Is dirt riding a good workout?
Hitting the gym is all good, but if you can’t stand the monotony of lifting or stretching in the gym, then thrashing your way along a dirt trail is a more attractive way of keeping fit. Dirt biking is very much an extreme sport so even at the most pedestrian level it’s an intense workout. If you ride on the road, you’ll know that riding 100 miles from A to B can be a strain on muscle groups you didn’t even know existed, and heading out on the trail – even for short periods – gives you a thorough workout. These are some of the best fitness reasons for buying an off-road bike… if you have to justify the purchase to anyone… Strength!
Dirt biking actually requires more strength than you’d think. You’re constantly working everything from quadriceps and hamstrings to your abs and arms. Let’s not forget the whole body workout you’re going to get lifting your bike when you inevitably (and regularly) drop it!
But how do you train specifically to help you go for longer on the trails? Cue the awesome Erika Hurst and her expert moto fitness workouts and tips! After finding dirt biking Erika started training specifically for the trails and founded the Gnarly Babes Workout series as a result! When she’s not ripping dirt herself Erika is coaching women in her home of Connecticut to train strong so they can ride stronger and longer!
We caught up with Erika recently to find out all about the right route to go down to get you training to be a girl who can pick up her own dirt bike no matter where!
P// @paulbickfordphoto
When did you first start riding?
I started riding back in 2015. I first learned with track riding before moving to trails a couple years after. The first time I ever rode in the woods I HATED it (because it scared the crap out of me!). I swore I’d never do it again, but something kept pulling me back, so I kept trying and pushing myself. Now I’d take riding up a gnarly dried out creek bed over a track any day!
How did you get into dirt riding?
Ever since I was younger, I wanted a dirt bike. I thought they were just the coolest things ever. I never got one though so I kind of gave up on the idea as I grew up and ended up getting into other motorsports instead. In the midst of a pretty low point in my mid-20s, I was seeking something to pull me out of my funk and build me and my confidence back up again. So I bought myself my first dirtbike and I have been hooked ever since.
“Riding has been absolutely paramount to my mental health.”
What’s your background in fitness?
After high school I gained some weight and became the girl who would run on the treadmill for hours, 6-7 days a week and was constantly dieting. I thought this would make me healthy and fit and the need for strength never occurred to me.
I started going to an automotive tech school at the time. I could barely lift a tyre and I always had to ask for help breaking bolts. There were enough barriers already as a woman trying to get hired as a mechanic, but adding a lack of physical capability on top of that made it nearly impossible. So, I slowly started spending a little more time in the weight room.
I soaked up every bit of knowledge I could on how to get stronger. When I spent less time self-loathing about my body fat or trying to burn off every calorie possible, and spent more time pursuing physical capability, treating myself well and eating to support my body, my life completely changed.
I realised this approach was working and I saw and felt incredible changes in my body (and mindset). I felt like it was my duty to share this “secret” with other women, so I switched careers and started school for exercise science and human performance. June of 2021 will mark 8 years of owning my gym, StrongHER Fitness and over a decade in the field.
Where did you come up with the idea to start doing dirt bike specific work out plans?
I can say with full honesty that there is almost no way I could have developed the skills or endurance to properly ride or handle a dirt bike if I wasn’t strong, functionally fit and lacked the body awareness I’ve developed from strength training. I’m also pretty sure that without already having trust in my body’s capabilities that I would not have had the confidence to even start riding (I’m kind of a chicken!).
I know that most women are super intimidated by strength training or are doing workouts that might get them moving and keep them healthy in that sense, but aren’t going to translate as well to the bike. I wanted to break down that barrier and offer women programmes that would take all the guesswork out of getting moto fit so that they could start feeling stronger, fitter and more confident on and off two wheels asap! Plus, women need other women who ride, and we need to learn from and be inspired by people we can really relate to.
What are some of the most common goals of the moto women that come to you for Gnarly Babes Fitness?
