Training Tips

The Ultimate Hill Climb Training Guide

May 31, 2023 by Eric Lister

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.

(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.

(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.

The Ultimate Guide to Cycling Training for Ironman Distances

February 22, 2023 by Eric Lister

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.

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

Dynamic Cyclist is your virtual companion on the road to Ironman success! We’ve created an online training platform to help cyclists get stronger, increase their mobility, and ride pain free. Join our incredible community and take your training to the next level. Click here for a 7-day free trial!

9 Tips on How to Build Your Own Cycling Training Plan

November 9, 2022 by Eric Lister

Whether you just bought your first rig or are an experienced road racer, a cycling training plan is going to be (or become) that friend who always tells you the truth, no matter how ugly that truth is. Saying you want to do something (increase your fitness, be a better cyclist, lose weight, etc.) is something entirely different from actually seeing your progress written down on a piece of paper.

Perhaps that’s why most people never do it.

It can be both heartbreaking and encouraging to look down at a planned workout or multiple week program, and then to see how you’ve been succeeding (or failing) throughout it. There’s no sense lying to ourselves, though. It’s better to see it in front of you than live in the delusion of doing better than you actually are.

This is one of the most important reasons to have a cycling training plan. It keeps you on track, makes you responsible for something and holds you accountable. While all that sounds great, actually building a training plan can be another monster all on its own. There are a lot of variables and areas of focus that you need to consider, all depending on your experience and current state of fitness.

Today we’re going to give you three tips and/or things to focus on whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced cyclist. These ideas can be combined with any current training program you’re working through or currently building, and can be used for reference whenever taking consultation from a coach, training template or fellow rider.

Beginner

Source: jul14ka/Adobe Stock

Beginner cyclists can vary to a wide degree. You could have zero experience on the bike, or, be a once avid cyclist who hasn’t rode in a long time. This is the only stage out of the three that has a sliding scale, especially due to the cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance required for our sport. But whether you’re fresh to the bike or revisiting it after a prolonged absence, the beginner cycling training plan principles will remain the same.

1. Build Consistency

Getting used to regular riding is something your body needs time to adapt to. The pressure from the saddle, the energy requirements, the time allotment…all these things add up, and they’re just a few of the components required to build on more advanced levels of cycling. So focus on getting on the bike often, at least 3-4 times a week.

2. Try Different Intensities

This can be explored in a number of ways, one of the most freeing and encouraging for someone new to the sport would be to try different routes and terrains wherever it is you live. This will present a number of challenges depending on how many hills there are, the contours of the ground, etc. Start learning where your boundaries are in terms of pushing yourself.

3. Increase General Strength & Conditioning

In many ways, as a beginner, you are most susceptible to injury. You’re going to be asking your body to do a lot of things it’s not used to. This is why it’s important to carve out some time in your training schedule to develop overall strength and conditioning. It will help balance you on and off the bike and prevent injury long term.

Intermediate

Source: Friends Stock/Adobe Stock

If you’ve built up the discipline and capacity to put in six to eight hours/week, and have been doing so consistently for at least six months, you might be able to call yourself an intermediate cyclist. People in this range are typically training for races around the five hour mark, and will aim to put in around eight to 10 hours/week of training.

1. Learn to Use Fat as Fuel

Don’t really, this isn’t really a conscious thing, but more of an experiential one. When people talk about “hitting the wall” in long duration aerobic exercise, the sudden halt in energy is often the point at which their body is switching from carbohydrates to fat as the primary fuel source. It’s a jarring feeling, one that takes getting used to. Longer rides will help you adapt to this.

2. Develop Your Muscles

The intensity and length of road races favours your slow-twitch muscle fibers. These are highly oxygenated muscle fibers that are capable of producing low amounts of force over long periods of time, which is exactly what needs to be done on the bike. They are workhorses, and can only be developed through sustained, long duration, consistent time riding.

3. Improve Your Cycling Economy

Your economy on the bike refers to the amount of oxygen required to move your body at a given speed or power output. As you build up higher training volumes, the capillarization of your muscles increases, you produce more mitochondria and your aerobic fitness goes up. All contributors to how well you will use your oxygen intake while riding.

Advanced

Source: Charte Photography/Adobe Stock

Advanced riders have been training for a bare minimum of one year. They’ve completed several races and are used to putting in a lot of volume on the bike. Because of the adaptive changes their body has made in terms of fitness and resilience, they’re able to push their bodies much harder than a beginner. This opens up new possibilities for training, especially at higher intensities.

1. Develop Your Anaerobic Threshold

Anaerobic threshold is the highest exercise intensity you can sustain before lactic acid starts to quickly build up in the blood. In other words, your submaximal effort. A place that tilts on the edge of serious discomfort. To become a serious competitor in cycling, you need to become very comfortable with that discomfort, because you’ll be spending a large portion of your races there.

2. Changes in Intensity

Advanced riders are more free to play with interval training, and expose their bodies to large scale changes in intensity over short periods of time. This can help mimic race conditions when going over varying terrain, hill climbs, attacking for and defending position. Your body should be built up by this point to where you can throw anything at it without worrying about injury.

3. Improve Your VO2 Max

Cyclists have some of the highest VO2 max scores ever recorded. It refers to the maximum amount of oxygen you’re able to utilize during intense exercise. The combination of aerobic base training (long duration, low intensity) and maximum effort training (short duration, high intensity) is key. This should become a prime goal in the last phase of training before a race.

Ready to Ride Pain Free?

Our partner Dynamic Cyclist is a world class training resource for cyclists worldwide. They have a comprehensive library of follow along instructional videos with routines for stretching, mobility, strength and injury prevention. We invite you to join the community and try their programming in a FREE 7-day trial that can be accessed here.

What Muscles Does Cycling Work?

November 2, 2022 by Eric Lister

It can be hard to discern just through sensation what muscles we actually used during a ride, and you might find yourself wondering what was really accomplished in terms of muscular activity. What muscles does cycling work? Some people say their lungs are working, but the lungs aren’t a muscle. It’s obvious our legs are working, but the leg is a big thing with many parts. Which of them are doing what? How? And at what time when we’re on the bike?

