15/03/2019
Good morning, my NC clients and friends! I've been keeping busy during these last few weeks, making the finishing touches on my new office spaces at Balanced Movement Studio and The Endurance Collective and getting ready to officially launch my practice again! Things are shaping up and I can't *WAIT* to see you all soon! Stay tuned for more exciting news! But in the meantime, here's what I've been up to:
Last week, I launched a long-awaited online core program for cyclists in partnership with BalMo and EC. This is a 4 routine, 8-10 week online plan geared toward riders of all levels and abilities. I mean it! Whether you're learning to clip in or standing hands up on the podium at pro races -- this program is going to teach you how to be more stable, powerful, balanced, and yes - faster! - on the bike.
Read on if you're interested in the nitty gritty. Y'all know how I can wax on about this stuff for days! Well... maybe not quite as much as Brian Beatty 😉 But still...
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Though we use the word "core strength", this is really a set of cycling-specific neuromuscular control & learning routines. We all know how easy it is to fall into the "giterdone" trap when it comes to core training. A few minutes here and there, oftentimes while surfing instagram or hanging out in quasi-plank texting memes to our cycling buds (eep, I'm sooo guilty of this! Also my milennialism is showing...) - and that's if we're doing it at all.
And while I believe most of the time this way of "doing core" is often still better than doing nothing at all, we easily run the risk of simply cementing our chronic imbalances and compensations. We don't actually get better.
Our goal with this program is to give bicycle riders a super clear, cycling-specific understanding about the purpose of training your core in a focused, time-efficient way. We talk about concrete goals (i.e., minimizing hips rocking on the saddle, the ability to control your upper body and hips when climbing or sprinting, so you can put to their intended use...) and we SHOW you how to achieve them.
With each move in the program, we clearly explain the intended stabilizing muscle groups that oft need a little "wake up call" (they very well may have been dormant for years!) That's okay, though. It doesn't mean you're not a fast, fit, strong AF cyclist. And it sure as heck doesn't mean you're "weak". Your brain is amazing and it's completely possible to learn to fire new, more efficient muscle patterns pretty darn quickly. You just have to be intentional, move s-l-o-w-l-y, which feels weird to a lot of us, and have someone guiding you to make sure you stay on the right track. That's where we come in. We've got your back... and the rest of your core (ha ha)
So -- we break it down for you. In each move, we actually *show* you how to wake up those sleepy muscles. It starts simple (challenging, but simple) and then advances, ending with exercises that are designed to mimic how you **actually control movement on the bike!** Some of those fancy insta core workouts look enticing, but if it's not helping you ride -- you might just be spending 20 minutes just making shapes. (Not knocking any dancer-cyclists out there. Teach me your ways!)
By working this way, you actually straight-up LEARN how to feel and self-correct the imbalances that are unique to your OWN BODY. Because you're a special snowflake, y'know it? And you know what I'm talking about -- those naggy lil' compensations we're all sooo good at hiding... until we hit the pavement at 30mph, have a crappy week at work, get sick or try to do too much to soon, and... suddenly they're not so easy to hide at all, are they?
This work is going to make you *better*. You'll feel like you have a magical hand pushing you up the hills, you'll feel like you can eak out a few more watts on the local fast group ride sprint, and you'll find those naggy little aches and pains you thought were normal just... slowly disappearing. You'll be prepared to move from your ride to whatever the rest of the day holds -- from kid duties to household putzing to hours in front of a computer or other "devices". No judgment here. You got your ride and your core in -- you deserve the goldest of stars.
And we guarantee all this. We'll give you your $15 bucks back, no questions asked, if this doesn't help you. Promise.
The routines are low-load, so they can be done at any point in the season, or as a "reset" for riders after a crash or a particularly grueling training block. And you never really "graduate" from this, either -- in fact it kinda gets more challenging the more skilled you become. But, hey, we're cyclists. We love stuff like that. And I'm stoked on the idea of tricking y'all (and myself) to focus on the work that really matters, to put out the effort and consistency of practice that matters, to do the hard stuff that *matters*.
$15 gets you in. Join me! http://balanced-movement-online.thinkific.com/courses/core-strength-for-cyclists
Brian Beatty, PT received his physical therapy degree from UNC Chapel Hill. He has been working in private, orthopedic based practice for his whole career. Brian has a particular focus on endurance athletics, hip & spinal issues and ‘hard to solve’ movement problems. An avid cyclist and runner, ...
