The Importance of Fitness for Superbike Riders
Would you believe me if I told you that many super bikers tend to be as physically fit as athletes? That's right! Riders also need to be operating at high levels to get the most out of the riding experience, not just the bikes themselves! So if you want to be the best rider you can be, you'll have to make sure your fitness is on point!
You see, some superbikes can be as heavy as 150 kilograms, which means that riding them for extended periods can be very, very taxing on the human body. If you want to enjoy your ride, you have to make sure that you put in the effort and discipline needed to maintain your physical fitness.
Getting superbike-fit isn't just about having strong muscles; your endurance and mobility are also vital. Don't worry, though. You don't need a gym membership or expensive equipment to do this! All you need is your determination, and some useful information to get you going in the right direction.
Why Is Fitness Important For Riding Superbikes?
First things first, let's talk about what we mean exactly when we say that 'fitness' is essential when it comes to riding superbikes. When we say 'fitness', what we're referring to is your physical strength, endurance, and mobility. These are the three areas of training that you'll need to improve to ride a superbike with ease.
You'll need enough strength to control the mighty beast that is your superbike. You'll also need mobility, so you can balance and stretch to manage that bike effectively. On top of all that, you'll need physical endurance so you can do all of that long enough for you to enjoy your ride.
Disclaimer
This article shares some tips for working out to help you understand why and how your fitness is important for riding superbikes. This information is not a substitute for professional advice. So, before you engage in any workouts or anything like that, be sure to check with a qualified expert.
Strength
It's quite evident that you'll need the right amount of strength to be a superbike rider. When talking about strength, the specific areas you need to focus on are your back, shoulders, core, and of course, your legs.
Your Legs
To many, it might be evident that having strong legs is vital for riding a superbike. Strong legs are needed to change your body position on the bike to wherever you need to be. If you're working out at home, two great exercises for strengthening your legs are squats and lunges. The great thing about these exercises is that you don't need any equipment, you can just use your natural bodyweight!
Your Back and Shoulders
Your back and shoulders (your upper back, basically) comes into play by helping you control the bars of your bike. As you might imagine, these muscles might be put under a lot of stress when it comes to manoeuvring your bike from side to side.
At home, you can work on these muscles by doing Renegade Rows. These are great to do because they also go well with regular pushups at the same time. These workouts could be made more challenging by including some weights to lift like a dumbbell. If you don't have any at home, get creative! Try using heavy water bottles instead.
Your Core
Your core consists of all the muscles in your midsection. These are your abdominals, your obliques (the muscles on your sides), and your lower back muscles. All of them are important for riding superbikes because they help you support your body while your arms, shoulders, and legs do their job.
Strengthening your core can be done without using any equipment. Popular exercises for this include crunches, side bends, superman flexes, and even squats.
Endurance
Being strong is all well and good, but it'll be of little use if you don't have enough endurance. Some might use the words 'endurance' and 'stamina' interchangeably, but generally, what we're talking about is your ability to keep using your muscles for long periods of time. If you don't have enough endurance or stamina, you're going to get very tired quickly when riding your bike.
One good way to train your endurance is to engage in your favourite cardiovascular activity. For some, it's running and jogging. For others, it may be their favourite sport, like football. These kinds of activities train your heart and lungs and allow you to perform physical tasks for longer.
Mobility
Mobility is easy to overlook, and many might assume that it's not as important as your strength and endurance for riding superbikes. On the contrary, it could be one of the most crucial!
Mobility (or flexibility) refers to your ability to move your body parts freely. This ability, as you can tell, is crucial for controlling and manoeuvring your bike. Having lots of flexibility is also essential to help you get into different riding positions comfortably without causing your muscles to cramp up.
Be sure to stretch before and after you do any strenuous physical activity, be it playing sports or riding your superbike.
One More Thing: A Clear Mind
Fitness isn't just about the body. It's also about the mind. With your strength, endurance, and mobility all on point, the one thing you need to top it all off is a clear and sharp mind. Riding a high-performance vehicle of any kind involves making many split-second decisions to ride well and stay safe. The only way you can make those decisions effectively is to have a mind that's clear of anything that might cloud it.
Riding with negative emotions like anger, anxiety, sadness and others will cloud your mind and make your riding worse. Riding this way could also land you in bad situations like a collision or even in road rage conflicts.
To cultivate that clear mind, be sure to eat a balanced and healthy diet. Stay hydrated, and of course, never ride your bike while under the influence of alcohol or any other substance.