The science of cycling is unique in several ways because our sport is quite different than most. There’s those sports where you operate on your own two feet, and others (like cycling, rowing and kayaking) that support and move you in a seated position.

Today we want to tell you, and give you a brief overview of the different muscles you use while cycling. Some are far bigger contributors to your cycling performance than others, and some are just completely misunderstood. So let’s start with busting a major myth right off the bat. The idea that cycling builds big glutes.

Source: Rattanasak/Adobe Stock

Glutes

Unfortunately, it does not. Not to any great degree anyways. If you’re cycling to lift things up, make them more round and so on – you’re going to be quite disappointed. That is unless you’re coming from a place of very low fitness and activity (i.e. cycling is your first real form of exercise), in which case you will likely notice a difference, but only the same difference you would notice if starting any form of exercise.

If you’re relatively fit with a healthy body composition, the sport of cycling just doesn’t stimulate the gluteus maximus (your butt) enough for any real development. The gluteus maximus is the body’s primary hip extensor, it’s strong and big, and responds to intense, powerful hip extension like you see in a person sprinting or coming out of the bottom of a full depth squat.

The reason cycling negates its use is due to the range of motion your hip goes through while on the bike. If the hip doesn’t go past a certain degree of flexion, your body will not use the gluteus maximus to extend it. It’s too expensive, and the body is an energy conservation machine. It will instead resort to your secondary hip extensors, which are the hamstrings.

Electromyography analysis of the lower extremity during pedaling.
What muscles does cycling work

Source: Electromyographic Analysis of the Lower Extremity during Pedaling

Hamstrings

The graph above details this situation perfectly. This study placed individuals on a bicycle ergometer and had them pedal against changes in workload, pedal rates and other variables in seated and standing positions. The graph shows measures in electrical activity of different muscle groups throughout the test. Notice the difference between gluteus maximus and biceps femoris (your outer hamstring).

Your hamstrings have a primary function of flexing the knee, and a secondary function of extending the hip. When circumstances ask for hip extension, but the intensity requirement of that extension is low, your body resorts to a principle called synergistic dominance. This principle states that when a prime mover is inhibited (gluteus maximus), your body will use secondary movers (biceps femoris) to save energy and properly perform the function.

Conclusively, the hamstrings are far more responsible for hip extension while cycling than the glutes. On every downstroke your hamstrings are working to extend the hip down. Further, they also use their knee flexing function to start the upstroke. All of this work presents itself in the hamstring stiffness often seen globally among cyclists.

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Quadriceps

Let’s move on to the real workhorse muscles used while cycling, the quadriceps. Particularly the rectus femoris, also seen in the electromyography graph above. There is extreme and vigorous activity of the quadriceps on every pedal downstroke you perform. That’s because the range of the movement and your ability to produce force is operated primarily via your ability to extend the knee, which is, you guessed it, the main function of your quads.

Particularly when standing on the bike you are going to get more of a pump in your thighs due to the fact that you’re contracting them with the addition of a huge percentage of your bodyweight that would otherwise be supported by the saddle. The quadriceps are big, powerful muscles and that burning feeling you get climbing a hill or doing a sprint is because of the lactic acid that gets accumulated as a result of all their contractions.

Knee pain, IT band tightness and even hamstring injuries can be the result of overworked, stiff quadriceps muscles. Using foam rolling, mobility and stretching exercises to help release some of the tension they’re liable to hold on a cyclist can do a lot to increase blood flow and allow other muscles to do their jobs properly while riding.

Lower Leg Muscles

The all too forgotten muscles of the lower leg serve important roles while cycling. If they’re thought of at all we tend to only focus on the back of the lower leg, your gastrocnemius and soleus (calf muscles). These muscles work to flex the foot or point the toes down, which is a huge part of transitioning through the bottom of your pedal stroke.

It may surprise you to learn that there is also a whole other side to your lower leg! The tibialis anterior is a large muscle that runs along the front outer part of your shin with its tendons actually wrapping down into the arch of your foot. It’s responsible for picking your foot off the ground and lifting your toes. Which happens every time you transition to the upstroke and is accentuated drastically through the use of cycling shoes.

Cyclists with achilles tendon problems, knee issues and foot pain often have dysfunction somewhere in the lower leg muscles as well. We can mitigate a lot of those problems, however, by ensuring our lower legs are strong, supple and getting some focused attention in our training programs.

Source: pavel1964/Adobe Stock

Hip Flexors

Especially if you’re wearing cycling shoes, the hip flexors (primarily the psoas muscle) can help produce a more powerful upstroke while pedaling. Their function is in the name, hip flexion, but that’s not all they do. Because of their attachment to all five lumbar vertebrae, they are major stabilizers of the lower back.

Low back pain is one of the most common complaints amongst cyclists at all ages and skill levels. A good chunk of that responsibility has to fall on your poor psoas muscle, which can really get crushed if you’re putting in long hours on the bike. This is because the hip is always in a semi-flexed position, which for the psoas means a semi-shortened position.

If you constantly put a muscle in a shortened position you’re basically teaching it to stay there, and by chronically shortening a muscle it will eventually start to lose sarcomeres (base units of muscle), becoming permanently shorter. We want to avoid this at all costs, and implement stretching and mobility measures to return the psoas to its normal range.

Strengthen the Muscles Used in Biking

Our partner, Dynamic Cyclist, has intelligently designed programs to address all the stiffness, injury and common muscle weaknesses seen in cyclists! They have hundreds of follow along video routines that have been organized into balanced training programs for you to try, all for a low monthly cost! See for yourself by signing up for a 7-day free trial!

This Breathing Technique Will Make You A Better Cyclist

October 28, 2022 by Eric Lister

If you take the time to learn how to breathe properly while cycling, your performance could go from zero to hero in just a few short sessions. We don’t think about breathing technique because our bodies are designed to try and keep breathing no matter what, and this can lead us down a road of dysfunction we never even knew we were traveling on.

