Like many cyclists, if you’re aspiring to enhance your performance by resistance training, then this article is for you. Body-weight exercises help – it is essential that all muscles that support you in the saddle are worked out, otherwise, just cycling won’t do much.
The best part about body-weight exercises is that you don’t need to go to a gym or require any equipment to train. You can do these five-move, full-body exercises in the comfort of your living room. These exercises target every muscle that needs attention and if you perform them routinely, you’ll be stronger and more stable than ever before.
Below are five body-weight exercises all riders should try. Remember — for best results, you should aim for 10 to 20 reps of each move and perform the exercises at least two to three days a week.
5 Body-Weight Exercises
#1 Shoulder Bridge
This exercise is effective in strengthening the glutes. This workout also helps you in improving your stability in the saddle and ousts back pain. Your core and hips are also strengthened.
How To Do it:
Lay down on your back on the ground, bend your knees and keep your feet flat. Clutch your glutes while keeping your thighs parallel. Lift the hips upwards so that your body is straight from your shoulders to your knees.
Place your arms with palms down at your sides. You can intensify this exercise by clasping your hands under you. Hold for a few seconds. Lower your body and go back to the resting position. Repeat.
#2 Superman
This body-weight exercise strengthens your lower back as well as the muscles that are located along your spine otherwise known as “erector spinae”. It also works your glutes.
How To Do it:
Lie down on the floor with your face down and your arms fully extended in front. Keep your palms down. Keep your glutes clutched and raise your arms, chest, and legs off the floor simultaneously. Hold your position for a couple of seconds. Now, lower your arms, chest, and legs and return to the starting position. Repeat.
#3 Walking Pushup
This particular body-weight exercise helps in the strengthening of the chest, shoulders, and triceps, which is important as they support your body on the handlebars. This exercise also promotes your stability and your core strength, both which assist in pushing your pedals harder.
How To Do it:
Take a pushup move with your arms and legs extended. Keep your feet positioned wide apart. Now, bend your arms, lower your torso into a pushup pose, and bring your chest towards the ground. Proceed until both of your arms are bent to 90 degrees.
Go back up and step your left hand and left foot to the right in a way so that your hands and feet are positioned next to each other. Now, walk your right hand and foot back out in a wide plank position. Do a pushup and position your right hand and right foot to the left. Repeat.
#4 Jump Squats
This body-weight exercise strengthens the leg muscles for better pedalling power. It also helps build bone.
How To Do it:
Stand with your feet widened more than your shoulders. Extend your arms in front straight and squat until your buttocks reach below your knees. Extend your legs immediately and jump. Land gently and quickly and perform another squat. Repeat.
#5 Glute activation lunges
This move targets your outer glutes. Most cyclists have weak glutes. Having strong outer glutes will increase your pedalling and shield you from knee pain.
How To Do it:
Stand at shoulder-width apart and extend your arms in front of you. Take an extended step with your right leg diagonally in front and cross it in front of your left leg. Keep your back upright, bend your knees, and slowly lower your hips downwards. Go until your right leg is at 90-degree angle.
Twist your body over the front leg. Do it at the bottom of the lunge. Return to your starting position. Repeat it with the other leg.
Have fun working out at home! 😉
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