Dirtyheart MTB

The hips are one of those body parts that most of us don't really think about until they're bothering us. When you hit the gym, strengthening your hip muscles specifically probably isn't high on the agenda. But if you're someone who spends most days sitting (cyclists), you're likely familiar with that hip ache and tightness that comes along with it. Maybe you've even started doing some hip stretches to combat that. But actually strengthening the hip area is something that wil

A while back we created a segment on our social media channels which promoted some off the bike exercises which are cycling specific and will compliment and enhance your cycling ten fold when included into a weekly routine. We divided these exercises into three groups: Stretch, Strength and Plyometrics (dynamic power movements). We have compiled the best exercises in each group to provide you with a short routine you can get into the gym and use once a week for effective work

To most athletes, learning to breathe sounds like a waste of time. But what if training the breathing muscles could improve your performance? Studies featuring cyclists, rowers and runners show that small but significant improvements are possible. Let’s check out what will help you get there. It’s all about belly breathing The secret weapon in breathing efficiency is belly breathing, the ability to recruit your diaphragm to push as much air in and out of your lungs as possibl

Cycling is one of the most popular outdoor activities in the world. It's a great way to boost your health and give yourself an intense workout. However, many people overlook the injuries that can come along with the sport they love so much. As you start to cycle more frequently and your fitness increases you may begin to experiences some pain or injury. According to studies, 42 percent of cyclists have injured their knees, 36 percent hurt their groin and buttocks, 31 percent

For pro racers, off season is here and that means time off, time for vacation or time for activities that they can’t really do during race season. But even regular cyclists can get huge benefit from taking an off season break. Rest and recovery allow for a mental refocus, a physical recovery and a spiritual re boost. Five pillars of the off season: CYCLING REST: Your recovery period should last from two to four weeks. By the end of this period you should feel mentally and phy

Google, cycling mags, cycling sites, professionals’ programs, coaches, etc, there are 1000’s of info and advice on training programs; “how to get fast in 5 weeks”, Climb like Froome, descend like Greg, etc, etc, but is it really the best advice for the masses of non-professional riders? To get fast in 5 weeks, you need a few other training sessions to get you to those sessions and to climb like Froome if you haven’t followed his program for the last 10 years, is a tall order.

A while back we created a segment on our social media channels which promoted some off the bike exercises which are cycling specific and will compliment and enhance your cycling ten fold when included into a weekly routine. We divided these exercises into three groups: Stretch, Strength and Plyometrics (dynamic power movements). We have compiled the ten best exercises in each group to provide you with a short routine you can get into the gym and use once a week for effective

How do you maintain cycling motivation through a season? What about those people who seem to race season after season and still have the drive to compete? It seems like some people are able to keep going out and riding for years on end. Those cyclists never get tired of training and they always have an infectious enthusiasm about the sport. Riders like that have a unique kind of cycling motivation that we all envy a little bit. How do you grow that kind of cycling motivat

By Jim Afremow, PhD You’re watching Rafael Nadal dominate at the French Open. He’s tired, he’s stressed, he might even be injured, and you think to yourself, “How can I be that mentally tough when it matters most?” You follow Lebrone James all season long and marvel at how he manages to ratchet up his play, game after game, and you think, “I would love to be that driven and dedicated.” We might not all have the physical gifts of Nadal or James but we can learn to think as the

H O W T O R I D E F A S T E R O N T H E T R A I L Right ladies, in the previous two editions I taught you howto get into the attack position and how to corner better! Now here are some tips on how to apply those game changing moves on the trail! The key to being fast when you are descending is that you need to ride smoothly. You ride smoothly by not to peddling unnecessarily on the trail and by braking less! Find a non technical piece of single track that's about

Most athletes know that getting enough rest after exercise is essential to high-level performance, but many still over train and feel guilty when they take a day off. The body repairs and strengthens itself in the time between workouts, and continuous training can actually weaken the strongest athletes. Rest days are critical to sports performance for a variety of reasons. Some are physiological and some are psychological. Rest is physically necessary so that the muscles can

The jury is still out amongst the cycling community, on the benefits of running for cyclists. Can running improve your cycling and if so , how? We take a look at the science behind running for cyclists and then we hear from our resident contributor, Nicki Sunderland on how running has improved her cycling. THE SCIENCE BEHIND RUNNING FOR CYCLISTS Science suggests that some running may be beneficial for cyclists. Our muscles adapt to riding a bike but in many cases over devel

What is the FitrWomen App? Several high-profile female athletes have identified their menstrual cycle as a key contributing factor to underperforming at a major sporting event. FitrWoman is the world’s first app to address this by providing personalized day-to-day training and nutritional suggestions tailored to your hormone levels. Based on the latest scientific research and Orreco’s years of experience working with elite female athletes, FitrWoman is built specifically wit

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I was a fortunate beginner mountain biker. I had a great teacher: he was patient and willing to explain everything to me. Everything. But maybe you don’t have someone right beside you to tell you some of these things… so I’ll be there for you. Here are 10 not-so-obvious tips that you, as a beginner biker, need to know: 1. You do not wear underwear under your lycra shorts. I thought I was the only person who had ever done this. It

As a personal trainer and triathlete, I train a variety of people; from those wanting to lose weight, those that want to tone and reshape their bodies, to athletes wanting to improve performance by improving their strength. The thing that I find most astounding is how relatively weak the athletes are, and they are often the "fittest" for their particular sport. For example, cyclists that can cycle for days but struggle with a 60 second plank or 15 push ups. I think there ar

Women aren't small men. University of Waikato Research Fellow Dr Stacy Sims dispels some of the myths about female sports performance. University of Waikato Senior Research Fellow, Dr Stacy Sims, is changing attitudes in the sport science field. Her research addresses female physiology and how this influences athletic performance. Dr Sims’ research helps sport coaches to develop tailored training, nutrition and recovery programmes that enable women to achieve greater results.

My lady mountain-biking friends are some of the most intrepid women I know, but not all of us came by it naturally. Perhaps they were natural risk-takers as kids — but then again, I think most kids are open to taking risks (or none of us would have tried walking, right?). Too bad that the growing-up process often involves dimming or even snuffing out that bright, bold spark that moved us to try new, often risky things. Mountain biking women have managed to keep that spark goi

When you’re out on your favourite trail or competing in a race, your success depends a lot on BALANCE. The better balanced you are, the more confident you will feel and naturally you will ride faster…and we all want to ride faster (or at least look the part while we’re doing it). Now we’re not talking here about mood swings…some of the best athletes I know are extremely unbalanced individuals! We’re talking about your ability to stay on your bike while navigating a single tra

Yeap. It’s true. In the sports world there are so many various herbs, foods and supplements touted for their performance enhancing abilities. However, it is rare for something to actually be scientifically studied and found to be legit. Beets have that stamp of science approval. So why aren’t we all juicing (literally) for the gains? Well let’s explore the topic a little more, particularly the implementation of this practice. Why are beets beneficial? Nitrates found in beets