Hare Scramble or Enduro training is very necessary for anyone looking to compete in a race. There are many different ways to exercise the body for optimum athletic performance. Which type of exercise is determined by the event we want to compete in. The only difference between enduro training and hare scramble training is the length of the races.
With this in mind we should train to stay fit and comfortable throughout a race of this length. Keeping a pace that will not wear you out too quickly is the best strategy. Keep pushing yourself to increase your cardio and fitness level so that you can endure a longer race. Practice makes perfect, get out there and start racing and figure out where your fitness level is at currently. Use the exercises I have put together in this article to take your game to the next level!
Stamina:
The riders skill and ability on a bike obviously plays a big role in your speed on a dirt bike. The most important thing you should focus on is increasing your stamina. This will allow you to sustain a high performance on the dirt bike throughout the race. Practice makes perfect, get out there and start racing to figure out where your fitness level is at and where you need to improve. Use the exercises I have put together in this article to bring your game to the next
Hare scrambles last anywhere from an hour to 3 hours and have all different types of terrain.
You could find yourself on a motocross style track for a section of the course and next thing you’re diving off a steep hill into some bar banging trees.
Don’t be the guy who blasts out front early and to be passed by the pack 15 minutes into the race.
These are my recommended stamina exercises:
- Bicycling is one of the favorites among professional riders. Cycling increases leg strength while ramping up the heart rate to increase cardiovascular endurance. Cycling is easy on the joints and makes for a good long term choice of training. I recommend doing intervals at different paces to simulate the intervals of difficulty throughout a course.
- Running can be a great source of cardio. I recommend doing long distance running up and down hills. I would also simulate a race and apply interval training.
- Rowing has become a very popular form of cardio training for many different athletes due to it being stationary and fairly portable when folded up. Rowing will give your back a solid workout as well. Get a rowing machine at home and row while you watch TV or a sporting event.
- Riding the motorcycle is going to be a huge part of your training if you plan to compete with success. There is no exercise that can simulate the stress applied to the body while riding hard on your bike. Get out there and put in some hard hours on the bike and make sure to push yourself physically while staying within your riding capabilities.
Muscular Endurance:
There can be a lot of debate around how to train your muscles for riding dirt bikes. You might think you want a big strong upper body so you can man handle the bike and push through rugged terrain. This can actually be a negative and lead to early exhaustion.
Yes, of course you want to be strong but you don’t want to train for hypertrophy (large muscles). Large muscles demand more oxygen to perform and will quickly have you cramping and gasping for air.
Instead you want to focus on muscular endurance to train your muscles to outlast the agony they will endure throughout a hare scramble. We want to incorporate high reps and a mild resistance to achieve this.
Here are my recommended exercises to help you boost your muscular endurance while riding:
- TRX Bands are a great way to train like a beast even in the confinements of your home. They are great for full body workouts and incorporate body weight as the resistance. There are infinite amounts of exercises that you can do with them. Here is a link to some great workouts with TRX Bands. These are the bands that I use.
- Dumbbells/Kettlebells are amazing for strengthening your stabilizer muscles which support your major muscle groups and will allow for more control throughout a particular movement. They give you a free range of motion, allowing your body to move as it should. Do high repetition sets of 30-50 reps with a lighter weight and try to minimize your rest time, forcing your body to adapt to performing on low oxygen. I use these kettlebells from amazon.
- Resistance Bands: everyone should use them, they provide a constant resistance while increasing in resistance the further you stretch them. Probably the safest method of exercise and physical therapists recommend them for people with injuries to begin recovery training. (Heres a link to the ones I use from Amazon) There are endless amounts of exercises that you can do with resistance bands. Check out some here.
- Free Weights are a great way to increase strength and can really help your endurance if used properly. Stay away from trying to show off (no curls for girls) and lift heavy for your friends, keep focused on your purpose for using these “tools” to train with. Do high repetition workouts and always push yourself to decrease rest times. You won’t be receiving any breaks during a race and this needs to always be simulated throughout training.
Stretching:
Make sure you always stretch before and after your exercises. When your muscle fibers are all activated it makes your body stronger and more controlled.
People really neglect stretching but it is so important for the longevity of your riding career. If your body is flexible it will be able to contort in awkward positions without injury. This is a big deal for us dirt riders with all of the unpredictable things that can happen.
Arm pump is a huge factor when discussing riding fatigue. Stretch your forearms, lower back and hamstrings. These are used vigorously while riding and need to be taken care of if you want to compete or even finish in a hare scramble or enduro.
Nutrition:
I think we have all experienced increases in weight or decreases in energy from a poor diet. Nutrition is probably the hardest part of any training program and should be taken seriously.
Your body is a machine that requires several different types of fuel to perform optimally. Providing your body with a balanced nutrition is crucial to your success during; training, riding, racing, or any physical or even mental task.
Your bike wont run when it’s out of gas and neither will your body.
Breathing:
Johnny walker (pictured above) has laser focus on his training and a big part of that is breathing. One of the most important things you can train is breathing.
Many people hold their breath when tensed up. You should try to relax and become comfortable on the bike. Breathing patterns are crucial to maintaining your endurance for a race.
Be conscious of your breathing when you ride and see if you can notice yourself holding your breath a little too often.
Sleep:
I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to get enough rest. Maybe not while jumping 100ft through the air doing a lazy boy, but you get the point. If you plan to train hard on and off the bike then your body will be beat down and needs to recover.
Our bodies do all of their recovery and healing when we sleep. Start tracking your sleep and aim for 8 hours a night.
Try to sleep on your back to ensure that your spine is aligned during your rest.
Conclusion:
If you can apply all of these things to your daily routines then there is no doubt in my mind that you will see improvement.
I encourage you to track your nutrition and train your body to perform in your sport. You will find that you have more energy levels and are much more motivated to do these things that used to seem daunting. Your body will actually start to crave the release of energy through training which will lead to your consistency.
The first month is always the hardest because your body will be going through stress that it’s not used to. This will cause delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and even hormone changes.
Stick with it and each day will become easier and more enjoyable. Your draw will drop at how well our bodies adapt to the stress we put them through.
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