Upper body/Arm fatigue while riding

Camp332
Posts
8691
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Zoo Jersey US
8/6/2019 12:32pm
I highly recommend weight training seriously Bro.
1
8/10/2019 12:27pm
Thanks for all the suggestions guys. It’s really hard to pinpoint one single thing that’s causing it but everything you have all listed can definitely help...
Thanks for all the suggestions guys. It’s really hard to pinpoint one single thing that’s causing it but everything you have all listed can definitely help. I’m gonna start out with better/longer workouts (cardio and arms), more water throughout my day along with a drink mix during workouts/motos and small changes to my bars and levers. And of course small diet changes will help too. I guess working at a desk all day, poor diet and lack of exercise really beats you down and it definitely shows out on the track. Thanks everybody.
adiaz791 wrote:
Hey vitalriderCrf, I was in the same boat as you not too long ago. First thing I did was make sure my suspension was set up...
Hey vitalriderCrf,

I was in the same boat as you not too long ago. First thing I did was make sure my suspension was set up right and I was using all the travel my RM-Z has to offer. Make sure your bars are aligned with the angle of your forks....this has helped me a lot as well. But it sounds like your body position, levers, and bars are already comfortable for you Tongue .

Second, eating right and hydrating A LOT. Drink lots of water even if that means having to pee 10 times a day while at work. And if you sit in a desk all day for work, get up and walk around every 30-45 minutes.

Third, I would incorporate core workouts into your daily exercise routine. Mountain biking is great especially if you're getting your heart rate up but your body needs core strength too. Doing a 10 minute core workout a day will go a long ways especially if you do it consistently. Lots of people will do a workout and think "I'm good for a few days". But consistency is key. Every body is different, but I'll share the core workouts I've been doing consistently the last month and a half.....eating right and doing the following workouts everyday has helped me so much and I am able to ride 20 minute motos without feeling dead. I also lost about 10lbs.

First workout is - [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcgZHKNaYis[/url]. It's a 10 min runners core workout.....45 seconds of working out and 15 seconds rest, then onto the next exercise. After that video is done, rest 90 seconds. Then start the next workout video immediately - [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JN8Nque1Sc [/url]. It's a Manny Pacquiao ab workout. About 10 minutes long, again. You can change a few of the exercises in the video to your liking and/or incorporate weights. Total workout about 20 minutes!

Hope this helps!

Albert

Thanks Albert. Great advice. Those core workouts look very doable even for just a normal person and I'm sure a strong core will lead to more comfortable riding and less wear on my arms. My bike has suspension valved/sprung for me that I raced and rode on all last year with no issues. The bike is not kicking me around or anything weird. I also recorded all of my clickers and made a few small changes so I know where I'm at with it and that did help. I did move my bars forward and adjusted my levers this week but I won't be riding this weekend unfortunately. But even off of the bike my whole upper body just feels like I'm in slow motion and my neck is super tight no matter what Sad Maybe I should look into a chiropractor. I've never been to one.
jboyd691
Posts
12
Joined
9/28/2016
Location
Mary Esther, FL US
8/10/2019 2:44pm
Vital rider,

Check your pms!

The Shop

hubbardmx50
Posts
2800
Joined
11/17/2016
Location
Rancho Cucamonga, CA US
8/19/2019 2:26pm
Does anybody else get arm pump in their right arm and only their right arm while riding? Last few weeks my right arm has felt like a steel beam at the track. Also just like OP I have ran twin walls for a very long time and was wondering if anybody else that also did had switched to fat bars and noticed a big difference in comfort.
1
soggy
Posts
8754
Joined
12/3/2018
Location
UT US
8/19/2019 2:31pm
Thanks for all the suggestions guys. It’s really hard to pinpoint one single thing that’s causing it but everything you have all listed can definitely help...
Thanks for all the suggestions guys. It’s really hard to pinpoint one single thing that’s causing it but everything you have all listed can definitely help. I’m gonna start out with better/longer workouts (cardio and arms), more water throughout my day along with a drink mix during workouts/motos and small changes to my bars and levers. And of course small diet changes will help too. I guess working at a desk all day, poor diet and lack of exercise really beats you down and it definitely shows out on the track. Thanks everybody.
adiaz791 wrote:
Hey vitalriderCrf, I was in the same boat as you not too long ago. First thing I did was make sure my suspension was set up...
Hey vitalriderCrf,

I was in the same boat as you not too long ago. First thing I did was make sure my suspension was set up right and I was using all the travel my RM-Z has to offer. Make sure your bars are aligned with the angle of your forks....this has helped me a lot as well. But it sounds like your body position, levers, and bars are already comfortable for you Tongue .

