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5 reasons every cyclist should do PE with Joe Wicks

Half an hour of core and lower body work a day will make you a better cyclist

Ok, so we're in lockdown again, and everyone's routine is thrown out of line. Again. What are we all going to do with our time? One thing you should definitely do as a cyclist is PE with Joe Wicks, live on his Youtube Channel every other weekday morning at 9am. It'll make you a better cyclist. Here's why.

> For a comprehensive strength training programme to improve your cycling, see our Strength Training for Cyclists series

1. You can pretend it's for the household

You're a cyclist, so you probably don't do any strength work. I'm not judging you: I don't do any either. There's something in your psyche as a cyclist that thinks that half an hour of exercise time would be better spent on the bike than anywhere else. But everyone's tuning in to Joe – the best part of a million people are puffing along – so you can get your family involved. It's a great thing to do, exercising together, and it benefits you for reasons I'll outline below. But it doesn't count towards whatever allotted time you have for Zwift or your one daily outdoor foray, does it? It's free! You're doing it for the kiddies!

2. It's a good start to the day

A half hour of exercise at 9am sets you up for the day. Assuming you haven't already been up for hours working/fretting. If you have, it's a nice break from work/fretting. Either way, it's not a huge chunk of time.

3. It's pitched just right

Like I said: You're a cyclist, so you probably don't do any strength work. So you probably don't want anything too extreme. Joe's half hour is pitched at anyone that wants to join in, so the barriers are low: you don't need any equipment, it's just bodyweight exercises. Most of them are easy enough, but 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off for 20 minutes is enough to break a sweat, for sure.

4. It's not not about arms

This is really important. Even though it looks like Joe has recovered from the wrist injury he was carrying last year, his routines are mostly centred around core strength and, well, jumping around of one sort or another.  So you'll mostly be doing core work and lower body stuff: lunges, crunches, squats, planks... exactly the sort of thing you should be doing as a cyclist because...

5. Core and lower body work is great for sprints

If you follow a strength training plan on an app like The Sufferfest or even our own strength training series, then what you'll be doing in a beginner's session is very similar to what you'll be doing with Joe on a weekday morning. The exercise mix is almost perfect for building up core and lower body strength, and those things mean that your legs are able to push harder in sprints, and your core is more capable of keeping you steady while you do. Three weeks of this in lockdown and you'll be sprinting away from your mates to the town sign.

So there you are: add it to your daily routine. 

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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7 comments

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peted76 | 4 years ago
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I'm two days in with 'Joe' and I'm currently... genuinely, struggling to get up the stairs or simply stand up off my chair. I can't even contemplate sitting on a bike and pedalling at the moment. 

I'd heard of the bloke before this and I think the Mrs brought a cook book of his, however, I wasn't expecting him to sound or act like he does, he seems a simple sort, but agree just what the nation needs at this time it appears. He's more motivational than Mr Motivator ever was.

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brooksby | 4 years ago
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I had never heard of this bloke until we all went into "lockdown" and he started Youtubing.

I don't feel that my life has been particularly enriched, now I have heard of him...

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fukawitribe replied to brooksby | 4 years ago
2 likes

brooksby wrote:

I had never heard of this bloke until we all went into "lockdown" and he started Youtubing.

Meh. Whatever. That said, he's been doing it for years, and is pretty well known.

brooksby wrote:

I don't feel that my life has been particularly enriched, now I have heard of him...

Were you supposed to ?

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the little onion | 4 years ago
2 likes

I hated Joe Wicks with a passion. All shoutyness and floppy hair and stupid recipes. And not my idea of getting fit.

 

But I did the classes with the kids this morning. There is something genuinely euphoric about doing this with the family, knowing that all the families around the place are doing the same. It's genuinely the right thing at the right moment.

Well done Mr Wicks.

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dave atkinson replied to the little onion | 4 years ago
1 like

yeah he wouldn't be my choice of exercise saviour either, and he can't find japan on a map of the world  4 

But you're right, there's something that just works about it at the moment

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SuperCommuter replied to the little onion | 4 years ago
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I concur.  That's day two for me and my daughter and christ! You think you're reasonably fit and then your quads, glutes and abs tell you otherwise!  This ain't just for kids it's a proper HIIT workout!  We had Joe on the laptop and one of my daughter's school pals and her mum on a video call on the iPad so it's a nice way to connect and share, if you are able.

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dave atkinson replied to SuperCommuter | 4 years ago
1 like

squats were murder today, day three for me

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