Do you suffer with Back Pain? there are many different causes of back pain, some are not as obvious as other. Performing the tests featured in this video will go some way to helping you discover where you back is originating and an idea of how to best rehabilitate.

Test how healthy and strong your back is using these 3 tests, they are not exercises they are tests that demonstrate your current back health.

Today the 28th March 2010 I traveled to Crewe to take part in the season opener, Cheshire Cat 100 mile sportive with the famous Mow Cop 25% gradient climb.

Setting off at 6.30am I arrived in Crewe for registration along with about 2500 other riders for the new and improved route starting from Crewe Alexandra FC rather then the traditional start in Knutsford.

The registration was swift, which was great but the downside to this was the huge queue around the whole car park for the start, the organisers kept us moving and after a short time we were on the road.

The 100 miles lived up to it’s reputation, the first 30 miles packed in the 3 climbs over the pennines starting with Mow Cop. It is as steep as they say but only on the last stretch. From the bottom the gradient gradually increases and finishes at 25% and a nice touch if you get to the top without your foot touching the floor you are presented with a medal at the end.

From there the next climb leads into the 1st feed station, all the feed stations were fully stocked with a selection of food from Mr Kiplings cakes, flapjacks, bananas, water and sports drinks.

After the 3 climbs the route turns into an undulating cruise through Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire. The route is excellently sign posted and split between 3 feed stations, which keeps you filled and refreshed.

Upon finishing you claim your medal and pack, there is also the option of a sports massage for your sore and heavy legs.

With all the good points of the Cheshire Cat, the organisation, signage, feed stations and route there were a few bad points. No shower or changing area and the food at the end of the sportive very expensive for what it was but I suppose it’s a chance to cash in on 2500 hungry riders.

All in all a great day and a great ride I would definitely recommend the 2011 Cheshire Cat.

Please leave your comments and questions, thanks for reading

Hi Friends

The world-renowned long-distance coach Joe Friel illustrates how to structure Ironman training.

Hi Friends

Well i’ve entered my first event of the season, Cheshire Cat Sportive and read all the hype. Has anyone ridden this sportive before? Is the Mow Cop as bad as they say? I’ve heard it’s short climb and only steep in a short section.

Here’s what they have to say about the climbs;

On the 102 miles Mow Cop literally stops some riders in their tracks. Partly for this reason it’s a popular place for spectators with the aptly named Cheshire View pub alongside the steepest 1 in 4 part of the climb. After Mow Cop and the inevitable descent, riders enter the Staffordshire Moorlands, Wincle, Macclesfield Forest, Nab End and cobbled Swiss Hill – the last major climb in the 2009 Cheshire Cat. Not especially steep but riders might find themselves walking if using ordinary climbing techniques. So what’s the trick the continental pros use for staying on yer bike then? ‘Snatchy’ sandstone cobbles give less grip so stay sat-down and keep hands wide on the bars. Look ahead and ride where the car tyres will have been.

Enjoy I hope you find it useful

Triathlon is a reasonably young sport being born during the early part of the 19th century in France. Running and swimming have been accessible since man first walked the earth. However, the later invention of the sport of cycling certainly delayed the establishment of the sport we now know as triathlon. Triathlon as we know it today wasn’t possible until the technology had advanced to a state where manufacturing of a bicycle was possible. A bike most definitely is an ingenious invention that harnesses the human body as an engine in an effective way. Simultaneously, it also exposes our movement system to new adaptations we have to consider in training and conditioning.

This article examines some of the physiological adaptations of cycling in the muscular system. The goal is to learn how to “neutralize” the negative effects of cycling and optimize the overall triathlon performance.

The Bike as a Movement Environment, the Body as an Engine. Running and swimming don’t quite involve mechanical technology as much as cycling, although the high-tech running shoes and shark suits are certainly influencing these sports. Moving fast on two wheels is different though, and the external force transmission device, the bike, changes some things for the athlete.
Suddenly, it’s not so much about the fundamental motor programs anymore. In cycling, we have exchanged our basic motor patterns for a more specialized movement with an equipment-driven posture and position. The gait-like foundational alternating leg pattern still exists, but the arms and upper body are fixed, and the body is flexed forward in order to minimize the air resistance and to please the gods of speed.

