Strength

I would like to strength training for mountain biking. What kind of things should I do?

Mastering Lactate Clearance: Key to Mountain Biking Success

I love this, this is awesome. So one of the biggest things that you should do is make sure that you can clear lactate because in mountain biking, what's going to happen is when you go hard up the hills, for example, you're going to be trying to cycle with a lot of anaerobic strength or a lot more strength and power. And then when you're moving fast, you're going to have to cycle the legs faster, which is going to build lactate. And a lot of them is going to be your legs burning out. So I would work on, for example, things that build lactate and then things to clear it. I'll give you an example of a lactate clearance workout for legs or for quads mainly, for example, as far as like a biker. Get on an assault bike or lunges work also, and do an assault bike really fast for 30 seconds, right? And then go really slow for about a minute. In lunges, you can do 10 and 10 jumping lunges or 15, 15 jumping lunges. And when you feel like you're burning and it's going slower, then you can go ahead and do walking lunges slowly for the next minute or for the next 20 reps or so. And then you take a break and you repeat that over and over. The lactate clearance work in mountain biking is way more important than just having a lot of strength in your legs, all right? Because you've got to be able to sustain the speed of the event. And sustaining the speed of the event, meaning that you can recover, do it again, recover, do it again, recover, do it again, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

To clear lactate when mountain biking, do exercises like assault bike sprints and jumping lunges. Alternate between high intensity for 30 seconds and low intensity for a minute. Take breaks in between to allow for recovery. Lactate clearance is important because it allows you to sustain the speed of the event.

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To improve strength for mountain biking, a key focus should be on lactate clearance. In mountain biking, you'll often encounter situations where you need to exert a lot of strength and power, such as when climbing hills, leading to the buildup of lactate in your legs. It's important to address this by working on exercises that build lactate and then clearing it. One example of a workout for lactate clearance is using an assault bike or doing lunges. On the assault bike, go all out for 30 seconds and then go at a slow pace for about a minute. For lunges, you can do 10 jumping lunges on each leg or 15 jumping lunges in total. When you feel the burn and the pace slows down, switch to doing walking lunges slowly for the next minute or about 20 reps. Take breaks and repeat this cycle. Clearing lactate is crucial in mountain biking as it allows you to sustain speed and recover effectively throughout the event. It's more important than simply having strong legs because you need to maintain speed and recover repeatedly during the ride.

Does aerobic conditioning such as running stairs or running long distance help with your anaerobic condition?

Finding the Balance: Aerobic Conditioning and Anaerobic Performance

Okay, that's a really good question and yes it does. I'll tell you why. But there is a limit to it. So imagine a range from nothing and you will not be ready for your anaerobic conditioning to too much and it took too much energy out of you and you cannot sustain the amount of work that you're doing. Those are the two end ranges. So what I recommend is according to the sport, what we do in track and field for example is that we give you just enough volume so that we keep you getting stronger in your anaerobic conditioning. What does that mean and what does it look like? Well here we go. If you're doing the base conditioning, you're going to be able to recover better in your anaerobic training. Your anaerobic training is going to create a lactate demand, a hydrogen demand as an output and a byproduct to your power and strength moves. And if you have a good healthy heart, you're going to be able to oxygenate better and recover faster in your anaerobic training. Now if you do too much of the aerobic conditioning, then you might be taking away way too much time and way too much recovery time away from your recovery and too much time and energy into that type of training. This is not going to help you get stronger because you won't be recovered and you won't have the energy to keep doing your anaerobic training better. Does that make sense? Hope it helps.

Yes, aerobic conditioning does have a limit. Too much aerobic conditioning can take away from recovery time and energy needed for anaerobic training. The correct amount of aerobic conditioning is enough to keep you getting stronger in your aerobic conditioning while still allowing you to have energy for anaerobic training.

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Aerobic conditioning, such as running stairs or running long distances, can indeed help with anaerobic conditioning. However, there is a limit to its effectiveness. On one end of the spectrum, doing nothing will leave you unprepared for anaerobic conditioning. On the other end, doing too much aerobic conditioning can drain your energy and hinder your ability to sustain your anaerobic work. The key is finding the right balance. In track and field, for example, we aim to provide just enough volume in aerobic conditioning to strengthen anaerobic conditioning. This means creating a base level of conditioning that allows for better recovery during anaerobic training. During anaerobic training, there is a demand for lactate and hydrogen output as byproducts of power and strength moves. Having a healthy heart enables better oxygenation and faster recovery during these anaerobic sessions. However, excessive aerobic conditioning can take away valuable recovery time and energy from your anaerobic training, preventing you from getting stronger. It's crucial to strike a balance that allows for adequate recovery and energy allocation for effective anaerobic training.

What are the most beneficial core/midline exercises for distance runners to do in the gym?

Unlock Your Running Potential: Best Core Exercises for Distance Runners

So, the most beneficial core midline exercises for distance runners to do in the gym is that you go through the progression of the different variables of core. Now, you have, you know, thorax on core, you have pelvic on core, and then you have both. Those are the three main variables. Each one of those has three planes of motion. Sagittal plane, frontal plane, and transverse planes. So for example, if I did a thorax on core, sagittal plane exercise, it would be a crunch. If I had to do a transverse plane exercise, again, from thorax to core, then I would do, let's say for example, Russian twist, right? So I have my legs up in the air and I just twist my ribcage up on my core. Those kind of variables and being able to program all of the core exercises that move and do the movements that the core needs are going to be the best thing and the most beneficial thing for long distance runners to do in the gym. That's what we do here at Blaze Camp. Exactly that. We just make sure we hit all of the core, not only functions as they are, as muscle actions, but also the planes of motion. Let's go.

