MX/SX pro riders are criminally underrated as athletes. The majority think the bike is doing all the work.. The stamina required to navigate 20 laps rivals the fitness of MMA athletes.
Awesome insight/perspective. Super cool to hear as well from someone outside the sport, how naive/idiotic the diets are that a lot of these facilities or trainers have their riders on. There is such a massive and undue emphasis placed on "body weight" and "size; when in actuality 90% of riders, if not more, would drastically benefit from 1-5 more pounds of body weight, lean muscle mass, internal hydration (water weight) etc. over what they might "lose" in terms of power to weight ratio. The vast majority of the sport has gotten so spun out on off the bike training, cycling, running etc. and the induced caloric deficits that without realizing it so many people are showing up to the starting gate borderline, or completely depleted and doing the most physically demanding sport in the world, teetering on the edge of injury before their body ever hits the ground. Then when they finally do, it's at least a broken bone every time because we are sending guys around the track at 160 pounds (or less) on a 450 that weighs 215 pounds at 30 MPH for 30 minutes and just hoping for the best.
your reply was awesome, and nailed it again; I grew up racing from age 5 and rode seriously all the way through high school, then when I went to college I got heavily into the "other" side of the fitness world and became obsessed with body building, weight training , strength training and all of those elements which are completely neglected in Moto. Tracking Macros, basal metabolic rates, carb loading; high caloric days and low caloric days. Everything he is hitting here as well. But for some reason the vast majority of people "in charge" in Moto just have our riders on as little food as possible, as much cardio as possible, traveling 40 weeks a year and still riding 3 days a week and racing on the weekends. Now of course there is a balance point at the razors edge of the top guys, where they are "too heavy" or "too muscular" but the vast majority of guys are so far off from that they have way more to gain from additional weight or muscle, than they do the potential to lose in efficiency. During college and the years after I now stay consistently between 175-178, and ideally would even like to sit above 180 long term. I still do all my cardio, I still ride regularly, and I have never felt better, stronger or most importantly safer on the bike. I know for a fact that are crashes that I've had and times I've hit the ground and been able to get back up, that 100% would have broken me off if I was in the 150-160 range like most guys are.
MX/SX pro riders are criminally underrated as athletes. The majority think the bike is doing all the work.. The stamina required to navigate 20 laps rivals the fitness of MMA athletes.
EnduroxR4 is the best stuff for race day
The guy knows his stuff!
Awesome insight/perspective. Super cool to hear as well from someone outside the sport, how naive/idiotic the diets are that a lot of these facilities or trainers have their riders on. There is such a massive and undue emphasis placed on "body weight" and "size; when in actuality 90% of riders, if not more, would drastically benefit from 1-5 more pounds of body weight, lean muscle mass, internal hydration (water weight) etc. over what they might "lose" in terms of power to weight ratio.
The vast majority of the sport has gotten so spun out on off the bike training, cycling, running etc. and the induced caloric deficits that without realizing it so many people are showing up to the starting gate borderline, or completely depleted and doing the most physically demanding sport in the world, teetering on the edge of injury before their body ever hits the ground. Then when they finally do, it's at least a broken bone every time because we are sending guys around the track at 160 pounds (or less) on a 450 that weighs 215 pounds at 30 MPH for 30 minutes and just hoping for the best.
your reply was awesome, and nailed it again; I grew up racing from age 5 and rode seriously all the way through high school, then when I went to college I got heavily into the "other" side of the fitness world and became obsessed with body building, weight training , strength training and all of those elements which are completely neglected in Moto. Tracking Macros, basal metabolic rates, carb loading; high caloric days and low caloric days. Everything he is hitting here as well. But for some reason the vast majority of people "in charge" in Moto just have our riders on as little food as possible, as much cardio as possible, traveling 40 weeks a year and still riding 3 days a week and racing on the weekends.
Now of course there is a balance point at the razors edge of the top guys, where they are "too heavy" or "too muscular" but the vast majority of guys are so far off from that they have way more to gain from additional weight or muscle, than they do the potential to lose in efficiency. During college and the years after I now stay consistently between 175-178, and ideally would even like to sit above 180 long term. I still do all my cardio, I still ride regularly, and I have never felt better, stronger or most importantly safer on the bike. I know for a fact that are crashes that I've had and times I've hit the ground and been able to get back up, that 100% would have broken me off if I was in the 150-160 range like most guys are.