Here are a few tips and exercises to keep the muscles of your upper body healthy and strong so you can ride longer and harder during your training and races.
Posture
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Improving your posture can do wonders for the overall health of your back. Unfortunately, cycling isn't the best activity to promote good posture. When riding, you're typically locked into just a few positions for long periods of time.
Here's a good trick to remember to combat bad posture during the day: When you're standing or sitting, try to appear taller and slimmer than you actually are. This will keep you from hunching over and force your arms closer to the spine, keeping your body in a more neutral position.
If you work at a computer for long periods of time, set yourself a reminder to get up and walk around every 30 to 40 minutes, and do 10 repetitions of shoulder mobility exercises (next slide). This will keep you from staying in a bad postural position for long amounts of time.
Shoulder Mobility
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Long hours on the bike and activities of daily living can cause a posture of rounded shoulders and inactive lower trap/rhomboids. To improve your upper body mobility, try this exercise:
1. Place your feet one foot in front of a wall.
2. Lean back and make sure your hips, upper back and head are in contact with the wall.
Shoulder Mobility Continued
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3. Reach up as high as you can and slide your arms down the wall.
4. As you slide your arms down, make sure your elbows and hands (along with your hips, upper back and head) stay in contact with the wall.
5. Go down as far as your flexibility will allow.
6. Return to the starting position and maintain a light pressure on the wall as you slide up and down.
7. Complete 10 repetitions.
Foam Roll
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You owe it to yourself to invest in a foam roll—it's a great tool to promote optimal muscle tissue health. Foam rolling your upper back will help to improve mobility in your thoracic spine (the area of your spine that runs from about your shoulder blades to the bottom of your rib cage). Lack of thoracic spine mobility can cause neck, shoulder or lower back pain. Improving mobility will allow for better positioning on the bike and allow you to breath easier by opening up the rib cage.
To roll your upper back, position your upper back on a foam roll as shown. Support your head and roll up and down 10 times. It may be uncomfortable at first, but over time it will be less painful.
Strength Training
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Try to incorporate one or two of these exercises into your regular strength-training routine. If these are new to you, begin with 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions.
You'll find that these particular exercises focus on more than just lifting the weight; they require greater control and coordination than traditional machine-based exercises. Improving the strength and mobility of your upper back will not only help you ride stronger, it can improve your everyday life.
Pull-Ups
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Pull-ups are my favorite upper body exercise because they target multiple muscle groups. To make pull-ups easier on your shoulders, you can do them with a neutral grip (as shown) or with an underhand grip. If you have difficulties with pull-ups, see if your gym has an assisted pull-up machine.
If you can complete a few pull-ups, even if it's just a few, this is preferred. Alter your repetitions depending on how many pull-ups you can complete. If your max is four, try to complete 3 sets of 2 to 3 pull-ups.
Pull-Ups Continued
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If you can complete a few pull-ups, even if it's just a few, this is preferred. Alter your repetitions depending on how many pull-ups you can complete. If your max is four, try to complete 3 sets of 2 to 3 pull-ups.
Kneeling Pull-Down
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1. Kneel in front of a cable column as shown.
2. Grasp a traditional pull-down handle with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width.
Kneeling Pull-Down Continued
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3. Keeping your torso upright, pull the bar down to your collarbone and slowly return to the starting position.
4. Kneeling on the floor forces your core and postural muscles to engage throughout the movement as opposed to a traditional lat pull-down machine, which keeps you locked into place with little core and postural involvement.
Inverted Row
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You can do this exercise two ways—with a Smith Machine/power rack or with a suspension trainer. With a Smith Machine (or power rack), place the bar at chest height and position your feet as shown.
Inverted Row Continued
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Keep your body straight and pull yourself up toward the bar. The lower you place the bar, the harder the exercise becomes. This is also a great core exercise since you have to engage your hip and torso muscles to maintain alignment. You can also do this exercise with a suspension trainer (TRX, Jungle Gym, etc.). Since the handles are able to rotate freely, it'll be easier on your shoulders.
Single Arm Row
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Stand in front of a cable column with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
Single Arm Row Continued
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Grab a handle and perform a standing row while keeping your body as still as possible. Avoid the temptation of leaning forward and back to lift more weight. You'll find this exercise works your hips just as much as your upper back muscles.
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