right side would sit the liver, and under the left side would sit the stomach. (Image credit: vesalii/Adobe Stock)

Eliminate Cycling Shoulder Pain!

By incorporating a well-rounded strength, mobility, flexibility and injury-prevention plan into your training, you can greatly reduce the risk of injury to your shoulders and every other part of your body. That is exactly what the programming at Dynamic Cyclist is designed to do. Try us out for 7-days FREE by clicking here!

The Importance of the Psoas Stretch for Cyclists

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Your primary hip flexor, psoas major, is a muscle that seems to have its hand in just about everything. When it comes to cycling, we are constantly putting it into a shortened position through contraction in the upstroke and our bent forward, flexed hip postures on the bike. This article will show why having a psoas stretch or two in your recovery toolbox might save you from countless days of lost riding due to tension, pain, and ache. 

cyclist with lower back pain

We’ll see later in this article how the psoas muscle is one of the main causes of lower back pain in cyclists. (Image credit: Beaunitta Van Wyk/Adobe Stock)

Sounds dramatic, doesn’t it? Well, the truth about this tissue is a tricky one, especially in our sport. When we say it has a hand in everything, we really mean it. It is (perhaps infamously) known as the stress muscle because of its proclivity towards holding tension as a result of stress and trauma in all areas of our lives.

For example, the psoas has an intimate relationship with the diaphragm, your primary respiratory (breathing) muscle. They cross over each other and share nerve innervations through similar vertebral segments of the spine. Dysfunction in one can cause problems in the other.

Cycling is unique in that there is a lot of cardiorespiratory stress, and also postural stress on the body because of how it has to move with the bicycle. A proper bike fit can certainly help, but there is simply no way around the fact that our hip flexors are going to get smashed as a result of too much biking. 

Psoas Anatomy & Positioning on the Bike

psoas stretch

(Image credit: VectorMine/Adobe Stock)

Our psoas is the only muscle that connects the upper and lower body. It attaches to all five of the lumbar (lower back) vertebrae, which is slightly troublesome (sarcasm) if you’re going to be chronically shortening it, as is the case with cyclists, but also just people in general with modern lifestyles that involve a lot of sitting at desks, on couches, and in cars.

The reason is because as the psoas shortens, it starts to pull on those lumbar vertebrae. This hyperextends the back into a position called lordosis, and consequently tilts the pelvis forward into a position called anterior pelvic tilt. Tightness in the hip flexor muscles also weaken their opposing muscles, the glutes (butt), in what is known as reciprocal inhibition.

anterior pelvic tilt
Different pelvic positions. (Credit: sumaki/Adobe Stock)

Cycling exacerbates this process because of the positioning of our hips while riding. They are always in a somewhat flexed position, even at the end of our downstroke. This constant flexion is a recipe for psoas tightness, and is one of the reasons why cyclists are plagued with so much lower back pain.


Notice the position of this cyclist’s left hip. It is almost completely flexed, further exacerbated by her bent forward torso. (Image credit: Artem Varnitsin/Adobe Stock)

Benefits of Psoas Stretching for Cyclists

A testament to this muscle’s activity while we ride is that it has a bigger volume in more competitive cyclists, and grows even further with intense cycling training. By performing a variety of psoas stretches on off-days or even during and/or after your ride, it’s possible to mitigate the effects of psoas stiffness that will inevitably inhibit its function and wreak havoc throughout the rest of your body.

More than half of cyclists experience low back pain, and much of that can be attributed to dysfunction in the muscles surrounding the hip joint. Not only can a tight psoas pull on your lower back and anteriorly tilt your pelvis, but it can disrupt the timing and action of different muscles, causing some to overwork and others to become weak and underutilized.

As previously mentioned, there is a distinct relationship between the psoas and how you breathe because of its proximity to the diaphragm. Cyclist’s are already prone to faulty breathing patterns through their bent forward postures and the cardio demand of the sport. All the more reason to take care of our hips so they don’t contribute to what is often a cause of neck pain in cyclists.

Psoas Stretches

Below you’ll find some excellent hip flexor stretches that you can incorporate into your recovery routines, downtime, and even pre/during/post ride if you are experiencing low back pain as a suspected result of hip flexor tightness. Stretching before/during a ride can cause a subtle relaxing effect on the hyperactive hip flexor muscles, sometimes alleviating the pain that would otherwise arise.

Half Camel

half camel stretch

Instructions:

  1. Start in a kneeling position with your knees, hips, and shoulders all stacked posturally on top of one another
  2. Place your hands on your hips or lower back
  3. Gently press forward and arch backwards, feeling a stretch in the abdominals and front of the hip
  4. Hold here for one minute

The psoas sits deep inside your abdomen, attaching to all the lumbar vertebrae. This stretch serves as a gentle opener to the hip and mid-section, and strives to reach into those internal fibers to help them release tension and relax. This is a great one to do in between periods of sitting.

Lifted Hip Flexor Stretch

lifted hip flexor stretch

Instructions: 

  1. Rest one foot on top of a chair, focus on squaring your hips forward
  2. Keeping your chest tall, press the hips forward, extending your elevated leg behind you
  3. Hold for one minute
  4. Switch to the other leg
  5. Hold for one minute

This stretch allows you to go slightly deeper into the psoas muscle by keeping the torso erect and elevating the back leg. The elevation forces the hip to go into greater extension, which is the inverse function of the psoas and other hip flexor muscles.

