Pump track and BMX in the preparation of a biker.
When we talk about preparation we must always remember that it is an integrated work, made up of many pieces that once joined together create a good result. We think of the training tools as an orchestra, if we take an instrument individually and listen to it we will probably not be able to appreciate and understand anything, but if we insert it in a broad context where everyone does his piece, then we will have the 4 seasons of Vivaldi ! With the preparation you do the same job, take a few different ingredients, mix them and hopefully a fast and winning athlete comes out. All this to introduce two disciplines that at first glance have little in common with roots and stones, but which are an important basis for refining driving and training the body of a biker.
But let's go in order:
BMX
It is a discipline that exploded in Italy in the 80s, the interest around it then decreased and now, despite being an Olympic discipline, there are few facilities where to train on the national territory.
But what is it for those who go mountain biking?
Try to imagine the soft focus and the jumps and then watch a BMX video and then think how the fluidity of action and the ability to stay in the air and above all to land, could also be useful in MTB. With BMX it is possible to isolate three components that are needed by the bike and train them to the fullest. Explosiveness in pedaling, reactivity and ability to jump. Here they are expressed to their maximum and therefore training them with BMX would be a very useful thing. The sprint out of a corner, the ability to copy a jump and land without looking like a sack of potatoes are peculiarities that are improved in these circuits. It is no coincidence that the French school has a fundamental training tool in bmx
Yes, this is true for BMX, and what is the pump track for?
To pump, to use every slightest depression to relaunch the bike without pedaling, to learn to use obstacles to accelerate and not as an element that slows the inertia of the bike. The soft focus trains especially here, spinning like crazy hamsters. This is on a technical level, but the pump track also has a physical component to take into consideration. To be able to maintain speed it is necessary to work with the legs and arms, so in a pump track you do a lot of physical work, so much so that being able to run for a few minutes in a row is already a great feat.
So here are two ingredients that add something to our driving, to our physique and therefore to our performance, whether we play a podium or seek maximum fun in the greatest possible safety. In fact, getting on a bike trained not only allows us to go faster, but it helps us to have better control of the bike and therefore to face the descents running less risks.
To conclude, here is an opinion from Davide Finetto, BMX instructor, on the importance of using this bike:
In BMX, given the duration of about 30/40 seconds for each race, you need a lot of explosive strength and a minimum of resistant strength. All combined with a superfine technique that make it a truly complete sport. Those arriving from BMX can easily tackle any type of gravity discipline (4x, enduro or dh), then relying on a superior technical background compared to athletes who are born directly on Enduro / DH bikes. On the other hand it is easier to train the components of resistance and strength rather than the technical ones, in fact certain mechanisms are acquired from an early age otherwise it is difficult to learn them in an advanced age.