People think that in order to increase your lung capacity for cycling you just need to push yourself harder, faster and longer on the bike. More hills, more sprints and never-ending rides. Sure – this will increase your fitness, but the thing stopping you from reaching optimal lung capacity on the bike could be the way you breathe in and of itself…

Today we’re going to tell you about THE breathing problem to fix if you want to become a better cyclist, and how it will serve you in ways not just on the bike – but in every other part of your life. Breathing is obviously essential, and learning how to do it better is never a waste of time. So strap in, take a deep breath and keep reading!

Source: John R. Perry/Pixabay

Am I Breathing Properly?

“Should I breathe through my nose or my mouth while cycling?”

“How many pedal strokes should I inhale and how many should I exhale?”

“Are intervals the best way to increase my lung capacity on the bike?”

These are all fine questions to ask, but will be a complete waste of time trying to answer if you’re not taking in air properly in the first place. Unfortunately, this is not only the case for most cyclists, but for most people in general. This results in poor performance, high stress levels and even mental health problems like anxiety.

Because of our modern lifestyles of sitting on couches, working at desks and driving in cars, the majority of the population has developed what is called a faulty breathing pattern. This simply means that the manner in which they breathe is not optimal for the way their body is designed to function. This most commonly represents itself in the form of chest breathing.

Chest Breathing

When someone is a “chest breather”, you’ll see their chest and shoulders rise when they inhale. There won’t be any belly movement, and in some cases you can even see the belly go in (called an inverted breathing pattern). Somebody who breathes this way is constantly sending a stress signal to their nervous system, because they are forever only getting submaximal oxygen intake.

Someone who only breathes through their chest can only take in about ⅓ the amount of oxygen their body is capable of inhaling on a given breath. Throughout history, limited oxygen would have been the result of having some sort of stress to respond to – this is partly responsible for the evolution of our “fight or flight” response, but we shouldn’t be in this state all the time.

This is exactly the state perpetual chest breathers put themselves in, and it’s a major contributor to a person’s stress levels and in our specific case, poor cycling performance. Not only that, this pattern of breathing overworks muscles in our neck (scalenes) and rib cage (intercostals). People who have chronic neck and chest tightness almost always have a faulty breathing pattern.

How To Breathe While Cycling

You may have determined by now that you are in fact one of those aforementioned chest breathers, but not to worry! Even though this has by now become a very ingrained and practiced breathing pattern in your body (like, over 20,000 times a day kind of practiced), it doesn’t mean we can’t change it through a little focus and concentration.

Breathing for cycling, and good health in general, should be governed by your diaphragm. The diaphragm is a thin, dome shaped muscle that separates your abdomen from your chest cavity, and is the muscle responsible for what is called belly breathing.

breathing for cycling - inspiration vs expiration

Source: Alila Medical Media/Adobe Stock

Belly Breathing

Belly breathing allows you to take in full, deep breaths that keep your nervous system calm, aid in digestion and allow you to perform to your potential during exercise and sport. When you contract the diaphragm, it flattens its dome shape, providing space for the lungs to drop and expand. It also creates a vacuum which pulls air into the lungs (pictured above).

The term belly breathing came about because of the rise and fall of the tummy during the breath cycle. However, contrary to the common cue, “breathe into your belly”, air does not actually enter into the abdomen. Fun fact, the movement comes from your organs being pushed down and out against your abdominal wall.

Having a fully functioning diaphragm while riding is going to send your cycling performance through the roof. Our seated and often hunched over position on the bike can encourage the stiffness and decreased movement in our diaphragm that we see similarly in desk workers and sedentary people, so it may be a conscious effort in the beginning to get things working smoothly.

Breathing Techniques For Cycling

Most important is to start becoming aware of how you breathe, on and off the bike. The more stressed you are, whether that’s by daily life or by exertion while cycling, the more likely you are going to revert to a chest breathing pattern. Increase your awareness throughout the day, and start consciously trying to breathe with your diaphragm as opposed to your chest.

As previously mentioned, chest breathers often have tight, overworked chests, necks and abdomens. Stretching these areas can help them to relax so that the diaphragm, which is a deep, central respiratory muscle, can start to move, work and regain its pliability and overall functionality. Stop sucking in, free your belly and let it rise!

We recommend Dynamic Cyclist to anyone looking for a comprehensive training, performance and injury prevention platform designed specifically for cyclists. Their follow along video routines are led by world class coaches who give you the right cues to breathe properly while exercising, which carries over to the bike and how you perform during rides!

If you’re interested in giving them a try, you can sign up for a 7-day free trial HERE.

Here Are 5 Tips To Correct Your Cycling Posture

October 11, 2022 by Eric Lister

As cyclists, we want to be economical and good cycling posture plays a significant role in doing this. Because of the countless hours we end up sitting on our bikes, it would be wise to figure out how best we can achieve efficiency in order to avoid damage to our bodies and improve overall cycling performance.

The question here is: How can we improve cycling posture?

To become better at something, you need to become more efficient. The truth(s) we are actually seeking is how do we get better on the bike? How do we avoid overuse injuries? And how do we get more for less while cycling?

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A great question can sometimes be answered with an equation – and one for efficiency already exists. Borrowed from physics, it reads as follows

Efficiency = Output/Input

In cycling terms: Greater output (cycling performance) divided by lesser input (work done on the bike & wind resistance) will equal more efficient cycling.

One way to lessen the input is by improving posture.

Cycling Posture

After you’ve had a professional bike fit done to reduce hot spots and accommodate your unique proportions, the next thing to address will be your posture. The reason is because using the wrong postures at the wrong times (or just doing them poorly) while riding can make you a far less efficient cyclist…

Increased wind resistance, bleeding force, overloaded joints and overworked muscles are just some of the damage we do to ourselves and our biking when posture gets compromised. You end up putting in more work (higher input) for less reward (lower output), opposite of the desired variables in our formula above.

Today we want to give you 5 tips to improve your cycling posture so you not only feel better on the bike, but also increase your longevity, lower your injury risk, breathe better and enjoy yourself more – even on tough rides.