Second, eating right and hydrating A LOT. Drink lots of water even if that means having to pee 10 times a day while at work. And if you sit in a desk all day for work, get up and walk around every 30-45 minutes.

Third, I would incorporate core workouts into your daily exercise routine. Mountain biking is great especially if you're getting your heart rate up but your body needs core strength too. Doing a 10 minute core workout a day will go a long ways especially if you do it consistently. Lots of people will do a workout and think "I'm good for a few days". But consistency is key. Every body is different, but I'll share the core workouts I've been doing consistently the last month and a half.....eating right and doing the following workouts everyday has helped me so much and I am able to ride 20 minute motos without feeling dead. I also lost about 10lbs.

First workout is - [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcgZHKNaYis[/url]. It's a 10 min runners core workout.....45 seconds of working out and 15 seconds rest, then onto the next exercise. After that video is done, rest 90 seconds. Then start the next workout video immediately - [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JN8Nque1Sc [/url]. It's a Manny Pacquiao ab workout. About 10 minutes long, again. You can change a few of the exercises in the video to your liking and/or incorporate weights. Total workout about 20 minutes!

Hope this helps!

Albert

Thanks Albert. Great advice. Those core workouts look very doable even for just a normal person and I'm sure a strong core will lead to more...
Thanks Albert. Great advice. Those core workouts look very doable even for just a normal person and I'm sure a strong core will lead to more comfortable riding and less wear on my arms. My bike has suspension valved/sprung for me that I raced and rode on all last year with no issues. The bike is not kicking me around or anything weird. I also recorded all of my clickers and made a few small changes so I know where I'm at with it and that did help. I did move my bars forward and adjusted my levers this week but I won't be riding this weekend unfortunately. But even off of the bike my whole upper body just feels like I'm in slow motion and my neck is super tight no matter what Sad Maybe I should look into a chiropractor. I've never been to one.
a good chiropractor is a god send. i've misaligned my pelvis a couple times and had brutal sciatic pain and chiro is only fix.
SEE ARE125
Posts
5673
Joined
3/28/2012
Location
TN US
8/19/2019 3:35pm
Rub one out before hand
You can’t rub one out before hand. You need hand before you can rub one out.
8/19/2019 4:46pm
What tracks are you riding? I find tighter tracks and vet tracks to be hard on the arms. Bigger faster tracks my arms aren’t first to go.

Are you over riding the bike? Sometimes early in the day when I’m trying to ride the shit out of my bike my upper body goes. If I push through the fatigue eventually later in the day my riding will adjust and I can run full motos at the same speed. I’m just flowing instead of trying to man handle.
8/19/2019 5:42pm
I can't believe noone mentioned this yet.

Is your steering stem nut too loose? I've found that loose front end forces me to grip the bars too much, and fight to keep the bike tracking straight in the rough stuff. Tighten that steering stem up. Put the bike on the stand with the back tire touching the ground and tighten the stem just enough so that the bars never fall to one side on their own, regardless of their position. You don't want to make it too tight where its noticeably hard to turn the bars, but just enough to prevent them from moving on their own. Be careful not to go too tight as you could cause reduced bearing life. An even better option would be to install a steering damper.

This, paired with just overall better fitness and more riding time, has helped me out the most with armpump issues.
AE448
Posts
116
Joined
4/10/2015
Location
GB
8/21/2019 4:03am
Before you go hitting the gym I would firstly get an expert rider to watch you for a few laps and record you on your phone so you can see what you look like on the bike. I was getting terrible arm pump after just a couple of laps a few years back, yet I was probably the fittest guy on the track at the time and I thought my style etc was all good until someone watched me and said I wasn't leaning forward enough when in the attack position, or accelerating out of corners. It was super frustrating. Low and behold, I listened and went out and won the next race. What I'm saying is that sometimes even though you feel you're in the correct position on the bike etc, it doesn't always mean you are. However, if your style is ok and you're gripping with the legs, loose upper body and you're still hurting I would definitely add some rowing and weight training to the program. Also eat a lot of protein, particularly after workouts for recovery.
Agent717
Posts
587
Joined
9/6/2009
Location
Cedar Park, TX US
8/21/2019 11:19am
Dehydration for sure. I've had this same exact condition lately and never had it before. It is nasty hot here in TX lately. Last weekend I made a point of drinking at LEAST 1 gallon of water the two days before riding and boom back to normal...

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