Ride Strong by Jo McRae

Author:Jo McRae
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472928610
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2016-10-07T16:00:00+00:00

Keeping your chest lifted and your abdominals engaged, push the dumbbells directly upward, and then bring them together to touch overhead. To achieve this position you will need to extend your upper back by lifting your chest. From this top position, lower the dumbbells back to the start by retracing the same pathway they have just taken. The dumbbells should come up and together overhead, then out and down in a smooth arc, similar to that made with the dumbbell chest press.

How many reps and sets?

Perform 8–12 repetitions for 2–4 sets, with 1 minute’s rest in between sets. You should be able to do between 8 and 12 repetitions with good form and you should be working hard to maintain your position and technique for the last two or three repetitions. You should start to fail between 8 and 12. If you find that you can do more than 12 repetitions well, you need to progress by adding more weight to the dumbbells.

The importance of pulling exercises

For those reasons explained earlier, my first choice of pulling exercises for cyclists would be cable machine exercises where pulling can be combined with squatting, lunging, twisting and bending movements to develop functional upper-body strength together with the legs. However, more ‘isolated’ pull variations that focus specifically on the upper-back muscles can be an important corrective and balancing exercise for cyclists who tend to have weak upper-back muscles together with poor posture and a stiff thoracic spine.

Often cyclists will experience neck problems on the bike when the biomechanics of their spine have been altered due to long-standing muscle imbalances and subsequent changes in the bone structure. Stiffness in the upper back transfers excessive strain to the neck, which must bend backwards more so the rider can look forwards at the road ahead.

Mobilizing the thoracic spine together with strengthening the upper back with pulling movements can help maintain a healthy upper back and neck, as well as improving the aesthetic and aerodynamic shape of the back on the bike that every cyclist is looking for.

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