#1. Adjust Your Hand Position

There are three hand positions that you’re going to use throughout your ride, and it’s important you use the right one at the right time. They each have significant influence over how the rest of your body will be positioned, all with their own advantages, disadvantages and specific use:

Tops

You should be using your tops when you’re at the front of the group, riding alone or climbing a hill. This allows you to be in a more upright position where you can take in deeper breaths, have a better view of the road, pedal hard and be overall more comfortable on the bike.

Hoods

This is where you’ll be the majority of the time, think of it as a maintenance position for when you’re cruising on flat terrain and maintaining a steady cadence. This is a good position to relax into and conserve energy with easy access to your shifters or brakes should you need them.

Drops

Your most aggressive position and ideal for descending down hills as it lowers your center of gravity. You’ll naturally be able to shift your weight back and literally “drop” into a more aerodynamic position; increased output (speed/distance) and lowered input (pedaling/wind).

#2. Remember To Breathe

Not getting enough oxygen in is going to force your body to compensate through your posture. You’ll start to crane your neck, your breathing will get erratic and exaggerated, your lower back will arch, and basically everything will fall apart. Breathing is not something you can mess with on a human being without some sort of consequence.

There’s a couple of ways to address this, number one is to improve your strength and conditioning so that the stimulus of cycling isn’t so stressful on your body. The better shape you’re in, the more calm you’ll be on the bike. You can learn to modulate when your body breathes deeply for recovery and when it should really push for a sprint or hill climb.

Number two, maintain good posture even when you’re at the limits of your fitness. “Fake it until you make it”, in a sense. The reason is because you want to send the signal to your brain that you’re in control. Try your best to harmonize yourself with the stress, and you’ll recover faster when you hit flat ground or return to a more steady pedal rate. Keep it together!

#3. Engage Your Core

Maintaining some degree of stiffness in your core is going to help support your back (keeping it from collapsing) and give your legs something solid to push off of. The lower extremity is connected to your torso through the hip flexors, and pushes/pulls on the pedals in concert with the contraction of your core muscles in the front and back of your body.

Especially as you drop into a more folded position, it’s important to keep your tail slightly tucked (pelvis rotated back) to keep your core engaged. This will increase the power output from your legs, and also disperse the load more evenly throughout your body.

Remember that any break in the kinetic chain (combined muscle activity to perform a movement) will cause force to bleed out and be wasted. For many people, this is the core, and it presents itself as an arched lower back on the bike or abnormal movement patterns that don’t look or feel natural.

#4. Relax Your Body

Too much tension on the other hand, is also going to affect the way you look and move on the bike. While the goal is to produce force, pedal hard and cycle fast while riding, we also need to be able to adapt, stay loose and complete the distance we’re setting out to do.

Put that chattering voice in your head to work by giving yourself reminders throughout the ride. Relax the shoulders and bring them down from the ears. Soften the elbows so they can act as your built-in natural shock absorbers. Unclench the jaw and relax your face. Loosen the grip and use only as much muscle as you need.

Bodybuilders know the effects of this all too well – they commonly report extreme muscle soreness and fatigue after doing a posing routine on stage. All their energy goes into those poses, but it doesn’t need to go into ours. Learn to catch yourself wasting unnecessary energy and gain it back through small reminders to relax.

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#5. Control Your Exertion

Bursting too hard out of the blocks is a common problem among many types of athletes. In our sport, it can have some seriously negative effects on your cycling posture. If you overexert yourself too soon and use up all your reserves, you might not have the capacity to recover, and form will just slowly break down further and further as the ride goes on.

A proper warm up can really help mitigate this problem. It gives you the time to get yourself in a good headspace, go through the race or training plan in your mind, and figure out how best to approach the peaks and valleys of this session.

If you can stay relaxed in the right places, you’ll be able to fine tune the juxtaposition between your periods of recovery and moments of intense exertion (sprint, hill climb, attack, finish). This helps maintain overall composure, resulting in better race outcomes and training results over time.

Ride Pain & Injury Free For LIFE

If you’re looking for an all-inclusive training platform available to you 24/7 for a low monthly cost – check out, Dynamic Cyclist. They offer daily stretching and strength training video routines designed specifically for cyclists. Created by industry professionals, these programs will take your cycling to the next level and help you reach your full potential. So, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced rider, Dynamic Cyclist has everything you need to improve your performance and keep riding for years to come. Experience the results for yourself. You can try it for FREE by signing up HERE!.

These 3 Tips Will Make You Better At Endurance Cycling

September 20, 2022 by Eric Lister

The Basics

To get better at cycling, you’re going to have to spend a lot of time on your bike. Training for endurance cycling is, in some sense, a simple endeavour. We just have to create the infrastructure that can perform for long periods of time at a given intensity. This is what many people refer to as: Building your aerobic base.

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Building up a large aerobic base is the foundation that will support you through long, gritty rides on the roads and trails. By cycling at a low, sustainable RPM for extended sessions (on a consistent basis) your body will begin to make adaptations because of the demands you’re placing on it.

Being able to produce and utilize the adequate energy, while also effectively removing the byproducts of that energy production (lactic acid), would mean you’d be able to ride longer, harder and faster over greater distances for extended periods of time, just like professional cyclists.

A more comprehensive and robust capillary network will begin to form, and this will serve to supply more oxygen and nutrients to the working muscles. Further, it will increase the production of mitochondria, which can be thought of as the power plants of your muscle cells. These mechanisms combined create an efficient energy production and waste removal system.

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What Allows Us To Train For Endurance Cycling?

This is actually the first question we should be asking. Endurance training can be brutal and exhausting, yet we are often so concerned with the various training methods and desired outcomes that we forget to ask ourselves, “Am I ready to train today?”

The truth is that most people have not properly prepared for the training they put themselves through, evidenced by the high percentage of pain and subsequent injuries (non-traumatic) reported in the average cyclist. This could be due to a number of factors, all of which significantly contribute to an individual’s general health and well-being.

It will ultimately be a willingness to consider the various parts of our lives, health and bodies in combination with one other that determines how long we stay on the saddle, and how well we perform during that time. Despite the tried and true training protocols for endurance cycling, if we can’t ride due to injury or fatigue, none of them will matter.

