Tag: equestrian fitness

For most people the main season of competition is over, and we’re switching horses over to winter routines. 

For my clients that means we’re looking at what they achieved this season and what that then means they’ll be aiming for next year.

This enables us to put in place a training plan through winter that works towards being ready to smash those goals next year. 

6 months can seem a long time but just think of that as an opportunity to completely transform your potential. 

As I work with people from other sports it’s quite common for winter to be a serious strength building time during the “off season “.

Equestrians don’t necessarily have an “off season” but I think for most people it’s a quieter time for riding activities so I like to do the same with my Equestrian clients and use this time to build a good base of strength and conditioning.

This doesn’t have to mean 5 days a week in the gym nor do you have to suddenly start doing 1 rep max lifts. However just adding 2-3 resistance workouts into your week will have you starting next springs training a much better athlete.

This could be at home with body weight, resistance bands or some weights or you could go to a gym and get acquainted with a Barbell.

If you’d like a done for you at home Kettlebell workout check out my Kettlebells for Equestrians Programme.

https://payhip.com/b/byNLo

I’ve been having various conversations this week about how different things affect our bodies and consequently how we ride.

These have included how Fascia and Scar tissue from previous injuries may not just be affecting the original area but also other parts of the body.

Then how our brain and mindset can also affect our body, how it moves and reacts.

Without wanting to over complicate matters (where my other over thinkers at……) this means there a few different factors to consider when working on our bodies off horse to improve our performance on horse.

If you have suffered previous surgeries, serious injuries, or Chronic pain we need to address the potential restrictions that may have created in your body.

If you spend a lot of your day in a fixed position-I train a few Dentists…….or that could be standing up stationary, sitting at a desk etc it all creates restrictions in your body that could be held even when you’re not in that position any more.

Then there’s your brain! How’s your day been? Is your head still at work? Are you anxious, angry at someone, sad or excited? Our emotions can affect how our body feels and moves. If your sad you may physically move quite heavily, if you’re anxious you may feel quite tense or jittery.

Our emotions can also have a physical energy that can be felt by our horse, which in turn can affect the way they react to us.

Our brain and body are not two separate entities, our body is a constant link of muscles, bones, tendons, nerve endings all co-operating together and with the brain. If there is a blockage in the body or a mismatch from the brain it can potentially affect the whole chain.

Therefore we need to consider both the body as a whole and the brain when we look at our off-horse training.

Consider whether your chosen form of exercise addresses what your body has been doing for the rest of the day. Does it put you in opposite postures than those you’ve been in all day? Does it make your body feel more relaxed?

How does your brain feel afterwards? Does it calm you down or hype you up? Depending on your individual needs either of those might be the right strategy for you.

How do you then use this information to prepare yourself to ride? Do you need to relax your body and create calm in your mind or switch it and get your focused brain on?

Have a think about these different elements of your body and brain and think of ways to implement it into your off-horse work and your pre ride warm up.

If you have any questions or want a little help let me know.

PS: If you want a done for you programme using Kettlebells to help you get stronger and fitter for riding, my Kettlebells for Equestrians Programme is just what you need!

https://payhip.com/b/byNLo

As Core Stability is mentioned so much when we discuss rider fitness it is often a surprise that I do so little ab work in my sessions. 

The thing is, although the abdominals are indeed an important part of your stability as a rider they are not working in isolation. 

The Abdominals are working in conjunction with the Back and Hip muscles which further then work with your Shoulders and Arms and Legs. 

That means your abdominals need to be able to activate whilst moving and co operating with a whole host of other muscles. 

So it would make no sense to train them in isolation if the goal is to make them stronger whilst functioning as part of your body’s team. 

What we actually do is lot’s of movement’s that require stability from your abdominals whether they be working isometrically or during movement.

Big Moves like Squats and Deadlifts, Upper body moves such as Over head press or Bent Over Row all require stability from the Abdominals whilst moving limbs and stabilising the Hips and Shoulders. 

We also do various moving Planks and Side Planks and standing balance exercises that all improve core stability without having to isolate the abdominals.

So if you want to improve your Core Stability for riding, think outside the box a little more than traditional ab exercises.

Proper Training looks boring.

One look at Social Media will tell you that training has to be sexy and novel to be effective.

To be “Rider Specific” Social Media will show you mad balancing exercises and ever complicated moves requiring special equipment.

In reality proper training looks really basic and in all honesty not that sexy.

Riding is a sport and in all sports there will be Strength and Conditioning.

If we look at other sports such as Rugby, Football or Triathlon the Strength and Conditioning work initially looks the same.

