Ok Guy,s not sure if the PUB is the place for this but here goes anyway! I am after advice from the karting community in regards to what specific exercises to be having a crack at to benefit the body in kart racing.
My main aim is to lose about 10-15kg,s in a 4-6 month period(easily done if dedicated) and more importantly get race fit! Let,s be honest here.....at 39yrs old, a pack of winny,s a day, 6 pack of grog isnt really the right way to go about things! So the ciggies are banned, grog down the sink! I know how to stay in shape (was fit once....a long long time ago haha in a galaxy far away...) but was more concerned with specifics karting benefits and also the rib area! Sick of getting out of my kart after a 2 day session feeling like I been hit by a truck! Usually takes me a couple of weeks to recover, trying to minimise the damage and be a lot healthier at the same time! Please help out guys!
Comments12
It sounds like your aerobic system isn't the best, its what your body uses for energy for the majority of a race. To get that up i would recommend swimming. Swimming is excellent for upper body, and if you start feeling strong definitely stick a float between your legs and just power through with the upper body only. But really you should just focus on getting fit first so really its whatever you enjoy, if you do something you enjoy such as cycling, running etc you will be more motivated to get out and do it. Also don't try and be a hero and absolutely smash yourself in the first session (easy done), if you haven't done much exercise recently just take it nice and easy and build it up from there. Good luck
Darrel
I put a fair bit of effort into fitness and strength for the recent Nationals in the following ways -
Aerobic - Interval sprints on the treadmill, basically 1-2 min warmup the 1min flatout (level 13) the 1 min easy (Level 10) doing this for no more than 6 sprints.
Strength - you would look at working on neck and shoulders. Shrugs for the neck. Best thing i found for the shoulders other than the obvious shoulder presses etc. was to get a 5kg free weight and basically mimic the driving style by holding out in front of you and turning the wheel from left to right. I would do 10 turns eachway and then hold the weight out in front for 10 seconds, repeating this 3 times with no break in between. Rest for about 45 seconds and repeat. Do this for 3 reps. You will get wise cracks if you are doing this at a gym but it does work a treat.
Also work on your abs. Crunches and twists.
Clean diet and no booze and the weight should fall off.
Hope this helps.
Remember Darrel this is the Pub. I would suggest bicept training. Drink 5 schooners with the left hand and then 5 schooners with the right hand. Then run home if you can. lol. Regards Max. Hic!
Haha thanks Max! Thats why I posted it here.....just in case I have a change of heart! I am a semi-proffesional at drinking, fully sponsored by W.A mining companies...( more intimately known as family/life/social life destroyers)....it is with extreme regrete that I am choosing to leave the sport! LOL. Been in the sport half heartedly for around 10yrs then turned pro for another 10yrs with daily practice sessions, extremely dedicated rain, hail or shine I would never miss my beloved practice!Haha.
Max Thornhill said:
Remember Darrel this is the Pub. I would suggest bicept training. Drink 5 schooners with the left hand and then 5 schooners with the right hand. Then run home if you can. lol. Regards Max. Hic!
Hi again Darrel, I still love an ale or two and I still train but never do i mix them on the same day. Seriously if you want to get fitter I would suggest short sprint training as this is easier on your body especially as you get older (no offence ). Whilst sprinting you are on your toes which cushions the jaring. Talk to an athletics coach and tell him why you want to get fitter and ask him if he could make you up a sprint training program. I am 56 and can still run 400 meters under 70 secs. Max. darrel cross said:
Haha thanks Max! Thats why I posted it here.....just in case I have a change of heart! I am a semi-proffesional at drinking, fully sponsored by W.A mining companies...( more intimately known as family/life/social life destroyers)....it is with extreme regrete that I am choosing to leave the sport! LOL. Been in the sport half heartedly for around 10yrs then turned pro for another 15yrs with daily practice sessions, extremely dedicated rain, hail or shine I would never miss my beloved practice!Haha.Max Thornhill said:Remember Darrel this is the Pub. I would suggest bicept training. Drink 5 schooners with the left hand and then 5 schooners with the right hand. Then run home if you can. lol. Regards Max. Hic!
I've started walking to the bottle shop!
Haha funny you should say that, and this is a true story.......I used to walk my great danes to the local bottle-o every day after work and home again. Sometime we would pass it by and continue along to the beach only to stop there on the way home. Well they decided that they were big enough to step over our tiny front fence and took themselves for a lazy wander through our fair suburb, we searched high and low for hours in the car every street but no luck! I decided to go and drown my sorrows and who should be sitting patiently waiting out the front...yep the dogs. I thought it was time to change my routine after that...... so I walked them to the pub instead!
