 If you have any injuries, particularly back and/or neck or medical conditions then seek approval from your coach or GP before carrying out the following exercise programme. Some of the following exercises can place a great amount of stress PREPARATION Find a suitable surface and ensure you carry out the following mobility and preparatory stretching exercises (see separate fact sheets for details). A pre, light cardio-vascular warm-up (5:00-10:00mins @ <65% HRR) is recommended but not essential. MOBILITY
PRE-STRETCHES
MAIN SET 10:00-15:00 1. Abdominal Curl (raised knees) Instructions : Lie face upwards (supine) on the floor with a straight back and knees bent to 90 degrees. Lift feet from the floor until hips are flexed to 90 degrees and lower leg is parallel to the ground. Cross legs. Place hands behind the ears with elbows wide (Pic3). Slowly curl the torso upwards. Maintaining tension on the abdominals (Pic4), and slowly move back to the starting position in a controlled movement. Shoulders should be kept slightly off the floor. To make the exercise easier, place both feet on the floor. Carry out abdominal curl either with hands behind ears (as above) or run hands along thighs to knees (easier) REPS : 2 x 12 DURATION 0:30-1:00 PROGRESSION 2 x 15 or 3 x 10 Increase angle at the hip (extend) - not recommended if you have a weak back. Increase angle at the hip when head is in contact with the floor, flexing hips to 90 degrees as curl is performed
2. Reverse Curl (non-contact) Instructions : Lie in supine and neutral position with knees bent to somewhere between 90-180 degrees (the larger the angle the greater the tension). Place arms to your side with your palms down. Cross legs and lift from the floor, while keeping the same angle at the knee, slowly from the ground (Pic5) until the feet are in (vertical) line with the buttocks (Pic6). Slowly return to a position where feet are a few inches from the floor (do not touch the floor). Momentarily hold before carrying out the next rep. The greatest tension will be as the feet come close to the floor. If this is too uncomfortable and/or painful then return feet to the floor momentarily. REPS : 2 x 10 DURATION 0:30-1:00 PROGRESSION 2 x 12-15 or 3 x 8 Increase angle at the knee (extend) - a straight leg (180 degrees) is not recommended
3. Cycle Plank Instructions : Lie in supine position on the floor with a straight back. Do not over-arch the back, keep it as low as possible, but comfortable (slight arch). Place arms at side with palms down. Do a very slow cycle motion with legs by extending each leg to the straight position each time, and just inches from the ground (Pic7-9). The slower the action/straighter the leg/lower back in contact with the ground, the harder it will be. REPS : 2 x 10 DURATION 0:30-1:00 PROGRESSION 1:00-1:30 Slower
4. Lateral Dips Instructions : Support yourself on your side with your elbow. Cross legs and place other/outside arm on your outer hip, with the hip in contact with the floor. Lift yourself up and lock your arm straight (this can be tough so you may wish to stay on your elbow). Slowly lift hips off the ground until the torso is in a straight position (Pic10). Return slowly to the ground and repeat repetition (Pic11). Swap to other side. This exercise can be made easier by performing it on your elbow, with forearm resting on the floor. REPS : 15 reps on each side PROGRESSION 20 reps or 2 x 10 on each side
5. Back Extension (Raised Legs) Instructions : Lie face down (prone) with hands behind ears and elbows wide. Keep thighs, hips and abs in contact with the floor at all times. Either lift lower legs and feet slightly from the ground or have them weighted (under a heavy object, friend). This exercise can be quite tough. Slowly lift head and arch back until you are able to look forwards (Pic12) and then return slowly to the starting position. REPS : 2 x 10 DURATION 0:30-1:00 PROGRESSION 2 x 12 or 3 x 8
6. Plank Instructions : Lie in prone position with feet pointing downwards and shoulder width apart. Lift yourself up on to your elbows keeping the back straight (the position of the elbows would normally be directly under the shoulders ie bent at 90 degrees, and is an opportunity to get into your tri-bar position). Check your watch or have someone time you. Hold this position (Pic13, 14) for duration and relax by dropping knees. During the recovery period I recommend easing the tension by lying over bent knees (foetal position) or performing a lying lower back stretch (Pic15). Ensure the body is in line during this one. REPS : 2 x 10 DURATION 3 x 0:30 PROGRESSION 3 x 0:45, 0:60
7. Core Kick (also part of the Balance programme) Instructions : In a standing, neutral position and (preferably) facing a full length mirror. Quickly lift each knee in turn (hip flexion) towards the chest without bending the back. This is quite difficult (esp with cyclists) and teaches the body to disassociate the upper body from the lower body during knee lift. For example, during running you need to keep the upper body as stable as possible with lateral movement only from the arms to assist with forward propulsion. REPS : 2 x 10 DURATION 1:00 PROGRESSION Faster knee lift | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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