Core Development – The Steam Engine

Having changed pedalling technique towards the end of last season I’d not managed to show that it would work for going faster – it seemed to make sense for increasing endurance but my speed was not fantastic. Towards the New Year in fact tiredness had reduced performance to a crawl. Interestingly, it’s often said that it’s more efficient to pedal seated – but I for one could not yet feel that efficiency.

Pushing hard on the pedals in a big gear – with the hip moving back as the foot goes forwards – the core muscles are used directly to generate power. When this is done really hard there is no need to stand on the pedals. It seems that standing on the pedals works when body weight is used instead of core power – changing the coordination.  The reason I’d never felt this “efficiency” sitting down is because when I wanted real power in the past I always used to use body weight pulling everything up on one side and pushing down on the other – hip and torso going with the foot.

 190° view from my balcony – over la Plagne

There is a certain elusive coordination for accessing real power from the core. The moving back of the hip during extension is not arbitrary – it has to be timed very accurately to access power. Imagine a Cheetah extending its hind legs – it’s like the extension starts from the rib cage – that’s where all the power comes from – this use of the core. You don’t get that when you stand on the pedals and use your body weight instead.

When climbing during running, power is needed to raise the centre of mass progressively up the hill. When that power is drawn from the core – actively and through accurate timing – it feels “springy” but without using the smaller muscles of the legs to achieve it. Because running is more upright than cycling this translates into a more obvious rotational motion beneath the rib cage. Although it’s the glutes and hip extensors that are working the feeling of power is more towards the centre of the core – near the lower abdomen. The body becomes like steam engine working away internally with rotations and pistons to generate efficient power. 

During the coming week I will be investigating how the above might apply on skis. The basic link has already been made and explained on previous posts but for the purpose of effectively protecting the lower back there is probably great scope for development.