How to Get Pro Motocross Endurance
Professional motocross requires a tremendous amount of endurance. Riding on a motorcycle around a rough dirt course and hills puts a great deal of stress on the body. The back, shoulders, legs, neck and arms are all placed under tremendous strain. Strength and cardiovascular fitness training are key to building up a rider's endurance. Without endurance a rider places himself in jeopardy. Fatigue could lead to errors in judgments and the ability to perform. By properly training, a motocross rider can sure to complete a race to the best of his ability.
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Instructions
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Plan a workout schedule. Workout 3 to 4 days a week, with a day of rest in-between each workout. Combine circuit training and strength training. Do some exercises as circuits, moving from one exercise to the next for 10 repetitions at a time. Do other exercises as strength training, performing the traditional 3 sets of 10 reps each with heavy weight.
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Focus on exercises that strengthen your back. Perform a bent-over row by bending over a barbell, knees at a 45-degree angle with your back straight and your head up. With the barbell between your legs, pull it up to your chest. Do chin-up's by pulling yourself up to a chin-up bar using either under, or over hand grip.
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Train your core muscles. Do push-ups with your legs balanced on an exercise ball. Perform sit-ups and crunches with your legs balanced on top of an exercise ball. Also perform crunches while sitting on top of he exercise ball to improve your balance.
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Concentrate on using exercises that work the whole body. Perform a step-up press by holding a barbell on your shoulders, behind your neck. Step up onto the exercise step, then step down, alternating one leg at a time. Perform a deadlift exercise by standing with the barbell in front of you. Spread your feet shoulder width apart, bend and lift the barbell to your waist as you straighten your back. Perform a squat-row exercise by squatting and using pulley bars to pull the weights toward you.
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Cross train for cardiovascular fitness one at least one day a week. Run on a treadmill, track or cross-country. Swimming and cycling will also help cardio fitness. You can do this on a day that you are not strength training. If you want to cardio train more than one day a week, add it to the end of one of your strength training sessions.
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Tips & Warnings
Cardiovascular fitness is important. The more fit you are, the faster the blood will pump through your body. This will help prevent "arm pump" as the blood will be cycled through your forearms more quickly, keeping them from stiffening up.
If working out during race season, exercise earlier in the week and allow a few days rest before race days.
Stay away from exercises such and bicep curls, forearm curls, and triceps press. These exercises work the muscles in the arms and forearms, which could lead to the possibility of "arm pump."
The use of a well-stocked gym or weight room is recommended.
Always have someone "spot" you if lifting heavy weight or performing an exercise that you have never done before.
A Bench-Press push is an exercise specific to motocross riders. Kneel onto a benchpress bar with the barbell in place. Position your hands, as you would while gripping a motorbike's handle grips. Lift onto your toes, but keep your keens bent. Perform the push-ups are you normally would.
Be aware of what exercises not to do to avoid the possibility of "arm pump." "Arm pump" is a condition when the forearms become so stiff and bulky that it becomes difficult to hold grips, pull the clutch and maintain the bike. It can happen to riders with or without ever having done strength training.
Strength training should maintain the balance between the upper and lower body as well as the front and back of the body. Having your body out of balance could increase the risk of injury.
References
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