The following article / MXF Newsletter first appeared at the Moto X Fitness website in 2004. Read on:

Moto X Fitness Classic Newsletter #4 – Training Beginners

Many of the customers / clients that I advise are beginners in regards to starting a regular exercise program. I have customers who are teenagers and some who are “beyond middle age”, that are just starting out with an organized training program.

What advice do I give to beginners? Start slowly. Since you already ride / race motocross, you should already be in decent physical condition, but that doesn’t mean you are in good condition for activities that you may not have done before, such as weight training, plyometrics, or agility drills. As with any exercise program, you should be cleared with a physician before starting intense physical training.

Starting slowly does require some restraint because many people are motivated to start a training program, and they tend to overdo it in the beginning. When this happens they either injure themselves, or they get extremely sore in the beginning and lose interest in sticking with the program.

To avoid these problems you should pick two or three basic exercises and only perform one set of each in your first workout. If it involves running, then it should be cut way down from whatever is recommended for a trained person. Work up slowly with sets, reps, distance, time, etc.

For example, if you haven’t done any pushups in a long time, then should start with one set of 10-20 reps in your first workout. If you are not too sore, then add a few more reps to your one set next time. If it was too easy, add one more set during your next workout. Take three or four workouts to work up to a full training load. If it takes you longer that’s no problem. It is better to take it slow and be safe.

This idea applies to any exercise that you are doing. When you develop your training program this way, you are establishing a good base or foundation from which to build upon in the future, and, most importantly, you avoid injury. When training beginners my motto is – “It doesn’t matter where you start, it’s where you finish”. Appropriate for training and for motocross.

In summary, start slowly with basic exercises and workouts, and work your way into good physical condition before increasing your workload or attempting advanced exercises. Good advice for any physical activity or sport that you may be involved in.

For more information on how to get your training program started, visit Moto X Fitness or Amazon and order a copy of Motocross Fitness.

Until Next Week – Good Luck and Train Hard (and have FUN)!

Moto X Fitness Classic Newsletter #2 – Pull the Trigger

Today I want to talk about building confidence and taking risks. In order to be successful in any part of your life you have to develop confidence. Whether it is with your job, relationships, or riding your motorcycle, you have to develop confidence to be successful. Motocross or any sport requires having confidence in your skills, training, physical fitness, bike, etc.

If you are not confident in your ability to perform a job or meet people or attack obstacles on the racetrack then it will be very difficult for you to achieve a high level of success in your life. Do you want to just get by or do you want to achieve everything that you are capable of? It’s your choice, but it starts with confidence and believing in yourself, even if others don’t support you. And, it involves taking risks.

What does this have to do with racing or training? Everything. If you want to improve your riding skills, you have to take risks. However, they should be calculated risks. I call it “pulling the trigger”. For example, all of us who race motocross have had to “pull the trigger” at some point. Jumping a double or triple would probably be the most common example of this risk taking. You know that you are capable of doing it, but you have to get up your nerve to “pull the trigger” and JUST DO IT. Most difficult obstacles fall under this category. You have to have confidence in your riding skills and you have to take a risk.

However, it is important to never go beyond your skill level when tackling a new challenge with your riding. Be realistic about your skills on the bike. For example, a 100 foot triple jump is not a good idea for a beginner with two months riding experience. Always ride within your level, only taking small risks as you learn the ropes.

How does fitness fit into this equation? Superior physical fitness can be one of a racer’s greatest assets. When you are physically fit you can roll up to the starting gate with the confidence that you can ride at your top speed for an entire moto while others are worried about just finishing. It makes a big difference in your approach to riding when you are in good shape because you can focus on your riding skills and race strategy instead of worrying about surviving a race. When you are physically fit then you are prepared to take risks or pull the trigger.

Starting a regular training program also requires some risk taking. You must have motivation and discipline to stick to a weekly schedule of training that develops your strength and conditioning to its fullest. And, it requires a solid commitment from the athlete.

What are YOU willing to do to reach YOUR POTENTIAL in motocross? Are YOU willing to put in the quality training time needed to succeed? Are YOU willing to “pull the trigger” and start a regular training program today? Are YOU a doer and a risk taker, or are do you watch others pass you by on their way to success? Make a choice today. Develop the confidence in your fitness and riding ability that you need to be a winner. Take a risk today and invest in your motocross future. Set some achievable goals and go after them with dedication and enthusiasm!

There is no time like the present, and the beginning of the New Year is a great time to set your goals and start working towards them. Get off the couch and get started right now!

For more information on how to get your training program started, visit Moto X Fitness or Amazon and order a copy of Motocross Fitness.