Cycling differs from running and swimming by its four-point fixed position that is determined by the bike adjustments, among other things. Due to the fixed position and the “restricted” path of movement, in time, the repetitive motion with time forms a soft tissue “mold” in the body. This adaptation will eventually hinder movement like running or swimming and put the body at risk of an injury. As a trainer of someone, who aims to perform well on wheels, on foot and in the water, my job is to acknowledge all the adaptations of the given sports and how they influence each other. By doing this, I will be more prepared to neutralize the negative and accentuate the positive in my athlete’s performance.

Cycling: Movement Analysis as a Foundation for a Training Program
A basic biomechanical and physiological understanding of the sport helps us in designing effective training regimens. We can analyze the sport movement in many ways. In the following illustration, we will focus on the “negative” adaptations of cycling. “Negative” refers to effects that potentially decrease the level of performance or increase the probability of an injury. In order to choose the correct exercise progression for a cyclist, it is essential to know the potential movement limitations caused by the sport specific position.

CYCLING – PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOMECHANICAL CONSIDERATIONS

A) Cervical spine extended – The body position is forward flexed, but the eyes stay level with the horizon. The neck extensor muscles may become shortened.
B) Middle back/thoracic spine immobile – The absence of rotation and the spinal extension can lead to a flexed spine “mold.” This has many consequences, such as a decreased abdominal wall loading and a decreased ability to rotate.
C) Lower back in flexion – Back muscles get stretched out during the extended flexion. This could contribute to weakness of the lower back muscles.
D) Pedaling range of motion (hamstring) – The seated position and the pedaling motion may cause muscular imbalance in the hamstrings and other muscles in the region (popliteus, etc).
E) Leaning forward, gripping the bars – Cyclists “carry” a part of their body weight by leaning on the handle bars. This emphasizes the forward flexed “mold” and decreases the multi-planar function of the shoulder and the scapulae.
F) Pedaling range of motion (hip flexors) – A cyclist rarely reaches a full hip extension. The flexion-dominant range of motion and the pedaling motion (pulling) lead to shortened hip flexors and potentially to inactivity and weakness in the hip extensors.
G) Knee on a “fixed” track – The seated position with the fixed foot can over time lead to imbalances between the quadriceps muscles. The stability of the knee may be compromised as the inner portion (vastus medialis) becomes more inactive and the outer portion (vastus lateralis) becomes relatively more active and “tight.” This also connects to the iliotibial band problems.
H) Shoes “clipped” in, the foot as a lever – The foot functions as a transmitter of forces from the big prime movers to the pedals. Depending on the riding style and the use of the pedals, the calf/shin musculature can become chronically imbalanced (tib. anterior, gastrochnemius).

The Order of Importance in Exercise Selection

The most important objective of off-bike training and conditioning is to ensure that the body’s foundational force production system is functioning optimally. After the foundational movement elements have been restored, we can start to think about building strength, power, speed and endurance.
By restoring these fundamental movement elements, we will surely enhance overall performance and most likely the cycling performance as well. All too often, we try to give the body training stimulations that it is not prepared to receive and adapt to. By optimizing the basic movement first, we will have a much wider and safer platform to build the house of performance on. When discussing the training of a “busy” multi sport athlete in particular, we need to focus on the most important goals and prioritize the exercise progressions carefully.

Priority order for choosing the exercises:
Reverse and prevent (flexibility, mobility)
Activate and recruit (stability, strength)
Build and enhance (specialized strength, power)
The concept and use of “reverse” movements
To restore = to return to a former or normal state, or position.
To reverse = to turn backward, in an opposite position or direction, upside down or inside out. (Webster’s New World Dictionary)

Jo McRae, who has been working with Cervelo Team Rider Dan Lloyd, has found ways to improve Lloyd’s alignment on the bike. This is how Dan Lloyd describes the benefits of the exercises: “Many of the exercises are designed to strike a balance, so it’s almost like stretching everything back the other way. As a cyclist, you spend hours on a bike, hunched over in a quite unnatural position. As a result, there are parts of you that are always tight, such as your chest or your hamstrings… The aim is to stretch you out so that your posture is better off the bike, and hopefully it will stop me walking like an ape. On the bike, your back is curved, so one of the stretches is to curve it the other way to straighten it out.”

