stretch and strengthen

[Povi]

im sure i speak for a lot of us when i say that i dont want to wake up in the morning because i am too sore from riding all day the day before. i am new to the sport and i just got my mod, so my muscles are not used to the more trials side of riding, coming from the street/dj style.

what stretches should i do to prevent hurting myself??
what workouts/activities should i do to strengthen the specific muscles for trials riding??

[gillyboy]

I have been riding for about a year now and the best way to strengthen is just to ride lots, if you have access to gym you could do back exercises cause thats where your likely to get sore the most. BUT when you starting out your going to get sore, there is no way around it. Just ride as much as you can and you will get stronger.:) by the way, i ride mod too, there is only a couple of us so it will be good to see you out

[Acolyte]

I like to start riding and after I get warmed up(no huge moves, just to get the blood flowing) I stop to stretch out before continuing. Stretch every muscle you can. I may stretch afterwards too, depending on how I feel.

I have fewer problems with sore muscles the more I ride.

[Povi]

well this morning was painful to get out of bed :p
i stretched before i started riding and i found i didnt have much pain anywhere, just a s**tload of soon-to-be-blisters on my hands is the end result.

[stpatr3k]

Get some Ibuprofen, then ride some more. I read somewhere it is helpfull if you drink some while doing the first activity that would cause the pain.

[Giant1118]

If u have access to a gym why not actually work your entire body, instead of working out just your back...seems kinda dumb to just focus on one or two muscles (or just upper body...pfff)

This has been discussed a million times. Stretch after you ride not before. Stretching a cold muscle will more then likely lead to injury. Do a search on here or on google. This shit is relative to any sport, not just trials.

please
/end thread

[guumer]

i just ride my bike and if i hurt i ride my bike?

[stocktrials]

your body needs to get used to using the muscles used in trials riding

but sit down and stretch to touch your toes and back, things like that
i do it every morning.. some mornings.. sometimes. haha i been gettin lazy


but in all seriousness i did stretch every morning the last year or two. and it helps

[Luzac]

to increase the possible movement in the joint, you should stretch before you warm up, this will not lead to injuries if you don't stretch very hard trying to force the muscle-limitation as it will result in the muscle contracting to avoid injuriesl.

stretching directly after won't increase flexibility. It will just remain the same as before.

[Giant1118]

its not about increasing flexibility its about helping to increase the speed it takes to repair the muscle. read the first post...

if u feel you must stretch before doing some sort of exercise, do a light warm up first
in this case, lets say u ride to your riding spot. by the time u get there yer pretty much warmed up so stretch if u have to. I dont cuz its dumb but if u have to, go for it.

[mikeschiavone]

its not about increasing flexibility its about helping to increase the speed it takes to repair the muscle. read the first post...

if u feel you must stretch before doing some sort of exercise, do a light warm up first
in this case, lets say u ride to your riding spot. by the time u get there yer pretty much warmed up so stretch if u have to. I dont cuz its dumb but if u have to, go for it.

Like Giant mentions, stretching isn't going to prevent soreness the next day. You're sore because you used, extensively, a muscle that you haven't used much before. Soreness is fine, it's to be expected (at least at first), but there are some things to help with it. I'm not a weightlifting type, but browse around for a protein drink. Take it immediately after your ride. If you are consistently sore in a spot, say for 2 weeks, then you're probably going to have to hit the gym IN ADDITION TO RIDING. It can't be stressed enough that the best way to get in shape for trials is to ride trials! Also, supplementing some core excercises will definitely help. Sign up at your local gym for some pilates classes, or just do some work outs at home. There are people around these parts that could give you good advice as to the type of core excercises to do, but it will help.

As for stretching, I usually do it independantly from trials riding. A 20 minute yoga session when you wake up, or after you get out of a hot shower, every day for a couple of weeks will really help. Definitely do it after your ride, for around 20 minutes.

This is just based on what I do. Everyone is different, so have patience with your results. Talk to others who have had similar problems.

[MIKE1968]

Staying away from alcohol and proper sleep will have a world of difference, not saying you are sleepless alcoholic but they both hinder repair.

[Povi]

well, i've started stretching before every ride, after i have warmed up (i.e. riding to the riding spot). and it has definitely helped me. i dont get sore whilst riding.

i do agree that everyone is different and because im only a teenager i have to deal with it a bit differently as my muscles are still growing rapidly.

what are the core exercises i can do? i have only been doing basic stretches and warm-ups that i know of and i dont know what the best exercises are...

thanks for all the help :D

[greyghost]

If you're sore it's because you're pushing muscles beyond their limits, that will go away after a while. If you up your nutrition and sleep, soreness goes down pretty rapidly.

Don't stretch before you ride. When you stretch before a ride, you're temporarily destabilising joints that you need to be strong and stable. Research has shown that if you stretch before bed, then your body will adapt to it much better, and you won't have any problems with joint stability.

Just remember, everybody has very different tight and loose muscles, and you've got to only stretch the muscles that are tight, otherwise, your just "loosening all the spokes in a crooked wheel"