When it comes to training for any sport, you have to look at what the top athletes in that sport are doing. You don’t see Eli Tomac or Justin Barcia bulking up for the Supercross season. There is a reason many top motocross pro’s aren't jacked like The Rock. Motocross is all about your power to weight ratio. You want to be strong enough to control the bike, but not so big that it puts you at a weight disadvantage.
Physical Fitness
When training for moto you want to focus on high intensity cardio training as well as strength training. The key here is endurance. If your local track has 15 minute motos, then you want to be sure you can go hard for the full 15 minutes. You also have to account for things like heat and nervousness that can drain your energy at a very high rate. While I am not a fitness expert like Kevin at WorkoutTipster.com, I do know that great cardio endurance is one of the building blocks of a great motocross athlete. How many times have you rode great in practice all month long, but on race day you get the jitters and within a few laps you have insane arm pump and dry mouth? This leads me to the next aspect of training for a high intensity sport like motocross.
Mental Training
It’s important to prepare yourself mentally for any competition. Many athletes visualize the game, event, or race in their minds many times before it starts. Air Force Colonel George Hall was captured as a POW during the Vietnam War. He was held captive for 7 years. Every day he would imagine playing 18 holes on his favorite golf course. When he returned home he discovered that his golf game had improved. Your imagination is a very powerful training tool. It can help you prepare as well as give you the confidence to win.
For motocross, you might envision yourself getting ready for the race. You are putting on your gear while listening to some music to get psyched. You can hear the different bikes revving up and riding by as they head to staging for their race. You can hear the announcer calling different classes to staging. You can smell race gas fumes and hotdogs cooking. You imagine yourself riding over to staging when your class is called. Your moto is next. You pull up to the line and begin sizing up the competition. You may even imagine seeing the guy next to you with his dad yelling and getting him psyched. The card goes sideways and soon the gate drops. You envision the perfect start and getting the holeshot.
I could go on, but you get the idea. Mentally rehearsing and including every little detail can help you calm your nerves on race day. You’ll have been there before. It helps greatly when navigating the track, because you already know which lines you want to take.
Ride More
There is no substitute for raw skill on the motocross track. One of the best ways to get in better shape and get faster is to ride. A lot. Off the bike training is important, but it’s important not to get caught up in the hype and spend all day riding your road bike. You gotta get your motos in.
Image via Racerx VT