Ride, Ride, and Then Ride Some More
No longer just a bunch of rebels on bikes and boards, action sports stars have spun their way into the mainstream. They’re pulling impressive sponsorships, invites to the hippest parties and face time in major mags and on TV. One notable difference, though, between these athletes and those playing team sports is the use of personal trainers. Most BMXers are in top shape—you have to be when your routine involves defying the laws of physics—but most depend on themselves when it comes to conditioning.
For BMX stud Austin Coleman, his workout is simple.
“Just riding, riding, riding. Riding kind of translates into training,” says the 24-year-old Los Angeles native. “I used to go and do some gym training, but it’s so hard to pinpoint the muscles you use . . . especially with freestyle BMX, because there’s so much going on.”
Coleman takes his sport—and his career—seriously. “[BMXers] really enjoy what they do and want to do it as long as possible,” he says. For Coleman, that means three two-hour sessions a day and working harder every time he’s on the bike.
“Ride until your legs get tired, instead of riding until you’re normally tired or slightly uncomfortable,” he says. “So just pushing it a little bit here and there, or riding an extra hour or two or three a day, helps a lot, especially when it comes to contests and being on top of your game to do a full-minute run.”
Still, this master of the 360 Downside Tailwhip recognizes that riding is a blast. “It’s still fun—you can go out there and pump around a skate park and do what you would normally do when you ride with your friends, but take a little extra longer of a run or a little bit extra longer of a session.”
Coleman proves that it works, even without a personal trainer.
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Ride, Ride, and Then Ride Some More
No longer just a bunch of rebels on bikes and boards, action sports stars have spun their way into the mainstream. They’re pulling impressive sponsorships, invites to the hippest parties and face time in major mags and on TV. One notable difference, though, between these athletes and those playing team sports is the use of personal trainers. Most BMXers are in top shape—you have to be when your routine involves defying the laws of physics—but most depend on themselves when it comes to conditioning.
For BMX stud Austin Coleman, his workout is simple.
“Just riding, riding, riding. Riding kind of translates into training,” says the 24-year-old Los Angeles native. “I used to go and do some gym training, but it’s so hard to pinpoint the muscles you use . . . especially with freestyle BMX, because there’s so much going on.”
Coleman takes his sport—and his career—seriously. “[BMXers] really enjoy what they do and want to do it as long as possible,” he says. For Coleman, that means three two-hour sessions a day and working harder every time he’s on the bike.
“Ride until your legs get tired, instead of riding until you’re normally tired or slightly uncomfortable,” he says. “So just pushing it a little bit here and there, or riding an extra hour or two or three a day, helps a lot, especially when it comes to contests and being on top of your game to do a full-minute run.”
Still, this master of the 360 Downside Tailwhip recognizes that riding is a blast. “It’s still fun—you can go out there and pump around a skate park and do what you would normally do when you ride with your friends, but take a little extra longer of a run or a little bit extra longer of a session.”
Coleman proves that it works, even without a personal trainer.