Does anyone have a workout plan/regimen that they like to follow in the off-season? Also any specific points of emphasis on the body aside from neck and core?
If there’s any plans that would aid in bulking that’s a plus. Being a scrawny 125 lb in a 360 class is a weightlifting day at the track with the kart.
Every person is different for what works for them. I do crossfit 3-5 days a week and that has helped huge in learning how I manage my heart rate and endurance. But I am on the end of the spectrum on the weight side. I have always been right at the limit for my class. I finally had to put weight on my kart for the last race of the season this year and that is after 2 years of keeping at in the gym. I am just over 190 now, but when I started a couple years ago I was 220.
Also something most don’t take into account- Flexibility. I was solid as a rock when I started- couldn’t move my body well at all! At night when watching tv I am usually on the floor stretching instead of on the couch and that has helped me as well.
Some people just can’t get weight on their bodies! Whatever you choose to bulk up make sure it is natural and not full of garbage- that will damage you in the long run. I would suggest a good mix of lifting and an air bike or rower. That really helps with shoulder and arm stamina. Going into a gym is a good idea and sit with a coach and tell them your goals and how realistic of a weight you would like to hit and see what they suggest!
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very true. Ive tried weights and heavy lifting, cardio, martial arts, nothing put weight on. Even on a 3500k calorie diet I wouldnt put on a pound.
Weights and supplements are your best bet at getting physically bigger, but any exercise will keep you in shape.
Somewhere in your 20s the bulking begins.
I’ve been pretty scrawny my whole life and was only really able to put on weight in the past year and a half when I fully committed to the gym and trying to bulk.
In terms of racing-related workouts, beyond your neck and core, working your arms – shoulders, biceps/triceps, and especially forearms is always good.
One of my favorites is just taking either a dumbbell or preferably a circular plate weight and sitting on a bench in driving position and slowly turning the weight like a steering wheel left and right. The slower and more controlled you go, the better.
A couple of other basics with weight training to build muscle is to always go lower volume and higher weight, but don’t confuse that with form over weight.
Also, a bit counter-intuitive to bulking, but getting in some cardio whether it be on a bike or on a treadmill never hurts for racing either.
Lastly, changing your body’s size is based on your diet more than anything else. Being that you are trying to add weight, you want to have a caloric surplus – eat more than you burn off. What’s helped me with that is the protein shakes I make with the powder below.
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Starting Strength (Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training, 3rd edition (Current Revision, Paperback) – The Aasgaard Company): If you want to learn how to lift correctly and pack on as much muscle/weight as fast as possible, start here.
Gymnastic Bodies (https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/) will help you build strength and mobility. It also scales down well and works as an excellent rehab program for when you hurt yourself (ie from CrossFit, linear programs like Starting Strength, or wrecking the kart). I frequently suggest the stretch series for preventing day-to-day mobility issues (ie painful shoulders, the odd back pain, etc)
Get into mountain biking during the week if thats an option. Great cardio uphill and it works the same mental and physical muscles as karting when going downhill. Get a nice bike (at least $2000) or you’ll have a hard time and less likely to keep doing it.
One good bike or 10 sets of tires… these folks are crazy:
Here is my program and it seems to work ok. I am 56 and I can run full USPKS race weekends with 2 20 lap finals and all the practice and heats without too much trouble. In Masters, I need to add 45-50 lbs of lead to the kart (which I hate), but I rather the weight on the kart than on my bones as I am at my max comfortable weight.
Also, I don’t like lifting weights or running so I do all class based workouts
- hot yoga 3-5 days/week
- HIIT sculpt workouts 2-3 days/wk
- play soccer 1-2x
For 2022, I am going to add:
-core video workout 1-2x/wk
-2-3 days of pull-ups, push-ups and similar strength building exercises - high repetition.
I’m also looking at developing a workout plan for karting, over the last year I’ve packed on some mass (20lb) and sit fairly comfortably at around 152 lb. Personally I want to cruise up to 160 in the next couple months so I have some leeway as I intend to start doing some serious cardio and full body exercise focused on being in the kart. It’ll be a learning process but I’ll let you know what I find! Definitely going to try some of Xander’s reccomendations.
Also Calisthenetics looks like a win win in terms of developing superior core strength and flexibility/mobility. It seems to tie in good functional movements and strength which target the main groups (arms shoulders core) simultaneously so I will give that a try too.
I think for racing, you don’t want to get too muscly. Go for lean with a solid core. Resistance exercises (push ups etc). Maybe some free weights for the places you want to build bigger muscles like neck and shoulders/arms. I’d also work in cardio. I think you should shoot for 20mins of peak output, (race length).
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