Low Lunge Quad Stretch

low lunge quad stretch

Instructions:

  1. Start in a kneeling lunge position, both legs bent at 90°
  2. Squeeze your butt to tilt your pelvis backwards into a neutral position
  3. Engage your core at the same time to lock the position in place
  4. From here, gently stretch the back quad and hip muscles by pressing the hips forward
  5. Hold for one minute
  6. Switch to the other leg
  7. Hold for one minute

Your rectus femoris is a quadricep muscle that gets hammered while cycling. It has a dual function of knee extension and hip flexion, both repetitive movements in pedaling. Since they’re both hip flexors, by releasing the rectus femoris it helps the psoas to relax as well.

Get Rid of Cycling Back Pain!

Are you tired of suffering from back pain and discomfort while cycling? Look no further than Dynamic Cyclist. This comprehensive resource addresses the most common muscle imbalances and adaptive muscle shortening that lead to pain and reduced performance on the bike. With just 15 minutes a day, you can follow along with the video programs to alleviate tension and improve posture, so you can ride pain free and reach your full potential on the bike. Try out their 2 month Low Back Focus program and experience the results for yourself. Click here to try 7 days free!

The Ultimate Guide to Cycling Neck Pain: Causes and Solutions

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Cycling neck pain is one of those nagging issues that can really hinder the other aspects of your life. The muscles in your neck are constantly supporting your breathing, interacting with your shoulders, holding up your head, and countless other important functions liable to irritate any pain, soreness, or injury that could be developing or already present from cycling. 

The reality of our sport means that the neck is going to have to sit in some uncomfortable positions from time to time. In fact, up to 60% of cyclists experience some sort of discomfort in this area. Whether our necks are prepared to go into those positions, how we can prepare them, and what we can do to optimize our necks on the bike will be the focus of this article. 

Neck pain from cycling doesn’t have to slow you down, and we’re here to help you fix it once and for all.

neck pain

(Image credit: SciePro/Adobe Stock)

Causes of Cycling Neck Pain

Does cycling cause neck pain? The short answer is yes, but the reasons behind it can be complicated. We have to approach the topic of cycling neck pain through a wide-angle lens, because it’s seldom a single factor causing the problem. 

Forward Head Posture (FHP)

FHP is an epidemic not just amongst cyclists but the general populace as a whole. The term is referring to the forward position of the cranium (head) relative to the shoulders and spine. Also commonly called text neck, scholar’s neck, or computer neck posture because of its correlation and likelihood of development after prolonged texting, reading, or spending time on a computer.

What many people don’t realize is that their head, on average, weighs 10-12 pounds, and that this weight gets amplified tremendously as the head moves/tilts forward from the midline. For every inch of FHP, it adds roughly 10 pounds to the head. As you can see in the below picture, this can equate to the neck having to support 60+ pounds of sustained pressure throughout the day.


(Image credit: New York Spine Surgery & Rehabilitation Medicine)

The big ropes you see on the sides of a person’s neck are called your sternocleidomastoid muscles. These muscles get overdeveloped and tight as a result of FHP, and can also flatten the natural backwards curve in your cervical spine. These conditions strain the neck, reduce blood flow to the brain, and weaken the extensors of the neck resulting in reduced stability. 

Cycling naturally puts us in positions of FHP, and trains us to hold those positions for long periods of time. Leaning over the handlebars causes the head to protrude forward and the neck to crane back in order to keep our eyes level with the horizon (righting reflex). Because these positions are unavoidable, we have to find ways to correct them in other parts of our training.

cycling neck pain

Notice the position of the head and neck of this cyclist; protruding forward, craned back. (Image credit: Artem Varnitsin/Adobe Stock)

Improper Breathing

Breathing and neck pain are intimately connected. Optimal inhalation is accounted for primarily by the diaphragm, a large, thin sheet of muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. When contracted, its dome shape flattens out to pull air into the lungs and create room for them to expand. If it’s stiff or not functioning properly, however, other muscles get overloaded.

A muscle group in this category is known as the scalenes. They work as accessory respiratory muscles to help you inhale by lifting the first two ribs. When a person breathes through their chest as opposed to their diaphragm, these muscles get overworked and start to become irritated as a result. Chronic neck pain is often improved by addressing these kinds of faulty patterns.


The three muscles of the scalene group; anterior, medial, posterior. Notice the insertions on ribs one and two. (Image credit: Mikael Häggström/Public Domain)

Because cycling is a cardiovascular intensive sport, coupled with the positions we find ourselves in while riding, make it probable that we will develop a faulty breathing pattern that overworks the neck. Being folded over on the bike can discourage movement of the diaphragm and push our breath up into the chest, where we are only able to inhale ⅓ of the oxygen we could otherwise.

Opening up the breath through breathing re-education exercises, fixing the posture, and corrective stretching are all tools we can use to help combat this issue. By now you’re probably starting to see the links between these causes and how they all can contribute to cycling neck pain.

Upper Cross Syndrome (UCS)

Upper cross syndrome (UCS) is a postural imbalance that occurs as a result of prolonged sitting or standing in a forward head and rounded shoulder posture. It is characterized by tightness in the upper trapezius, levator scapulae, and pectoralis major muscles, as well as weakness in the deep cervical flexors, lower trapezius, and serratus anterior.

upper cross syndrome (UCS)

(Image credit: art4stock/Adobe Stock)

Cycling requires a sustained forward head and rounded shoulder posture, which can exacerbate UCS. The tightness in the upper trapezius, levator scapulae, and pectoralis major muscles can cause increased tension and compression in the cervical spine, as well as inhibit your breathing, which all further contribute to the problem.

