Practice and training

[blasteracer24]

Ok i raced before and i want to be top five next season. I definantly have the ability but i need some help on my practice and workout techniques. Im going to start workin out in school and at the gym. What exercises should i do so i dont get tired after a lap. What help with reducing arm pump and overall stamina? Are supplements any good? What should i do when im practing? Any techniques? What are ways to take faster corners? Any help on gate ppics would be appreciated. what are good ways to go through rythem sections like whoops? Any advice is highly appreciated.

[holister]

somethings i do to work out i pretty much to the same things you do like working out at school some exercises i do are curls and get on a bench with lite weight and do alot of qiuck reps when practicing on the track if you do like 6-10 laps as fast as you can that would really help

ride as fast as you can, try differant lines, practice if a slower rider is infront of you, practice keeping up with a faster one, etc

working out is kind of bad, but you can do it if u wish 2, it all depends on what type of workout, you would want to do a cardio work out

also work on differant combos in your brakes in the turns, figure out which 1 is faster, and how your bike reacts to the things you do

[Specialist]

A proper lifting regimen can be huge in anything you do. It gives you that extra edge. How you lift will all depend on what type of racing you do. Stamina is HUGE in GNCC type racing. Stamina is important in MX too but not as paramount as cross country.

Like some have said.. Reps, Reps, Reps.. thats what you need to focus on. I know the temptation to lift the most weight is always there in the gym but you will benefit much more from reps. Keep the weight down, reps and sets up. Focus on your core a lot, abs, lats, back. Legs are also very important to help you push through turns and control the wheeler. Lastly your upper body, everyone knows how this will benefit.

Tailor your work out for you, what helps, what doesn't. Try to get someone to help you at the gym, most highschools don't have trainers, but coaches can be very helpful in giving pointers on proper technique, which is HUGE in lifting. Lastly, don't give up. Lifting is not easy and not always fun, but it pays off.

Let these guys help you with practicing but the more you tailor your body to the riding, the better gains you will see with the practicing.

Also, stay away from supplements. Over time they may be beneficial, but early in your lifting they are not needed nor recomended. Eat well, sleep well, and work hard and you will see more gains than any supplement will give you.

[XCRACER26]

Me I play football and I wrestle. But when Im not doing them I lift on one day Bench,squat,situps ect. Then the next day I run three miles with out stopping, If you want too stop don't because that could be the last lap. About riding, ride as much as you can and try to ride with people that are better than you. I get done with 2 hour race and I still have more.

[blasteracer24]

thanks for the replies it is very helpful but more info more info. What are ways to get over being sick faster.

[XCRACER26]

Camel Back;)

[QUADROOKIE]

Lifting is not necessary, but very beneficial if you do like was said..low weight, lots of reps and lots of sets. Shoulders, abs, and legs mostly. Squats andwall-seats are very good ways to get lowwer body in shape as well as running. BUT, riding, riding, and more riding will help more than anything. Also, during practice, AND during you race, and the faster classes races, WATCH what the faster riders do, and COPY THEM!! You may have to adjust a lil for your style, but that has helped me tremendously in my first year. Oh yeah, eat healthy, and drink lots of water especially in the few days leading up to the race.

[dirtriderex]

Specialist He gave awsome advice. I am a gym rat and lift and do cardio non stop for 5 years now. Keep lifting but make sure to do alot of cardio. Running, biking and swimming for about 45 min will get your stamina up. It is also wise to keep a journal of your progress. I want to do the ironman some day, biking, swimming, and running

[XCRACER26]

Lifting is important in my mind. ever since I started lifting I hardly ever and I mean ever get arm pump.

[Sjorge450R]

Originally posted by XCRACER26
Camel Back;)

No, a camel back filled with Lemon Propel or Gatorade Endurance.:D

[cady#1]

Don't let these guys fool you into thinking strenght training is a bad thing. Honestly, endurance, stamia all comes from strenght. So right now (the off-season) is a great time to start lifting low reps strenght training, and cardio. Just try to think off your strenght training as a triangle, kinda. Concentrate on your legs and core muscles with a little upper body if needed. Then when preseason comes around start conditoning them musles with high reps and lots of cardio.

[QUADROOKIE]

I agree totally with the cardio and light-weight high-rep tarining, but I still say, RIDE RIDE and RIDE more!!!!!

