Here are my 4 + 1 activation exercises that have been part of my pre-workout routine for years. Exercises to target the activation of the support muscles and exercises to prevent injury due to repetition.
You don't need to add any load, simply do the movements with your body weight. We want to stimulate the nervous system before getting on the bike.
Do one series of the four exercises below with about ten repetitions for each, then finish with a side stretch.
Download or print the PDF sheet below :
Warm-up exercises for cyclists
Squat - Hip flexor
Standing, bend your knees and bring your buttocks back as if you were going to sit on a chair
Repeat 10 times.
Dead bug - Activation of the transversus abdominis
Lying on your back, contract your abs to raise your legs to the base position (knees at 90 degrees and arms perpendicular to your body).
Lower your left leg and right arm simultaneously, then alternate from side to side.
Make sure to keep the transverse abdominis contracted. We want to involve the abs in our pedalling, so we want to do it during the warm-up to wake it up.
Bridge - Activation of the glute muscles
Still lying on your back, but with your knees bent and your feet on the ground, lift your buttocks by contracting your gluteal and abdominal muscles. Repeat 10 times.
Monster Walk avec bande élastique - Abducteurs de la hanche
If you don't have an elastic band, you can use an inner tube folded in 3 to create a homemade elastic band. This is the method I always use when travelling!
With your knees slightly bent and your toes pointed slightly inward, move laterally 10 steps on one side, then 10 steps on the other.
Side-body stretch
Before a big workout, especially in the morning when my body hasn't been awake for a long time, I like to do a stretching exercise for the side-body to make room in my rib cage, to facilitate the expansion of my lungs in my breathing. This is an exercise that I will always do before a competition or before high-intensity training.
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