Cycling champion: The whole body tune–up
by: Terra L Fletcher
Posted on: Friday, January 4th, 2008 at 3:06 pm by: Terra L Fletcher
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Do you have tiny arms and a less than tight tummy? You may be a victim of T-Rex syndrome. In the cycling world, this common ailment refers to a well-developed lower body and limited upper body strength. This condition calls for a total body tune-up.
Consider an aerobic exercise supplement. Any activities that keep your muscles toned and limber and increase lung capacity are great. I recommend swimming or kayaking. Not just because I love these activities, but they will also increase your core and upper body strength. I need to be reminded constantly to correct my posture. Pilates increases core strength, flexibility, and stability, all keys to good posture.
Roll out on a stability ball
Start with this simple, yet challenging core exercise recommended to me by my personal trainer.
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and with the ball in front of you. Bend over, keeping legs straight. Clasp your hands together and rest them on the top of the ball. Roll forward until you are in a plank position and the lengths of your forearms are on top of the ball. Hold briefly, then use your abdominal muscles to pull the ball back towards your feet. Execute as many repetitions as you can while maintaining good form. Work your way up to two sets of ten or twelve reps.
Standing stiff upper body pull down
If you haven’t previously strength trained, please be especially cautious when weight lifting. If you have weight trained, good for you! Just remember to begin a new exercise with lighter weights and fewer reps. If you have back or neck problems, use even lighter weights. This simple move is great for upper body strength, but requires good coordination and core strength (tone that tummy first!).
Use a tall cable machine for the greatest range of motion through this shoulder extension. You will move from nearly fully flexed to nearly fully extended.
Facing the machine, engage the abdominals and glutes to stabilize. Don’t let the back flex forward. Place one foot slightly in front of the other. With an overhand-grip, reach the straight bar about shoulder-width apart. Keeping good posture and straight elbows, bring the bar down in front. Your hands should form an arc, finishing near your hips. Pull your shoulder blades down into your spine as you finish. Return the bar by slowly allowing it to rise, not snap back up. Aim for six to ten repetitions.
Hammer curl
No doubt your body fat is next to zero, but how do your arms look? I pride myself on my toned arms. Maybe it’s partly genetic, but this slight variation to the classic bicep curl helps me to really sculpt my upper arms. No T-Rex references will be heard after a couple of months of this move.
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand. Instead of executing the usual bicep curl, turn your palms in to face your body. Curl each arm individually, moving from weights at your sides until weights just touch the inside of your shoulders. Keep your elbows at your sides and your upper arms stationary. Always work opposing muscle groups. Don’t forget to train your triceps, which also happen to be the largest muscles in your arm.
If you still want to work your already ripped legs consider adding in leg presses, calf raises, hamstring curls, leg extensions, and squats. With these supplements to your already healthy routine, you’ll be well proportioned in no time. Bonus: Think about how all those developed upper body muscles will benefit you in time for a triathlon.
References
Bodybuilding.com
