how long should warm up take?

[G--thebus]

There is quite a lot of reading material on this little issue so you are obviously in good company.

 

I would probably qualify as a middle aged racing snake at 69 kilos but in the 1st 20 minutes of any race/ride I feel like there is lead in the legs.

I am a big believer that stretching before exercise has limited value, a slow building warmup of the muscles in the ranges that they are going to be used is first prize. Stretching afterwards to ensure muscle damage ('cos thats what you do to them when you build them) does not progressively shorten the muscle is a must.

 

There is specific training that can be done for this (besides the morning cuppa') which involves a 10-15 minutes warm up followed immediately by hard above threshold intervals..... that said I have tried it and am still crap in the first 20 mins..........

[Tankman]

Thanks guys,

when you refer to "warm up" in what way? stretching? riding? and where would one usually ride before a race to warm up if that is what you mean?

 

here is what i do, i stretch for about 5 min before i ride... then just pedal slowly for the first 1.5-2km, harder till about 6km and then quite hard till 11ish.... then i die and think WTF am i doing on a bicycle... i pedal slow for another 1-1.5km and then all hell breaks loose and i just keep going!!!

i do not have HR monitor so have no idea what HR is when i do get the energy...

 

Stretching before a ride wont help you much. Personally I think stretching after a ride is far more beneficial.

 

What is the total lenght of your rides you dont say?

 

Some guys are saying it takes them 6 to 7km to warm up and makes it sound long.

Freek man, I have not even clicked my cleats in properly by 7km. It takes me a good 20km or 40 - 45min to warm up.

 

Some people are scared to do a 40min warm up ride because that is almost half of their riding time and they are afraid they will get tiered to quickly.

 

Just get on your bike and ride. Warm up should be like a mini interval session.

For instance:

Warm up for 10 - 15 min at an easy pace 60%

Increase for 5min at 80%

2min at 90%

5min at 80%

1min at 95%

3min at 85&

1min max

5min 80%

1min max

5min 60%

 

gets you core tempature up, gets your heart going, opens sweat glands and you will have a better ride with less suffering than someone exactly like you, that went balls to the walls from the gun.

[Trubie]

I have similar issues, I try to get to the race venue early enough to have time for a 45+ min warm up. Normally just ride out and back if possible.

On training rides, just factor in the warmup as part of the ride, so when you want to ride for 2hrs, just add 15 mins or so for a warm up..

[Mellow]

to me warming-up has two parts : first to stretch and gradually allow the soft tissue to take the loads. second (when racing) get the cardio system going. races usually start fast in mtb'ing

[MyGT]

same problem here. used to drive out to the cradle and then ride. did not enjoy the first few km of the ride. then i found my solution.

 

i stay close to Hillfox, so i decided to ride from home to the cradle. nice flat road, small hill before you get to the N14 intersection and then down to the kromdraai turnoff. body eases up nicely, breathing is good, pedal stroke is also good, then i can let rip abit. now i enjoy the cradle ride. i think the worst feeling is to warmup on the uphills and try to catch your breath thereafter.

[Trubie]

for me the warmup before a MTB event is even more important, specifically as the starts are fast and unlike on the road there is no rhythm or opportunity to roll out for a few km's. Ok I know some races do start on tar or wide dirt roads which will make it similar to a road start, but in general

 

I neglect the stretching thing - unfortunately.

[Caerus]

Gosh, this makes so much sense now, I thought it was just me - Takes me at least a half an hr to warn up, then I feel like I could ride all day. Then when ive done about 40km - 50km for a training ride, I suddenly feel I could do at least another 10 km no problem.

[RodTi]

This sounds like one of those support programme meetings...

 

And I for one, am very happy that this question was posed - since I also thought it was just me

 

 

I'm about as mobile as a doped-up dassie for the first 20 minutes... Feels like I'm cycling in a bubble of treacle. Very happy that this appears to be normal!

 

As an aside - the mornings are worse.

Which blows, since mornings generally are not windy.

Ha. Ha.

Ha.

 

But such is life - at least now I'll just take things easy in the beginning, regardless, which will prboably help matters!

[Oltremo]

Warm up should take 20-30min. But to be really efficient I suggest you get a hr monitor, and learn to train in hr zones, you will see huge benefits.

[chris_w_65]

to me warming-up has two parts : first to stretch and gradually allow the soft tissue to take the loads. second (when racing) get the cardio system going. races usually start fast in mtb'ing

 

Do you mean stretch before warming up? Apparently that is not a good thing to do

[Imtb]

I agree with Tankman, especially with regards intensity. You have to look at it like this. When you hit that first hill and all you have done in your warm up is a slow 15 minute ride with a few stretches, your body is going to be in for one hell of a shock when you are up and racing, whether it is for podium, racing your mates or the rider next to you. You want your body to have already experienced that shortness of breath, that little burn in the legs so it is not a shock to the system.

 

So i would say if you are just starting out, do it the right way from the start. 15 to 20 minutes easy spinning, then push it up a gear and get the heart rate up with a few really hard efforts on a hill so that you get the heart rate up. Some don't stretch...I'm 50 and I need to stretch...then 5 more minutes and you are ready to rock.

Edited December 7, 2010 by Imtb

[Yang]

What gets me and I haven't come across a decent response to this, is how do you keep warmed up after you get into the pens and have to wait for half an hour if not longer before you set off? I warm up, then I wait. My heart rate is generally highest in the first 10 minutes of the race as I push to stay with the front bunch, and my legs feel like they are fatigued already. Then I ease into the race and usually feel strongest in the second half of the race or training ride. The problem is the cooling down of the bod while having to wait to set off.

[chris_w_65]

What gets me and I haven't come across a decent response to this, is how do you keep warmed up after you get into the pens and have to wait for half an hour if not longer before you set off? I warm up, then I wait. My heart rate is generally highest in the first 10 minutes of the race as I push to stay with the front bunch, and my legs feel like they are fatigued already. Then I ease into the race and usually feel strongest in the second half of the race or training ride. The problem is the cooling down of the bod while having to wait to set off.

 

All the other guys in the pen are in the same position as you as far as being "cold" goes

[Guest agteros]

For athletics I was taught to warm up just enough to start sweating, but not to get out of breath / tired. Difficult with cycling as you are in the pens for 15 to 30 minutes, and start to cool down again long before the actual start.

[Tankman]

What gets me and I haven't come across a decent response to this, is how do you keep warmed up after you get into the pens and have to wait for half an hour if not longer before you set off? I warm up, then I wait. My heart rate is generally highest in the first 10 minutes of the race as I push to stay with the front bunch, and my legs feel like they are fatigued already. Then I ease into the race and usually feel strongest in the second half of the race or training ride. The problem is the cooling down of the bod while having to wait to set off.

 

So you generally do not know what time your race will start?

Find your exact starting time and time your warmup to get into the start pens with 5 minutes to go, simple really.

[Yang]

So you generally do not know what time your race will start?

Find your exact starting time and time your warmup to get into the start pens with 5 minutes to go, simple really.

 

Understood, except that I always get myself into the front of the pen, and I hate pushing through or jumping in from the side. This is only for the 3 seeding races I do every year since I race for my seeding, and these happen to be our biggest races with the biggest start pens- Shova, 94.7 and Argus. Starting at the back is not on and fighting to the front bunch in the 1st few km's is not on- they will be gone.

 

MTB no problem. The only consolation is that most others will feel like I do.