Additionally, weakness in the deep cervical flexors, serratus anterior, and lower trapezius muscles can lead to decreased stabilization of the cervical spine. This can be especially problematic for cyclists who spend prolonged periods in a forward head position, as the neck muscles are required to maintain stability and support the weight of the head.

Poor Bike Fit

Having an improperly fitted bike is going to exacerbate all of the above causes of neck pain in cyclists. Symptoms of a poor bike fit include:

  • Handlebars too low or having to reach too far forward
    • Rounds the back/shoulders and closes the chest, encourages forward head posture
  • Arms locked out in extension
    • Having a soft bend in the elbows allows force from the handlebars to be cushioned while riding, otherwise reverberating up into the neck
  • Saddle tipped too far forward
    • This increases weight bearing load on the arms and increases the likelihood of the previous point occurring
  • Poor adjustment of helmet and/or eyeglasses
    • A helmet too low on the head will cause a cyclist to crane their neck excessively, the same problem will occur with eyeglasses sitting too low on the nose

Solutions for Cycling Neck Pain

The causes of neck pain in cyclists are often co-contributing to one another, sometimes making it difficult to pinpoint the exact root of the problem. However, there are some common preventative/corrective measures we can take to help alleviate the above causes and more by following the advice below.

Strengthen the Upper Back & Neck Extensors

To combat forward head posture and upper cross syndrome that develops as a result of cycling (and other modern activities like office work and driving), we can do exercises in our supplemental training to strengthen the muscles that get weak and hyperactive as a result of improper positioning/loading. 

Here are two exercises to help address this:

Prone Cobra/Cobra Hold

Instructions:

  1. Lying prone on your mat, pull your shoulder blades down and together so your arms are in a position like our coach Alisha’s (pictured above)
  2. From here, lift your chest as high as possible off the ground
  3. Squeeze the shoulder blades together, flatten and extend the mid back, and contract the glutes and lower back muscles as well
  4. Keep your neck in a neutral position by pulling it backwards (think of making a double chin)
  5. Hold this position for 30 seconds
  6. Rest for 30 seconds
  7. Repeat three times

This exercise works the mid/upper back, as well as the extensors of the neck in a static hold, which is important for postural endurance. Increased strength in these areas has multiple benefits, including a significantly reduced risk of concussions.

Wall Lean

Instructions:

  1. Start with your feet about one foot away from the wall
  2. Place a towel behind your head and lean into it, keeping the body in a stiff, neutral position (straight line)
  3. Support yourself with your neck in this position, if it is too easy, you can place your feet farther away from the wall
  4. Hold for 30 seconds
  5. Rest for 30 seconds
  6. Repeat three times

The wall lean is a simple exercise to work the neck extensors, which get weak if the head is constantly protruding forward. Strengthening these muscles will help correct forward head posture and pull the head back into better alignment.

Stretch the Sternocleidomastoid, Shoulder & Chest

It is important to couple the following stretches with the above strengthening exercises. These muscles are getting tight and causing neck pain because they’re working hard to try and support us in unnatural positions on the bike. If we stretch them without providing support through corrective strengthening we will only further our risk of pain and injury. 

Try these three stretches to counter the muscle tightness that develops from cycling and contributes to neck pain in cyclists:

Lateral Neck Stretch

Instructions:

  1. Stand in a relaxed and comfortable position
  2. Tilt your head gently to one side, make sure to avoid tilting forward or backward
  3. Rest your hand on the top side of your head
  4. Don’t pull, but let the weight of your hand gently stretch your neck to the side
  5. Hold for 15-30 seconds
  6. Repeat on other side

Cyclists with neck pain will help release a likely hyperactive sternocleidomastoid muscle by performing this stretch. Coupled with the neck and upper back exercises listed above, you’ll be offering multiple modes of relief to the painful areas.

Dynamic Shoulder Rolls

Instructions:

  1. Stand with your shoulders relaxed
  2. Roll your shoulders up high towards your ears, then back (squeezing your shoulder blades together), and finally back down and pulling away from your ears
  3. Complete these circles continuously for 30 seconds
  4. Reverse the motion, rolling your shoulders forward
  5. Repeat for another 30 seconds

This simple exercise helps loosen up and mobilize your shoulder blade and trapezius muscle. The upper trapezius and levator scapulae muscles often get tight as a result of cycling. This movement helps loosen them and is great to do pre/post ride.

Single Arm Chest Stretch w/Wall

Instructions:

  1. Start facing the wall with your arm straight out to the side (shoulder height), palm against the wall
  2. Staying close to the wall, slowly rotate away from your arm until you feel a stretch in the chest and front of the shoulder
  3. Hold here for 30 seconds
  4. Switch to the other arm and repeat

Tight chest and shoulder muscles are common with faulty breathing patterns that often develop as a result of cycling. By opening up these tissues we also open up our lung capacity so that the muscles in our neck don’t have to work so hard as we inhale. 

Professional Bike Fitting/ AI Bike Fitting

To avoid exacerbating all of the aforementioned causes of neck pain in cyclists, it’s recommended that you find a reputable local bike fitter to help optimize the positioning on your bike to your unique body and proportions.

Another option is to use an at home bike fitting app like MyVeloFit. This app utilizes the power of AI to analyze your bike fit and make recommendations on how to correctly adjust different components of the bike and ensure your joint angles fall into the optimal range.