How To Become A Better Endurance Cyclist

Here are three tips that will ensure you get the most out of your long distance training. By following this advice, you will also be mitigating your injury risk and working towards a sustainable, long term cycling practice that you can continue to do for the rest of your life. Staying on the bike and riding pain free should always be the number one goal.

Monitor Your Resting Heart Rate (RHR)

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This can be done in a number of ways with all sorts of fancy tools and gadgets, but there’s also a simpler method that costs no money and actually does more in the way of connecting you with your own body. That is by manually checking your pulse as soon as you wake up, and tracking your beats per minute in a simple journal or by creating a new column in your training log.

Studies have shown that an elevated RHR of just five extra beats per minute is strongly associated with overtraining. You’ll notice the same effect when you get sick, are having a troublesome time at work, have been making poor food choices – and the list goes on and on. All of these things are associated with a person being under increased levels of stress.

Whatever the reason, it can be taken as a sign that today might not be a great day to try and push yourself. Today might be a day for rest and relaxation. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you’re not going to become an elite endurance cyclist in one either. Taking the time to focus on recovery could be the best option when this simple metric starts to stand out.

Follow The 80/20 Rule

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The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Distribution, basically states that 80% of outcomes are due to 20% of causes. It is quite a miraculous phenomenon that is rampantly prevalent in human activity and nature too. Surely our meager cycling endurance training can’t escape something so fundamental. Perhaps it means we don’t have to work quite as hard as we think, either.

Adapting the 80/20 rule to endurance cycling would involve deciding what amount of time to spend between low intensity and high intensity training. As mentioned in our introduction, it is important to spend the majority of it (80%, perhaps?) building a large aerobic base. That leaves 20% for us to dedicate to higher intensity training like hill, sprint and interval workouts.

Having a training plan makes a ratio like this easy to track, but even a loose adherence to this guideline will start to provide significant returns on your training investments over time. A great way to start is if you ride five days a week, commit one of those days to a workout that really pushes you, saving the others for longer, more manageable rides.

Start A Strength & Mobility Program

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Cycling positions can be tough on the body, and if the plan is to stay in those positions for longer stretches of time over greater distances, that means the chances of injury are going to increase as well. Incorporating a properly programmed and professionally designed strength and mobility program can help counteract this.

Supple joints that can move through varying ranges of motion and strength training in particular have been shown to increase endurance cycling performance. By increasing the cross sectional area of the muscles used while cycling, they’re able to produce more force over longer periods of time, and their fibers become more resistant to pulls, strains and tears.

Dynamic Cyclist is our recommended choice for an all-inclusive program that is accessible 24/7 through an easy-to-use online training platform. It has follow along strength training, warm up and mobility routines to help you optimize your cycling performance, reduce pain and stay injury free before, during and after your time on the bike.

Deciding what to do and at what time can be challenging with all of the conflicting information available online. Dynamic Cyclist gives our readers a personal trainer, physiotherapist and professional cycling coach all combined into one low-cost option that they can try here for FREE.

No matter what your end goal is with endurance training, be sure to look after yourself, make sure you’re prepared, and do the necessary work that is going to keep you riding for years to come!

Lower Back Pain & Cycling: The Ultimate Guide

September 7, 2022 by Eric Lister

Introduction

More than half of cyclists report having low back pain, which should be reason enough for you to read through this article. Either you are one of these individuals, or in all likelihood will be at some point in your cycling career. Unfortunately, there are various things about our sport that almost guarantee an achy back with enough time and patience.

If we are the ones to break this news to you, we apologize. But just the singular act of sitting on a bike can actually have serious detrimental implications for your lower back.

Today we will give you the information and guidance to eliminate cycling low back pain once and for all. A note before we dive in, ensure you have done (or have had a professional perform) a proper bike fit. Without this, all the following advice could be a non-starter. If that’s in order, then we hope you find this helpful. Here is a comprehensive guide to some of the most common issues relating to lower back pain in cyclists, and most importantly, how to address them.

Compression (Problems)

A famous study from 1970 showed that while standing you have (on average) about 100 kg of pressure on your lumbar discs. If you sit down, this pressure increases to 140 kg. If you bend forward while sitting, this pressure increases to 185 kg.

Remind you of anything?

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Constant compression of your spinal discs not only puts you at risk for disc herniation, it is often the cause of weakness, numbness, tingling and pain that can radiate out from the back and into your limbs through conditions like sciatica. This might help explain why some people experience back pain after cycling, resulting from the increased compressive forces sustained during the ride.

Many people think back pain originates from things like hard physical labour, but the evidence says otherwise. There is a far higher percentage of people with back pain in rich, developed countries where people are more sedentary. The same phenomenon is seen when comparing people in urban centers to others in rural communities. A lot of this comes down to sitting.

There is a devilish trick at play here, because people think getting on their bike is going to make them stronger, more resilient and LESS susceptible to common problems like low back pain. As we’re starting to see, this is not exactly true. So we need to find ways to counteract the compression we experience on our bikes, and in so many other areas of our lives.

Compression (Fixes)

You may have heard the interesting fact that you’re taller in the morning than you are at night. This is a result of gravity acting down on you throughout the day. As we age, the repetitiveness of this effect on our spinal columns (among other things) can actually cause our spinal discs to lose fluid, dry out, become brittle, painful and injured.

There are however ways to give our spines the love they need, and preserve their integrity throughout our lives. That is by actively taking them through full ranges of motion, and doing exercises to neutralize the excessive compression forces we subject them to. Here are two things to help that you’re probably not currently doing:

Hanging

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Our ancestors have been doing it for hundreds of thousands of years, children do it on the playground, but for some reason as adults we don’t do it at all. You don’t need an inversion table, fancy boots or medieval torture devices to decompress your spine…all you need to do is hold onto a bar – and relax.

Hanging has a number of incredible benefits. It expresses full shoulder flexion, increases grip strength and decompresses your spine to name a few. A door frame pull up bar is inexpensive and easy to use. Try doing intermittent sets throughout the day to help loosen things up, especially after rides.

If you’re not strong enough to hold yourself, or can only hold for a few seconds, use your feet on a platform or the floor to take some of the weight off. It’s important to give yourself time to gradually get stronger in this position. Our modern lifestyles and the sport of cycling rarely take our arms overhead. So take your time, start slow and don’t rush.