Until Next Week – Good Luck and Train Hard!

Moto X Fitness Classic Newsletter #1 – A Great Investment

This week I want to recommend a great investment for your home or garage. This is an inexpensive piece of equipment that will improve your strength and conditioning when used on a regular basis.

For a mere $12 – $20 you can install a pull-up bar in your house or garage and perform many different strength building exercises. Pull-ups are a great exercise for the entire upper body. If pull-ups are easy for you then there are different types of pull-ups that you can do to increase the difficulty. If you can do more than 15-20 reps in a set, then you can add weight to your body (use a weight belt, weighted vest, or backpack with weights) to make them harder. Changing hand positions, with palms facing you or away from you, will also affect the difficulty of the exercise. The spacing of your hands on the bar will also change the difficulty of the movement.

Many of you may have difficulty performing a single pull-up right now, but, like anything else, you have to work at it to get stronger. If you cannot perform a pull-up on your own, then you can just start out by hanging from the bar for time, or have someone hold your feet to assist you. Regardless of your current strength level, you have to start somewhere, and if all you can do right now is hang from the bar then that’s what you should do – “It doesn’t matter where you start, it’s where you finish!”

Also, there are different types of pull-ups that you can do with varying degrees of difficulty. Inverted rows or lying pull-ups are a variation that is easier than a regular pull-up, so this type of pull-up is a good starting exercise if you cannot do a regular pull-up right now. Usually these are performed from a lower bar with your feet up on a bench so it looks like you are lying down. Different hand and foot heights will create different resistance levels.

Pull-ups not only build upper body strength, but also endurance when performed for high reps or for time. Pull-ups are also great for increasing hand and forearm strength which is important for motocross racers.

Here’s an exercise that will help build forearm, arm, and hand strength. Simply get a good overhand grip on the bar and hang with arms extended for as long as possible. Repeat for 2-3 sets. If you want to increase the difficulty, do one pull-up and hold yourself at the top or lower yourself halfway down and hold for several seconds. This will also work your hands and arms in a different manner. Be sure to wrap your thumb around the bar when you do these exercises.

If you are interested in more exercises that you can do using a pull-up bar and other items you may already have in your garage, then pick up a copy of Motocross Fitness where you will find descriptions and photos of many exercises that you can do to increase your strength, conditioning, and flexibility for motocross.

Until next week – Good Luck and Train Hard.

Since that time I have had a large number of new email subscribers to the Moto X Fitness email list. With them in mind, I decided to go back and pull some of those newsletters out (2004-2009) and reprint them (as well as update them), for all of the new subscribers who missed them the first time around.

These MXF Classic Newsletters will be printed here at the blog starting the first week of 2012. In order to get you started, the very first six newsletters I printed back in 2004 can be found on the articles page at the Moto X Fitness website.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to sharing these Classic Newsletters with you as the weeks pass.

Good Luck and Train Hard,
Rodney Womack, CSCS
Moto X Fitness

Physically preparing yourself to compete at a high level in your sport will enable you to develop the confidence that you need to race up to your potential and be successful. Using motocross as an example, by the time you roll up to the starting line all of your physical training should be done and now it is time for your mental training to take over. If you have trained during the week and practiced your riding skills thoroughly, then it becomes more of a mental game on race day in which your confidence in your abilities takes over. As the old saying goes, by race day “the hay is in the barn”.

Mental preparation should be a major part of your program because it contributes greatly to your success as an athlete. Whether you are in the gym or at the race track, your concentration on the task at hand must be at a high level with your focus only on being successful at that competition or training session. And, you must be able to maintain this sharp focus for the duration of the event. This ability doesn’t just happen; you have to practice these concentration skills during your training sessions in order to maintain total focus during competition.

This confidence and concentration will only come when you are physically prepared, and you have the knowledge that you are in top physical condition because you have done the training that it is necessary to function at your peak. Therefore, it is imperative that you create a physical training program and you stick with it on a consistent basis. If you are not physically ready to push yourself on race day, then you cannot be confident in your ability to race at top speed. Physical fitness and confidence go hand in hand. In essence, if you have trained hard and know that you are in great shape, then you can put that in the back of your head and concentrate on the mental aspect of the competition. The last thing that you should be concerned with on race day is your fitness. By that time you should know that you are in better shape than your competition, and you are ready to race. Now it is time to focus on things such as your starts, lines, track conditions, etc.