The money and time you spend on a bike fit, whether it’s at home or in person, will most certainly be returned in the form of saved physiotherapy, chiropractic, and massage therapy appointments long-term.

Prevent Cycling Neck Pain & Become A Stronger Cyclist!

The above solutions were borrowed from our programming over at Dynamic Cyclist, a fully online and interactive training platform designed for the health and well-being of people in our sport. We address mobility, strength training, injury prevention and more in routines that are fun to follow-along with! Try it out FREE for 7-days by clicking here!

Anterior Pelvic Tilt: How To Correct Imbalances & Improve Performance

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Two of the most common problems amongst cyclists are knee pain and lower back pain. In fact, 94% of cyclists experienced injury during a one-year period of study; low back pain and anterior knee pain being prevalent for 58% and 36% of participants, respectively. While the causes of these issues are numerous and varied, there are several similar originating factors between them, and consequently a structured approach to relieving them short and long-term. 

One of those commonalities is the presence of an anterior pelvic tilt in the cyclist’s body. This basically translates to the pelvis, which is the bony structure that your spine sits on and your femurs attach to (it also supports the intestines, contains the bladder, reproductive organs, colon, and more), is tilted farther forward than normal.

anterior pelvic tilt

Different pelvic positions. (Credit: sumaki/Adobe Stock)

This has ramifications for the entire body, and can be the source of much pain and dysfunction in cyclists at all levels of performance, especially compared to non-cycling individuals. In this article we’re going to talk about why anterior pelvic tilt tends to develop in cyclist’s, the problems it can cause, and what we can do to prevent it from happening.

Common Causes of Anterior Pelvic Tilt in Cyclists

When we look at a cyclist positioned on her bike, there are some immediate red flags that we can point out as likely contributors to this postural phenomena we’re calling anterior pelvic tilt. We’re about to see very quickly that just the way people ride their bikes in general (because of their design) is one of the biggest pieces of this puzzle. 


Use this picture for reference when reading the next section. (Credit: Artem Varnitsin/Adobe Stock)

Compressed Hips

If you look at the picture above, our rider has her left leg at the top of a pedal stroke. If we look at her left hip, it’s in a fully flexed position, accentuated by her bent forward torso. Because this happens thousands of times every time we trek out for a lengthy cruise, our poor hip flexor muscles are being subjected to a lot of short, cramped positions. Over time, this will make them tight.

Tight hip flexors are one of the main causes of anterior pelvic tilt, resulting also in lower back pain. The reason for this is because one of your main hip flexors, the psoas major, attaches to all five of your lumbar (lower back) vertebrae. When the psoas becomes short and tight, it pulls on all those vertebrae, arching your lower back, and tipping your pelvis forward.


Psoas Major. Notice its attachments to all of the lumbar vertebrae. (Credit: SciePro/Adobe Stock)

Other aspects of our modern lifestyles (mainly sitting, by way of office work, driving, and excessive leisure time) further overwork our hip flexors and encourage them to stay tight 24/7. It’s an inevitable part of riding, and something we need to address it in order to get our hips and spine back into a good position.

Weak Glutes

Having a strong backside is not only attractive, but also incredibly important for keeping your pelvis in a balanced, neutral alignment. The gluteus maximus in particular is your biggest, most powerful hip extensor, and is crucial to maintaining good posture through its action of posteriorly rotating the pelvis and counteracting the pull of the hip flexors. 

Our hips never fully extend while we’re cycling. This is largely due to the fact that we’re always hinged over at the hips to keep our hands on the handlebars, and almost completely folded in half when dropping down into the aero position. Cycling has been promoted in the past as a good activity for developing our glutes, but these positions unfortunately make that almost impossible.


Biomechanically, the positions we get into while pedaling make it hard to recruit our gluteus maximus. (Credit: Jacek Dylag/Unsplash)

Because the gluteus maximus is such a big powerful muscle, it often needs intense, full hip extension to be optimally stimulated for growth and development. Cycling doesn’t offer that, and in fact causes the body to recruit secondary hip extensors (hamstrings) to do most of the hip extension as an energy conservation method. Weak glutes = anterior pelvic tilt.

Weak Abdominal Muscles

Cycling primarily occurs in what is called the sagittal plane of movement. This plane divides the body down the middle (refer to below picture) so it is split evenly in half, and accounts for forward/backward movements. There is slight frontal plane (side to side) motion when shifting weight from pedal to pedal and leaning to take hard corners, but it is minimal.


The three anatomical body planes and corresponding motions in the human body. (Credit: VectorMine/Adobe Stock)

This is important because our core musculature needs to be challenged in all planes of movement to function correctly. We need to learn to brace and be strong while twisting, moving our legs independently of our torso, lifting loads off the ground, etc. Cycling limits these opportunities by keeping us fixed and reliant on the bike frame in place of support from our core musculature.

Muscles like the exterior obliques, rectus abdominis and transversus abdominis stabilize the back by creating intra-abdominal pressure and influence the position of the pelvis by rotating it backwards. Cycling discourages mechanisms like this from happening whilst riding, allowing our pelvis to be pulled forward by the hip flexors while the core remains relatively dormant.

Other Causes of Anterior Pelvic Tilt in Cyclists

Having your bike properly fitted is essential to avoid a whole host of injuries, pain, and dysfunction, including anterior pelvic tilt. Having a saddle too high will force you to learn forward excessively to reach the handlebars, compressing the hip joint. If it’s too low, your hip will be forced into extreme flexion at the top of the pedal stroke, further tightening the hip flexors.