[ONEBAD400]

just ride thats what i do and get top5

[redrider9045]

working out is great for you for racing look at natalie

[woodsman250r]

Ok first off if you want to be a COMPETITIVE racer you have to look at it as a sport and not hobby. You should look to train and practice for it just as a professional athelete would prep themselves for a season. If possible get as much seat time on you bike as you can, this way you familiarize yourself with the bike and expand your riding capabilities. Riding should be at the top of your training list. You should also train when not riding, putting emphasis on your cardio. Running distance is good, but also try to include some sprints too. Running at a relaxed distance won't really give you great cardio. You need to get your heart to pump blood, as well as open your lungs to oxygen to build better stamina and endurance. You should also try to lift, I don't care what other people tell you lifting is good as long as you weight train properly. Most people who tell you it is bad have no clue what they are talking about so don't listen to them. There is a difference between weight training and body building. You want to weight train with higher reps and lower weights to build your muscle strength, not work on building muscle size because this is what might lead to armpump. You really only need to concentrate on a few weight excercises to maintain strenght. Bench, Squats, Kleens, Military Press, and some Lat training. Also do situps as much as possible, your abs hold everything together and are the core for your bodys strenght. You can also do arm curls and other lifts but don't go overboard. Your muscles need to be strenghtened to handle your quad and lifting is a huge way to improve that. Also you need to start watching your diet. This is a crucial to improve your performance. You should cut back if not quit drinking pop, eating chips, junk food ect. These are useless to your body and will only slow down your training. You should make an effort to eat bananas, drink natural protein drinks, fruits, boneless skinless chicken breast, vegs, juices, ect. and drink plenty of water! You will begin to notice a difference in the way you feel if you change your diet. Also supplements are good as long as you are taking natural supplements that are made from organics or dehydrated foods. Vitamins are worthless and are full of lab made chemicals and 9 out of 10 times are junk, make sure you are using organics to get the full potential from a supplement. You want to get your nutrients from nature, not a chemical made in a lab. Now some of the so called experts will say this is going to far but its not. I go to college for this stuff man, and I include these things in my lifestyle so I can back up the results 100%. If you want some more tips, just shoot me and email.
cody_trimmer@yahoo.com

[SidewaysSam]

Riding in different types of terrain is what has helped me. Ill run around on trails, sand, rocks, just a variety of different areas. This gives me a good feel of my machine and also limits the surprise element. Sometime you might go to a track that is a lot different than what you are used to, but if you have a lot of experience on different terrains, then you can handle it. Plus, riding, as always, is a great workout. Practice makes perfect.. kinda.

[PeasOnMyHead]

good advice

[dshfearh]

Also, stay away from supplements. Over time they may be beneficial, but early in your lifting they are not needed nor recomended. Eat well, sleep well, and work hard and you will see more gains than any supplement will give you.

i would have to disagreee. supplements help a lot. now i know they're not steroids but whey protein really helps to rebuild your muscle faster so that you can get back in the gym sooner. other supplements like creatine (not monohydrate) help a lot too for that extra 2-3 reps. doesn't sound like much but in the long run it definately helps.

[Specialist]

i would have to disagreee. supplements help a lot. now i know they're not steroids but whey protein really helps to rebuild your muscle faster so that you can get back in the gym sooner. other supplements like creatine (not monohydrate) help a lot too for that extra 2-3 reps. doesn't sound like much but in the long run it definately helps.

There are a million ways one could argue their point on this. From my personal expericence, supplements are helpful to the real serious and experienced lifters. Supplements often help them get that little extra edge. But for someone who is just getting into lifting and strength training supplements should NOT be used. One reason is the obvious, why waste the money if you don't continue to train? Another reason is the gains a person will see from just living the proper lifestyle (sleeping right, eating right) and training properly will far outway what any supplement can do. Once this proper lifting and training lifestyle is established, then supplements may be of help.

I have always been very intense in weight lifting and have tried many different supplements and "miracle drugs" to help me get that edge. One you point out is creatine. The debate rages over this supplement to this day and i don't feel it will ever end. I will not take a side on the debate cause I just cannot say for sure. I have taken creatine and saw weight gains on the scale and did feel a little more pump. Whether that was placebo or not I'm not sure. Protein supplements are probably the safest and most proven to be beneficial with few draw backs. Again though, early in lifting, there is no need to pack that much protein into you without the proper diet and lifting techniques.

Everyone has a side on every supplement and the only one I will take is that early in your training you should lay off until you've established a proper weight training lifestyle, then supplements may be beneficial.

