boost up my physique

[Dekes]

When i ride XC, i can go pretty fast for hours, but in trials, i couldn't finish a section in time because i get exhausted before the end.

You guys have any training ideas to boost up my physique in order to have more endurance for trials?

thanks in advance.

[Mat_P]

i guess its just practice that will help your muscle stamina (im assuming you were tired in the sense that you no longer had the muscle strength to move the bike around to easily).
i found at the beginning of riding trials i would get tired/exhausted realyl quickly...now it takes alot longer.

[stocktrials]

I'm not sure how long you've all been riding, but remember when you first learn to hop on the back wheel? It takes a lot of effort. Years later, it takes nothing.

ALSO- as you compete more, you learn to utilise moves that don't take as much energy (especially rolling type moves). So you see, you need to use mental energy in trials too, its psychologically enduring as well. XC is mainly spinning if you want to go fast.. very different.

I've found that this comes with experience, so just try to compete more, watch videos of yourself/others too. hope this helps

[JK]

When you ride, find sections that take you about 3 minutes to complete. Do about 20 of them with a five minute break in between each section. Your endurance will definitely improve.

[toni]

I think it's kind of endurance, but MORE sheer strength!
If you have the strength it's more likely you'll pass an obstacle in one hit, rather than having the endurance and lacking the strength and spending forever on that one obstacle weakening with each try but hey you can keep trying because you've got the endurance...

I'm a bad explainer :(

[Mat_P]

I think it's kind of endurance, but MORE sheer strength!
If you have the strength it's more likely you'll pass an obstacle in one hit, rather than having the endurance and lacking the strength and spending forever on that one obstacle weakening with each try but hey you can keep trying because you've got the endurance...

I'm a bad explainer :(


sure sheer strenght does help with doing bigger moves with less effort but endurance for comps is what is needed more.
even the biggest and most trained muscles get tired.
take body builders for example, they have ALOT of sheer strength, but they might only do 6 reps in each set of weights as their muscles tire out...whereas any guy who goes to the gym and hits the weights say 2-3 times a week and is semi buff will do alot more reps in each set. sure he may not do as heavy weights but he can go for longer.
now, in a comp you want enough strength to do the bigger moves but anything more than that is a waste as your muscles will still tire out quickly without the endurance.

[literocola]

GYM TIME!
Hit the gym my friend. Start doing sets with more reps rather than building muscle. 10-15 reps for endurance, 4-10 for building.
Areas you want to spend extra time with are your forarms, hands, shoulders, upper back/lowerback, triceps, deltoids, trapezius, latissimus dorsi aka wings, chest... hell anything upper body. Get er done, get er strong.
If you have a membership to a gym already, its always a good to get yourself a personal trainer. Most corporate gyms have personal trainers that come with the membership. These guys know their shit, and will help you more than you can do alone. I've had the same trainer for a number of years, and has taught me much. 6'3" 205 lbs, and am a fuckin powerhouse.

[jobottDMB]

I've been riding for almost 4 years now... I was tired after the first section yesterday. Other ways I think I need to train other than weight lifting would be to practice more than one or two moves at a time. Anyone know of a good workout for your fingers to help with arm pump?

[decline]

i work at a rock climbing gym and arm pump is ALWAYS happening. one thing to start off doing if u have a prob. w/ gettin pumped out is to stretch each of your fingers over the backof your hand and under do your palm individually. then each hand as a whole. when your resting shake your hands off really fast just to get blood back into them and flowing again. and another thing if you are lookin into strength is what we climbers use called a hang bored. its for pull ups but u cant wrap ur hand around it...this also helps with back strength as well. but the most inital thing thats going to help is drink lots of water and just stretching. stretching while in the work out helps a bit too. hope that will help u out man.

[epet]

I find that I forget to breathe deeply and regularly when I'm concentrating and that kills my endurance during longer sections. now I try to co-ordinate my breathing with my timing, hopefully this will help.