Our partners at MyVeloFit offer an AI powered bike fitting app you can use to adjust your bike right at home. (Credit: MyVeloFit)

There are other factors in a person’s lifestyle that are going to encourage anterior pelvic tilt, these include: Having a sedentary job, driving, spending a lot of time sitting on couches and chairs, not participating in any type of explosive movements like sprinting and jumping, etc. All of these things contribute to tight hips, weak glutes, and bad posture overall.

Symptoms of Anterior Pelvic Tilt in Cyclists

Without getting a professional postural assessment done on your body, there are some common symptoms you may be able to relate to that point to an anterior pelvic tilt being present in the body. Some of these include:

  • Knee pain: When the pelvis tilts forward, it internally rotates the femur (your thigh bone). This puts awkward strain on the structures in your knee, resulting in pain and discomfort.
  • Lower back pain & tightness: Excessive pull from the hip flexors can arch your lower back into a posture known as lordosis, often resulting in significant ache, pain, and tightness of the lower back muscles.
  • Mid back tightness: When the lower back arches excessively, sometimes the mid back will round to compensate posturally. This chronically stretches muscles in the mid back, making them feel like they need to be stretched, when actually they need to be strengthened.
  • Distended abdomen: When the pelvis tilts forward it stretches the muscles on the front of your abdomen, making them weak over team. This results in a loss of abdominal tone, and a belly that sags forward as the organs fall against a weak abdominal wall.
  • Loss of power on the bike: If the core can’t maintain optimal stability, it can’t create a strong base for your legs to push off while pedaling, resulting in a loss of power.
  • Hip pain: An individual is likely to experience ache, discomfort, and pain in the hip if the hip flexor muscles are being overworked and holding excessive tension even in time spent off the bike.

Prevention Strategies for Anterior Pelvic Tilt in Cyclists

While the picture we’ve painted so far hasn’t been favourable to our beloved sport, hope is far from lost for those of us with a tilted pelvis! Actually, the fixes for this problem, depending on the cause(s), can be quite straightforward and easy to integrate with some supplemental training. Try out some of these protocols and see what they do for you and your cycling performance.

Hip Flexor Mobility & Stretching

It has become evident now throughout the duration of this article that the hip flexors are major culprits in cyclists with anterior pelvic tilt. To combat the stiffness that is bound to develop in our time on the bike, we can actively work to lengthen and mobilize these muscles so they rest and function in a more balanced position.

Give this exercise a try, the Reverse Lunge w/Leg Lift. It offers an amazing blend of benefits for the hips as a whole. Stepping back into a deep lunge helps lengthen the hip flexors and also strengthen them in those stretched positions at the same time. The added leg lift (and lunge action in general) also helps to strengthen the glutes and pull the pelvis back down into a neutral position.

Perform three sets of 10 reps per leg, adjusting as necessary. You can also hold a dumbbell in front of you for extra intensity.

Strengthen the Glutes

As previously mentioned, the gluteus maximus, your body’s largest muscle, is our most powerful hip extensor, and plays an important role in maintaining a neutral pelvis by rotating it backwards. If we aren’t getting enough activation of this muscle through our riding, then we need to make up for it in our strength and conditioning routine. Here are some ways to make it stronger.

Any sort of squat, lunge, or deadlift type exercise is going to stimulate the glutes and help them develop. A great bang for your buck exercise is the Jump Squat to Jumping Jack, because it combines a deep squat with a jumping jack which forces you to spread your legs and extend the hips simultaneously, an amazing stimulus for all the muscles in your posterior and lateral hip.

See how you feel doing three sets of 10 reps, adding more or less sets/reps to moderate difficulty.

Strengthen the Core

Being fixed on the bike through the saddle and handlebars discourages any significant use of our abdominal musculature. The bike does all the stabilizing for us, a much different environment than a soccer player sprinting down the pitch or a powerlifter lifting a heavy squat. Certain muscles in our abdomen help to posteriorly rotate the pelvis and counter the pull of the hip flexors. Those are the ones we are going to focus on in this next exercise.

The deadbug is a wonderful introduction to low back/trunk stability and overall core strength. The main focus is keeping your lower back flat on the ground as you move alternating arm/leg away from the torso. By keeping you back flat, you’re using your exterior obliques and rectus abdominis to counter the pull of your hip flexors, and strengthen the core in concert with your extremities.

Three sets of 10 total reps (five/side) is a good start for this exercise. If you feel your lower back coming off the ground, limit the range of motion of your limbs so you can maintain that hollow position. 

Build a Better Body With Dynamic Cyclist

The above exercises were pulled from our extensive mobility, strength, and conditioning programming over at Dynamic Cyclist! We have hundreds of follow along instructional videos and routines to help you correct postural problems, prevent injury, get stronger, and become an overall better cyclist in the comfort of your own home! Sign up for a 7-day free trial by heading over to our website.

Ride Pain Free: Stretching & Mobility Program for Cyclists

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Do you experience pain while riding? 

As avid cyclists ourselves, we know firsthand the toll that years of hard-earned riding can do to your back, your knees, your muscles, and your body in general. Nasty spills, the same positions, countless pedals, arduous climbs, burning lungs, and everything else that makes the challenges we face on the bike that much more rewarding…it all has a price.

