So what is it that takes a beating ?
- Posterior Train: Enduro is done standing up in a slight squat down, bent over position position for some 8 - 10 hours at a stretch - going at 50-100kmh across rocky, bumpy, muddy, sandy tracks - or slow controlled over single trails. So the "train" has to absorb heavy blows, shocks and vibrations all that time. This means the whole posterior train has to be both very strong and has to have lots of endurance.
- Core Flexibility: Driving / steering is done mainly with the legs and knees, while squeezing the bike to left or right. This means flexibility, strength and endurance is needed in the core.
- Back & Arms: going up steep hills and going around curves put you in a situation where you are constantly pushing yourself to the back or pulling yourself to the front of your bike through to balance your weight to front or rear tire for traction - this all through your handlebars.
- Lower arms / hands: the lower arms and hands get a real beating during the days - constant vibrations and shocks, having to use clutch, throttle and brake with precision makes for sore hands, blisters and swollen underarms. Often the underarms will have problems with bloodflow (because you are standing up and get constant shocks, the blood cannot easily flow back up..)
- Exhaustion: Further total body exhaustion comes from stemming the bike off the ground after falls - being in weird positions on steep hillsides in the mud, bushes... trying to get going again on steep hills, helping others out. This wears out the whole body and needs a lot of function strength everywhere. Fluid loss will accelerate this process
- Mind / Concentration : If not enough physical endurance is presence it become hard to concentrate and coordinate the whole body to stay on the road with the bike for hours at a stretch. Responding slow or wrong to difficult situations become impossible when concentration is wavering..and is extremely dangerous.
So what pays off as preparation ?
- Strength Basics: No surprises here...do heavy squats, deadlifts, reverse hypers, gluteham raises, pullups, benchpresses, dips
- Endurance: make sure to do a good deal of cardio type units in your preparation - obviously prowler / power sled type units and slam balls are ideal, as well as landmines - as they mimic the repeated weird situation, whole body requirements you will encounter very well.
- Hands / lower arms - working with deadlifts, pulls ups and using captains of crush and the rolling thunder will give you the base strength - but nothing can imitate the 10 hour stress .. so doing longer drives on a real bike will be required to train this aspect.
Photos by Ironmind.com
- Back /arms. Tremendous strength and endurance requirements exist in arms (biceps, triceps) and lats and trapezius. Dips, Pull-ups, one arms rows, barbell rows, seated rows come into play here.
- Fluid household: making sure to carry a large camel back with some sort of high concentration isotonic / minerals / carbs sportsdrink is a must to keep hydrated. Cramps will occur frequently if this facet is neglected. Taking some magnesium everyday works very well.
- Exhaustion. This is not the time to go low on carbs. Load up on carbs at breakfast and dinner. Eating a lot during the day is usually difficult (driving with a full stomach is not very "nice" - and time is usually lacking as well). So during the day use energy bars or gels to keep energy provision to the muscles high. After the week you can go back to the carb reduced way of eating again
ATC - We Are Growing
* Author of this article holds the rights, all photos are purchased from Photodune.net except those indicated otherwise.
- Posterior Train: Enduro is done standing up in a slight squat down, bent over position position for some 8 - 10 hours at a stretch - going at 50-100kmh across rocky, bumpy, muddy, sandy tracks - or slow controlled over single trails. So the "train" has to absorb heavy blows, shocks and vibrations all that time. This means the whole posterior train has to be both very strong and has to have lots of endurance.
- Core Flexibility: Driving / steering is done mainly with the legs and knees, while squeezing the bike to left or right. This means flexibility, strength and endurance is needed in the core.
- Back & Arms: going up steep hills and going around curves put you in a situation where you are constantly pushing yourself to the back or pulling yourself to the front of your bike through to balance your weight to front or rear tire for traction - this all through your handlebars.
- Lower arms / hands: the lower arms and hands get a real beating during the days - constant vibrations and shocks, having to use clutch, throttle and brake with precision makes for sore hands, blisters and swollen underarms. Often the underarms will have problems with bloodflow (because you are standing up and get constant shocks, the blood cannot easily flow back up..)
- Exhaustion: Further total body exhaustion comes from stemming the bike off the ground after falls - being in weird positions on steep hillsides in the mud, bushes... trying to get going again on steep hills, helping others out. This wears out the whole body and needs a lot of function strength everywhere. Fluid loss will accelerate this process
- Mind / Concentration : If not enough physical endurance is presence it become hard to concentrate and coordinate the whole body to stay on the road with the bike for hours at a stretch. Responding slow or wrong to difficult situations become impossible when concentration is wavering..and is extremely dangerous.
So what pays off as preparation ?
- Strength Basics: No surprises here...do heavy squats, deadlifts, reverse hypers, gluteham raises, pullups, benchpresses, dips
- Endurance: make sure to do a good deal of cardio type units in your preparation - obviously prowler / power sled type units and slam balls are ideal, as well as landmines - as they mimic the repeated weird situation, whole body requirements you will encounter very well.
- Hands / lower arms - working with deadlifts, pulls ups and using captains of crush and the rolling thunder will give you the base strength - but nothing can imitate the 10 hour stress .. so doing longer drives on a real bike will be required to train this aspect.
Photos by Ironmind.com
- Back /arms. Tremendous strength and endurance requirements exist in arms (biceps, triceps) and lats and trapezius. Dips, Pull-ups, one arms rows, barbell rows, seated rows come into play here.
- Fluid household: making sure to carry a large camel back with some sort of high concentration isotonic / minerals / carbs sportsdrink is a must to keep hydrated. Cramps will occur frequently if this facet is neglected. Taking some magnesium everyday works very well.
- Exhaustion. This is not the time to go low on carbs. Load up on carbs at breakfast and dinner. Eating a lot during the day is usually difficult (driving with a full stomach is not very "nice" - and time is usually lacking as well). So during the day use energy bars or gels to keep energy provision to the muscles high. After the week you can go back to the carb reduced way of eating again
ATC - We Are Growing
* Author of this article holds the rights, all photos are purchased from Photodune.net except those indicated otherwise.
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