Edited by Alessandro Stranieri
With maximum laps
Do you want to become really smart pilots? Then prepare your body properly. How he trains, which tools he uses, which psyco-physical solicitations he receives on the track a single-seater driver.
Head and neck training
During a car race, the cervical section of the driver is subjected to longitudinal stresses (such as when the pilot's center of gravity rises against the force of gravity due to the impact against a curb) and above all of the transverse type (due to curves and sharp braking),
The best solution to limit the damage of the cervical tract is given by the specific training of the muscles of the neck, through an athletic preparation carried out with exercises of front, back and lateral flexion of the head and with exercises of retropulsion of the same.
To increase the load, you can perform the movement in a horizontal position (prone or supine), so as to work against gravity. Later the same exercises can be performed wearing the riding helmet or with the help of rubber bands.
Shoulder and arm training
The upper limbs are those that have a more direct contact with the stresses that the ground transmits, the wheels, the steering wheel. The driver's forearm is subjected to continuous vibratory stresses that cause him, during the entire race period, to maintain a strong basic contraction of the arms, which is considerably emphasized during the turns, forcing the pilot to carry out repeated workloads of about 30-40 kg. The training of the upper limbs provides, in addition to all the classic exercises for strengthening the shoulders and arms, such as the side and front lifts, the dumbbell curls and the French press with barbell, also specific strength resistance exercises for ì forearm muscles. For the latter, low or medium loads are used, inserted in a context of exercises such as: dorsal and palm flexion of the hands, driving simulations with outstretched arms holding small weights, circling the wrists with the "Power Balls" (balls containing inside a gyroscopic system that tends to increase the load as the circling speed increases) etc.
The car of the 2009 Italian champion Carrera Cup Italia, Alessandro Balzan, bearer of My-personaltrainer.it
Abdomen-Back
When the human body is in an upright position, the lower limbs, especially if flexed, can act as shock absorbers for almost all those stresses that are transmitted in the "foot-head" direction, that is, in a longitudinal direction to the body axis. On the contrary, when we are sitting, the legs cannot play the role of shock absorbers. All the other body structures, buttocks, abdomen and spine will therefore absorb the vertical stresses deriving from the vibrations of the machine and from the sudden jolts that this performs during the race. It should be noted that the intensity of the stresses decreases as the vertical distance that these must travel (inversely proportional progression) increases, therefore the areas subject to greater stress will be the buttocks and the lumbar area, while the head will be less affected by the shocks that come from the car seat. This results in a great overload for the structures of the spine, which can be partially relieved, if the musculature used to support the spine is toned and functional. The crunch exercises (simple or with rotation) for the abdominal tract and the torso extensions for the lumbar tract cannot therefore be missed, followed at the end of training by unloading exercises for the spine.
Aerobic training
During the "Formula" races, the pilots' heart rate remains around 110-160 beats per minute, with maximum peaks of around 190 beats during the most intense moments of psychophysical stress. The increase in heart rate is due, in effect, to more emotional states than to actual physical workload.
In fact the motoristic disciplines are accompanied by a strong emotional component, which determines particular involvement of the nervous and endocrine systems, as well as of the cardiovascular system.
That said, the training of pilots must include aerobic work sessions, which allow the heart to always be ready for sudden loads, responding to the best, whatever the origin of the triggering stimulus. To this end, we will use a heart rate monitor to monitor changes in heart rate during work, which will remain at 120-160 bpm depending on the type of training chosen (continuous or interval). To avoid situations of boredom, it is good to use various tools: running outdoors and on runner bikes in indoor and outdoor versions. Very useful is the training on the armometer, which allows us to perform an exercise
aerobic while using endurance work for the muscles of the upper limbs.
Motor-postural control systems (visual, vestibular and proprioceptive)
They are not part of the muscle groups, but they are also massively involved in motor racing, despite limited movements. In fact, the visual system is directly connected to the reference points and the motor response of the pilot during the race. The greater the training for living stimuli, the better the responses to these will be.
Very interesting are the workouts based on response times: when one or more lights come on, the athlete must push various buttons corresponding to the color of the lights, at ever-increasing speeds.
In most sports, such as soccer, running and many others, the involvement of the vestibular system is marginal. This is not the case with motor sports. This is in fact activated by large movements with sudden movements, typical of gymnasts, divers and pilots, in fact. The preparation for the race must include a specific training also for this control system.
To conclude the very brief excursus on motor control systems, we cannot fail to mention the proprioceptive system, the first and the fastest to be recruited. Many of the physical exercises described above could be performed in an unstable form ('surf' tablets, Swiss balloons), just for the activation of this important system.
| MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | |||
| EXERCISE | SERIES / DURATION | EXERCISE | SERIES / DURATION | EXERCISE | SERIES / DURATION |
| Armoergometro | 8-10 min | Armoergometro | 10 min | Aerobic / isometric circuit work | |
| Pek Dek | 4 x 20 | Driving simulation with light dumbbells | 4 x 2 min | Treadmill | 10 min |
| Lateral and front risers with handlebars | 4x20 | Front bends of the head | 4 x 30 | Crunch | 1 x max |
| 90 ° leg crunch | 4 x 30 | Treadmill (or outdoor run) | 45-50 min with gait intervals ranging from 70 to 80% of the max | Bike | 6 min |
| Curl with bust rotation | 3 x 15 per side | Squat with barbell | 1 x 30 | ||
| Curl biceps with barbell | 4 x 20 | Armoergometro | 6 min | ||
| Retropulsions of the head | 4 x 30 | Hyperestension | 1 x max | ||
| Dorsal bending of hands with dumbbells | 4 x max | Driving simulation with light dumbbells | 1x2 | ||
| Treadmill or bike | 20 min to 75-80% of HR max | Stepper | 6 min | ||
| Specific exercises for wrists and forearms | 1x2 min | ||||
| Repeat the circuit 2-3 times ending with a moderate aerobic exercise of 15 min. | |||||
| THURSDAY' | FRIDAY | ||
| EXERCISE | SERIES / DURATION | EXERCISE | SERIES / DURATION |
| Armoergometro | 10 min. | Bike | 10 min. |
| Dorsal bending of hands with dumbbells | 4 x 20 | Squat | 4 x 20 |
| Side neck flexions | 3x30 per side | Hyperestension | 4 x 20 |
| Treadmill (or outdoor run) | 45-50 min with gait intervals ranging from 70 to 80% of the max | Pulley | 4 x 20 |
| French Press with barbell | 4 x 20 | ||
| Driving simulation with light dumbbells | 3 x 2 min | ||
| Neck retropulsions | 4 x 30 | ||
| Specific work for wrists and forearms | 4 x 2 min | ||
| Treadmill or bike | 20 min to 75-80% of HR max | ||
| Repeat the circuit 2-3 times ending with a moderate aerobic exercise of 15 min. | |||
The card takes into consideration a week without competitions. In the week of the race all the exercises must be reviewed according to this. The exercises listed are purely indicative and should be reported and changed depending on the periods of preparation of the pilot (general conditioning, specific, competition, etc.)