This is eventually the key concept of reversing the movement. You stay flexed for hours on the bike, so now you should do extension movements to neutralize the effects and return to the “default settings.” In addition to the basic concept of “opposing movement,” we can utilize targeted exercises in order to assist the desired restoration effects. Most of these techniques are familiar to all of us and follow the flexibility continuum, starting from the myofascial release and static stretches leading up to more dynamic and integrated movements. By including motor components from mobility to power in the progression, the neural input becomes more complete.

The most opportune time to utilize these exercises is pre and post cycling. The exercises can be used within the active warm up or cool down or both. By activating the proper sequence of muscle recruitment prior to the cycling itself, we are not only giving the athlete a better protection against the injuries but a potential for higher performance as well. On the other hand, immediately after the ride, we have the most effective window of preventing those acute soft tissue adaptations from turning into chronic ones. Overall, the use for these reverse exercises is more preventive by nature. If the imbalances have lead to chronic structural/muscular changes, a more specific and individualized “corrective” approach by a specialist might be required.

Here is an example of two potential problem adaptations that relate to cycling and a sample exercise progression to be included either in the movement preparation sequence or the post cycling cool down.

“From Pedaling to Pounding”

“After pushing and pulling the pedals in a flexed position for a long time, running seems like a sick joke at first. During the first strides, the glutes don’t fire, the quads hate the ground contact, and the spine doesn’t remember how to extend and rotate.”

A research study on “Acute Effects of Cycling on Running Step Length and Step Frequency” found, not surprisingly, that running form and movement is altered by the preceding cycling performance. The stride length in running right after cycling was shorter, and the stride frequency was higher. Reasons for this could be many, from general fatigue to motor program confusion and acute soft tissue changes. Whatever the reason, switching from running to cycling requires training of the transition itself as well as maintenance of the most optimal force production mechanics.

So, we know that cycling doesn’t exactly prime you for running the best way. Switching from a non-contact cyclical pattern into running that suddenly requires “plyometric” deceleration capabilities from the muscles is shocking in many ways. However, an athlete whose body is not chronically imbalanced or stuck in the “mold” can switch between movement patterns without a motor meltdown or an injury.

The physiological adaptations stimulated by cycling can not be ignored when designing a training and conditioning program for a triathlete. Prior to progressing within the performance continuum, the fundamental movement abilities need to be restored. This not only functions as a foundation for all the other training adaptations but also as a method of recovery and regeneration.

Hello Friends

Saturday the 13th Jan 2010 was the day for the hardest ride of the year so far, now i’ve done harder but with it being the first of the year made it seem that much harder!

So the stupid idea came and I managed to rope Greg in (the guy with the double blowout from 2 weeks ago) who through no fault of his own said Ok lets do it. Little did he and I know what was to come.

As per normal we set off over the bridge for the A38 towards Cheddar, climb number 1 Cheddar Gorge. A beautiful steady and steep in places weave through the rock faces and it doesn’t end there the climbing continues and continues and continues. Decent 1 Draycott Hill, my forearms have never burnt so much my fingers were locked on the brakes and my arms were being pushed into the bike from the sheer steepness of the hill.

To insult to the pain I almost collide with a van coming up the hill because I can’t stop soon enough so I avoid hitting Greg who managed to stop and dart back into the hedge to avoid the van. With the forearms still burning we get to bottom. Quick food break and on we go.

Climb 2, Weston Sub Mendip to Priddy, didn’t know what to expect here but what we got was steep and when we got to the top it wasn’t the top, so when we got to the top it still wasn’t the top, finally we did get to the top. That was a Muscle Acidosis Dream the legs were on fire up that one.

Decent 2, the old bristol rd not much to report went down hill fast!