Full Squats (Resting)

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Remember those lower income countries we mentioned? Their citizens often do something far better than sitting when eating meals, waiting for the bus or even just talking to friends. It’s the same thing every child does when they want to pick something up off the ground. Most of us know it as an exercise, but it’s actually fundamentally a resting position. The squat.

Sitting in a full squat is a natural position for our bodies; it helps us digest food, keeps our hips, knees and ankles mobile, and actually places our colons in the best position to poop (pooping in the woods, anyone?) It also has a gentle stretching and decompressive effect on our lower backs, with the force going through our feet and the ground instead of our backsides and a saddle.

This might be hard if you’re inexperienced, but you can use your desk or any other sturdy implement to hold onto while in this position. Placing a book under each heel can help as well. Try spending short periods of time down there, and you’ll be shocked at how mobile, supple and energetic you start to become. After the initial period of incredible discomfort, of course!

Core (Problems)

The core is grossly misunderstood, especially when it comes to cycling and lower back pain. Lower back pain is strongly associated with a muscle called the Transversus Abdominis (TVA), your deepest abdominal muscle. It wraps around your organs and entire midsection like a corset, and is your body’s equivalent to the weight belts you see people wearing in gyms.

The Role of the Pelvic Floor in Respiration: A Multidisciplinary Literature Review – Scientific Figure on ResearchGate

As you can see from this photo, the TVA shares an intimate relationship with your diaphragm, multifidus and pelvic floor muscles. All of them work together in a loop to create trunk and low back stability. One of the most notable differentiators between cyclists with back pain is that they have less TVA thickness than riders without low back pain.

When you activate your TVA, your belly button draws in towards your spine. This pushes your organs up against your diaphragm and down against your pelvic floor, creating a compressed cylinder around your low back. Because the tendons of your diaphragm reach down towards the L2/L3 vertebrae, the upwards pressure of this action actually lifts those vertebrae slightly, decompressing L4/L5 and L5/S1 below.

L4/L5 and L5/S1 just so happen to be the two most common sites for disc herniations, and TVA weakness will almost undoubtedly be found in individuals with those injuries.

Starting to see the importance of proper core function?

Core (Fixes)

Having a stronger, more supported core should start with learning how to use your TVA (as opposed to hammering your abdominals with excessive exercise, which is so often the advice given). This will increase the tone of your midsection and support your organs, while also adding support to the lower back even in the compromised position your bike puts you in.

So, how do you do it?

Think about putting on a tight pair of pants, you know how you suck your belly button in to do so? That’s the action of your TVA. To practice, try taking in a deep breath of air. Now slowly exhale, and at the same time draw your belly button in towards your spine. The TVA assists in expiration, so timing these two actions together can help increase awareness of the muscle.

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Every time you bend over, pick something up, push/pull something or MOVE at all – you should be activating your TVA first. Take a breath, draw the belly in and hold. Complete the movement, then repeat. Remember, if your TVA is engaged, your back is supported. With enough practice, your nervous system will learn to automatically activate it every time you move.

“Does this mean you should hold your tummy in all day and the whole time you’re cycling?”

Of course not! But by strengthening this muscle through regular use you will increase its resting tone. So even when not actively engaging it (like when you’re riding) it will be tight, strong and supportive.

Poor resting abdominal tone versus good resting abdominal tone. Neither of these people are overweight, but the man’s belly is protruding because his organs are falling forward against a weak abdominal wall.

Hips (Problems)

We now get to one of the most problematic areas in the body when it comes to low back pain and cycling, the hips. More specifically, the hip flexors. Even more specifically, the psoas muscle. The psoas is your primary hip flexor, and is indeed the only muscle connecting your upper and lower body.

It attaches to your femur and all five lumbar vertebrae, so it has significant influence on your lower back. While cycling, your hips are always in some state of flexion, never reaching full extension. The hip flexors actually help pull your leg up through the recovery phase in preparation for propulsion in the power phase, as well. All this flexion can lead to tightness.

Tight psoas muscles will pull on the lumbar vertebrae. This tips the pelvis forward by creating an excessive curve in the low back (lordosis), causing the vertebrae to pinch together, compressing nerves and often resulting in pain. Tight hips also inhibit the function of their antagonists, the glutes, which are tremendously important for overall strength and balance in the body.

PhysioLogic

Hips (Fixes)

Static stretching in general can be a great way to improve flexibility. Doing it before riding however, is not necessarily recommended. When you hold stretches for extended periods of time, it has a relaxation effect on the muscles by decreasing their neural excitation, meaning they won’t be able to contract as hard as usual, leading to decreased cycling performance.

We can intelligently use this effect to our benefit, though. If we want to decrease the activity of a hyperactive muscle, such as our hip flexors, then doing a passive stretch on them before, and even intermittently during, our rides can be a handy tool for relieving back pain while cycling.

Give this stretch a try before your next session:

Lunge Stretch

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Get into a wide standing lunge position, try not to arch your lower back (tuck your tail), and then lean into your front knee, opening up the hip on your extended side. You should feel a stretch in the front of that back hip. Hold for 30-60 seconds. Repeat on the other side. If this is too tiring, you can lower the back knee to the ground for support.

This will have a “deadening” effect on your hip flexors and possibly provide some relief to the low back while riding. If you get some initial relief, and then feel your lower back pulling after some time riding, simply stop and perform this stretch again to see if it makes a difference. If it does, then you can start doing this stretch on rest days for a more permanent effect.

Back Strength (Problems)

Cycling basically does nothing in the way of strengthening your back, but paradoxically, you need a strong back to be a good cyclist. Being bent over on the bike forces our back muscles to work extremely hard to maintain some sort of rigidity and stability during that time, but if we lack the endurance to do so, the body resorts to other mechanisms.

There is something that takes place in your body called the flexion-relaxation phenomenon. When you sub-maximally flex your spine, your body will relax the muscles of the back to rely passively on deeper structures like tendons and ligaments for energy conservation. Increasing the strength and endurance of our back musculature can help mitigate the effects of the prolonged wear and tear this could have on our spines while cycling.

