Gym Advice

chaseNCMX
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Raleigh, NC US
Edited Date/Time 8/23/2018 5:48am
Any of you guys workout on the regular? I've been in the gym for about 2 years now. Mainly just trying to build strength/muscle etc. I understand that strength/mass in the sport of motocross means nothing but during the week when I cant ride due to work, lifting/bodybuilding is my hobby and I truly enjoy it. What are some things I can throw in my workouts to help me at the track? My biggest issue is hand pain. Sharp pains in my hands. I also am well aware that seat time is whats best but I figured maybe someone on here would have some advice.
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kb228
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Mansfield, OH US
8/21/2018 7:36am
If i had to pick one, front squats. Specifically the one where your arms arent crossed. Theyre sortof in the catch position like in a power clean.

Deadlifts are a close second but it often makes my hands and forearms overly tight
mister2dt
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Canton, MS US
8/21/2018 7:38am
Hand pain? Have you tried different bar bends to free up your wrists and take the bind out of your hands? Grips as well. Makes a huge difference having the right set up
chaseNCMX
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8/21/2018 7:47am
I rode with the stock KTM bars for a about and hour and had to order the YZ High Bend. The KTM bars felt way too 'flat'. I'm coming off a '16 YZ125 so the stock bars on that bike are all I know ha. As for grips I'm using the stock KTM grips til they wear out more then i'll probably switch to some pillow tops.
AJ565
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San Antonio, TX US
8/21/2018 7:50am
Interesting, I also have hand pain riding my KTM. I've swapped bars and grips and no change. I have a trainer writing a gym program for me to also target the hand strength issue.

The Shop

FWYT
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San Diego, CA US
8/21/2018 7:50am
Add lots more cardio. Also fast twitch muscle stuff. Box jumps, burpees, whathaveyou.
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BobKerr
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8/21/2018 7:58am
Building large muscles is the opposite of what you need for moto. Large muscles require lots of blood flow/volume.

Ride mountain bikes if you can't get to a track and ride your motorcycle.

If you can't ride mountain bikes, then just do lots of cardio. HIIT stuff and steady state.
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early
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8/21/2018 8:13am
Concept 2 rower, palm out pull ups, 4 point stationary bike using arms only at med-high intensity intervals. You need to strengthen/condition anaerobic endurance of your hand/forearm, brachioradialis, shoulders, back, core. Pulling exercises are your friend, palm down or out like when you are holding onto handlebars.
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MR. X
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8/21/2018 8:14am
Deca?
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ama530
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8/21/2018 8:24am
Ex-powerlifter and gym rat for most of my life. At 51 now and think I have a handle on the balance of bodybuilding and riding/racing. I get hand 'pain' initially on every ride. Right down the center of my palm. I think it has to do with a light case of carpal tunnel. I don't get arm pump though.

When lifting, keep your thumb on the backside of the bar when possible. Stay away from wrist curls. Do as much core exercises as possible. Squats, deadlifts, hyperextensions, etc... Upper back and shoulders are critical also. Try to do higher reps all around. In the 12-15 rep range. Provides a little more endurance in the muscle. Also, like what FWYT mentioned in his post. Add some cardio. Bodybuilders/powerlifters hate cardio. Get over it and do it. 3 times a week for 20-30 minutes will give you want you need. Good luck.
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magoo1982
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Miamitown, OH US
8/21/2018 8:41am Edited Date/Time 8/21/2018 11:01am
superset antagonist muscle groups with compound movements, always stay moving that way , try to rest 30 seconds or less till u can do next superset . if u can find old Rolf Tibblin workout gives great endurance , used to do it before I ever lifted weights . old Husqvarna training camp style...
DB97
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Orlando, FL US
8/21/2018 8:42am
Do not take creatine I struggled for years. It would make my arm pump insanely painful now that I stopped I don't get it at all. Lots of cardio along with front squats, deadlifts, bench, pullups, pushups. Superset everything to keep it a little more intense.
8/21/2018 8:58am Edited Date/Time 8/21/2018 8:59am
Stretch

Yoga

Cardio

Hi rep, low weight sets focusing mainly on your shoulders, back and legs.

