Yes, let's talk about back! Generally we worry more about the legs since there are the main "motors" in the BTT. But and the back? Will it be that his paper is less important? Clear that not. It is that that we are going to see of pursuance. Mas e as costas? Será que o seu papel é menos importante? Claro que não. É isso que vamos ver de seguida.

1st The lumbar musculature is constantly in tension due to the position of the body in the bike, with the inclined trunk ahead. If we do not always lengthen, we are losing flexibility.

2nd The abdominal ones are relaxed when we pedal. If they are not exercised to the part, we create a descompensação in the pelvis.

3rd The quadríceps, main muscles in the action of pedaling and the most powerful of the body, also provoke imbalance in the pelvis, causing lumbar muscular tension.

4ºA subsequent musculature of the quadríceps and of the gluteal ones helps to position correctly the pelvis but his muscular desenvilvimento is less than the powerful quadríceps.

5th The psoas-thighbone hidden inside the pelvis, intervenes in the beginning of the turn of the pedals. It is toned up when we pedal and it turns the pelvis ahead. It is necessary to lengthen it to compensate for the contraction provoked for pedaling. Há que alongá-lo para compensar a contracção provocada pelo pedalar.

Without a good muscular performance of the back, we would not have conditions to profit from the quadríceps, twin and gluteal. This because, after we pedaled with force, a very big descending force is produced. Now if we had no back to counterbalance this movement, we would pedal rickety all. The back fixes the trunk allowing to withdraw the whole profit of the force of the legs while avoiding oscillations. Ora se não tivéssemos costas para contrabalançar esse movimento, pedalaríamos todos desengonçados. As costas fixam o tronco permitindo retirar todo o rendimento da força das pernas ao evitar oscilações.

We saw already for top, the hard task of our back. But we are going to deepen two very important functions so that, later, you if will stop having them, to remember them …

To maintain the posture: mostas - you in the bicycle, you get ready to pedal and … before even advancing, the back is already on duty. The position on top of the bicycle is supported by your forearms and tríceps (it roots up in the guide) and for lumbar zone, which supports the trunk. To this sustenance work we call isométrico, because it is a force constant (tension) that the back practises but without producing movements or oscillations. It is a work of fixation of posture. And if you maintain the elevated head it is because your cervical muscles support it. A posição em cima da bicicleta é sustida pelos teus antebraços e tríceps (foça no guiador) e pelo zona lombar, que sustenta o tronco. A este trabalho de sustentação chamamos isométrico, porque é uma força constante (tensão) que as costas exercem mas sem produzir movimentos ou oscilações. É um trabalho de fixação de postura. E se manténs a cabeça elevada é porque os teus músculos cervicais a sustêm.

Dynamic action: your back not only works isometricmanete just as they produce movements of balance and force. When do you stand up, when you do a "sprint" or when are you in a singletrack that you ovriga to constant changes of position and balance, sãp the back that place you in the certain course. It is therefore that the downhillers or freeriders they train in the secondary school force of back. Quando te pões em pé, quando fazes um “sprint” ou quando estás num singletrack que te ovriga a constantes mudanças de posição e equilíbrio, sãp as costas que te colocam no rumo certo. É por isso que os downhillers ou freeriders trenam no ginásio força de costas.

Do you have pains in the back? Probably not. But believe, the day is to arrive. And the more to train and the bigger will go to your legs force, the more early you will notice what your back is suffering with that. Most of the pains are situated at lumbar level, therefore we go away to center in this zone. The position in the bicycle gives rise to an imbalance in the pelvis, given that there are muscles that do force in a sense and others in another. We are going to identify these different muscles to understand better the powers and to his action. Mas acredita, o dia está para chegar. E quanto mais treinares e maior for a tua força de pernas, mais cedo darás conta que as tuas costas estão a sofrer com isso. A maior parte das dores situam-se a nível lombar, por isso vamo-nos centrar nesta zona. A posição na bicicleta origina um desequilíbrio na pélvis, dado que há músculos que fazem força num sentido e outros noutra. Vamos identificar estes diferentes músculos para melhor os poderes compreender e à sua acção.

- Since we said already, the lumbar musculature maintains a constant tension when we walk of bike. This tension has a tendency to tilt the superior part of the pelvis ahead. There is certain tendency to be suffered contracturas because this muscular part never rests. It continues in tension same when we are already in foot out of the bicycle. Há uma certa tendência a sofrer contracturas porque esta parte muscular nunca descansa. Continua em tensão mesmo quando estamos em pé já fora da bicicleta.

- The abdominal musculature, of opposite action to the lumbar one, somewhat interferes. As a matter of fact, when will fewer desenvidos be the abdominal ones, more trunk happens the inclination of ahead.

- The psoas - thighbone is a muscle that goes from the lumbar vertebrae and of the pelvis even to the femur. It works constantly in the beginning of each turn of the pedals. He is the flexor of the most important hip and therefore it must be well toned up. É o flexor de anca mais importante e por isso deve estar bem tonificado.

- The quadríceps, like all is known by us, it is crucial in the turn of the pedals. It is the muscle most developed in the cyclists and also it helps to balance the body on top of the bicycle.

- The subsequent part of the quadríceps, the isquiotibiais, pull pelvis backwards and are not so toned up like the quadríceps.

