Cycling endurance is a valuable asset, and 95 percent of the time, it's what will set individual
performances apart. But there’s something primal and electric that appeals to us all about the ferocity of a sprint to the finish line.
Here are five foundational BMX exercises any rider can use to take their speed to the next level.
1. Standing Start
Use cones, or chalk off 90 to 120 feet on a quiet street or parking lot. On your bike of choice, come to the slowest roll possible,track stand, or go BMX-style with foot propped on a small box to keep yourself upright.
2. Spin Drill
For this exercise, start on a steep downhill or from a moderately fast pace on the flats. Jump into your sprint by standing up from the saddle, and hold the highest cadence possible for 5 to 8 seconds. Aim for 10 efforts per session.
3. Town-Line Sprint
Use the motivation, camaraderie, and friendly competitiveness of your training partners to stimulate the adrenaline of a race-like environment. A sprint to the next town sign is always a tried-and-true training method, as is lining up for your standing starts side by side.
4. Power Clean
Olympic lifts provide the biggest bang for the buck, training your muscles to move moderate to heavy loads with peak force application.The power clean in particular targets nearly every muscle in your legs, as well as the stabilizer muscles in your core and arms. Start with 5 sets of 3 reps, building load as proper form permits.
5. Plyometric Jump
Another great tool for improved explosiveness is single- and double-legged jumping. Two standards of excellence in the plyometric world are high box jumps and single-legged hurdle jumps.