Core strength is most important.
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chaseNCMX
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8/21/2018 9:14am
DB97 wrote:
Do not take creatine I struggled for years. It would make my arm pump insanely painful now that I stopped I don't get it at all...
Do not take creatine I struggled for years. It would make my arm pump insanely painful now that I stopped I don't get it at all. Lots of cardio along with front squats, deadlifts, bench, pullups, pushups. Superset everything to keep it a little more intense.
Ive read this before. I take creatine and find it extremely useful in the gym. Guess i'll just have to choose between the arm/hand pain or the extra 'oomph' in the gym.
TheGetFresh
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COOL GY
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8/21/2018 9:22am
BobKerr wrote:
Building large muscles is the opposite of what you need for moto. Large muscles require lots of blood flow/volume. Ride mountain bikes if you can't get...
Building large muscles is the opposite of what you need for moto. Large muscles require lots of blood flow/volume.

Ride mountain bikes if you can't get to a track and ride your motorcycle.

If you can't ride mountain bikes, then just do lots of cardio. HIIT stuff and steady state.
It works the other way around. Red muscle fibers use fat and oxygen for energy and make up the larger muscles in your body that are used for cardio and cycling. White muscle burns sugars in an anaerobic environment and is used for explosive training light weights.

DB97
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8/21/2018 9:23am
chaseNCMX wrote:
Ive read this before. I take creatine and find it extremely useful in the gym. Guess i'll just have to choose between the arm/hand pain or...
Ive read this before. I take creatine and find it extremely useful in the gym. Guess i'll just have to choose between the arm/hand pain or the extra 'oomph' in the gym.
I lost water weight and it takes a week or two for your body to pick back up with natural production. It sucks at first but I'm just as strong as I was didn't matter really.
Ken202
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8/21/2018 9:36am
I used to do seated rows with an old set of moto handlebars rigged up with rope and a hook to attach to a universal weight set. The bars had two left side mx grips on it. The same grips as I ran on my ride. It was pretty cool.
8/21/2018 10:07am Edited Date/Time 8/21/2018 10:10am
True "fitness" is a blend of attributes: strength, speed, agility, endurance and flexibility. You ain't gonna achieve this doing one thing, whether it's all lifting (popular with men) or all cardio (popular with women); it requires cross-training. Here's what I do:

• Weights three times a week (pushes/pulls/legs). Emphasis on classic compound moves -- bench press, overhead press, pull-downs/pull-ups, rows, squats, lunges, deadlifts. Isolation moves are secondary.

• Indoor or outdoor cycling once or twice a week.

• "HIIT" classes (high-intensity interval training) twice a week.

• Rest day once or twice a week.

Combine all this with a diet emphasizing lean protein and high-quality carbs.

I have an excellent gym, and I get everything I need for 25 bucks a month. Plus, for what it's worth, the studio classes I take are 90% women, and (call me crazy) I happen to enjoy the company of women.

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BobKerr
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8/21/2018 10:14am
chaseNCMX wrote:
Ive read this before. I take creatine and find it extremely useful in the gym. Guess i'll just have to choose between the arm/hand pain or...
Ive read this before. I take creatine and find it extremely useful in the gym. Guess i'll just have to choose between the arm/hand pain or the extra 'oomph' in the gym.
DB97 wrote:
I lost water weight and it takes a week or two for your body to pick back up with natural production. It sucks at first but...
I lost water weight and it takes a week or two for your body to pick back up with natural production. It sucks at first but I'm just as strong as I was didn't matter really.
That is interesting. I have the opposite reaction with regards to strength. I usually lose 4 lbs when I get off creatine. It takes between 1-2 weeks for the water to come out. I am noticeably weaker in the gym without it.
DB97
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8/21/2018 10:23am
BobKerr wrote:
That is interesting. I have the opposite reaction with regards to strength. I usually lose 4 lbs when I get off creatine. It takes between 1-2...
That is interesting. I have the opposite reaction with regards to strength. I usually lose 4 lbs when I get off creatine. It takes between 1-2 weeks for the water to come out. I am noticeably weaker in the gym without it.
I mean I maybe dropped 10-20 pounds off bench but I still can do 225x5 for three sets only weighing 160lbs. I just decided I want to ride longer without arm pump so it was worth the sacrifice of some strength. I stopped pre work out since it has creatine too was not fun at first. I was skeptical but I got to ask Aldon in person about creatine and he basically said you don't want your body to be swollen from your muscles holding water especially the forearms.
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TJMX947
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Indian Trail, NC US
8/21/2018 11:41am
You guys with pain in your hands, I had the same issue 2 years ago...thought it was from doing heavy deadlifts, rows, and bench. My hands were going numb after a couple of minutes of riding. It never went away and actually progressed into numbness in my hands while doing normal stuff like tying my son's shoes, writing, or using tongs on the grill. Got to where I could only ride for about 45 seconds without having to stop and shake my hands out. Thought I had carpel tunnel but it was actually a Vitamin 12 deficiency. Been taking injections for about 4 months now and I'm getting better, I can actually ride a little now but its not 100%. I let it go too long undiagnosed for sure.

