Do you ride with an activated core?

[MattTuck]

Curious what percentage of time you're riding with an engaged core. Curious if this becomes second nature or if it is something that you always have to think about.

I notice that if I don't think about it, I tend to relax quite a bit. Abs especially.

[Tickdoc]

Curious what percentage of time you're riding with an engaged core. Curious if this becomes second nature or if it is something that you always have to think about.

I notice that if I don't think about it, I tend to relax quite a bit. Abs especially.


Yes and no.

Overall I would say no, but in times of duress ie climbing yes.

It is an interesting question.

[SlackMan]

...Curious if this becomes second nature or if it is something that you always have to think about....


Many years ago I developed the habit of keeping my core activated (abs partly contracted) while just walking around office, home, etc. Within a couple of weeks, it seemed second nature so I didn't think about it anymore. I would try that first because you probably spend much more time walking around than you do riding. Make it second nature there, and then it will be easier to do on the bike.

[seanile]

sounds exhausting

[JAllen]

I think I tend to do it so I don't slip into a bad posture and my back is in pain at the end of the ride. Although I don't think about it. Just habit I suppose. Especially when putting out any sort of effort.

[dsimon]

I Agree with TICKDOC

[fuzzalow]

No. Never. It is a balance issue with fit & position if you do ride with activated (i.e. proactive) core. Using little muscles to corral and control big muscles and their force output is wasteful and inefficient. Gravity, however, is immutable, everlasting and free.

[oldpotatoe]

sounds exhausting

Can't wait till TiDesigns chimes in, if he does.

[PFSLABD]

Huh?

[Louis]

How about if I just eat some activated carbon, will that be enough?

[rugbysecondrow]

Many years ago I developed the habit of keeping my core activated (abs partly contracted) while just walking around office, home, etc. Within a couple of weeks, it seemed second nature so I didn't think about it anymore. I would try that first because you probably spend much more time walking around than you do riding. Make it second nature there, and then it will be easier to do on the bike.

Agreed. I started doing this as well when walking and sitting to prevent back pain and to maintain better posture.

The book, Becoming a Supple Leapard opens with a whole chapter on core stability while walking, standing and sitting. Basic movements that most people get wrong.

This just naturally carries over to riding, running, lifting grocery sacks and other things.

So yes, I do try to maintain this when riding and I try to remain aware of it as I start to fatigue.

Cheers

[PFSLABD]

How about if I just eat some activated carbon, will that be enough?

With some of the irate motorists I have come in contact with, maybe I would need a nuclear core.

[sandyrs]

Not if I can help it.

[CNY rider]

How about if I just eat some activated carbon, will that be enough?

As long as you wait 30 minutes before swimming.

[Saint Vitus]

How about if I just eat some activated carbon, will that be enough?

I think after a bowl of Chili or a bean burrito, it might be advisable as well.

[GRAVELBIKE]

I'm all about doing core work...

http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/img/photos/2014/02/26/34/ea/ben_and_jerrys_use.jpg

[dpk501]

I try to...it keeps my back happy and my form key.

It also helps keep my beer gut from protruding.

I try to mimic the sensations I would get when doing an easy plank excercise. They rock.

[JStonebarger]

...The book, Becoming a Supple Leapard opens with a whole chapter on core stability while walking, standing and sitting. Basic movements that most people get wrong...


I bought that book. I got as far as "Of course a leopard doesn't stretch."

http://www.victoriajohns-art.com/USERIMAGES/Stretching%20Leopard%200343.jpg

Anyone want my copy?

[rugbysecondrow]

I bought that book. I got as far as "Of course a leopard doesn't stretch."

http://www.victoriajohns-art.com/USERIMAGES/Stretching%20Leopard%200343.jpg

Anyone want my copy?

One of the things it discusses (if I remember correctly) is the difference between improving mobility/range of motion and stretching.

It is a great book. I would totally take a second copy of it if you don't want it.

Cheers!

[fuzzalow]

"Get the cigarette with the taste worth fighting for..."
http://www.oldride.com/carphotos/gallery/538017039700.jpg

[PFSLABD]

I think after a bowl of Chili or a bean burrito, it might be advisable as well.

You should be able to float better. That could be invaluable during the swim leg of the triathlon.

[Ti Designs]

Can't wait till TiDesigns chimes in, if he does.

No, but I've been using activated charcoal to keep my shoes from stinking...

