Knowing what to do before a bike ride can help settle nerves, set goals, reduce the risk of injury and improve overall cycling performance. A correct cycling warm up will address several things at once, so it’s important we integrate it into our race days, training sessions and even prior to an easy ride.

By performing a preride cycling warm up you will increase the temperature and blood flow in your muscles. This has been shown to increase performance outcomes and reduce the risk of cramps or injury by making your tissues more pliable (“limbering up” so to speak).

Something else not often talked about is the psychological benefits to a warm up routine. This time can be used not only to prepare your body but your mind as well.

Set goals for the session whether it’s for enjoyment, recovery, training or performance. Visualize the outcome of your race or desired sensations during your ride. Calm your nerves and avoid an “adrenaline dump” early in a race or heavy training session. All things we can attend to and include in the space of a dedicated warm up.

You’ll notice that all our warm up routines at Dynamic Cyclist are…dynamic. This means that we are constantly moving through a range of motion as opposed to just holding an end position (which is known as static or passive stretching).

A dynamic warm up is more productive in terms of increasing the temperature of your muscles and preparing them for movement. Static stretching also has a number of downfalls prior to exercise including the decreased neural excitation of your muscles. This means they won’t fire as quickly, won’t be as strong and won’t last as long.

Holding a static stretch means you're asking the muscle to relax into a lengthened state. This is contradictory to what you want during exercise, which is for the muscle to contract forcefully for several repetitions. These opposing ideas are a recipe for injury. Best to save any static stretching for after your ride or a rest day.

This is a full 5 minute warm up routine you can use before going out on any ride.

ROUTINE:
March in Place
Pulse Squats
Arm Circles
Dynamic Forward Fold
Dynamic Lizard

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