[Dekes]

GYM TIME!
Hit the gym my friend. Start doing sets with more reps rather than building muscle. 10-15 reps for endurance, 4-10 for building.
Areas you want to spend extra time with are your forarms, hands, shoulders, upper back/lowerback, triceps, deltoids, trapezius, latissimus dorsi aka wings, chest... hell anything upper body. Get er done, get er strong.
If you have a membership to a gym already, its always a good to get yourself a personal trainer. Most corporate gyms have personal trainers that come with the membership. These guys know their shit, and will help you more than you can do alone. I've had the same trainer for a number of years, and has taught me much. 6'3" 205 lbs, and am a fuckin powerhouse.
I've done gym for over a year, till september, then i was so bored of it i couldn't see another pectoral, shoulder lift or bicep roll - machine again. Now i still have loose wheigths next to my bed and a ab coach but i rarely use them cause i like to do real sports in stead like trials or XC or mountainbiking in general.

I have to mention that i'm 35 lbs overwheight as well, probably due to the meals i get here in the student restaurant, it's industrial kitchen, not really unhealthy when it comes to vitamins, but pretty fat.

Thanks a lot for the explanation every one, but what non-gym, "real", exciting sports could actually do much benefit as well? I was thinking 400m running maybe, as it's aerobe alactic or the 800m as it takes about 2 minutes to 2 minutes and a half to run it, about the same as a trials section.

greets.

[Sonic]

Ride natural as often as you can. Before our last competition here that's what I did about a month before the competition and strictly natural two weeks before the competition. Picking out lines and riding like you would in a competition help you more than any other training. I know citing someone in particular isnt always so well received here, but take a look at TRA, I think the endurance he has in bouncing up the sides of sheer rock faces speaks for something.

Before riding natural a lot to shape up, I was getting very tired when riding competition-like sections. I say nothing helps like riding natural because for the past nine months Ive been helping train my wife for a half marathon (~13 mi.) and Ive been going to the gym three nights a week for five months, and these two things didnt seem to help much. The repeated body movements and stress of a section is what you need to practice at, not calmly running or lifting a barbell.

As always, just my opinion and what recently worked for me.

[birdman]

GYM TIME!
Hit the gym my friend. Start doing sets with more reps rather than building muscle. 10-15 reps for endurance, 4-10 for building.
Areas you want to spend extra time with are your forarms, hands, shoulders, upper back/lowerback, triceps, deltoids, trapezius, latissimus dorsi aka wings, chest... hell anything upper body. Get er done, get er strong.
If you have a membership to a gym already, its always a good to get yourself a personal trainer. Most corporate gyms have personal trainers that come with the membership. These guys know their shit, and will help you more than you can do alone. I've had the same trainer for a number of years, and has taught me much. 6'3" 205 lbs, and am a fuckin powerhouse.
:rofl:

[stocktrials]

Anyone know of a good workout for your fingers to help with arm pump?

it may sound/look silly but... raise your arms above your head. Open (extend your fingers as far as you can) and close your hands (clenching tight upon closure) and repeat 100 times. I've done this most mornings along with stretching and I rarely ever get arm pump.

Try to do it in the comfort and privacy of your own room.

[greyghost]

I've done gym for over a year, till september, then i was so bored of it i couldn't see another pectoral, shoulder lift or bicep roll - machine again. Now i still have loose wheigths next to my bed and a ab coach but i rarely use them cause i like to do real sports in stead like trials or XC or mountainbiking in general.

I have to mention that i'm 35 lbs overwheight as well, probably due to the meals i get here in the student restaurant, it's industrial kitchen, not really unhealthy when it comes to vitamins, but pretty fat.

Thanks a lot for the explanation every one, but what non-gym, "real", exciting sports could actually do much benefit as well? I was thinking 400m running maybe, as it's aerobe alactic or the 800m as it takes about 2 minutes to 2 minutes and a half to run it, about the same as a trials section.

greets.

Running 800m is not going to help you much. You've got to use movements that are more specific to trials. I'd go back to the gym and instead of using the useless machines, do some swiss ball power excercises, or some cable movements.