Climb 3, the New Bristol Rd an old nemesis of mine but lately I have been able to tame the beast but after 2 previous hefty climbs it was beginning to get its own back, the legs were fatigued but the mind was strong “you won’t get the better of me” I kept telling the tarmac!

So to the top and the cruise back to Bristol and to aid the steady climb from Chew Magna to the A38 a group of 6 riders joined us (pulled us all the way) and did add an element of competition, which was a nice bonus.

I guess the moral of the story was on the tough rides, hills or head winds think of the strength gains you’ll get from this ride ready for the next ride. Forget the immediate pain in the legs or forearms however painful and think of how doing what your doing now will benefits your cycling in the future.

Thanks for reading
Chris

Hi Friends

Not much happening this, i’ve been on a recovery week. So I decided to put together a montage of Lands End to Fort William that Ben and I completed last September.

If not for the 60 mph wind we would have made it to John O’Groats! Not to worry a great experience was had by all.

Training over the last 2 wks has gone something like this Bristol to Cheddar and back, Bristol to Weston and back and Bristol to Clevedon and back. Mixed with a few longer 90 minute spins and my famous monday morning spin class a friday night spin class.

I don’t want to go into any great depth about these rides because there’s nothing to go into any great depth about, you know get on the bike, pedal somewhere then pedal back. although here’s a question, why is it when it feels like there is no wind and then the second your on the move it feels like force 10 gale is blowing into your face?
I look at the tree’s and their not even blowing, can someone explain what is going on!!!

Anyway, the highlight of the last 2 wks has to be the double blowout and thankfully it wasn’t me, sorry Greg but in the nicest possible way i’m glad it was you! Sorry!
Greg and I decided to head out on a 70 miler Bristol-Clevedon-Congresbury-Burrington Combe-Bath-Bristol.

We get to the downs and Greg experiences a problem with his front mech, ok not a problem just stay on the top ring. Heading up Burrington Combe we see Bad Ass Bikes new shop drop in and get it sorted, brilliant.

Next coming into Bath over the little hump back bridge and bang! bang! I’m looking round thinking what was that. Greg had hit a pot hole perfectly to blowout his to tires. Luckily I had an inner tube and so did he but it was getting dark and the temperature was dropping rapidly. Our gloves are off trying to fit the inner tubes and gradually we lose all sense of feeling but eventually we’re back on the road.

We get on the cycle path back to bristol and we’re not warming up the hands are still freezing the legs feel heavy so we stop again for a cup of tea, after 20 minutes we hop back on the bikes for the final leg back to bristol.

With all of that the drama was over just the light to contend with and the want to get back and have a hot shower.

Well in 2009 that was exactly what i though but 2010 brought a new principle for endurance spin called chunking.

Chunking is very simple it means taking what seems to be massive task and splitting it into small pieces. So i applied it to 90mins on the bike, first i split it in to three 30mins then two 15mins, 3 5mins and finally 5 1mins sections. This seemed to do the trick, mixing up between standing, seated, sprints, hill climbs, power, endurance.

As a Personal Trainer I know all to well how fast our body can lose strength or fitness as I have seen it in myself after Lands End to John O’Groats and in my clients when they have missed a weeks training for whatever reason.

So I escaped to Spain to avoid the madness of the festive period and that brought a new challenge, without my bike how would keep my strength? If you have read my last post you would found out how it went.

So did I maintain my strength? Well, yes is the answer to the question and training can continue on for the new season.

The first challenge has been set to cycle from Lisbon to Bristol its roughly 1400 miles and will dissect through the countryside of Portugal and Spain, before crossing the incredible Pyrenees, following the West coast of France north, then catching a ferry from Cherbourg and onto England for the final stretch back to Bristol.

I was planning to do this on my own but couldn’t think of anything better than sharing the experience of cycling through Europe with like minded individuals. Who out there is would love to be apart of this epic adventure by bicycle? The highs and lows of being on the open road, the amazing scenery and the camaraderie of being apart of a team that achieves such an epic ride.

If you or someone you know would love to apart of this adventure and probably a once in a lifetime bike ride please let me know by leaving a reply to this post and I can then pass on more details.

Thanks for reading, keep up the training and let the 2010 season be the best yet.