Follower of the 12 Week Programme Paul, writes in : "Hi Matt. I'm currently working through your fitness programme and will finish the first week today. I've really enjoyed having some structure and variety to work with. One of the things I suffer with is a tight neck, which gets pretty bad after riding for a few hours. Is there anything I can introduce into my daily stretches to help with this?" Good question from Paul. There are a few possible causes for having your neck tighten up on the bike. The most common is posture related. We spend hours hunched over the bike. Hunched over a desk, slouched in our seats. Hunched over in the car. Hunched over watching tv at night. Our head is forward and our shoulders forward. This gives you that...
I had a new one-one client start with me last weekend. After his initial nutrition and postural assessment sessions he was ready to get started.He wants to see results fast and isn't afraid to work hard...so I started him with a fairly tough session. We did legs. I warned him that his legs would be very sore Sunday morning but it would get better the next time he did it and that it would be the worst it was going to be on Sunday. I said "chances are you'll barely be able to walk for a couple of days...but it will get easier...and the benefits on the bike will be massive" He admitted when I saw him later in the week -"I thought...
What you eat before a ride play's a big factor in how you feel when riding. Eat too much and you feel full, bloated and a little sick. Too little and you quickly bonk and lose focus and concentration. So the key first of all is to find what works for you personally. Some people have faster digestions...some work better off high carb and others on lower carbs. When you eat...and in what quantity...will vary person to person. There are however, simple guidelines you can stick to to give you a good idea of what to eat before you ride The length of your ride will dictate what you should eat. Anything less than 2 hours and you'll be fine having a high carb,...
The mind is the MOST important factor when it comes to improving as a rider. At the end of the day, no matter how fit or strong you are...if your head isn't in the right place you are going to struggle. EVERYONE suffers from low motivation every now and again. Myself included. The key is to nip it in the bud. If you feel yourself getting demotivated. Lacking energy. Or just losing your mojo for your riding then take action to get it back! Today I have 15 tips for you to boost your motivation when you are feeling less-than-motivated to ride your bike and train hard! 1. Book an event! I've said this once and i'll say it again an ...
It's easy to get stagnant with your riding and training. When you ride the same trails and same descents... On the same bike... At the same time of the day, its easy to get into a rut and lose your 'oomph' for riding. It happens to us all. I notice it mainly happens due to a bit of boredom. Part of the fun of riding is the exploration. The excitement of not knowing what will be around the next corner. Or the fitting of that new component and not knowing how you will find it. When you know every inch of every trail you ride. When you know the fastest lines. And you don't need to think on the descents...