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Monday, 29 October 2012 00:00

With the off season starting to kick in we need to look at ways to stay fit over the wet dark cold winter nights. With the lack of racing over the winter this means gym work and also less time on the track. A small percentage of people are lucky enough to live within a short distance of the indoor in Manchester, but for most of us that's not an option. That leaves a large percent of us looking for other ways of keeping fit during the off season, in this article i am looking at ways to get us all through the dark winter months and stay in some kind of shape.

So when training for BMX racing, sprints should be a major part of your training regime all year round. keep in mind, sprinting does not always have to be boring . In fact, by varying the type of sprint's performed, your workouts will become more challenging, interesting and well-rounded.

Uphill Sprints

Suggested by Canada's new High Performance BMX team coach, Ken Cools. His experience as a coach and a personal trainer specifically for BMX athletes is second to none. Uphill sprints are a short distance power building exercises. Try doing two sets of five or six for a total of 10-12 sprints up a moderately steep hill. Six in a row with only a few seconds of active recovery as you return to the start and set your pedals, then a minute or two to catch your breath, and then six more sprints. Try to simulate the sprint to be the same number of cranks that you need to get down a start hill. This isn't meant to be a distance exercise, it's meant to be a short intense power-building exercise. The anaerobic effect of sprints up a hill will give you a great workout.

Full lap burners 

We bet not many of us do full laps when we are out having a track session with our riding buddies. We all seem to ride the same few straights over and over, well not no more. Mike Day, 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist does full lap sprints in training to simulate real racing conditions. This prepares your mind and body for riding your bike through the whole lap at full speed. Doing full lap sprints around a BMX track is also a great way to work on all of the important bike riding skills you need to ride the track at top speeds and have fun. If you have trouble going all out for a whole lap, and are worn out by the last corner, then winning races will be difficult. Needless to say, being on the bike is the most important and fun part, so make sure your chain is tight and have fun doing these sprints.

Next on the sprint list is one for a gym stationary bike or a spinning bike

These sprints are Tabata sprint's the hardest of them all. This sprinting exercise is short (and not so) sweet and completed in only four minutes. Don't let the short duration of the training fool you though. These sprints will take your legs and your lungs to the limit. 20-second sprints followed by 10-second rest intervals non-stop for four minutes. You will be begging for mercy upon the completion of an eight rep set.Tabata work out's are backed up with scientific evidence, by taxing the body's systems thoroughly, providing improvement in both aerobic and anaerobic systems. Doing just one four-minute workout and you have done your weights and cardio for the day!

Training for the younger racer

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT PERFORM THESE TRAINING TECHNIQUES ON PUBLIC ROADS.