Okay physical training! It's a very very good question, particularly as you get older.
In my experiences with Mad Max I learned that you had to be in peak shape to be a stunt rider
and that peak shape is not only to do the action that they require but also to be able to hit
the ground, and not get hurt... because as you build muscle flexibility, a good strength from the body,
it allows you to have an armor plating on your body to where you can substantiate hard hits with
the ground, and get up and then keep going. Over the years with the training involved with riders
like James Stewart in America, Michael Byrne in America, Aussie racers in Australia,
Brian Starring in Australia, I've learned a lot about physical conditioning and probably
firstly the most important aspect for motorcycle physical conditioning is to ride the motorbike!
Whatever specific style of motorcycling you do, whether it's adventure,
supercross, trials, it doesn't really matter! You need to do that specific
riding to get fit on the motorcycle, nothing will replace that time in the saddle. As you get more
specific with fitness, there's a few important areas. The first one is cardiovascular fitness.
You can get cardiovascular fitness not only from riding the motorcycle but also cycling, running,
swimming, circuit training at the gym. There's so many different ways - Concept 2 rowing, rowing an
ocean ski paddleboard, stand-up. There's so many ways to get some cardiovascular fitness and during
all these exercise there's specific areas that you train. Cycling? Of course your legs. Very very
important to have that. Paddling an ocean ski or a stand-up? That's great for core and your upper body.
So there's different areas that you can adjust and use to get overall bike fitness. People say
well how much training do I need to do? I've got limited time, I've got work or a family. Or maybe
if you're a bit older you've lost the family and work commitments. So you've got some
more time so it depends on what stage of life you're in. As I said, riding a motorcycle
is most important. Let's look at some specific areas. Let's say we're running. You need to run for
20 to 30 minutes. Maybe start with a walk and a run. Then build up
to run the whole time. Cycling? You need to cycle for probably at least an hour, and it's
proven with all forms of cardiovascular exercising that what they call 'fartlek' or intensity training.
So where you go for a hard time then rest go hard then rest, go hard... that's a better way to
build your cardiovascular fitness quicker than is to do steady-state training. So all of these
varieties are out there, there's so many different varieties. And let's not forget flexibility.
Get down on the ground with flexibility training, stretching out your tendons, your muscles, your
ligaments, getting things more pliable and and supple. And for me not wearing the right
protective gear over the years of the riding that I've had and being fit but flexibility is
something that I've always maintained. And people say "It's a waste of time I can't be bothered".
There's all sorts of reasons why people don't do flexibility but just watching the TV at night you
can get down on the carpet and spend half an hour of quality stretching time. Then there's core strength.
Having a good link between upper and lower body is critical. Core strength not only is enhanced
by doing other forms of exercise like paddling, stand-up, concept training, all those different
things, but also you can just do specific core training. Get down on the ground core exercise!
Like the plank sit-ups, different variety, there's so many different types of of core exercise.
So flexibility core strength, upper body, lower body, cardiovascular training, strength conditioning,
going to the gym, pushing some weights, that's also very good. But remember a lot of people that are
into serious motorcycle racing usually get a lot of forearm pump.
When you associate weight training with racing a motorcycle, there's a few reasons which we
won't go into it at the moment, but be careful if you're susceptible to forearm pump in your arms.
And be careful what type of weight training you do because I've noticed over the years
that people who do a lot of weight training they unfortunately get arm pump. Okay how about a
basic workout that we might do for the general Joe Blow guy or girl okay let's say we have no
apparatus so we're we're going to run from home so I need some running shoes on some running gear so
we go for a run what we may start with a walk and then run walk then run until we can get up to a
run like I said 20 to 30 minutes if we can over that length of time we might run to a park you
might do some training at the park at the same time some strengthening auditioning training it
might be some push-ups it might be some dips on the on the chair that's in the park it might be
some pull-ups on maybe a tree branch where you do some and do some plops you can get a bit of
a variety just in the general park you can find all sorts of things to do it down on the ground
do some course training some sit-ups some planks some side planks some reverse planks there's all
sorts of isometric style of core exercise you can do then you might run home and then always finish
for a little bit of stretching and also when you finish the run to do some recovery exercises nice
to now recover exercise is all about moving the blood around the body getting rid of the lactates
that are formed in the muscles and circulation is all about recovery so going for a walk maybe
an aerosol after exercise if you've got the time or walk it out at the end of your exercise
just walk a little bit go for the light swim if there's a pool around but generally I'm talking
about no apparatus so just a walk on the ground is very good a bit of stretch and then there's
your basic exercise if you can do that two three times a week you're going to start to build some
cardiovascular fitness mix that in with a ride on the weekend on your specific bike that your
ride and you started to get to the to the point where you're going to build fitness level over
time now none of this happens quickly you've got to spend time and people who jump in to exercise
thinking together you know have great milestones within a couple of weeks you're kidding yourselves
seriously kidding yourselves you've got to spend time there's no easy way and that's the message
that I first learnt when I went to America back in 1980 and in the gym that I went to that was
written on the wall there's no easy way and that's stuck in my head ever since if you
want to get anything out of any sport you want to put some time in and if you don't put some
time in then you compromise the situation you can fall hurt yourself because you're not fit
enough you may have a brain fade here and there you're gonna get hurt and you're not going to
enjoy what you tip your life into so putting a bit of time at a fitness is super critical you