Dean Penrose said:
I've started walking to the bottle shop!
Good on you Darrel for giving it a fair old crack!! I'm sure there will be plenty of wise cracks I'll keep it as simple as possible to get you on our way... If you'd like any more specific help shoot me an email on keishi@247fit.com.au, I'm in Brisbane but happy to give any advice I can to a fellow karter.
As for the weight loss it's all about metabolism (the ability of your body to utilise energy sources) and energy intake vs usage. At the end of the day just altering your food will help you lose weight - it' energy in vs energy out, you need to use more than you put in. Simplest way is to reduce portion sizes and eat regularly. Cutting carbs, fats sugars etc can work but cut too far and the stress on your system can limit fat loss and make you more prone to putting it back on quickly. The key here is to be consistent!!
With the training my idea recommendation is go and find yourself a GOOD PT... one that will listen to your needs, be willing to help you specifically with your racing and weight loss (won't necessarily be the biggest or the prettiest :p). Tackling the two issues seperately, the focus with weight loss is sometimes misunderstood as cardio - cardio fitness is very important but just remember you can be overweight and still very fit..... Key is again the M word, metabolism, using as much energy as possible - because body fat is just stored energy. So a balanced full body weight training program, both with strenght, endurance and aerobic elements. You can always get cardio benefit from strength training.
Put simply, your body has a certain supply of energy for every muscle in the body (much like a fuel tank at each muscle), this is supplied by your metabolic system as needed through food and body fat (like the fuel station). As the fuel tanks are used the fuel station has to top these tanks up and therefore use the energy from food and body fat. The more tanks you use, the more energy you use total, and the more body fat you can utilise - hence why utilising as many muscles as possible is often the most important element of weight loss training (often referred to as metabolic training).
With regards to training for karting or any sport, the best way to approach it is train how you play on game day, so think what you are doing in the kart. The key areas are core strength (to hold yourself in the right position in the seat and effectively utilise arms, legs, feet and hands precisely), and cardiovascular and stress related (adrenal control) as the stresses of the track lift your heart rate regardless of what physical work you are doing.
So cardio is a no brainer, it's boring and tedious BUT is hard to concentrate on the job for extended periods of time therefore is a great tool to help keep focus and why top drivers run, ride or swim as much as they do. However stresses from weight training will greatly help the body adap to the stresses of being in the kart. In ths aspect ironically metabolic training is also a great tool, by utilising so many muscles at once you can train the body to deal with more stresses, and the related elevated heartrate. With regards to core strength just remember core strength and abdominal strength are two seperate things. As good as a six pack feels (both alcoholic and body related) crunches or situps primarily strengthen your ability to bend forwards.... so unless you need to get better at ducking into a slipstream, stationary core strength exercises and pilates based movements are best. Things like planks, bridges, and anything that resembles sitting in a kart.
At the end of the day stay safe, don't do anything you feel is dangerous, and enjoy it!! This got long very quick so hope this helps and if you need any specifc help shoot me an email.
Cheers
Keishi
Thanks Keishi!
umm, but we race karts...
Keishi Ayukai said:
don't do anything you feel is dangerous
Darrel,
I would put a good bet on you are holding your breath during cornering, and then chugging air in and out like a mofo, as soon as your get on the main straight. It is a common thing for un-seasoned karters (and some old timers too). The better you can breath whilst driving aids power to your muscles and oxygen to the brain. Both are very important when driving.
I bet you hold your breath for longer when you get tired or sore too.
If you break it up, sometimes you maybe holding your breath for up to 35secs in a 50 odd second lap of Newcastle.
For sure that being fitter, dumping grog and ciggies, going to bed early before a race and all related "goodie two shoes" activities will help. But seriously, how many other drivers at club level do this??
I reccommend doing 15 lap sessions at Newcastle as consistant as you can, whilst primarily concentrating on consistant breathing through every lap. You will be very suprised at the results.
One more trick for you, when you turn a corner always push with your outside arm instead of pulling with your inside arm. Pushing with the outside arm holds your shoulders back allowing you to breath easier. Pulling with your inside arm also pulls your shoulder in and down, causing you to crunch over your chest which impairs your breathing.
Adding to Michaels observations regarding the "push it - don't pull it" scenario, probably one of the leading causes of sore ribs is people pulling themsleves forward in the seat.
Try driving around the track one handed and see how much better you steer on the push corners than the pull corners.