Fitness!

[aimee]

Hi all

So, now that I've bought a bike which, even as a light 250cc dual sport, weighs more than twice what I do, I reckon I need to get quite a bit fitter and stronger if I'mma do things properly.

Anyway, I've written a full blog post about it here at http://mymotocyclette.tumblr.com/post/42828436596*, and would absolutely love thoughts, feedback, comments and whatnot. Ladies? You too!

Yep, I've seen that there have been previous threads/posts on fitness, but the ones I found were pretty old and didn't go on for very long. It would be good to get a real discussion going here

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* Thinking about it, I figure it's silly to just copy-paste the damn thing, but if people want me to, I will

[EXCDirt]

Sounds like you should do some triathlons as well?

I would say that type of training mixed with some hard sand based riding is invaluable.
But nothing simulates and trains you like hours of riding.

Also gyms and cross fit training sound too structured. If it isn't fun you'll get bored quickly.
Mountain biking will help too.

I've not been riding my dirt bike as I've been training for a big Tri...... Very keen to see the results when I can get back out on my dirty bike!

[Crisis management]

Cycling works best for me, strengthens your core and legs which provides the endurance for riding (road or dirt), once your core muscles are strong your arms don't need to do much apart from control. Also look at your eating, hydration and the food you consume while riding, get the balance of those correct and you increase your endurance markedly.

Hours on the bike in the dirt also seem to make a huge difference!

[BMWST?]

yes,just start with riding a more...

[Grizzo]

Yep, more riding will get you ride fit.

[Akzle]

It would be good to get a real discussion going here

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* Thinking about it, I figure it's silly to just copy-paste the damn thing, but if people want me to, I will

b) you have your own blogspace on this stie, yours to do with what you will.

a) no, it wouldn't. this is KB. save your "real" discussion for.... somewhere else.

c) i lift quarts for exercise, problem is they get lighter and lighter every time i lift it, so i need to replenish them...

d) get a pack, find a hill, walk up the hill with the pack. tomorrow, add a 2lt milk jug full of water, the day after, another one, repeat.

[unstuck]

A bit of mountain biking and tramping, are about the only exercise I get at the moment. I used to run around the tramping tracks in the waitakere and coromandle ranges with a heavyish pack on when younger, but I do not think it did my knees many favours. Would love to start swimming again, but the beach is too far, the rivers to dirty, and the local pool is full of posey idiots on steroids.

[Akzle]

i viewed your blag.

a personal trainer will be almost invaluable for you. go find one. preferably that lives close by so (s)he can wake you at 5am to do what needs to be done
(exercise before 0800 is more beneficial for your body)
get used to the taste of upNgo.

running is bad for you. don't do it. (knees, ankles etc) i dont care how good your shoes are, if you can see a use for your knees after the age of 40 and don't want saggy tits (your husband doesn't want your saggy tits, and can see a use for your knees after 40...), don't run.

swimming is excellent cardio and non-weight bearing exercise. do it, in the ocean. lots.
the ocean is good for you. unless it kills you horrifically.

cycling is for poofters. get a mountain bike and go hit makara park.


ps - you're a beautiful man and blog very well

[Gwinch]

a personal trainer will be almost invaluable for you. go find one. preferably that lives close by so (s)he can wake you at 5am to do what needs to be done
(exercise before 0800 is more beneficial for your body)
get used to the taste of upNgo.

running is bad for you. don't do it. (knees, ankles etc) i dont care how good your shoes are, if you can see a use for your knees after the age of 40 and don't want saggy tits (your husband doesn't want your saggy tits, and can see a use for your knees after 40...), don't run.

swimming is excellent cardio and non-weight bearing exercise. do it, in the ocean. lots.
the ocean is good for you. unless it kills you horrifically.

cycling is for poofters. get a mountain bike and go hit makara park.


ps - you're a beautiful man and blog very well

A) Agree. A personal trainer will create a program for you to follow and will know the way to greater success.

B) Disagree and agree. Depends what you mean by "exercise". If you're doing cardio then you'll a tiny bit of residual benefit over the course of the day in terms of fat loss. Not much though. If you're talking about strength training then there is no real optimum time. Your testosterone levels are highest around mid-morning and in terms of maximum power out-put it's late afternoon. Again, just a tiny difference. Elite athletes don't even follow this hard and fast.