We often come out on the other end with tight muscles, achy joints and chronic pain. This begs the question: “Is cycling itself the problem?”

Well, yes and no. 

Yes, because there are components to the sport of cycling that encourage the development of overuse injuries. The fact that we remain stationary in a seated position while riding, that we are hunched over to reduce wind resistance, and that we tend to ride for hours at a time over incredibly long distances (to name a few).

No, because there are things we can do to prevent our bodies from breaking down so we can continue to enjoy and excel at the sport we love.

And it’s these preventative measures that inspired us to write a book… 

Ride Pain Free: Stretching & Mobility Program for Cyclists

stretching and mobility program for cyclists

I Love Bicycling and Dynamic Cyclist joined forces to bring you this 7-day guided program that addresses the most common muscle imbalances for cyclists with both dynamic and static exercises. Each routine is designed for cyclists to target the common issues they endure by our team of physiotherapists, athletic therapists, and personal trainers. Through easy-to-follow routines, we will target all areas of the body, and teach you how to alleviate tension and improve posture for pain free riding!

Why We Wrote It

We wrote this book to address the unique needs of cyclist’s worldwide; to help them stay healthy and injury-free. 

Cyclist’s face a number of challenges when it comes to injury prevention, and in few sports is it more important to find balance in the rest of your training. We understand how hopeless it can feel to be left with debilitating pain that keeps you off the bike, and we’re here to tell you that there is always a way to not just heal, but thrive.

Stretching and mobility are poorly understood concepts in most sports, and even more poorly practiced. By incorporating the correct stretches and mobility exercises into your routine, and giving yourself the time to open up and counteract the hours you spend on the bike, your body will be that much more prepared to tackle anything you throw at it, on or off the bike.

As cyclists, we understand the specific needs of our sport and the types of injuries we are all susceptible to on the bike. We felt we were well positioned to address those needs with a detailed, 7-day instructional program that is fun to do, easy to follow, and can be done in a condensed time period to accommodate any schedule. 

We wanted to show people how easy it is to make a difference in your own body in just 15 minutes a day. And that’s exactly what we hope this book will do for you.


torwaiphoto/Adobe Stock

How This Book Can Help You

The fact cycling keeps a person in the same positions, doing the same things, repeatedly, is both a blessing and a curse. 

The bad part about it is that, without properly implemented stretching and mobility protocols, we’re bound to develop overuse injuries that cause pain, dysfunction, and demotivation. The good part, though, is that we can tell where these problems are coming from, and systematically address them through our training.

Some of the common problems cyclist’s experience that we talk about in this book are:

  • Low Back Pain
  • Knee Pain
  • Tight Hamstrings
  • Neck Stiffness

You will learn about why these tend to develop over time as a result of cycling, the symptoms you may experience, and most importantly, what you can do to resolve the problem and get back to smooth, enjoyable riding!

While going through the routines, you’ll notice that each exercise has a supplementary benefits section that teaches you what it does for the body and why we’re including it. This helps the book to be not just a follow along workout regimen, but an educational resource that will help you train smarter and harder to become the best possible cyclist you can be.


Sidekick/Adobe Stock

Start Riding Pain Free TODAY

Sometimes a little guidance is all you need, and if you’ve been dealing with nagging pain, aching joints, and any other recurring problems on your cycling journey, this book was written for you. Accompanying the written directions are instructional photographs detailing the steps of each exercise, making it fun and easy to read through; it’s like having a workout partner right there with you at home! 

Our team of dedicated health professionals and experienced cyclists want to help you enjoy the sport you love. Invest in your health and performance, and get your copy of Ride Pain Free: Stretching & Mobility Program for Cyclists today!

The Ultimate Guide to Cycling Training for Ironman Distances

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Pursuing the Ironman is not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for the beginner cyclist. A full Ironman distance prescribes the grueling effort of a 112 mile ride which, if not already strenuous enough, is sandwiched in between a 2.4 mile swim to start, and a 26.2 mile marathon run to finish. 140.6 miles of gritty, heart-pounding, non-negotiable endurance.

This race is here to test people’s limits and set a standard. Saying that you crossed the finish line of an Ironman garners respect worldwide for all those that understand its incredible demands. If you’re reading this article, we assume you might be someone crazy enough to start prepping for one (and we like that!). 

Since we’re cyclists at heart, this article will serve as a broad overview for how to prepare to ride that (almost incomprehensible) 112 mile journey. A feat on its own, made that much more difficult by the pre and post exhaustive swim/run workouts both preceding and awaiting you! We’re here to help you succeed, so let’s dive in.


mh90photo/Adobe Stock

What Are the Ironman Distances? 

There are two types of Ironman races you can enter in, the full Ironman and the half Ironman. Here’s what they look like:

Ironman 140.6 (Full) – Distances

2.4 mile (3.8 km) swim

112 mile (180 km) bike

26.2 mile (42.2 km) run

Ironman 70.3 (Half) – Distances

1.2 mile (1.9 km) swim

56 mile (90 km) bike

13.1 mile (21.1 km) run

The cycling portion for each is going to be both a significant physical and mental challenge, often taking up the majority of a racer’s time on the course. Check out this breakdown of average times for reference:

Ironman 140.6 (Full) – Average Times

Swim: 50-90 minutes

Bike: 5-8 hours

Run: 3-6 hours

TOTAL: 11-13 hours

Ironman 70.3 (Half) – Average Times

Swim: 30-50 minutes

Bike: 2.5-4.5 hours

Run: 1.5-3.5 hours

TOTAL: 5-7 hours

Keep in mind, these times can change drastically depending on the level of each competitor, environmental conditions, accidents, rest time, aid stations, medical intervention, etc.

