The Importance Of Balance
If
you're into moto and you're serious about the sport, chances are that you're serious about the topics of injury, injury prevention,
and maintaining or improving the state of your general health. This is especially true if you've been sidelined by an injury
and ended up sitting on the sidelines with the spectators full-time. And if you haven't been injured – well, let's just
say that the odds are following your every move. So let's take a moment to talk about these issues.
There's
no doubting the importance of training in the world of motocross. Generally speaking, there's two components of the training
topic. The first is riding. Like a bronc rider, you've got to put the hours in the saddle to improve. The other side of the
training coin is physical training, keeping the body strong, flexible, and tough.
The most effective
strength training program targets the sport or activity that the athlete is training for. Football players, for instance,
will indulge in a completely different regimen than you will. The specific exercises you need are designed to promote balanced
strength training in the areas that are most likely to be injured. For moto riders, these areas are recognized as being the
wrist, knees, and shoulders.
By balanced strength training, we mean that opposing muscle groups should
be strengthened and brought into balance. On the upper body, this means the triceps balancing the biceps and rounding it out
with the helping muscles – the traps, the pecs, the deltoids, and the muscles associated with the rotator cuff. Keeping
these muscles toned keeps the possibility of injury in check.
What's the consequence of imbalance
in these muscles? You leave yourself open to injury – strains, sprains, and tears. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.
If you're in the middle of a ride when an injury occurs, you risk taking a nose dive. That's where the really devastating
injuries are likely to show up. Broken bones, getting run over, and trashing your bike. So get in the gym and get busy. Your
body and bike will thank you!