As far as gym stuff it comes down to your goals. Don't try to beat yourself into the ground thinking its going to make you better at either, you have to be able to recover to get stronger and more conditioned. You can't go hard everyday. As mentioned mass requires lots of oxygen to keep it moving so keep that in mind when you're putting on the muscle. The good thing about true body builder workouts is they aren't particularly taxing on the CNS so you're able to work out more frequently. I will say that you probably don't want to do things that will pump your forearms while working out because that will only manifest itself on the bike. As far as cardio goes, keep it in zone 2 and do as much as you can. Doing HIIT multiple times per week is very hard on your CNS and the key here is being able to recover so that you're fresh and are able to ride the motorcycle, and for that reason I advise against doing HIIT unless you're trying to peak for an event. Save your really intense workout for the mx track.

My advice is very contradictory to what a lot of guys on here will tell you but I was a guy who tried to kill it in the gym, on the spin bike/road bike, and at the track. I ended up getting really good at working out and not as good at riding. I also have a few hormonal issues now which I think came from me pushing too hard, too often, with limited recovery. Think of your body as a bank. You need to deposit more than you withdrawal. Quality moderate workouts are your deposits, high intensity stuff are your withdrawals. You gotta stay above your withdrawals.
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mark_swart
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Chapin, SC US
8/21/2018 3:00pm
Hand pain sounds like a bike setup issue - are your forks too stiff?
As for training, I think cardio, core, and high reps of body resistance exercises (google "seven minute workout.") But I train a lot less off the bike during the season so I can recover. Moto uses muscle combinations that I cant really seem to replicate with any other exercises.
ama530
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Lehighton, PA US
8/21/2018 3:53pm
mark_swart wrote:
Hand pain sounds like a bike setup issue - are your forks too stiff? As for training, I think cardio, core, and high reps of body...
Hand pain sounds like a bike setup issue - are your forks too stiff?
As for training, I think cardio, core, and high reps of body resistance exercises (google "seven minute workout.") But I train a lot less off the bike during the season so I can recover. Moto uses muscle combinations that I cant really seem to replicate with any other exercises.
My setup is very neutral and flat in a sense on my Husky. And my suspension is on the soft side. I get pain in my palms only when I start riding. Mostly during moto, not so much on scrambles or just trail riding. Most of the time it goes away once I get warmed up. I have also found that it really depends on my hydration level. If I go out without being hydrated I can have issues. Otherwise, I'm pretty good. It is something I live with and try to do things to avoid it. My dad had both his hands operated on because of carpal tunnel. He was a contractor when there were no nail guns. Lots of impact on his hands from hammering all day long. I think I have a slight case of that, if there is such a thing, from bench pressing for so many years.
Racer111
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Concord, NC US
8/21/2018 4:36pm
I do light weight and lots of reps with weights. I ride my bike about 125 miles a week and run about 35 miles a week. Do core stuff at home. At 47 years of age, I definitely do not have a problem fading during Moto’s where most my age drop anchor after 2 laps.
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chaseNCMX
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Raleigh, NC US
8/22/2018 7:33am
WCRider wrote:
NEVER bulking forearms at gym.
I never isolate JUST my forearms. Although I do like building grip strength so I'll rack pull 405 with no straps and do things like hammer curls etc which work my forearms to an extent. I think if i cut the creatine, did more cardio, less rest between sets and rode 1-2 times a week, I'd see a difference. Maybe I'll start using straps for my dead lifts/rows etc.

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