Thursday, April 21, 2016

Gluteal Weakness in cyclists

Cycling is a great sport. It allows us to travel and experience places like never before, and helps us build up healthier body morphotypes (shapes). While getting lean, and dropping those extra 5, 10, or even 20 pounds can significantly help you boost your health, there is one area that cyclists tend to suffer:

The lower back and glutes.


This has, by default, become an area that I am extremely interested in. I've literally flown halfway around the world to learn about how and why low back and hip pain occurs, and how to fix it.

A quick synopsis of how I became so involved in them:
-Starting off as a Strength & Conditioning Specialist (NSCA-CSCS), Since day 1 of my cycling coaching career, I have been figuring out my philosophy on strength training for cycling success, and the WHY's of the issues so many cyclists face.

-Add into that my own hip injury, and my having to figure out a way back to 100% riding health (with the help of my Sports Medical Team's ATC-LPT), and I've done a lot of reading, learning, and experimenting to find the right mix of exercises and stretches to help cyclists ACTUALLY recover, and increase their performance, NOT just make the pain go away until the training load gets high again.

I've been having cyclists and triathletes, from Pro's to weekend riders, in my training studio doing exercises on the floor, and against the wall; on the stability ball, and on the bench; with bands, and with dumbbells. You name it, I've tried it. and the best part is, I've now figured out what works- for now (hey, learning is a continual process, and new approaches and ways to do things keep moving forward!).

No, this isn't some magic formula. This is just a baseline approach with a few different branches of how and where to go with the different issues that cyclists and triathletes may have.

Here's what I've found over the last decade or so:

Cyclists and triathletes often have extremely poor gluteal recruitment and strength, as well as crap-tastic oblique strength/ rotary stability strength.

This means that smaller muscles are working Overtime to try to compensate for these large muscles not doing their jobs....leading to things like IT band syndrome, Knee pain, back pain, shoulder and neck pain, as well as discomfort while riding.

Why does this happen?

Just as baseball players tend to have an excessive anterior pelvic tilt, and some rotation of the pelvis (due to throwing motions) cyclists tend to develop these issues due to the prolonged position of posterior pelvic tilt, and rounding of the spine from sitting on the bike for hours on end.

Now, having worked in the physical therapy setting for a few years, I can tell you with 100% certainty that the posts that follow are not guaranteed to solve your issues. It is best to seek out a qualified and certified/licensed Physical Therapist in your area (of good repute), who can properly assess you, and help you figure out exactly what is going on.


I'm not going to try to make you into a bodybuilder/figure competitior/brazilian beach booty model, but I am going to try to help you increase your ability to ride farther, stronger, and allow you keep your body balanced, so you can feel great both on the bike, and off.

I like to think of it more like the Brett Contreras model: Your butt is a big, powerful muscle, and developing it will not only help you look better, but also perform better! (Guys, this DOES include you!)




That being said, in the following posts I am going to introduce to you a few basic exercises, that are far beyond the standard "lunge and squat, and step-up" that has qualified as "glute training for cyclists" the past 2 decades...and has, in large turn, proliferated the issues so many cyclists have had, as these movements mimmic the cycling motion, INSTEAD of balancing them out.

For those who have purchased my USA CYCLING Webinars on strength training, these posts will go into a little more detail, and explain the reasoning, and how each of the exercises works to allow you to decrease pain/risk of injury on the bike, as well as give you a better understanding of YOUR body, and what it's trying to do as you pedal.

I'm looking forward to helping each of you ride stronger, smarter, and faster....but be prepared for the "Why the Hell can't I do such a simple movement!" moments that are all but sure to come about, as you try these new exercises.


Tuesday, April 5, 2016

How could you say that to him?!?!

Many folks may find it very odd to learn, that back in the period of time up until around the late 1800's telling someone that they were "A liar" was one of the biggest insults you could hurl. It had serious implications, and many a duel (with sabres and later pistols) were had, due to this insult.




Today it seems we have lost much sensitivity to words, their meanings, and the impact they can have on others.

Cyber-bullying is a huge issue, and perhaps more prudent to many of you, the current (and past) elections have led to a firestorm of words meant to bring the other candidate down, and insult their constituents....and I am NOT talking about the candidates themselves!

My Facebook feed has been filled with individuals from the Right, Left, and Center, not only stating whom they are in favor of and voting for, but also hurling very hurtful insults at those who do not believe the same as they.

It has gotten so bad, that last Wednesday, I slammed my laptop shut out of disgust.

Who are we to make fun of someone else who is illiterate and then to embarrass them, and those who share their political views, by making GIF's and Meme's stating that if you vote for such a such a candidate, that you are illiterate, and a hillbilly?

Or that if you believe in this candidates platform that you are turning the US into Russia, and must have been dropped on ones head as a baby.

What are we, in the 5th grade?

Who the hell do you think you are to insult other human beings this way?


Well, I went for a short ride on my commuter after slamming my computer shut, as I needed to clear my mind.


Just a few blocks into my ride, it hit me:

What people are posting on Facebook about their political opinions is TAME compared to the inner monologue that many of us have inside our heads...especially when it comes to Training/Athletic endeavors, and business endeavors.


You would be surprised as to how many athletes and top executives are incredibly harsh on themselves. The conversations inside their heads are brutal, constantly beating themselves down, and berating themselves.

"But hey", they figure, "this is ok, because I'm only doing it to get better!"

Wrong.

The way we think of ourselves, and especially how we TALK to ourselves, has a huge impact on motivation, self esteem, self image, and especially on our productivity and growth.

I've seen it. In athletes, and in companies.

But those athletes who start talking to themselves positively, and do critical thinking while envisioning a positive outcome (think along the lines of: "What are some obstacles that I will have to overcome on the way to my goal, and how will they each be dealt with?), have far better results than those who are negative, and beat themselves up AND better than those who just picture everything working out 100% in their favor ("Positive thinking").  **To read more about this, and how winners are built, pick up a copy of "Top Dog" By Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman. It's well written, and thoroughly researched.


It's not easy to change a habit, but in this case, it makes a world of a difference.
We are all too often WAY too harsh on ourselves, seeing ourselves as much worse than we are. Much uglier than we are. Much less of a hard worker than we are. Having much less skill, than we do. Having much less ability, than we do.





So, How do you talk to yourself? 
What is your inner monologue?
How hard are you on yourself?
How much credit do you give yourself?

Do you have the inner voice of a champion, or a chump?