The Important Core Muscles

Core muscles are the collection of primary stabilizing muscles at the front and back of the pelvis and lower back. Since the pelvis is the lever for the psoas and gluteal muscles, both of which are your cycling power muscles, a weak core can suppress power production. And if your lower extremities are not aligned properly and the lever is in an incorrect position, then power is compromised. A recent study in the National Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research – “Relationship Between Cycling Mechanics and Core Stability” – outlined the importance of core training for cyclists.

The foundation behind core training for cyclists is that pelvic stabilization maintains a natural curvature of the spine. During a long distance cycling event such as Ironman, the pelvis is in a fixed position, and muscle contractions repeat tens-of-thousands of times. If the core breaks down due to fatigue, then the pelvis shifts and wattage suffers. Even if a cyclist’s legs are well prepared they can all the same have subpar results. Triathletes, who have a swimming leg prior to the cycling, can find that the core is already tired by the swim.

So preparing core muscles for a rigourous event takes a bit of work. Here are 3 effective functional core training moves for enhancing pelvic stability and core endurance. They should be included in any ironman, triathlon and duathlon training.

1. Brick Walls
   This can be used during a long hilly ride or hill interval bike workouts, or on your indoor trainer. Climb an entire hill in the standing position. Breath from just behind your belly-button which is deep in your core as you climb . At the same time, visualize your abdomen as a “brick wall”, and maintain a tight core, especially as you drive your knees up to your chest. If you do this properly, then every time a leg comes past the top tube you’ll feel your abdominal muscles contract.
2. Mountain Climbers
    This exercise is similar to the Bick Wall, except that its done off the bike. From a push-up position, drive  your right knee up towards the left elbow and vice versa. Again maintain focus on a tight abdomen and deep stomach breathing. You will also need to focus on maintaining a straight line from the shoulders to the wrist, and hips that are close to the ground. To duplicate a rate that’s similar to cycling, these should be performed both fast and slow .
3. Cable Torso Twists
   This exercise is done pulling against a cable thats attached to a wall or pole. The cable is sprung or wound so that it pulls back. It’s important in a core conditioning program to include an exercise that introduces external resistance. The external resistance that a cyclist experiences is of course the bike, that you have to steer and navigate against the friction of the road.