C) Strongly disagree. Pounding pavement is generally bad for you. Find a trail run and use minimalist/neutral shoes without squishy heels unless you have a strong tendency to pronate or supernate (go to The Athlete's Foot to find out which you do). This also differs person to person. Some people are built to run and are highly resilient to the effects of pounding pavement and some aren't so much. On a trail however we as a species have evolved to be very efficient runners. Case in point - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistence_hunting

D) Agree. Swimming is good for cardiovascular fitness however it will be concentrating heavily on your core (not a bad thing), shoulders (not sports-specific for Aimee) and hip-flexers/hip-extensors (need these however the range of motion is completely different unless you're doing a lot of butterfly strokes). Cycling/biking/whatever would be best as it replicates the movement pattern. It's all about specificity when it comes to training.

[Jay GTI]

A personal trainer is only useful for a short period of time, an expensive waste of money there after. Once you get an understanding of what exercises you need to do, drop the trainer and just motivate yourself, it's free. UpNGo is a well-marketed packet of junk food, avoid.

I've been running since I was 19, I'm 39, I have no issues with my knees or any joints, not to mention have spent most of those years at least 15kg overweight (I do enjoy a beer and a pie, or several). Running has the benefit of working the same muscles you'll be using standing up on the bike, so you won't be forced to sit as often.

I agree with the ride fitness comes from riding, but I find that as I can't go riding 3 times a week (it's about every bloody 3 months at the moment!!), I have to exercise instead. I do a mix of bootcamp, cardio (mostly running) and some core training work I got off a personal trainer. If I don't keep that up, when I do finally get out on the bike, I suck large, because I don't have the strength, conditioning or fitness to control the bike and after a couple of loops of a trail ride, I'm shot. Being fat doesn't help, as the additional weight is something I have to work against as well as the bike, but if I'm fit, then I can still at least do a full day of riding without too much issue.

[Akzle]

UpNGo is a well-marketed packet of junk food, avoid.

I've been running since I was 19, I'm 39, I have no issues with my knees or any joints,

butbutbut.... it has the goodness of two weetbix and milk... and i like weetbix and milk.

i haven't run since i was 19, infact, i didn't run before i was 19.
i also have no problem with my joints, i roll them a bit loose and twist the end, they burn very well.

i will laugh my ass off if you have a whine in the next two years about how your joints are shot. until then. i wait.

[Crisis management]

butbutbut.... it has the goodness of two weetbix and milk... and i like weetbix and milk.

Akzle (needs greasing, seems to whine a lot?)

I will try and say this politely; some of your posts have humour in them but generally you come across (to me) as a smart arse jumping in where you have little knowledge and an ego in need of inflating, now this may work in some of the other forums but in the ones that involve people actively pursuing knowledge and improving their skill base it doesn't.

Either contribute or find some other corner to hang out in.

[superjackal]

...strengthens your core...

Going out on a limb here. This "core" rubbish that's crept into the exercise lexicon is (to me) the equivalent of homeopathy. Any exercise will help your core. I always advise people to stick with the basics. If you build it they will come.

Still, I always enjoy a good chuckle at someone on a swiss ball balancing another ball on their head - all for their "core".

[bogan]

I've been trying to get into running a bit more, but now that I'm fit enough to go long distance, it really fucks my knees, so looking to get into mountain biking for cardio and legs. I've found that calisthenics (7meg pdf link) seems to do a good job of the rest, and helps a lot with flexiblity.

Going out on a limb here. This "core" rubbish that's crept into the exercise lexicon is (to me) the equivalent of homeopathy. Any exercise will help your core. I always advise people to stick with the basics. If you build it they will come.

Still, I always enjoy a good chuckle at someone on a swiss ball balancing another ball on their head - all for their "core".

Just like any exercise will help your cardio, it doesn't mean lifting weights helps it enough. A MX'rs workout needs a bit more than just the jog to get rid of some flab. Here's one for you, lie down on your back with arms at your side, raise legs, push the small of you back into the ground and keep it there while lowering your legs as far as you can, now wiggle your arms up and down as fast as you can. Probably sounds silly, but I bet you'll feel your core!

[steve_t]

Going out on a limb here. This "core" rubbish that's crept into the exercise lexicon is (to me) the equivalent of homeopathy. Any exercise will help your core. I always advise people to stick with the basics. If you build it they will come.

Still, I always enjoy a good chuckle at someone on a swiss ball balancing another ball on their head - all for their "core".

Seriously? So many people have back pain due to poor core strength