Visualization is also an important tool that should be utilized by all athletes, not only on race day, but throughout the week as well. Visualization is especially important to motocross racers. Before you arrive at the starting line you must visualize the track, your start, your lines, places to pass, and your victory to prepare yourself mentally to race. You should begin by mentally rehearsing your starting procedure (that you practiced during the week) to help you get a good start. Once you have completed the start, then you can “see” the lines, obstacles, etc. as you circulate the track in your mind. This should take place during the week and also on race day. Once you have actually ridden or raced on the track, you can create an even more detailed plan in your mind.

Then, between motos, visualize the changes in the track conditions and new lines. Once your race is over you need to write down the positives and negatives of the day so you know what corrections to make in your training the next week. You might also note what muscles are sore the next day to determine any physical weak points that you need to work on. This is why every athlete should keep a training log. Every workout and competition needs to be recorded so you can review them to see where you need improvement. I highly recommend that you start a training journal immediately for the purpose of setting goals, getting organized, keeping records, and staying motivated.

Besides being physically fit, mental toughness has a profound effect on one’s athletic achievement and is a prominent trait of any successful racer. Many times it is the difference between winning and losing. If you are striving for athletic success, you need to develop mental toughness in your approach to strength and conditioning, as well as your riding. Working out consistently, and with intensity, will develop toughness and discipline, and help you push to higher levels at each workout. Don’t be satisfied with staying at the same level week after week, whether it is in the gym or at the track. You need to make your workouts a competition in which you try to do better each time you train. Are you satisfied with finishing 10th every weekend, or 5th, or even 1st in the beginner class? Never be satisfied.

All athletes should also have the attitude that they need to improve every day. In order to achieve this, you need to set short and long term goals for yourself. For example, short term goals might be faster lap times next week, or more squats in your next workout. Long term goals may be to reach the Intermediate class in six months, or work out three times a week for the next year. Be realistic with your goals. Set new goals after you have surpassed the old ones. Write them down in your training log so you see them on a daily basis. These are examples of having a positive attitude and displaying mental toughness in working toward a specific goal, despite any obstacles that you might encounter. When you reach specific training goals, your ability to concentrate will improve along with your physical fitness.

Many great motocross racers have these traits. In the past decade, Ricky Carmichael is the best example of this type of mental toughness and attitude. No matter the circumstances, he knew that he was physically fit and had the skill to win, but his determination and toughness set him apart as the best in the world. I’m sure his strength and conditioning program throughout the years played a huge role in his ability to be more confident, determined, and tougher than the competition.

This is the attitude that you need to develop in both your training and riding. Don’t have a big ego; just develop a positive attitude and have confidence in your abilities. Training hard off of the bike and being physically fit will give you the confidence that you can ride hard and to the best of your abilities for an entire moto. You also need to make up your mind that you will never quit during a race (or during your workouts). Always ride as hard as you possibly can no matter your position or the circumstances. If you aren’t physically fit enough to do this, then you need to start training harder.

Physical training can be the difference between being on the podium or riding around in 20th place. It is also the difference between novice and intermediate, or intermediate and expert. But, if you plan on being a professional (or just moving up a class), then you need to prepare yourself both physically and mentally. In conjunction with developing your physical fitness, you need to develop your ability to concentrate (focus), attitude, mental toughness, and riding skills. To reach your athletic potential, you must create a program to cover all of these factors as they relate to your sport. Be positive and work hard to develop yourself both physically and mentally in order to become a total athlete. If you can fully develop these different aspects of yourself, you will be successful both on and off the track.

Thanks for reading!

Be sure to visit Moto X Fitness and check out our bestseller Motocross Fitness for more training information.

Good Luck and Train Hard,
Rodney Womack CSCS
rw3@motoxfitness.com

This development leads me back to an idea that I have always supported – “Do the little things right and the big things will come”. For every successful person and athlete this is an important idea to remember. Don’t overlook the little things – leave no stone unturned – in your quest to be the best at whatever you do. The details are important and you need to pay attention to them. Whether it’s in your diet, drink, training, bike settings, practicing starts, etc. – whatever it is, pay attention to the details!

In regards to training here’s a reminder of this concept from a previous MXF article:

“Do the little things right and the big things will come” –

“This statement is especially true in training and sports, although it is applicable to everything that you do. Once you begin to train on a regular basis and become acquainted with the proper exercises, it becomes apparent that they must be performed in the proper manner to maximize the effectiveness of them. In fact, a little tweak here and there with your technique can really make a difference – the importance of doing the little things right.

This is just a brief description of the importance of doing the little things right, but I think that it is not only applicable to sports and training, but to the other things in your life such as your job or school. So, next time you are just going through the motions of an activity, instead of concentrating intensely on the task at hand, remember “Do the little things right and the big things will come”.”