The most beneficial core exercises for distance runners to do in the gym are crunches, Russian twists, and other core exercises that target all the different muscles and planes of motion.

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The most beneficial core and midline exercises for distance runners to do in the gym involve a progression of different variables that target the core. These variables include thorax on core, pelvic on core, and both. Each variable has three planes of motion: sagittal, frontal, and transverse. For example, a sagittal plane exercise for thorax on core would be a crunch, while a transverse plane exercise could be Russian twists where the ribcage twists on the core with legs in the air. The key is to program core exercises that cover the necessary movements and muscle actions required by the core. At Blaze Camp, we focus on targeting all aspects of the core, including its functions and planes of motion, to provide long-distance runners with the most beneficial gym exercises.

What is the best way to build upper body muscle for swimming?

The Best Exercises to Build Upper Body Muscle for Swimming: Unilateral, Horizontal and Vertical Pushes and Pulls

unilateral, one side at a time, horizontal pushing, horizontal pulling, vertical pushing, and vertical pulling. As far as things that you can't see from the shoulder down, so let's say we go down to the elbow, then you're going to go into bicep curls, from the lengthened position of the bicep all the way to the shortened position of the bicep. Make sure you train that tricep with the arm down, with the arm midway, also with the arm up, so extensions of the arm. And other than that, just your swimming will give you enough. So horizontal and vertical pushing and pulling, one arm at a time for every one of those exercises. From the elbow you got bicep and tricep. And if you want to throw in some extra work that I think is very beneficial for you, flies, all kinds of horizontal adduction, flies, horizontal abduction, reverse flies, and side raises. If you're doing the dumbbell sideways for the shoulder, that'd be great. All those things together. If you want me to write them out, just comment.

Horizontal and vertical pushing and pulling exercises one arm at a time, including bicep curls, tricep extensions, and flies such as horizontal adduction, horizontal abduction, reverse flies and side raises.

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The best way to build upper body muscle for swimming is to focus on unilateral exercises, which means working one side at a time. This includes horizontal pushing and pulling movements, as well as vertical pushing and pulling exercises. For the muscles from the shoulder down to the elbow, bicep curls from lengthened to shortened positions should be performed. Additionally, it's important to train the tricep with the arm in different positions, such as down, midway, and up for extensions of the arm. Swimming itself provides good overall upper body conditioning. To add extra work that can be beneficial, exercises like flies (horizontal adduction), reverse flies (horizontal abduction), side raises, and dumbbell shoulder exercises can be included. These exercises target different muscles of the upper body and help build strength. If you need a written list of these exercises, feel free to comment.

What is the difference between a recovery week and a deload week? 

The Difference Between Recovery and Deload Weeks Explained

So for me a recovery week means you need to recover from the training or the situations that happened or the competitions that happened and a deload week is more like pre-planned and I have it on the program for example to just to make sure in case you didn't feel like you need a recovery that we throw it in there so you can recover tissues that you might not be feeling and things that could be breaking down that we don't know of so it's more of the deload week is more of a get ready because we're gonna keep doing this hopefully you're okay and a recovery week is more like a you need to calm down and rest because you need to recover from what's been happening so that's how I look at the difference of both sometimes I throw in a recovery week out of nowhere but a deload week is planned out

A recovery week is when you need to rest and recover from recent events while a deload week is a pre-planned week to ensure the body and mind have time to recover from any potential stress or fatigue.

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A recovery week is necessary to recover from training, competitions, or other demanding situations. On the other hand, a deload week is pre-planned and included in the program to address any underlying issues that may not be immediately apparent. It serves as a precautionary measure to allow tissues and areas that might be breaking down to recover, even if the individual doesn't feel the need for it. A deload week is more like a preparation period, ensuring that you are ready to continue with the training regimen. In contrast, a recovery week is a time to calm down, rest, and recuperate from the physical and mental strain of recent activities. While a recovery week can be introduced unexpectedly, a deload week is typically planned in advance.

What are your thoughts on fasted workouts?

Personal Preferences and Nutritional Considerations: Fasted Workouts

Most of the time this is a personal thing with the athlete. I don't think in sports performance, I don't think it's going to be a good choice. In the sports that require a lot of power output. If you're going to be in track and field for sprinting or you're going to be jumping a lot and doing a lot of powerful movements, I suggest you have breakfast and have it like two or three hours before the practice. But my thoughts on fasted workouts is that one, they're very personal to people. Some people perform very well with them, some people don't. Two, you got to make sure your nutrition is on point after training in case you are fasted training. Three, you got to make sure that you're doing the right type of training without that meal. So there's some workouts and training that are not going to be efficient if you don't have food in your system or if you didn't have the right food in your system the day before. So just make sure that you quantify everything into the strategy that you're going to use for not eating before workouts.

Fasted training is a personal thing and it can be beneficial, but it's important to make sure that you're consuming enough nutrition before and after the workout.

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In my opinion, fasted workouts are a personal choice for athletes and can vary in effectiveness. For sports that require high power output, such as sprinting or activities involving powerful movements, I recommend having breakfast about 2-3 hours before practice. Fasted workouts can work well for some individuals, while others may not perform as effectively. It's important to ensure proper nutrition after training if you choose to do fasted workouts. Additionally, the type of training you engage in without consuming a meal needs to be considered. Certain workouts may not be efficient without food in your system or without having the right food intake the day before. It's crucial to take into account all these factors when deciding on a strategy for exercising without eating beforehand.

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