Honestly, when you say core, which muscle groups are we talking about? You almost can't move without the transverse abdominis firing. That said, far too many people think that position on the bike is about core strength. I'll bet you can't do a plank for as long as it takes you to ride a century.

[fuzzalow]

I'll bet you can't do a plank for as long as it takes you to ride a century.

:p

[weisan]

I'll bet you can't do a plank for as long as it takes you to ride a century.

Maybe he can.

http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/hypebeast-wordpress/image/2012/01/i-am-bruce-lee-trailer_0.jpg

[MattTuck]

No, but I've been using activated charcoal to keep my shoes from stinking...

Honestly, when you say core, which muscle groups are we talking about? You almost can't move without the transverse abdominis firing. That said, far too many people think that position on the bike is about core strength. I'll bet you can't do a plank for as long as it takes you to ride a century.

Really, I just meant that you're using your core to keep your pelvis stable. I notice that when I'm not doing this actively, it tends to move a bit more than I want, which leads to some skin irritation.

[merlincustom1]

Some retired Marine just set the plank record. 5+ hours.

[Gummee]

Can you breathe with your diaphragm with your core tensed?

:ear

M

[Saint Vitus]

Some retired Marine just set the plank record. 5+ hours.

Yep, 5 hrs 15 min 15 sec up the road from me in Oceanside, Ca.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/George-Hood-Guiness-World-Record-Plank-Semper-Fi-Fund-305586971.html

[Dr Luxurious]

Hell, with lats like those I bet Bruce could glide.

Maybe he can.

http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/hypebeast-wordpress/image/2012/01/i-am-bruce-lee-trailer_0.jpg

[David Kirk]

I think the trouble here is that there is no firm definition of "activated core" and it no doubt means different things to different people.

In my mind I do ride with an "activated core" and to me that means that I don't let my belly fully relax and hang.....instead it stays sucked in just enough to keep it in place. I do this because it takes strain off my back and keeps my body is a nice natural arch that distributes my weight well.

If I let my belly fully relax my belly hangs, and my lower back arches forward and this puts a kink in my upper back (less bend in the lower back means more bend in upper back) and things become unhappy.

So if this is what you mean then yes I do it.....do I ride around with my stomach muscles tightened like I'm doing a plank? - no.....that would be tough and ineffective for sure.

dave

[sitzmark]

Curious what percentage of time you're riding with an engaged core. Curious if this becomes second nature or if it is something that you always have to think about.

I notice that if I don't think about it, I tend to relax quite a bit. Abs especially.

In as much as my road cycling started as cross training for skiing, I do try to keep core engaged. Somewhat second nature, as it is a key fundamental of skiing - a strong engaged core provides a "functional tension" that improves balance and response to terrain. When fatigued I often realize I've relaxed my core.

In cycling "core tension" for me results in a slight transfer of support from the saddle and into my legs. The result is better posture on the bike and and a stronger, smoother pedal stroke. If my knees start tracking outside, it's usually the first sign that I've become lazy with my core. When the road turns rough, like in skiing functional tension engages all muscle groups and responds immediately to drive balance and control movements. Even more important out of the saddle. Has been many years since I've being active in mtn biking, but was an important part of technical single track also.

[pitonpat]

"Get the cigarette with the taste worth fighting for..."
http://www.oldride.com/carphotos/gallery/538017039700.jpg

Back when I was the new guy on a construction crew (a long time ago!), an occasional duty was to leave the site to go for coffee & whatever else anyone might want while I was out...one of the masons in particular would always say, "get me a coffee, and a pack of Tareytons". Only guy I ever knew who smoked 'em.

[weisan]

Now that he's "retired"... all bets are off. I can call him anything I want. :D

" Fat-so!!"

https://cimacoppirides.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/ullrich.jpg

[Gummee]

Reason I'm asking about breathing with your diaphram is that's what I was taught 'way back when.' It takes less energy to breath down there than it does to expand the rib cage.

Less energy to breathe = more energy for your legs.

So, I'm gonna say 'no' to the OP

M

[Ti Designs]

The book, Becoming a Supple Leapard opens with a whole chapter on core stability while walking, standing and sitting. Basic movements that most people get wrong.

But pedaling a bike is natural...

[rugbysecondrow]

Reason I'm asking about breathing with your diaphram is that's what I was taught 'way back when.' It takes less energy to breath down there than it does to expand the rib cage.

Less energy to breathe = more energy for your legs.