Have someone videotape you while you ride, then you can look back on it and see what your posture is like. Are you keeping a natural curve in you lumbar and thoracic spine, or do you let your back round out? Watching your riding posture can help a lot, for trials or XC.

All in all, it gets easier as you get better , because you make more neurological connections, which enable to you to use more muscle fiber for any single movement, making it easier to do. It;s the same as someone who just starts weightlifting and jumps up in weight very quickly, it's the neurological connections that are strenghtened more than the muscle.

Ride more and lift smarter.:drool:

[rush]

I think it's kind of endurance, but MORE sheer strength!
If you have the strength it's more likely you'll pass an obstacle in one hit, rather than having the endurance and lacking the strength and spending forever on that one obstacle weakening with each try but hey you can keep trying because you've got the endurance...

I'm a bad explainer :(

If I listened to anyone I would listen to you. Vincent Hermance incarnate. :eek3:

[rocpyro]

[quote=decline]i work at a rock climbing gym and arm pump is ALWAYS happening. [quote]


Ride moto, your arms will pump up like you were juicing, but after a while, they really get strong.

[tamu]

yea.. i rode motorcycles and after a while your arms get stronger.. clutch and stuff..


if youre looking for things to do that help you with trials.. but not boring old gym stuff.. :dunno:

I like to do physical work.. like carry heavy rocks.. expecially when there is a purpose.. like you need to move a fallen tree.. cut it into heavy sections and move them..

can be quite tireing.. but if youre working hard and you see your accomplishments it can be.. not fun.. but.. i dont know what im trying to say..

trials isnt really an aerobic exercise.. its more short bursts of energy.. so running, although will strengthen your legs, wont help anything else..

you need strong arms, back and legs.. (picking up heavy things and moving them works all of these, i know youre not supposed to use your back.. but if its not real heavy (like more thna 50lbs) ive never had a problem..

im not sure of the advice im giving, it works for me, but thats just me.. I have never broken a bone, and am very double jointed, nd naturally strong (6'2" and a... powerhouse - about 20lbs ).


the only problem with trials i have is a sore lower back.. from my tail bone up about 6 in..

[MikeTheBike]

Only one person mentioned it so I thought I had better reinforce it:

BREATHING

As suggested, Trials is anaerobic. This essentially means your muscles have to put out more energy than your breathing, and heart, are able to bring in with oxygen. There are several things that happen over time when riding trials that helps your overall endurance: your muscle endurance increases, your lung capacity increases and your heart's ability to pump large amounts of red blood increases. Thus, any exercises that increase your anaerobic endurance will help your Trials endurance.

[Dekes]

Only one person mentioned it so I thought I had better reinforce it:

BREATHING

As suggested, Trials is anaerobic. This essentially means your muscles have to put out more energy than your breathing, and heart, are able to bring in with oxygen. There are several things that happen over time when riding trials that helps your overall endurance: your muscle endurance increases, your lung capacity increases and your heart's ability to pump large amounts of red blood increases. Thus, any exercises that increase your anaerobic endurance will help your Trials endurance.

60/100/200m running athletics?

[Ottawa_biker]

hit up the gym

[Dekes]

so anyone else have any ideas?

[Dekes]

how about rope skipping? Anyone got an opinion about that?

[AgrAde]

i was bloody useless at keeping my breath in trials until i practiced more than 15 feet at a time.

try stomping through 3 minutes of natural without stopping to get your breath, and not spending ages dicking around in a trackstand getting your balance. when you've finished dying, do it again. rinse, repeat.

4 things will happen:
-you'll be able to breeze through sections and not be tired at the end
-you'll lose the bad habit of taking 30 seconds to set up for each move
-your balance will be awesome
-you'll develop a stubborn as hell attitude towards falling off, and you'll learn to save yourself from crappy situations a lot better

i rode like that for a while and noticed a shitload of improvement in every aspect of my trialsings. i couldn't keep it up though cos i'm way too lazy.