[mandown]

A few months ago I started doing yoga once or twice a week. I mainly did it because I wanted to relax and dedicate some time to stretching. Recently, I've started to notice changes in the way I move when I ride. I'm much more comfortable jumping the bike, as I feel more control when I need to adjust in mid air. The added core strength has been awesome and the increased posture awareness seems to be helping me get into better body positions for cornering.

Anyone else use yoga for training? Any cycling/dh-specific yoga tips or tricks you care to share?

 

[jonKranked]

i bought an exercise ball a while back. Beer gut almost gone, core strength improved.

 

[4130biker]

My wife has been trying to get me to go with her to yoga for a while now...
This is just the type of thing that will get me to go- thanks

 

[mandown]

my absinthe gut is near gone, but it wasn't that bad to begin with. if you get a chance to get into a yoga class on a regular basis, i'd say go for it. i didn't notice much at first. but after the first month, i could feel the stretches becoming more "active" and the strength coming on.

 

[Raingauge]

Yoga has helped me. I find its good for injury prevention and I recover faster after a day of riding.

Awkward chair pose is great for quad strength and so are the tight pants my gf wears.

 

[mattmatt86]

You made a thread that isn't about someone dying?





But seriously, I'm gonna give this Yoga thing a try. My local gym does a rise and shine yoga class at 7am and I think I am going to start going. Do you wear anything special to Yoga so no one sees your sack?

 

[Raingauge]

Do you wear anything special to Yoga so no one sees your sack?

Ginch

 

[Total Heckler]

I have been debating giving it a try. A few friends of mine swear by it. Maybe once my shoulder is recovered I will give it a shot.

 

[mandown]

You made a thread that isn't about someone dying?

But seriously, I'm gonna give this Yoga thing a try. My local gym does a rise and shine yoga class at 7am and I think I am going to start going. Do you wear anything special to Yoga so no one sees your sack?

I know, it is hard to believe I figured this might be a repost though

Srsly - I wear cycling shorts (no pad, and not heavy moto style), mainly my Sombrio ones that have a bit of spandex blend. I've found that they are baggy enought that I don't feel naked or a ballerina, but allow for enough range of movement to get through all the poses. I've found basketball style shorts are too loose and baggy and they end up getting in the way. Also, wear a compression/microfiber type of shirt. When you start doing postures where you are bent forward, having a loose shirt fall around your head is a pain.

I have been debating giving it a try. A few friends of mine swear by it. Maybe once my shoulder is recovered I will give it a shot.

I'm on my 3rd shoulder dislocation and I had some concerns about some of the postures. Finding a good instructor is key, and the guy at my gym is very good. He is hyper-sensitive to form and posture and spends time in every class talking about common errors and how to avoid them, particularly regarding the shoulder. I told him about my shoulder injuries and he gave me some advice on things to watch for. I was very concerned about my shoulder and doing any big mountain riding this year, but these classes have helped so much that I think this could be my best season yet.

I also started working on the Posterior Chain muscles. There was an article recently in a body building / fitness magazine recently (it may still be on the stands) that talked about how this neglected set of muscles helps athletic performance. The lifts and routine they suggested have certainly helped. I feel much stronger after just a few weeks. I'll see if I can dig up the article and find a link... Google isn't being super helpful right now.

 

[Hesh To Steel]

I have been meaning to start doing yoga as well, more for general flexibility than specifically for riding. I'm about as flexible as a brick.


Posterior chain work is great too. I started doing deadlifts last year and I LOVE doing them. Trying to focus on dropping a little mass right now but I'll definitely be going back to that exercise soon.

 

[mandown]

I have been meaning to start doing yoga as well, more for general flexibility than specifically for riding. I'm about as flexible as a brick.


Posterior chain work is great too. I started doing deadlifts last year and I LOVE doing them. Trying to focus on dropping a little mass right now but I'll definitely be going back to that exercise soon.

When I was in high school, I was a 240lb offensive lineman and could squat enough plates to make the bar bend over my shoulders and scare the crap out of the freshman squad. These days, my low back won't take that kind of abuse, and I had been missing squats in my lifting routine. The Posterior Chain routine I found suggests box squats, which have been much kinder on the low back for me. It forces more glute work for sure. Of course, single leg squats are even better for glutes and using an unstable surface (like the platforms on half an excercise ball) to do single leg squats is the best exercise out there for that muscle group... though those are tough as hell.

 

[Hesh To Steel]

When I was in high school, I was a 240lb offensive lineman and could squat enough plates to make the bar bend over my shoulders and scare the crap out of the freshman squad. These days, my low back won't take that kind of abuse, and I had been missing squats in my lifting routine. The Posterior Chain routine I found suggests box squats, which have been much kinder on the low back for me. It forces more glute work for sure. Of course, single leg squats are even better for glutes and using an unstable surface (like the platforms on half an excercise ball) to do single leg squats is the best exercise out there for that muscle group... though those are tough as hell.

Sounds like we're coming from opposite backgrounds then, haha. I didn't do ANY lower body work when I was a kid. Just upper body stuff. I played a lot of basketball and my knees used to bother me so lifting legs made me nervous.

In early 2009 I started doing squats and deadlifts. I'm actually still not flexible enough to squat properly though. It's one of the things that I'm hoping yoga will fix, whenever I get around to doing it.


I've read a lot about the benefits of box squats and sinle leg work as well. There some ridiculous video out there of Dave Tate doing a burnout set of box squats with more weight than I think I've lifted cumulatively in my life, haha.