It is important to understand the amount of cycling capacity you need to possess during prep and also going into the race. Especially knowing that you have either a half or full marathon to complete after getting off the bike, making sure your cycling is solid will provide a considerable, likely much-needed, boost in morale as you enter into the latter stages of the competition. 

Ironman Cycling: What to Expect

While the duration itself is certainly a challenge, don’t expect a smooth, leisurely, “active-rest” kind of cruise. Start thinking (and training) more along the lines of steep climbs, winding roads, unpredictable weather, live traffic, and hundreds of other riders trying to hit PB’s, finish, and receive their hard-earned medals. 

Cycling Ironman distances

pavel1964/Adobe Stock

If you’re used to working out on a trainer, it would be wise to hit the pavement and start getting comfortable being uncomfortable. It’s hard to overemphasize the mental impact and strain of being outside in natural environments while exerting yourself over long periods of time. It’s truly something you have to experience for yourself, and we certainly recommend you do so.

Another important point is that you’re going to be pre-fatigued from the swim. Depending on your competency in the water, this has the potential to seriously deplete the energy reserves in your legs, and, consequently, your riding abilities. Familiarizing yourself with these sensations can only help you come race day. Doing a ride following a swim, or doing a morning swim followed by an afternoon bike, are great ways to introduce this to your body. 

Ironman Cycling Training

Training for the cycling portion of an Ironman can be a daunting task, but with the right plan and mindset, it can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Here are some tips to help you train effectively:

Get a Bike Fit

Before delving into a goal as serious as the Ironman, it is recommended that you get a professional bike fit or perform one yourself. Stacking miles on top of bad form is a sure fire way to cause aches, pain, and long-term injury. Get yourself in a good position, and start building strength on top of it.

Start Small, Build Big

Depending on where you are in your cycling journey, you’ll want to make sure you don’t overexert yourself when getting ready to ride the Ironman. It can be tempting to try and cram that whole 56/112 miles of volume into your first training week, but that’s only going to get you hurt. Start small, and build gradually, giving your body time to adapt and strengthen to handle the distance.

Ride Outside

As mentioned earlier, riding 20 miles on a stationary rig versus 20 miles with the wind blowing in your face and the sun beating down on your skin, are two very different experiences. Endurance is not just physical, it’s mental as well, especially in this race, and you never know what you’re going to encounter. Get outside as much as possible.

Join a Training Group

There’s nothing better than some friendly competition. Not only will this get you used to riding around other bikers, but you’ll be able to feed off one another’s progress and push each other to be the absolute best versions of yourself on race day. There will be days where you don’t feel like putting in the work, but your training partners will be there to keep you accountable.

Diversify Your Training

You’re sure to encounter a large variety of terrain during your Ironman. You’ll be on the pavement, but this isn’t going to be a casual ride. Expect lots of steep hills, descents, sharp turns, gradual inclines, and everything in between. Switch up your training routes often to stay on your toes, and even try replicating parts of the route in your local area.

Get Your Rest

You are going to have to train hard, very hard, but that doesn’t mean running yourself into the ground. We can justify that on race day, but that’s one day, and for one very big goal. You shouldn’t be red lining in your training sessions. That’s not being a badass – that’s just bad training. Be sure to incorporate some strength work, stretching, and mobility as well.

Hire a Coach

Having someone in your corner who has been there before is always a smart move. If you can, find someone in your local area that you can meet face-to-face with. Someone who has experience riding the Ironman and can help you structure your training appropriately. Especially if you’re a beginner (but really, for anyone), this can be a game-changing investment.


Andriy Bezuglov/Adobe Stock

Remember, the cycling portion of an Ironman is just one part of the race. Make sure to also prioritize your training for the swim and run portions. With dedication and a solid training plan, you can successfully complete the Ironman and achieve your goals!

Ironman Cycling Nutrition

Proper nutrition is another key part of your Ironman training and competition. During the race, your body will burn a significant amount of calories, making it essential to fuel yourself with the right foods and fluids. A nutrition plan should be developed well in advance of the race to ensure that you are consuming enough calories to maintain energy levels, but not so much that it causes digestive issues.

During those longer rides, it can be helpful to carry energy bars or gels that will offer a quick source of fuel. Aim to consume around 200-300 calories per hour to maintain energy levels. This is also going to be important to prepare you for the run, because just “surviving” the bike could easily mean a DNF on your race record. You can also try rice cakes, fruit, raisins, and (a classic) stroopwafels if bars or gels tend to upset your stomach.

Your hydration levels should also be constantly considered and addressed throughout your training. Studies have shown that by losing just a small percentage of your body weight through water loss can cause a drastic reduction in endurance performance. Aim to drink plenty of water and electrolyte drinks, especially on longer rides. This will help to reduce cramping, fatigue, and loss of motivation.

In the days leading up to the race, focus on consuming complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats to prepare your body for the challenge ahead. And don’t forget to celebrate your achievement after the race with a well-deserved post-race meal!

Get on the Path to Peak Performance

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What Is a Hybrid Bike? (A Beginners Guide)

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You may be a road cyclist, mountain biker, non-participant or somebody just getting into the sport of cycling. But whoever you are, it’s not at all uncommon to have posed the question upon visiting your local sporting goods store, “What is a hybrid bike?”

