Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Doen my first core workout with a medicine ball today. My coach recommended i start doing some core work to streghten up the back and abs. I have a list of exercises, some of which were provided by him and some of which i got off the net. What a workout, i think it will be a great benefit to my riding strength by doing this workout a few days a week.

swimming is great for your core and is a great way to escape this summer heat that is comming our way for the next 5 months
im going to start swimming again on my rest days to try get my back into decent condition

Post 'em up.
Others make take benefit from them......

For core work specific to cycling, the best workouts are:
- sprints on the bike
- standing starts on the bike
- accelerations in saddle on the bike
- accelerations out of saddle on the bike
- hard efforts on the bike (tempo, threshold, high end aerobic and anaerobic efforts)
- hills on a bike
- riding a bike

Any core muscle that is "under developed" will be taxed and adapt as needed by riding the bike. Just like every other muscle/muscle group is.

That's not to say doing core work is a bad thing, just that it isn't something that's going to make you faster on a bike. It has other benefits of course.

Alex Simmons/RST wrote:For core work specific to cycling, the best workouts are:
- sprints on the bike
- standing starts on the bike
- accelerations in saddle on the bike
- accelerations out of saddle on the bike
- hard efforts on the bike (tempo, threshold, high end aerobic and anaerobic efforts)
- hills on a bike
- riding a bike

Any core muscle that is "under developed" will be taxed and adapt as needed by riding the bike. Just like every other muscle/muscle group is.

That's not to say doing core work is a bad thing, just that it isn't something that's going to make you faster on a bike. It has other benefits of course.

Yeah thanks Alex. As you mentioned, the 'on the bike' methods are the most suitable, but i am getting plenty of time on the bike with various efforts / strength work etc. The medicine ball work is only supplementary for extra core strength and i think it will be great on long climbs with back pain etc. I know the last big climb i done (around 1hr climb), my back was in so much pain from the constant standing up (steep steep climb)

Yes I get back pain on the climbs as well...especially on the big mtb climbs.

Alex Simmons/RST wrote: That's not to say doing core work is a bad thing, just that it isn't something that's going to make you faster on a bike. It has other benefits of course.

Hey Alex,

I know your stance on this topic very well

It's just that in my experience (over the last 2 years working with a great physio) there is a really big crossover between specific core patterning exercises and the 'on the bike' core workouts you listed above. My intuition and take home messages have been that I really need both. IE- certain patterning excercises 'wake-up' or 'retrain' any functional problems I have had annd then the high stress efforts on the bike help convert it over. But with some of the functional problems I had, no high cadence, high torque pedalling requiring stabilisation from my core/glutes, would ever 'wake up' the muscles that were laying dormant.

If you can find a really, really good physio who has a good knowledge of cycling specific exercises I reckon it's worth at least trying it out. (With a disclaimer that if you are really time limited then the best place to be is on the bike and nowhere else...)

Cycling messed up my abs. Each ab is out of proportion to others
Atleast they're stronger than when I first start I guess :

Chaderotti wrote:Cycling messed up my abs. Each ab is out of proportion to others
Atleast they're stronger than when I first start I guess :

Do you realise how anatomically impossible your statement is?

Jono L. wrote:

Alex Simmons/RST wrote: That's not to say doing core work is a bad thing, just that it isn't something that's going to make you faster on a bike. It has other benefits of course.

Hey Alex,

I know your stance on this topic very well

It's just that in my experience (over the last 2 years working with a great physio) there is a really big crossover between specific core patterning exercises and the 'on the bike' core workouts you listed above. My intuition and take home messages have been that I really need both. IE- certain patterning excercises 'wake-up' or 'retrain' any functional problems I have had annd then the high stress efforts on the bike help convert it over. But with some of the functional problems I had, no high cadence, high torque pedalling requiring stabilisation from my core/glutes, would ever 'wake up' the muscles that were laying dormant.

If you can find a really, really good physio who has a good knowledge of cycling specific exercises I reckon it's worth at least trying it out. (With a disclaimer that if you are really time limited then the best place to be is on the bike and nowhere else...)

Actually I far more relaxed about it than most think I am. It's not like strength training, which can be detrimental to performance.

For those that do high torque stuff, I can definitely see a benefit. e.g. a track sprinter, BMX, MTB etc where such efforts are common place.

And if you have underlying issues, sure.

The sort of people you talk of though are rare.

Alex Simmons/RST wrote:
The sort of people you talk of though are rare.

I can agree with that

I'm with Alex. I have 'underlying issues' like dodgey discs, sway back, one foot that pedals heel in, the other heel out. etc.
Every physio I've seen prescribes core exercies and then proceeds to show me either complicated exercises I do very badly (so stop doing them ) or easy ones (like planks) which I don't do either becasue I'd rather be sitting with my feet up cruising the forums after a nice hard bike ride.
I always ask are there exercises I can do instead on the bike? So, Alex's sit stand sprints in particular are very attractive to me and will get added to the only other one I like, riding in the drops with stomach in and pelvis tilted up for long periods. Surely these on the bike exercises are the best ways to get stronger cycling specific core muscles? Got any more?