Hey everybody! I was wondering what people were doing these days in regards to off-unicycle fitness. Cross training, weights, etc.
I found these two older threads on it:
Weights:
Running as Cross Training:
But they were pretty specific to only those two. I’m currently about to finish up my 60 days of doing the Insanity Videos (that dvd series that has late night commercials. its like p90x…sort of). I’ve seen some results and will definitely do so if i stick with it longer than the prescribed 60 day period, but I was wondering if anyone has developed their own uni-based fitness? Insanity has definitely helped my balance and core, which I noted the other day did make me a little better. Anyone done the Insanity videos or P90X or anything else and noticed a change in their unicycling?
I work out every other day so sunday-tuesday-thursday-saturday, then monday-wednesday-friday. I spend 3 ish hours weightlifting and training on those days.
FLat bench - 265 lbs, incline bench - 215, decline bench 275 lbs, Dips 320 lbs, hand stand push ups, etc. I do an incredible strenuous routine to try and work the entire body, except legs… my arthritis has severely hampered what i am able to do with my legs. So i use unicycling and cycling to fill that void.
I also work 9-12 hours a day at my job, thats very labour intensive.
Other sports-
Mountain biking
Road cycling
Snow Boarding
Street Boarding
I used to run 60 miles a week before I got lyme disease, which included track workouts for “speed” (actually mid-distance training). It was nice to have killer endurance and if I still could do it I’m sure I could practice unicycle much much longer!
In the last couple of months this is what I’ve been doing most weeks:
Unicycling 2-4 hours.
Slacklining 2 hours.
Rowing 3 hours.
Bicycling (on the road, en route to or up steep hills) 6-8 hours.
1 set of pushups to exhaustion each morning.
When spring/summer come around I’ll probably add some kayaking and increase the slackline hours.
Sofa, donuts, cakes, pizza, TV… I do have to cross the room to pick up the remote.
Actually, unicycling is my fitness routine in keeping my back supple. I had more than 20 years of back weakness and pain before I built up enough strength through physio in order to unicycle. I now use it to keep up the core strength and back flexibility for my sedentary life working on a computer. When my back hurts, it is telling me to go for a uni-workout.
I’m mainly a ultra-distance runner (for over 17 years, 21+ years of running) so I’m perhaps a bit biased. However I think running is the simplest and cheapest form of exercise you can do to build strength, endurance, etc… It’s very convenient as you don’t have to go anywhere or have any special equipment to do it. In particular I like doing hilly routes to really build the cardio strength and the quick leg turnover on the downhills. The fitness demands of unicycling, especially off road riding are more closely matched by running than any other form of exercise. I’d just add in a healthy amount of core work as that’s one area not necessarily worked by running that IS necessary for unicycling (and for running as well). The main thing with a running routine is to just maintain consistency in training, run every other day, or every day at least some; shoot for a weekly goal and stick with it week to week. Over time you can start incorporating speed/hill work but the main thing is just getting out there and putting in the miles.
Today I ran a 10K race and beat a personal best time I had been pursuing for four years. This validated my training regime of preparing only by unicycling, especially mountain uni. On days that were too wet for muni, I would practice seat out hopping, rolling hops, side hops, etc. Some days I’d ride the Coker around a hilly area.
The race kicked my butt. I’m tired and sore. I only run one race a year, and I celebrate the 364 days I don’t have to run. But it’s a good way to check my fitness level and it motivated me in the weeks leading to it.
I used to ride my short, flat, 2.5 mi commute doing “urban Muni”, I take a slightly longer route and take ~ an hour each way.
For Muni I need more leg and core strength than I get from riding (even if I could Muni enough). I have a rowing machine I do w/ the resistance cranked up. My rower gives more of a leg workout than most, esp upper hamstrings and glutes (most important part of the leg for Muni IMO). The strength equivalent I seem to need is ~ 6 sets of twice my weight, 20 reps. I also do streight leg lifts 30L, 30R, 30L, etc w/ 10 lb/pair ankle weights. I do 30 min of each at least once a week, for maintenance, once i get to the strength I want. On the other days I do a wide variety of other core exercises.
I also sometimes do 3 sets of 20 push ups. Helps w/ UPDs where I don’t land on my feet from getting nasty.
The leg strength has helped w/ everything, the core exercises made UPDs safer esp when tired, had an easier time w/ tech terrain, slightly easier climbing.
I’ved now moved twice as far away and have half a big hill to ride over(4.5mi, ~350ft vert), so I don’t uni but I bike it every day sometimes I ride the whole hill (7.2 mi, ~ 800ft).
Most of these guys upper body/ core bar workouts are impressive, but I thought others could use these to boost/maintain their leg strength when u don’t have your uni.
Thanks everyone for your responses. Its good to hear everyones part on the spectrum.
Coincidentally less than 2 months after my original post I sprained the crap out of my left ankle. It was probably a teensie fracture in there somewhere but I didn’t go to the doctor (no insurance) to get it checked out. Anyway I’ve been wrapped up in grad school since my injury last fall and now I’m finally back on the uni (29er muni). I’m looking to develop a new fitness routine for myself so I’ll post that up once I get it going. (maybe just an insanity video redux)
An observation that I wondered if anyone else has noticed: Unicycling steep hill work is basically interval training. It is intense cardio until you basically either make it to the top or UPD from exhaustion. I’m all about some interval training (hence the insanity workout last summer) so this is good news for me. From what I can tell out of general observation my cardio threshold was VASTLY improved by unicycling hills which then led to me not hating every second of the insanity series that I did.