One revealing way to tell if a back is weak is just by looking at it. If you can see the spinous processes on somebody’s back (bumps along the spine) while standing, that is a screaming sign of an area that is at risk for injury. Having a strong back is not just beneficial in cycling but for every other part of life.

Spinous processes are noticeably visible on this woman.

Back Strength (Fixes)

Training the low back and back in general to handle heavy loads over sustained periods of time will dramatically reduce your risk of pain and injury while on the bike. Adding extra tissue to the area will create a strong, supportive environment that can do the activities you’re asking it to.

Any exercise where you’re picking something up off the floor, like a deadlift, is going to be the best bang for your buck. This is because your low back is going to be the pivot point for the load you’re trying to pull. Performing high repetitions with moderate weights is going to train your muscles to be strong over time (endurance), which is exactly what you want as a cyclist.

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Interestingly, many cyclists complain of lower back spasms while riding. This is because the muscles are being overstretched, so they forcefully contract to try to bring you out of that position (i.e. your body is smarter than you!) If you want to avoid spasms, make your back stronger!

Ready To Ride Pain Free?

If you’re looking for a comprehensive, all-in-one training platform that combines injury prevention, mobility, strength training and more – you might enjoy training with our partner, Dynamic Cyclist.

They built this program for cyclists, and are cyclists themselves. Physios, coaches and world class trainers. All at your disposal for a fraction of the cost – of ONE appointment! Their goal is to help cyclists ride pain free, and we want you to see the results for yourself.
Sign up for a 7-day free trial HERE and join a community of cycling enthusiasts who are riding stronger, faster and better than ever before!

This Will Make You Faster On The Trails

August 17, 2022 by Eric Lister

Mountain biking is that unique brand of our sport notoriously responsible for its abrasions, broken bones, banged up shoulders and the odd concussion from time to time. Strength training for mountain biking should prepare us for what can sometimes be a winding trail of hostility and potential danger. That doesn’t, however, mean it’s something we should avoid.

The chance to get into nature, explore new technical paths and take in the beautiful scenery are what biking outside is all about. Preparing our bodies to handle the sudden drops, body jolts, jagged turns and unorthodox terrain means we can enjoy ourselves with a built-in insurance policy that protects us from injury and improves our cycling performance as a whole.

Becoming a better, faster mountain biker is always going to be a dynamic, ever changing goal. There are so many areas we can pay attention to for a sport that shifts focus quickly depending on where we are and how we’re riding. We have some universal tips to help and a special routine excerpt from our Dynamic Cyclist training program at the bottom for you to try!

Build Your Confidence

Source: Simona

It’s one thing to preach this idea, it’s a whole other to actually go out and do it. Especially when you’re careening down a mountain at God knows what speed, with every tree and boulder just waiting to stop you dead in your tracks. Exposing yourself to those situations though is precisely the way you get better at mountain biking.

The mitigation of fear is a competitive mountain biker’s innate advantage compared to the amateur rider. They have dealt with almost every situation, and understand how to control the forces that are going to be applied to them. They know their bike and they know their body, so they’re free to let go of the brake and use it all to their advantage.

Riding on different terrain, paths and trails will help educate your mind and body to be more comfortable amidst all the chaos. High confidence has been shown to be one of the few differentiators in downhill mountain biking performance. Other factors included hand grip endurance and aerobic capacity which, if you lack, could be significant performance detractors…

Improve Hand Grip Endurance & Aerobic Capacity

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Surprise! In case that last sentence wasn’t a clue. Imagine the feeling of losing your grip on the handlebars or gasping for air with nature’s every creation flying by you at lightning fast speeds. That doesn’t sound to us like optimal conditions for the intense concentration required under such circumstances.

One of the best ways to get direct functional cross over from your mountain bike training to the trails is with the use of cables. As you can see above, the woman has her arms angled similarly to the position you’ll find yourself in on the bike. Cable machines can challenge the hands, forearms and shoulders to stabilize in a similar way to biking but with progressive loading.

For aerobic capacity, making sure to challenge yourself with lots of uphill riding is a surefire way to get your heart pumping. It’s important to remember too that your aerobic capacity and overall cardiovascular health are the first variables of fitness to decrease upon taking a break from physical activity. Quick to gain, quick to lose, so make sure you train it regularly!

Adjust Your Gaze

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Where you look actually has a significant influence on your overall body position, and this plays an important part in getting the most out of your muscles on the bike. Our eyes have a stimulating effect on the muscles in whatever direction we look, which is built into our nervous systems to help anticipate movement in that direction

The pelvo-ocular response is a reflex that orients our pelvis and lower extremities based on where our eyes are looking. Because of the positions we find ourselves in while mountain biking, there can be a tendency to crane the neck upwards to keep our eyes level with the horizon. This is indeed necessary sometimes, but not all the time.

Tilting the chin too far up will cause our lower backs to arch as a result of this pelvo-ocular response, this in turn will stretch the core muscles and cause them to disengage, which is not something we want. It is instead better, when possible, to keep the spine and neck in a neutral position, retracting the chin and letting your gaze fall naturally in front of you for a tight, stable core.

Deadlift Position & Mountain Biking

An interesting parallel to the fitness world is deadlift positioning in the gym. It has been shown that retraction of the neck and chin into a straight, neutral position helps a person to engage the erector spinae (back) muscles and exterior obliques in their core when lifting. Transferring this activation to the bike would result in far superior force production and absorption.

Ready To Get Stronger On The Bike?

Dynamic Cyclist offers an all around training platform for cyclists of all disciplines worldwide. We have comprehensive strength training workouts, injury prevention sessions, mobility and warm up routines all available with the click of a button!

Give it a try by following along today with our coach, Alisha. This is just one of the hundreds of videos from our library that is available for a low monthly subscription. Our goal is to make you a better, stronger cyclist who enjoys being on the bike and rides pain free. You can sign up here for a 7-day free trial and see what you think!