Squat-Hinge-Push-Pull

Riding Strength and Conditioning should be no different.

That’s what the majority of my client sessions look like.

It’s not exciting, it doesn’t make for super fun Insta posts but it’s the foundations of a strong and efficient body.

Then there may be some accessory work that could be a little more novel or “riding specific” if that’s what you’re after.

Often the more novel exercises are used to help develop a feel for something or help join some dots together as to which muscles should be used and how this affects the rest of the body. But this will be a small part often at the end of the session-after we’ve done the proper work.

If you’re looking to work on your own fitness to improve your riding performance start with the basics.

 Squat-Hinge-Push-Pull

Do you get in your own way?

Sometimes we decide we can’t do things before we’ve even tried them or given them a fair trial.

Often people tell me they can’t do certain exercises, and maybe they  can’t on their first go, but that doesn’t mean they’ll never be able to do it. We just need to start smaller. Maybe we have to slow it down, make the range smaller or adapt the movement a little to strengthen the muscles required to perform the exercise correctly. Then over time we progress to doing the original movement.

This can be applied to any goal but let’s talk about it in a Rider Fitness context.

You may think that the thought of taking up exercise is just too big a task. You think you can’t do all of those fancy Yoga moves or do even 1 minute of HIIT. That’s ok, you didn’t even do rising trot in your first riding lesson. You just need to break it down into smaller steps.

An off horse exercise session doesn’t have to be an hour long, it doesn’t need to involve weights and you don’t have to get out of breath or really sweaty.

You can break it into smaller steps.

If you want to improve your cardio fitness you could start with a 20 minute brisk walk or if you want to try HIIT try 20 seconds of Squats rest and then repeat 3 -4 times. Or start with whatever you can manage.

If it’s those fancy Yoga moves you want to master then just do what you can, no matter how far removed you think it is from what it’s supposed to be just keep turning up and trying the moves-I promise if you persist it will get better.

What I’m trying to say is don’t decide you can’t do something before you’ve given it a proper go. We don’t get most things on our first go, we don’t start most things at the advanced level. Exercise is no different!

Break it down into smaller chunks.

Regress the movement to a simpler version.

Keep trying!

If you want some help I have 121, Class and Online Programmes so there’s definitely something to suit your needs and budget.

In all of my training with clients; 121, group, or online we do lots and lots of Glute work. That’s booty work to you.

Why? The Glutes are the biggest muscle in the body and a major stabiliser for the pelvis and spine. So that’s a stabiliser for your Seat, Core and Upper Body -pretty important for riding huh?

This also feeds into the reason we always start with the Pelvis when assessing dysfunction both off and on horse. The Pelvis is the foundation of the body and its stabiliser. If the Pelvis is not stable the rest of the body cannot be stable.

So it makes sense when training to improve rider performance with off horse exercise that we focus on working the muscles that support the Pelvis. Booty gains it is then!

If you’re working out in a gym you can’t beat a Barbell Hip Thrust.  

Using less equipment?

You can still do them using a Dumbbell, Kettlebell etc and swapping a bench out for a Gym Ball (Can be wedged against a wall to stop it slipping) or even the Sofa! Keep you Pelvis tucked under and your Chin tucked as if you’re holding an apple under there. Make sure you have equal push through your feet and hips and if it feels more Hamstring than Glutes bring your feet a little further under you. Do 3-4 sets of 10.

You have probably all seen that friend on Social Media or maybe you’ve even done it yourself. “Gym done-Arms day, 5k run…….Day 2-Legs day, had salad for lunch…..All out for a few days, maybe even a few weeks………then nothing. They didn’t carry on this new way of life.

I see this a lot, and the thing is, people do genuinely start with the best intentions but they tried to go too hard too soon. If you want habits to stick they need to realistically fit into your day to day life. You are unlikely to go from no exercise to all of the exercise over night.

If you’re thinking that you’d like to start healthier habits start small. Your aim is to make habits that stick for the long term not just a few weeks.

If you want to add exercise into your life be realistic about how much time you have to dedicate to that. If you’ve got a horse, a full time job, a family etc are you really going to spend 2 hours in the gym 5 times per week? It’s totally doable with some early starts and late nights if you want to do that, but it might be more realistic long term to aim for 2-3 30 minute workouts per week.

This is why my Online Programme has workouts at just 20 minutes long, so they are easy to fit around a busy life.

If you want to change your diet, maybe start with one meal; for example breakfast. You could try swapping your sugary breakfast cereal for porridge or eggs for a week, then once that’s just what you have for breakfast now try swapping lunch for lean protein such as chicken or fish and salad or vegetables.