You may have had the experience of being one of those poor souls entering into a bike shop for the first time. It is then that you were encountered by an enthusiastic young salesman asking what kind of rig you might be in the market for.

Road? 

Mountain? 

Commuter? 

Touring? 

City? 

Hybrid? 

It can be a bit overwhelming…

Hearing the word hybrid no doubt implies the combination of some such things…all of which you know absolutely nothing about!

Well, we’ve today endeavoured to mitigate this experience to the best of our ability, by teaching you a little bit about what this style of bicycle entails, its uses, and who it might be best suited for out there in the vast landscape of buying possibilities. We hope that by the end you’re able to approach the matter in a way that makes you a little more comfortable, especially for those out there getting into cycling for the first time.

Sales associate helps a woman pick out a bike at a bike shop.

torwaiphoto/Adobe Stock

What Does “Hybrid Bike” Mean?

Hybrids are basically a blend of the two major cycling disciplines, road biking and mountain biking. They are a composite that seeks to address some of the major components of both types of bike in one, so as to create a machine that is versatile enough to accommodate activity performed on the road and on the trails.

Some of these components include the following:

Handlebars –  Hybrids typically have flat handlebars, like those of a mountain bike, as opposed to dropped handlebars like you would see on a road bike. This contributes to a more upright riding position.

Tires – Modern hybrid bikes can be fitted with several sizes and types of tires that you’ll find on both road and mountain bikes. 26” used to be the standard, but it is now common to see 27.5” and 29” as well.

Suspension – Typically hybrid bikes are limited in suspension, and some don’t have any at all. It’s not uncommon though to see front suspension forks that offer some relief if you were to head out on some light-medium duty trails.

Gears – Some hybrid bikes have only one speed (and are aptly named “single speed bikes”). Others can have a wide range of gears, which is something you’ll want to pay attention to. Less gears means less variability in intensity, which for a beginner rider can be overwhelming.

The term hybrid bikes can mean a lot of things. In general, yes, it means the combination of a road and mountain bike in one. But depending on the brand, style, etc. that hybrid bike could lean more towards a road bike or more towards a mountain bike. Let’s look at the pros and cons of this bike category to better determine if it’s going to be the right choice for you.

Hybrid bike on a trail

MarekPhotoDesign/Adobe Stock

Pros of Hybrid Bikes

If you’re someone who is just getting into bike riding (or haven’t done it in a long time), a hybrid bike is a good way to start acclimatizing your body to the sport. The more specialized you get with a bike into a particular discipline, the more aggressive the positions you’re going to be in on the bike. Different parts of your body are going to be subject to more load and intensity, and it’s going to vary depending on the specialty of your machine. 

A hybrid bike keeps you in a more upright position, which lessens the load on your hands, wrists, shoulders and lower back. Your body needs time to adapt to spending time on the bicycle, and if you eventually decide to get into road cycling, for example, your body will appreciate the time it had to strengthen itself on a hybrid before dropping into a more loaded, aerodynamic position.

The cost of a hybrid bike is another excellent benefit, and is reflective of its more generalized nature. If you were looking for the tip of the spear in terms of performance, parts and quality…you wouldn’t be buying a hybrid bike. That’s not to say they aren’t well-built and dependable pieces of technology. But it is to say that they will only take you so far in any such direction…

…which takes us to the cons.

Cons of Hybrid Bikes

By far the biggest con of a hybrid bike is going to be its limited performance. If you start to become more serious about a particular type of biking, a hybrid bike is going to quickly fail you as soon as the demands exceed its capabilities. A hybrid bike rapidly becomes just a bad road or mountain bike as soon as you venture further into one discipline or the other.

If you want to become a competitive triathlete, you better be able to ride a road bike – fast – and maybe for hours on end. If you want to rip down gnarly mountain terrain – tackling tight turns, huge drops and acute changes in speed – you better be able to harness the unique feel and frame of a high-end mountain bike. A hybrid bike just won’t cut it either way.

This can also have a troubling psychological effect, particularly on people who are getting further and further into mountain biking (which is what hybrids are often marketed for). Not knowing the potential performance metrics of your bike can be catastrophic when trying out new terrain that is more difficult than you’re used to. These types of bikes have to be treated with caution, and the trails you’re on have to always be respected for their level of difficulty.

Is a Hybrid Bike Right for You?

Hybrid bikes are perfect for people who want to cycle recreationally and on different types of terrain. They’re great for commuting and weekend rides with the family. They allow you to get into the sport at perhaps a slightly lower price point, and at the same time experience all the diversity of the outdoors, which is a major part of what makes cycling so engaging and attractive to its participants.

They help your body mold to the bike without putting it into positions that can lead to injury. This helps prepare the body for more aggressive postures that might need to be sustained in things like road racing somewhere down the line. But being more upright and taking things slow is always a good approach. The hybrid bike allows for that.

As soon as you start to become more specialized, it’s time to start looking at more specialized bikes. Not only will a more specific rig be more functional, efficient and durable for the tasks it is designed to do – it will be safer and more dependable as well. 


vit/Adobe Stock

Become a Better Cyclist!

Dynamic Cyclist is a training platform for cyclists that offers interactive, follow-along videos and programming that addresses mobility, strength, injury prevention and more! No matter what type of bike you’re riding, it’s always good to make sure your body is in check, healthy and prepared for the demands you’re about to place on it. Sign up for a 7-day free trial HERE!

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