6 Ways To Immediately Get Better At Cycling

July 27, 2022 by Eric Lister

Becoming stronger on the bike is about more than wearing a speed suit and choosing the right kind of energy bar (despite what the manufacturers of such goods would have you believe). We want to delve into the more substantive aspects of how to become a better cyclist, and that involves looking at the sport from a personalized and wide-angle perspective.

The last thing we want as cyclists is to start feeling bogged down by the thought of getting on a bike. If you stop seeing improvement or the body begins to give you grief, all of a sudden the activity you used to love will become nothing more than another chore. You might already be there, but it’s never too late to change things up and reinvigorate a whole new routine.

It’s our goal today to give you six solid tips to improve your cycling, make you a better cyclist and help you feel good long-term on and off the saddle. These tidbits of advice will positively contribute to several other areas in your day to day life, so let’s start making a difference today!

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1. Slow Down

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Overtraining is a real and extremely detrimental condition that we in the cycling community are susceptible to. Your body doesn’t differentiate stress; stress from work, from relationships and from exercise. It’s all the same to the body. Having a cup that’s too full is a sure way to hurt cycling performance and eventually end up injured.

You wouldn’t think that to become a better cyclist you might have to stop cycling. Sometimes stopping completely, sometimes just learning to slow down. Try reducing the overall intensity of your rides by sticking to even terrain as opposed to hilly slopes. Or, have your goal be to enjoy the ride instead of focusing on performance, which is another way to calm a flared up system.

Look at it this way, cycling has been shown to improve executive functioning and mental health in older adults. This is evidence that our sport can be regenerative and medicinal with the proper dosage. Using it as a tool for recuperation and fulfillment (instead of punishment) is a way we can stay on the bike longer while feeling good about the choices we’re making.

2. Cross Train

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Cross training is one of the best ways to improve your cycling performance and make you an overall better bike rider. Not only do you get to explore other recreational and social opportunities, but it’s a physical necessity for any athlete participating in any sport.

Proper cycling posture is a key factor in determining whether your rides will be efficient, comfortable and pain free. Even the most meticulous cyclist, however, will start to feel aggravated after too much time on the bike. Moving your body with different amounts of force through varying ranges of motion is a complexity that it constantly craves.

Integrating activities that use movements not found in cycling will provide the most benefit. Swimming is a great example; rotation, pulling, back extension, core extension, freeing of the legs and shoulders are all things cycling isn’t great at. An intelligently selected cross training activity will give your body that fresh new stimulation it has been waiting for.

3. Eat Better Food

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The benefits of whole, organically grown, fresh fruits, vegetables and meats are far reaching within your own body, your community and the rest of the planet. Shopping at a farmers market is more than a nice day trip (but it is that too!). It supports local operations and people you get to meet face to face, making a connection between you and what you put in your body.

You literally are what you eat. Everything you digest breaks down to eventually form the cells of your entire anatomy. Organic food is more nutritious and contains less pesticide residues than commercially raised goods. By choosing whole, organic foods (not organic cookies) you’re supporting a sustainable ecosystem both inside your body and outside in the world.

When you eat poorly (and we all know what that means), your body has to try to build muscles, tendons, organs, blood and bone out of garbage materials. How do you think those structures will perform? A hint: They will be at high risk of injury and lacklustre on the bike. Not to mention your mental health, which your food choices have a profound effect on.

4. Implement A Strength Training & Mobility Routine

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Unless you are a powerlifter, weightlifter or bodybuilder, your number one goal as an athlete in the gym (including cyclists) is injury prevention. When you get injured, it doesn’t matter how good you look or how strong you are or what your Vo2 max is…you won’t be able to do the activity you love. This often occurs as a result of a repetitive, improperly balanced program.

The implementation of a strength & mobility routine is how you make up for the shortfalls and detriments of your sport. There is no lack of those in cycling, so we have to be clever with the moments before we get on the bike, time actually spent riding, and off days dedicated to the health, pliability and strength of our bodies.

Dynamic Cyclist is a fully integrated training system dedicated to cyclists. It’s a fraction of the cost of a gym membership and can be performed at home with little or no equipment. They have follow along strength workouts, stretching routines, mobility exercises and injury prevention programs that are all designed to help you become a better cyclist.

5. Get A Training Partner

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Riding alongside a partner is one of the best ways to get better at cycling. Whether it’s your romantic partner, a long-time friend or someone you met at an event, cycling is a wonderful activity that should be shared and bonded over.

Cycling solo certainly has its benefits, but we all need human connection. Shared experiences are the most memorable, and cycling offers us that opportunity to get outside together and explore. If you’ve noticed a lack of motivation lately, a training partner can help breathe new life into the sport you once fell in love with.

Nowadays there is ample opportunity to connect with local biking enthusiasts. Race events, Facebook groups and other online communities mean that if you want to find someone to ride with, you can! For the more competitive athlete, you’ll find grueling hills and long distance pushes far more enjoyable knowing someone else is going through it too!

6. Hire A Coach

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Commissioning the services of a qualified, experienced coach is one of the best returns on investment in any sport or activity. You’ll be under the guidance of someone who has been there and seen the problems you might be facing in themselves and other athletes. Not only that, they’ve learned ways to address those problems and figured out solutions to improve them.

There is a plethora of information, training programs and advice that pervades the web on anything and everything cycling. Deciphering such information can be difficult and result in a lot of wasted time and effort. This is one of the main advantages to working with someone who can separate the wheat from the chaff and ensure you’re doing the right things at the right time.

Dynamic Cyclist’s dedicated 1-on-1 coach, Cory Krist, has over 20 years of experience helping people become better cyclists. He graduated with an honours degree in Kinesiology and uses his extensive knowledge to help people understand the why behind different training principles and techniques. You can learn about Coach Cory and set up a call with him HERE!

Become A Better Cyclist

As cyclists, we all know the importance of staying in top shape and maintaining muscle balance to avoid injury and ride pain-free. That’s why we’re excited to introduce Dynamic Cyclist, the program that offers daily stretching and strength training video routines designed specifically for cyclists. Created by industry professionals, these programs will take your cycling to the next level and help you reach your full potential. So, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced rider, Dynamic Cyclist has everything you need to improve your performance and keep riding for years to come. Experience the results for yourself, click here to try 7 days free.