Swap fizzy drinks for water or herbal teas -I’m working on this one myself!

Whatever it is, start small and aim for the long term not just a few days of Social Media.

What habits would you like to adopt?

Horses respond and take instructions from us via our body language and cues.

These can be on the ground whether just moving your horse around, doing schooling in hand and of course when on board.

Think about how some horses will move back or over just by you moving your body towards them with the intention of asking them to do that.

We give aids with our voice, hand, leg or whip. How we do that, what tone, energy or how accurately we do that impacts the outcome.

If we aren’t aware of our body language we can be giving mixed messages and be unaware that we are doing so.

When I’m working with riders we will often do exercises that although not difficult from a muscular strength view they are focused on precision from the movement of limbs and being aware of what separate parts are doing. When we’re doing regular exercises I will ask whether there is equal weight in the feet, are they level? If we do an exercise that involves stepping a foot out, does it land in line with the other foot or slightly ahead or behind?

Can you land feet level without having to look down and check?

If you do an exercise involving your legs and arms are you aware of what is happening with both of them? If you did a side lunge with your hands as if holding reins, do they stay still or move closer or further away?

Are you aware of how you stand when just watching or talking? Do you put more weight on one leg, do you habitually cross your arms in a closed posture or are you in an open posture? The positions themselves are not wrong it’s just being aware that you are doing them that is key.

Off horse training isn’t all about getting stronger, it’s also about being more in tune with your body and being able to use that information to communicate with your horse more effectively.

It’s accepted that training a young horse from unbacked to well schooled takes time. 

Yet so often people will train with me, come to my classes, start the online programme etc and expect things to change very quickly. 

You don’t expect your horse to improve from one schooling session so why would you?

If you were teaching your horse new things you’d teach it in small chunks and expect only a little bit of progress each time. Some sessions might feel like there was no progress at all, but you still come back to it and keep trying.

If your horse is coming back from injury you don’t take him from one session right up to advanced work in a couple of weeks.

These things take time, patience small steps done consistently to see real improvement.

You are exactly the same!

One exercise class won’t make you Lottie Fry! 

It might make you a little more aware of what you need to do or what your body is up to but you’re still going to have to keep taking small steps, putting in the work consistently and over time things will start to feel different. You can’t skip the steps in the middle though. 

Think of your own training like your horses training. Look at your strengths weaknesses, consider how to address them then start putting in the work with small steps consistently.

Miracles don’t happen over night, but if you stick with it you might just get magic!

Do you ever assess the how of the muscles working when you’re riding.

Your trainer says “tighten your core” but what does that feel like? Do they mean brace so it’s super tight (probably not…) do they mean just engaging your abs?

What about relax your arms? Like floppy, spaghetti arms?

More leg? Like more kicking, more squeeze or something else?

One of my roles working with clients is to help them understand what all this means, how it should feel and of course how they can achieve it.

It’s often misunderstood that my job as a Strength & Conditioning Coach is just to make people stronger but it’s actually to make them better athlete’s overall. That means if someone needs to be more mobile we work on that, if someone needs to absorb movement better we work on that or if someone needs better body awareness we work on that!

If you’re thinking about your own performance and what you need to do to improve it this should be part of your plan.

What are the areas your instructor is constantly nagging you about? Ask them what correct would look like or how it would feel.

Then consider how you can try and replicate that in your off horse work.

For example I’ve often been tasked with “more leg”.

The rider misinterprets this as more strength, more kick etc. I’ll watch them ride and see that their leg is not placed optimally to give clear aids. Think thigh rolled out, heels tapping away. The rider tries more leg by squeezing the back of their legs around the horse; still nothing.

The problem isn’t lack of strength, it’s the rider not using their body as well as they could.

If we Internally rotate the thigh, that’s automatically a bigger surface area to communicate to the horse, if we turn the toes to face forward thereby pushing the heel out we’ve activated the outer hip and glute muscles to help stabilise the leg and pelvis more.

This is going to feel really hard to maintain at first so we would combine that with some off horse training focusing on improving the internal rotation of the thigh and then strengthening the glutes and outer hips to make it feel easier and be more effective when back on the horse.

Then we’d add in some control work of the inner thigh to enable the rider to dial them up and down as and when required.

Along the way we’d add in cues that the rider identifies with to use when they’re riding and tie the work off horse to the work they’re doing on horse. This then helps them to fix the problem themselves when they’re back on the horse.

If you’re working off horse give these things some thought to help you design your sessions and if you’d like some help you know where I am.