No matter how proud you are of your thighs and calves, if you practice a speed and endurance sport like cycling, exercising your core is essential to withstand the muscle wasting that this activity implies.
Think of it this way: when you are in the classic cycling position, leaning slightly forward and with your hands on the handlebars, which muscles are bearing the weight of your back? The answer, quite evident, is just another reason why you should train your core thoroughly if you are a cyclist.
We propose 7 simple exercises that will help you train your core in just 10 minutes.
7 core exercises for cyclists
1. Boxer Crunch on Stability Ball
In addition to the typical forward movement on the bike, our body moves in three directions: forward as you focus on the road, vertical when the legs pedal up and down, and lateral as the hips move from side to side. In all these movements, stability of the back and abdomen is necessary, which can be provided by this exercise that works the core at the height of the transverse abdominals, the obliques and the lower back.
How to do it?
- Start by lying on your back on a stability ball, at the height of the middle of your back.
- Your knees should remain bent at 90º, while the soles of your feet will be firmly on the ground.
- Put your hands together behind your head, but not using them to push your neck.
- Squeezing your abdomen, lift your upper back away from the stability ball.
- Keeping your shoulders off the ball, do a lateral raise with your torso in a clockwise direction.
- Apply pressure to the ball with your lower back to make sure you always stay in the same position.
- After doing 15 shrinks with this method, reverse the sense and do 15 more.
2. Bridge with power
In addition to working the hip flexors, so necessary and worn out in cycling, the bridge strengthens the connection between your lower back and your glutes, including the lower back.
How to do it?
- Lying on your lower back, bend your knees so that you are resting on your heels.
- The arms should remain at your sides, with the palms of the hands turned downwards.
- Slowly build pressure on your glutes to raise your hips.
- Once on top, press with your hips to form a straight line from shoulders to knees.
- The toes will be slightly off the ground.
- Hold the position for 2 seconds.
- Keeping your toes elevated, lower yourself almost to the ground again.
- Repeat about 20 times.
3. Hip extension
This exercise helps build strength in the rear, which adds efficiency in the second part of the pedaling movement. It also strengthens the core muscles from the lower back to the buttocks.
How to do it?
- Start face down, lying on your hips and your stomach, on a stability ball.
- Put your hands on the ground, directly below your shoulders. Your legs should remain extended, supporting the weight at the end with the tips of the toes.
- Keeping your spine straight and your shoulder blades back, as if trying to bring them together, raise both legs, keeping them straight at all times.
- If possible, raise them a little higher than they would be if they were parallel to the ground.
- Hold the position for at least two seconds, and then let them drop.
- Do 20 reps.
4. Iron
Planks build strength and endurance in your torso muscles, which is necessary to power through hills, or to ride elevated without having to lean too heavily on the handlebars. It also helps strengthen the transverse abs, as well as the upper and lower back.
How to run it?
- Lie face down on your stomach, propped up on your elbows.
- The elbows will remain straight below the shoulders, and the hands will be flat on the floor.
- Raise your hips off the ground, keeping your back straight and abs tight.
- The weight in the back of the body will be supported on the toes, pointed.
- Hold for 60 seconds.
5. Transverse plate
Strong obliques create stability on the saddle , allowing you to take the roughest corners with greater control and speed. With this position you will train the transverse abs and obliques.
How to do it?
- Lie on your right side, leaning on your right elbow. The right elbow will remain under the shoulder, and the right forearm supported, facing forward, to generate stability.
- Raise your left arm over your head.
- In one motion, raise your hips to create a straight line,
- Slowly lower your hips to the ground.
- Do 10 or 15 repetitions.
- Change sides.
6. Scissor kicks
This comprehensive movement connects all the key core muscles involved in cycling. The kick also helps to strengthen the inner and outer thighs, which helps you have a powerful and efficient pedaling.
How to do this exercise?
- Lying on your back with your legs straight, put your palms facing down and under your lower back.
- Press down with your elbows, while squeezing the abdominal muscles slightly, as if you want to bring them closer to your spine. As you do this, lift your shoulders off the ground a bit and keep your eyes up.
- Raise your legs about 10 cm off the ground and make a scissor movement with them: left leg over right leg, and then the right leg over the left. Both movements count as a single repetition.
- Aim for 100 reps.
7. Boat posture
As with the plank, this pose develops both the lower back stability and the core strength needed to keep you leaning over the handlebars for hours, if necessary.
How to do it?
- Sit with both hands lightly behind you, and bend over until your torso is at a 45-degree angle.
- Keeping your legs together, lift them up as you extend your arms forward at shoulder height.
- The abs should remain tight. Help yourself by bending your knees a little more.
- Try to hold this position for at least 60 seconds.
Reference
- Dimity Mcdowell. How-To: Train the Most Important Core Muscles for Cycling. For Bicycling. [Revised June 2016]
