1. You have no plan. Going to the gym with no idea about what you are going to do once you get there is not a recipe for success. Take the time to develop a plan and execute it. Hint: if your workout starts with dumbbell curls you are in need of serious help.
2. Your plan is too random. Doing the “workout of the day”, a la Crossfit, isn’t really a plan but it is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, what Crossfit professes to be it’s greatest strength – it “punishes the specialist” – is actually it’s biggest weakness when it comes to motocross training. Don’t settle for better.
Hint: You ARE a specialist. You race motorcycles.
3. Your plan is too focused. That’s right, I said too focused. Periodization has made it’s way into motocross training. Unfortunately, the schemes being written about are extremely outdated. Concentrating on only one or two abilities at a time neglects others. Given the extremely varied demands of motocross, ALL abilities need to be trained at ALL times. The only thing that varies is the time dedicated to each. You can read more about this here and here.
4. You think you’re Lance Armstrong. Spending hours cycling on the road is not only unnecessary to develop moto-specific fitness, it’s potentially dangerous. I believe it’s only a matter of time before a rider gets seriously injured or killed while riding their bike. Roads are for cars. Why risk it? Do yourself a favor and get a stationary bike. Better yet, get a rowing machine.
5. You lift like Richard Simmons. In the interest of developing muscular endurance, a lot of riders and their trainers focus on light-weight, high-repetition resistance training. The TRX and P90X (what’s with the X?) seem to be the “systems du jour”. Unfortunately, strict utilization of such methods neglects true STRENGTH – a much under-appreciated quality in motocross. You can read more about strength and it’s relationship to endurance here.
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