Definitely getting stronger, feeling more confident while riding, and reducing intra and post-ride aches and pains.
Why is it important to combine fitness with riding motorcycles off road?
So you can be the woman who can pick up her own bike!! I always say that on (and off) two wheels, being strong will never put you at a disadvantage, but not being strong will. There are several components of being moto fit but none of them will prove to be more useful in your daily life and in making you a better rider than strength. It just makes everything easier.
Plus, when you start training with the intention of getting stronger and you start to unleash and learn what your body is truly capable of, your confidence just skyrockets. You have less fear tackling new obstacles while riding because you know you can physically and mentally handle hard things. Having a base of strength also better allows our muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments to take a beating when we ride which significant lowers risk of injury. This also takes a lot of stress off our joints, so that nagging lower back or shoulder ache you get on long rides starts to dissipate when your core, glutes, hamstrings and upper back are strong enough to handle more load for longer.
P// @paulbickfordphoto
What are some of the key areas of the body to train for a dirt biker?
Definitely glutes, core and upper back. However full body workouts using compound movements (exercises that recruit multiple muscles at once and carry over to movements we do in real life) are key. Think movements like squats, deadlifts, presses, rows, push ups, chin ups, and single leg exercises like lunges.
What are the best and most basic exercises you recommend for building a strong core for dirt biking?
While riding, we need our core to be strong enough to prevent movement through our midsection in order to protect our spine and be able to maintain good riding posture against jarring, twisting, impact and fatigue. So core training should consist of movements that involve trying to resist movement through our torso and maintain a “neutral”, stable spine (think flat back versus arched or rounded). For example, doing a plank where you must work to resist gravity and stay stable VS. a crunch where you’re doing a whole lot of bending and moving through your spine. Crunches and other typical ab exercises don’t truly train the functional core strength that will help protect against injury and prevent lower backaches while riding. Even despite the “burn” you feel. Some of my favourite core exercises for riding are deadbugs, bear planks, farmer’s carries and pallof presses.
Do you need a lot of extra work out equipment to train one of your workout plans?
If you are new to proper strength training, just learning how to properly move and manipulate your own body weight can be enough. Plus, it’s imperative to master good form before performing movements with weight. Most of my programmes can be done with a couple pairs of dumbbells or kettlebells, resistance bands and your own body weight. However, over time you will need to impose an increasing demand on your body and muscles in order to get stronger and keep making progress, so more weights will be important.
“Focusing more on what my body can do rather than what it looks like has also given me the confidence to pursue other endeavours and risks that I would have never had the confidence to do otherwise.
I’m constantly asking myself “can I do that?” This has pushed me to seek out activities like riding, mountain biking and downhill riding, hiking, snowboarding, the list goes on!”
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In an internet age where weight loss can often be portrayed as the main goal of fitness, how important do you feel it is to send out a message about strength and mental wellbeing being important fitness goals?
As someone whose weight loss journey took her down the dark path to an eating disorder at a young age, I feel it is my life’s work to help other women build healthy relationships with exercise and their bodies and learn that there are so many other important reasons to work out. I try to let my life be an example for other women and to show I practise what I preach – I don’t spend hours working out, I eat healthy but don’t diet or deprive myself, I continuously chase strength and improved performance so that I can live a more abundant life outside of the gym, and I see food as both fuel and pleasure
Best mid dirt ride snacks?
Frozen burritos 😊
Favourite place to ride dirt?
I want to say Moab because it’s just so amazing, but I do love our gnarly woods terrain here in the North East.
Favourite moto accounts to follow for dirt riding inspo?
There are SO many amazing women on IG that inspire me. @overandoutmoto @trailboundladies @girlsrideinc and of course @vcdirt
Best moto event for dirt lovers?
The US based Over and Out women’s moto camp out!
Make sure you get over to Erika’s site STRONGHERFITNESS HERE and check out her workouts HERE