Since we can see, great part of the muscles pull the pelvis backwards, obliging to a great effort and tension in the column to maintain the correct posture. It is not therefore of finding the surgumento strange of lombalgias. In the dorsal region also we can come to suffer pains, especilamente if road cycling is practiced, due to the still more inclined postures. Na região dorsal também podemos vir a sofrer dores, especilamente se praticarmos ciclismo de estrada, devido às posturas ainda mais inclinadas.

The cervical zone has a tendency to be "punished", on everything in great distances, since we go much time forcing the neck in a position that is not the most natural.

And when more low he is the guide, comparatively to the height of the saddle, worse. It is therefore convenient that you do lengthenings to the neck in the end of the exercise. For example, annex the chin to the chest and it lets you be in this position some seconds. Por exemplo, junta o queixo ao peito e deixa-te estar nessa posição alguns segundos.

To go too far of heavy changes creates tensions very much lifted up in the lumbar zone. Adopt before more light relations, at least while you will not be with the aunt it forms physics ”in the point”, including the condition aeróbica. The exercises that we show you of followed are in order that three times execute in a week. They must make part of the aunt routine of physical health. Os exercícios que te mostramos de seguida são para executares três vezes por semana. Devem fazer parte da tia rotina de saúde física.

Some types of exerviios for the abdominal ones can aggravate the situation, instead of improving it. He sees the correct postures quite what that we explain you in each service. If you suffer already of some lombalgia, consult a specialist (orthopaedic surgeon or physiotherapist). The exercises improve your condition but they are not sufucuentes and they must be complemented with physical therapy. Se já sofres de alguma lombalgia, consulta um especialista (ortopedista ou fisioterapeuta). Os exercícios melhoram a tua condição mas não são sufucuentes e devem ser complementados com fisioterapia.

Any lengthenings that we should effectuate frequently, these lengthenings help not to have lombalgias.

- To relieve the lumbar tension, it takes attention to this exercise. It is not much complicated of finding the certain position to produce the wanted lengthening. But the effort is worthwhile: Mas vale a pena o esforço:

Seated in the ground, "lay" one of the legs and other one leaves it in foot with the respective foot in front of the knee of the leg that is in the ground. The object is you turn the back of way to which the knee of the leg that is in foot if it brings near of the opposite shoulder. For that, it helps with the arm. If you see that you do not manage yourself to balance easily, do this specific lengthening leaned to a wall. Para isso, ajuda com o braço. Se vês que não te consegues equilibrar com facilidade, faz este alongamento específico encostado a uma parede.

- The psoas-thighbone must be lengthened to leave the pelvis in the correct siege. It is a generally forgotten muscle and that has an important paper in the turn of the pedals. Here you have the lengthening that is going to correct the posture in this zone: Aqui tens o alongamento que vai corrigir a postura nessa zona:

With the bent knee, itself in the vertical plan of the foot, it spreads the opposite leg out backwards, supporting lightly the respective knee. It is basic that you straighten the back and that you advance well the lumbar zone so that the lengthening is produced in the wanted zone. How much ships backed will be the leg, stronger it will be the lengthening. You will feel a lengthening in the superior part of the muscle of the thigh in the leg that is behind. Lengthen even to the point in which you still do not feel pain and it supports itself in this position during 30 seconds. It does three series for each leg. Quanto naus recuada estiver a perna, mais forte será o alongamento. Sentirás um alongamento na parte superior do músculo da coxa na perna que está atrás. Alonga até ao ponto em que ainda não sentes dor e mantém-te nessa posição durante 30 segundos. Faz três séries para cada perna.

- The vertebral and lumbar muscles need lengthenings like this one to be freed of the provoked tension. It does them every time you will finish a training of BTT:

Go to bed of belly up and it clings to one of the knees. The maximum pulls it that conseguíres towards your chest, up to touching, leaving that another leg is completely spread out in the ground. You will notice what the cervical column will relax during this specific lengthening. To increase the intensity of this lengthening, it resorts to this trick: it pulls the knee in the direction of the opposite shoulder. Notarás que a coluna cervical relaxará durante este alongamento específico. Para aumentares a intensidade deste alongamento, recorre a este truque: puxa o joelho na direcção do ombro contrário.

- The abdominal muscles are important because they help to put the pelvis at his place, besides they compensate for the lumbar effort. But not even all the abdominal exercises serve for this effect. The majority affects the spoas-thighbone and, in this phase it does not suit for us even at all. A maioria afecta o spoas-ilíaco e , nesta fase não nos convém mesmo nada.

With the knees when it was bent 90th, we cancel the action of the Psoas. In order that we prove if this muscle is or not in action, it is enough to put the hand a little above the hip, under the back, and to see if there is some muscular tension so that you begin to effectuate the movement. Do not move away the lumbar zone of the ground and it puts the hands estrlaçadas behind of the nape but without forcing the head with the movement of the arms during this exercise. The exercise consists only in lifting up the shoulders around a span of the ground. One certifies that you feel the abdominal ones when they are contracting. It does three series from 20 to 50 repetitions, according to your physical form. Não desencostes a zona lombar do chão e coloca as mãos estrlaçadas por detrás da nuca mas sem forçares a cabeça com o movimento dos braços durante este exercício. O exercício consiste apenas em elevares os ombros cerca de um palmo do solo. Certifica-te que sentes os abdominais a contraírem-se. Faz três séries de 20 a 50 repetições, consoante a tua forma física.

fountain: BikeMagazine