Body weight exercises to improve climbing and endurance?

HamboCairns

Thanks for all the bananas
Hi all,

I suffer from running out of steam when doing climbing or pinch climbs, my thigh muscles feel fatigued and I have to stop for a while.

Any ideas on exercises or Youtube routines that don't rely on a gym or weights that I can follow to improve this?
 

Calvin27

Eats Squid
Any ideas on exercises or Youtube routines that don't rely on a gym or weights that I can follow to improve this?
More time on bike? To improve lactic threshold I basically off saddle grinded everything. Get a higher gear going and get the legs used to burning up and performing through it. Good thing is lactic threshold is easier to train than VO2 imo.
 

Minlak

custom titis
There are hundreds of exercises you can do these area good start

you don't need weights body weight is fine - Most exercise programs / challenges you do all work on the 12 weeks to results scenario - Start a healthy eating plan drop some kilos - do the exercise regularly - ride as well and see you in 12 weeks.

The only way to build endurance is through enduring - I have a 5 hr (all going to plan) ride I am about to do but I always bonk at around 3hrs so for the last 3 mths I never stopped at 3hrs I went to 3hrs 10 mins then 3 hrs 15 mins then 3hrs 30 mins then 4 hrs etc.
 

Daniel Hale

She fid, he fid, I fidn't
use the local park seat/bench to do a double box jump, first one up to seat level , then onto the table top.

failing that efforts on a 4min/8min constant climb - start with 3 sets, 15min warmup/down. if you dont want to do long climbs - do max hr efforts for 2-3mins, about 4-5 to start with, i use a 2 % grad climb at the local cemetery

make sure your squat technique is good - stand up close to a wall/bench, make sure your body position doesn’t move forward when squatting, but your hips are hinging, your torso stays straight..i have a real lazy butt, couldn’t do this but am now better - 1 leg glute bridges will work also

which brings to my 2nd point, make sure you do some ab/bum work - these weak areas can create lots of other problems, strong core
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
Chriso_29er is 100%.

I have a big mate that squats ~220kg and rides occasionally, the big legs dont transfer to riding hills.

Or in my boat, getting older, its getting harder.
 

HamboCairns

Thanks for all the bananas
Chriso_29er is 100%.

I have a big mate that squats ~220kg and rides occasionally, the big legs dont transfer to riding hills.

Or in my boat, getting older, its getting harder.
That's interesting, I've heard things that going to the gym is a must but in all honesty, it bores the fuck out of me and I give up not long after joining.
 

Minlak

custom titis
That's interesting, I've heard things that going to the gym is a must but in all honesty, it bores the fuck out of me and I give up not long after joining.
It all depends on what you are training for - cross training is a great idea for general fitness - but if you want to ride further or faster the best way is to ride further or faster.-
The other issue is mental a huge percentage of people give up in the mind way before the body is giving up.
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
That's interesting, I've heard things that going to the gym is a must but in all honesty, it bores the fuck out of me and I give up not long after joining.
Me too. I would like to go to the gym to build up some muscle and lose weight but no time at the moment.

It may happen this year, at the end of the day, when we get older, gym and bike is better than just gym or just bike.
 

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
To give you an example @HamboCairns - I'd been riding one day, on roughly 3 out of 4 weekends for the last few years. My fitness improved, but plateaued quite quickly and never really improved any further. I played around with a smart trainer during COVID lockdown, then gave up after a month or two because it was boring as anything. I did learn during that brief stint on the trainer that what @Minlak is suggesting was true though, that my brain was telling me I was done long before I was actually done. On a trainer you can really force yourself, because it doesn't matter if you're slumped over the bars and feel like you want to spew. You realise after a while that your body was just lying to you because it's not used to it and is wondering WTF your're doing to yourself. Psychologically, you've got to be tough to stick with it. So I stopped. Many months later once our lockdowns eventually eased, I started riding twice a week with @fjohn860 - roughly around the start of summer, and after about 6 weeks I had gained/developed more fitness than I have in the last three years - and that coming off a COVID couch-potato spec body. The other day we did a climb in one go that I used to have to stop at least once or twice on, and while I still felt pretty gassed at the top - I recovered quickly and the rest of the ride wasn't ruined. Twice a week with lots of climbs is my plan where practicable going forward, because it makes the weekend (get a bit sketchy) ride a lot more enjoyable.

On a side note, I had a mate that spent a heap of time at the gym trying to gain some bike fitness. Total failure. He would monster the first climb, because he had the strength to mash up it, and then that was him done for the ride. Every climb after that was a mix of whining, whimpering or pushing. I've been there too (and will feel like I'm back there once I'm allowed back on the bike again), but IMO nothing but getting out there and grinding it out is going to do much for real-world riding fitness.
 

droenn

Fat Man's XC President
Chriso_29er is 100%.

I have a big mate that squats ~220kg and rides occasionally, the big legs dont transfer to riding hills.

Or in my boat, getting older, its getting harder.
there are different approaches to squatting - powerlifting and big squats are all about building to a 1RM and it doesn't transfer to climbing well, whereas dropping to half the weight and doing 8 reps+ it would be much more beneficial for the bike. I've got a decent squat at the moment but my mtb climbing has suffered a lot in the process of getting to that (and I'm a bit heavier too), but that's my focus at the moment.

cross training is the best - fittest and lightest I've ever been is when I was boxing + mtb, and before that I was trail running and riding and the hills were much much easier. I've never been great though, just better than hopeless :)
 
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