The majority of the population has no idea how physically demanding dirt bike riding can be. A common perception is that the motor does all of the work and that the pilot simply holds on and enjoys the breeze. This may be true for the farm field rider who cuts leisure laps in front of the barn, but those who venture beyond the fence find riding a dirt bike to be a physically intense experience. The latest technology has made off-road machines run with incredible performance and efficiency, often making the rider the weakest link. Skill is a great attribute to have, but it will eventually fade as fatigue sets in. Conditioning is paramount to the enjoyment of the sport. The benefits of fitness are not merely for the serious competitor, but for the average recreationalist who will enjoy more trail mileage or friendly motos.
A few months ago I was given the Skogg System to review. A riding pal of mine (Aaron Kennedy) had quit his office job to work at the Skogg gym in Portland. Since his career change, he had been raving about the benefits of kettlebell training and the crossover to dirt bike conditioning. Until the past couple of years I had considered strength and cardio one of by best riding attributes. My current lifestyle has made it more difficult to keep fit with a sprawling job commute, long working hours, bike maintenance and relationship commitments. I've let my body slide into a more soft state.
For those not familiar with kettlebells they look like a cannon ball with an attached handle. The Skogg System consists of 5 DVDs and a workout schedule/poster. Each disk contains a different workout which all use the 6 basic movements. For my workouts I used a 12 kilo (26.4 pound) kettlebell. If you are half the skeptic that I am you would probably wonder how you can get a complete body workout with such basic equipment.
I have been bingeing and fasting from hardcore weight training and cadio conditioning for over 15 years. I have always associated full body workouts with 20,000 square foot facilities packed full of machines, free weights, Muzak, grunters, foul smells and posers. Instead I found myself in the living room, barefoot with one kettlebell in my hand. It took me about 10 minutes to change my mind set.
The training tools are compact. The moves are easy to learn. The workouts are intense, combining cardio and strength training simultaneously. The techniques differ from traditional weights which usually isolate muscle groups and do little to help aerobic capacity. "Swinging" is considered proper form and activates a network of muscles that help with overall balance. The lopsidedness of holding one kettlebell at a time forces your core muscles to contract to stabilize your body, effectively exercising abs from a standing position.
The first DVD is a beginner's guide to proper technique, the rest are separate routines which all use the same basic moves in different sequences. The four others mix up the moves into quick full body workouts (less than 40 minutes) Roots, Intervals, Ladders and my favorite Flow.
I was most surprised that the workout didn't harm my decrepit shoulders. There was a lot of pushing weight overhead (a movement which would normally cause pain for days afterward) but with the Skogg System my wings joints grew stronger without heavy doses of ibuprofen.
Here are a few warnings. A kettlebell isn't a Wii remote and will easily level a coffee table or house cat. Be sure to clear adequate space for your workout. Have a towel handy. Even if you don't sweat as bad as Shaq you'll need something to catch the drippings.
The Skogg System is a complete body workout and a great way to train. Not everybody has 2 hours to dedicate to the gym every day, so a condensed 30 minute routine is much more palatable.
Check out http://www.skoggsystem.com/ for the details.
Ben Baucum
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