This month I want to reiterate the perspective and benefits of strength training. I also want to touch on strength training for kids and young adults. Many still question if they can get fast without having to go to the gym. Obviously, if you’re on a weekly sprint program, you will see gains but there will be a point where you will plateau in progression and be limited in gains of power. I look at sprinting as a skill. This should be done like any other skill in the sports arena. Basketball players take free throws, and baseball players take batting practice. All of these training sessions make it automatic in the heat of the moment of competition. Now, there are many methods to do sprints, but if your always doing the same types, you will not see any gains in performance. You can specifically target a weakness in stroke, force and speed of discharge on the pedals and enhance any of these by modifying the following: distance, volume, pedal choice, gearing, crank length angle of terrain, start methods of stand start, jump start, and flying start. All of these can influence gains in speed (rate of discharge) and to a certain degree increase force (pure strength).

 

If you want true performance enhancement, you will need to increase power and you will need to do it in the gym. Let’s review what power is. Power is force times speed. Force is maximal strength and speed is how fast you lift it. If you can increase strength and concurrently increase the rate of speed in which you lift it then you will make huge improvements in power potential. This increase in power will translate into the pedals. Sprints, again, are a skill, and the adaptations of power must be transferred onto the bike. So it’s always important to try to sprint frequently in addition to the weight lifting and vice versa.

 

So now that we have an understanding that to further enhance power we need gym work, at what age should we start hitting the iron? The basic rule of thumb is that if the athlete has achieved puberty, they’re good to go. Athletes first starting off with strength training should be sensitive to developing joint strength such as tendons for example. The muscle will develop faster in strength that the tendon will and it’s important that a young athlete should be exposed no less than 6 months of anatomical adaptation style strength training so the joints can yield the strength and elasticity that subsequent strength training will demand. It’s also very important for young athletes to strength train in their teen years as this is the window to take advantage of the high level of growth hormone being released. This will establish a prominent base of strength that may set them up well for any aspiring professional endeavors.

 

As we are at the end of the racing calendar year I hope this year has met your expectations. If not, try planning to attack your weaknesses this upcoming off-season so you can become the complete package and have the confidence to achieve your goals!

 

Greg Romero

BMX High Performance Coach