So, I'm gonna say 'no' to the OP

M

I think Dave Kirk was right, "activitated core" means something different to different people. I like these videos explaining the breathing and use of the diaphragm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p_9ew0Fe5Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPCCpKZ-mSE


As for me, whether on the bike, walking, running, lifting weights etc, activated does not mean "constant plank" but it means engaged.

I would further the idea that if you can't ride, run or sit with your muscles engaged then you currently lack the fitness for that activity. You should break up the ride, run shorter distance, get up from your desk and walk around. Letting your form break down and performing a given activity incorrectly for a longer period of time is what will set you up for injury.

Just my two cents.

[rugbysecondrow]

But pedaling a bike is natural...

Yep, just like swimming.

[etu]

Got the Leopard book this week.
Read first chapter and can't get past the way it's presented. Don't disagree with the overall idea, but I think I am more of Gray Cook, Kit Laughlin, classic Pilates type of guy.

Happy to send it to another forumite who can use this.
(Book has been claimed)

[firerescuefin]

Core activation is a very loaded term. Deep core stabilizer like transverse abdominus and multifidus are automatically turned on (even under very light/imperceptible loads) in the HEALTHY PERSON. Research has objectively shown that in the person that has experienced acute back pain episodes, the ability for the body to engage these can become lost (putting the person at a much higher risk)....the analogy like a telephone cord being cut. This is why the first thing most PTs address with back pain sufferers is teaching them how to activate those muscles and then giving them slightly more complex movements to bring those deep stabilizers back on line. These movements are so subtle, that many PTs use ultrasound to show their patients the nuances of activating them. I did this (was a part of my rehab) These are not the global/big muscle movers that most think of as their core. You can actively engage those, but those big movers become exhausted quickly.

Supple Leopard is the best book on high performance training and self mobilization that I have ever read. It's two books in one. One teaching movements that are layered in complexity and difficulty...not just increased "sets and reps"....which is a very antiquated model. You don't add complexity of movement until you've mastered the less complex. That complexity may include taxation of your aerobic system while still be able to maintain enough stability to perform a certain movement.

The second half of the book addresses self mobilization (self massage/targeted stretching) to regain real joint mobility. It can be used a la carte and you can get into those the first day you open the book.

This book helped give me my life back. Two back surgeries and two hip scopes later (from use and abuse), I am super super active (Firefighter/Weights/Cardio/Fast Cycling Grouprides/ Offroad riding) essentially pain free. I reach for an Aleve probably once to twice a month.

If someone is giving the book away....I'd jump on it.

[11.4]

I think the trouble here is that there is no firm definition of "activated core" and it no doubt means different things to different people.

In my mind I do ride with an "activated core" and to me that means that I don't let my belly fully relax and hang.....instead it stays sucked in just enough to keep it in place. I do this because it takes strain off my back and keeps my body is a nice natural arch that distributes my weight well.

If I let my belly fully relax my belly hangs, and my lower back arches forward and this puts a kink in my upper back (less bend in the lower back means more bend in upper back) and things become unhappy.

So if this is what you mean then yes I do it.....do I ride around with my stomach muscles tightened like I'm doing a plank? - no.....that would be tough and ineffective for sure.

dave

Isn't this more of a chicken and egg issue? If one is trying to suck in a gut it isn't going to be successful for a long ride, and it'll place a lot of strain on the posterior chain. A gut is a gut is a gut. If one has reasonable posterior chain strength, which is needed to facilitate use of your glutes and hamstrings anyway, then it helps keeps the torso in position. It's not there to hold the gut, but to facilitate the rest of the posterior chain. The gut takes care of itself, or doesn't as the case may be. One can build the posterior chain for endurance-level activation. It doesn't mean it has to be powered 100% of the time, as in a stationary plank -- you're out of the saddle, sliding forwards and backwards (which can stabilize it by compression short-term when you slide forward and arch your back a bit), etc. To compare a 5 hour ride to a 5 hour plank isn't quite fair. As a cyclist you definitely have an edge over that Marine.

[jmeloy]

Got the Leopard book this week.
Read first chapter and can't get past the way it's presented. Don't disagree with the overall idea, but I think I am more of Gray Cook, Kit Laughlin, classic Pilates type of guy.

Happy to send it to another forumite who can use this.


Hi etu, just dropped you a pm😊

[rugbysecondrow]

Hi etu, just dropped you a pm😊


You just got yourself a hell of a book. No joke, folks who gave up on this in the first chapter (and I have heard it a few times) erred, in my not-so-professional opinion.