[dshfearh]

yeah i see the point you're making. in a way thats what i was trying to say. i dont think a beginner would benefit from creatine right away but i do think the protein would be of help, especially if they're trying to gain any weight. like you said living the right lifestyle will help but once you get into it the supplements do give you an extra boost.

and if you mean what i think you did, you're right. a lot of people say they're gonna get all into it. they go out and buy abunch of supplements, start their work out and dont see the gains they want, and get discouraged and quit the next week.

[dshfearh]

oh and you're also right about all the "miracle drugs". only a small number of them actually work and usually they still dont live up to what they claim.

[blasteracer24]

ok how about fast corners? like when is the best to brake for how long? do you feather the clutch or do you just hit the throttle? cuz i think i hit the brake for too long. O and at tracks like southwick there are crazy braking bumps into the corners and out of the corners are real bad what would be the best aproach?

[YamaWarr0121]

/\ That all comes with Practice. Keep going into a same corner faster and faster until you blow it, then you nkow when to get on the brakes. Its all about who goes into the corner harder later, and gets on it faster, earlier. That person will always win the race out of the corners. Keep practicing, find a local pro or pro-am rider and follow him around the track, it'll help verrry much!!

[fugitivracing65]

all of these guys have very good advice. for me i ride as much as possible. I am an ex football player(lineman) i used to lift for 3 hours a day and took whey protein i went from 210 to 240 in two and a half months. i dont think that for racing you want that kind of results. I am back down to 220 now and my training regimine consists of riding and long distance running and light lifting. The supplements are good for adding mass but for racing you really need to just ride and ride and run.

[Jersey450R]

Originally posted by YamaWarr0121
/\ That all comes with Practice. Keep going into a same corner faster and faster until you blow it, then you nkow when to get on the brakes. Its all about who goes into the corner harder later, and gets on it faster, earlier. That person will always win the race out of the corners. Keep practicing, find a local pro or pro-am rider and follow him around the track, it'll help verrry much!!
thats good advice right there, but in my race on sunday i went into the 1st corner real hard 2nd off the holeshot like a bat out of hell and a yamaha went from outside to inside. while i was trying to slide the inside, he came diving in, i clipped his front tire, and the next thing i knew was i was watching everyone fly up the staircase. I ate it pretty bad. next time i'm going to take lysingers advice and just not worry about the holeshot and just get around the 1st turn. then i can start picking people off one by one.

I do beleive though that your going to gain all advantage in the turns. That, and trying to stay low off jumps. remember, your faster on the ground than in the air.

[SidewaysSam]

I would have to disagree. The holeshot is everything. You get out there first adn its yours to lose, but trying to make up ground from the back, theres always guys getting in you way, possibility of getting tangled up with someone, and you dont have too much time to do it in. Of course these are just my thoughts and i race on small tracks, so in my case the holeshot is key.

[YamaWarr0121]

Originally posted by Jersey450R
thats good advice right there, but in my race on sunday i went into the 1st corner real hard 2nd off the holeshot like a bat out of hell and a yamaha went from outside to inside. while i was trying to slide the inside, he came diving in, i clipped his front tire, and the next thing i knew was i was watching everyone fly up the staircase. I ate it pretty bad. next time i'm going to take lysingers advice and just not worry about the holeshot and just get around the 1st turn. then i can start picking people off one by one.

I do beleive though that your going to gain all advantage in the turns. That, and trying to stay low off jumps. remember, your faster on the ground than in the air.

Now, that works very well. But, BUT, if you go to any big race, and do not get a top 4 holeshot, you will not win. It is just not in the cards for you. You have to be an amazing rider with extreme endurance to pull that off. Now, that works great for local racing and other things i'm sure, but you will definately at sometime in your racing career have to make the bold step to hammering the throttle and holding the F on!

Good advice for this kid.. now go out n practice it, man!!

[XCRACER26]

holeshot is everything. avoid dust, and wrecks. great chace to get a big lead.

[blasteracer24]

at southwick there are like braking bumps going into the corners. i either go to fast and get real squirely in the corner but dont want to have to go slow to keep control. like they pop my back end u real high. any ideas? all these tips are highly appreciated.

Originally posted by blasteracer24
at southwick there are like braking bumps going into the corners. i either go to fast and get real squirely in the corner but dont want to have to go slow to keep control. like they pop my back end u real high. any ideas? all these tips are highly appreciated.

flexx bars, steering dampner, and a nice elka rear end setup with the elka link, and you will have complete control at speed

[reconmaster]

i'm wokrin out 2-3 times a week play hockey as well plus i'm working on my ex like keep working out play some sports if you got a winter oy ie sled ride it keeps you on gas all year long