Ideas for workout at gym geared towards horse riding?

Scarlett 001

Scarlett 001

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Sep 16, 2003
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Ok, I am now going to the gym 2x a week after having a dreadful neck problem (issue with disc between vertebrae). I have decided that I needed more exercise in addition to horse riding.

I have been going to the gym for 1 1/2 months and already feel a difference with my posture, core strength, better leg aids etc. I can feel a difference in my horse riding already. Right now I do cardio to warm up (exercise bike). Then I stretch and do tummy exercises. I also do some calf and thigh leg exercises followed by a few weights for my arms (just some dumbbells). Recently I have added some serious hamstring and other tendon stretching, that has made a huge difference. Then after all of this, I swim about 20 lengths (of a 25 m pool). All followed by hot tub and steam room...so very nice... :) :cool:

My question for you:
I will be signing up soon for a session with a trainer to help me design an exercise program targeted even more specifically for horse riding - to work on key muscles etc. Does anyone have any ideas on what they would include or at least what muscle groups you would tell the trainer are the most critical ones for horse riding etc.? Any good books I could bring along to show him/her? I want to pass on the right information to him/her.

Also, if anyone has any stories of their workout regimes at the gym that have helped with their horse riding, I would love to hear about them! :)
 
Scarlett, I don't know beyond things you've already mentioned (core strength, stretching etc.), but when you get some good tips, and/or find out about a good book, please post!

Being generally stronger and fitter is helpful. One thing I noticed when I was weight training more seriously than I am at the moment, is that shoulder presses made handling tack much easier! Of course I was mostly riding western at the time, and those saddles are heavy to lift up and set down gently on a large horse's back :) or to put back up the top saddle rack (where whichever one I need always seems to be!)

Grace
 
Sadly the only thing you can to to propely exercise the true riding muscle groups is ride. BUT if you are strong, fit and flexible this will go an awful long way to making sure you can support yourself lightly on the horse without flopping about. Good trunk strength is a positive advantage. Strong stomach and back muscles will make sure you can have good poise and posture without tension.


If you look after 20 horses, loads of sheep and cows etc, that is usually as good a work out as you need! Keep the sheep in open hill, that gives you a good run out at the weekend.
 
Pilates comes up yet again. I have a few friends (non-riding) who swear by the virtue of pilates. Maybe I will try a class or two. I am not overly flexible - does this matter for pilates???

Another thing I have thought of is that being in shape and flexible would certainly be a distinct advantage in the unfortunate event of a fall. I imagine a strong, flexible person would perhaps land better than someone who is tight and unstretched etc.

I am thinking of perhaps focusing on my lower leg muscles, lower back/tummy and shoulders (strengthening and stretching muscles). My instructor always says that these three core areas together help you achieve a good, strong position for riding. The thing is I get so intimidated at gyms by all the crazy machines - that is why I want a trainer to show me what they do and choose the best ones for me etc.

Wally, your lifestyle sounds like it does lead implicitly to you staying in shape! Maybe I should buy some land, horses and sheep - hee hee sounds good to me! :) Well, more seriously my slovenly (in terms of body fitness - not the mind!) lifestyle at the university exercises my brain a whole lot more than my body. Hence, the need to do something about my fitness level in addition to riding. But I thought to myself - why not gear the workout to horse riding, which is clearly one of the most important activities in the world!!! :D Shouldn't everything revolve around horses (and animals in general)?!
 
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I don't think it matters to really be flexible for pilates, but I know that it focuses on the same muscle groups you use for riding more or less. Most exercising doesn't require a lot of flexibility, you just do as much as you can and once your tendons stretch out a little you start to become more flexible
 
I have to second ISM on Pilates!
Been doing a Pilates class on Wednesday and thought it helped my riding. I also do Yoga, which is fabulous. Ours is pretty hard core but there are all kinds of different ways to do Yoga.
Try Circuit training if you get a chance. Makes exercise time go by superfast and tones rather than build bulk.
 
Originally posted by KarinUS
Try Circuit training if you get a chance. Makes exercise time go by superfast and tones rather than build bulk.
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Hee hee, so you don't think I would look good if I gained bulk to obtain an Arnold Scharzenegger (how on earth do you spell his last name?!) type physique!!!

Thanks for tips. Now that I work out twice a week and ride once a week, and have a 60-hour per week career things are getting full - I will see if pilates can fit in without ruining my career! Oh, who needs a career anyway?! :D
 
I like using an exercise ball- I think some of the moves are Pilate-based. Lots of core work and use of your body weight. I like it because I can do it at home and it doesn't take up a lot of room or time. I injured my rotator cuff about 13 years ago and it flares up a couple of times a year. I'd recommend asking about an exercise that isolates the supporting muscles because if you sustain an injury it'll just keep coming back to haunt you :( Sounds like you are doing all the right things though:)
 
I found some really good exercises (maybe on this site?) that are Pilates based and that you can do at home. I will try to find them and post the link.

Other than trying to do these three times a week, I honestly find that its better for my riding just to ride more often, rather than to do any other activity. When I ride more than 3 x per week, I progress very quickly, and tend to really solidify my lesson stuff from the prior week so that I am always moving on to something new.

I also find that my seat and the timing of my aids becomes almost second nature, and I can ride two horses in a row without getting tired.
 
The leg adductor and abductor machines are good for the leg + bum muscles, along with squats (with or without additional weight). They should help your seat and your trot.

Abdominal work will help, with inverse sit-ups to balance out your lower back muscles. Using the swiss ball for these will help with balance.

Free weights are better than machines as they will help you to control your muscles as well as just strengthening them. You may find you do less weight, but having to control the weights and movements will give you a better work out and help with your overall balance. Its also good for riding posture. When doing arm curls with the straight bar, you need to keep your knees bent and loose with back straight and slightly forward. You then need to do all the work with your arms instead of swinging the bar with body momentum. That sort of control will help you use your muscles whilst keeping the correct posture when riding.

When using weights, you work primary muscles and helper muscles. For example, if you are working chest, the then the pecs are your main muscles, but they are helped by the triceps. Therefore, you shouldn't do a lot of work on your triceps before doing chest exercises, as the triceps will be tired and unable to give you a good chest work out. You should also rest your muscle groups, so for these 2 reasons its a good idea to work different things on different days. I would suggest something like:
1 day legs,
1 day chest + back
1 day arms + shoulders

You gain muscle by lifting weights until your muscle rips. The muscle then repairs and becomes bigger, which is why you need to allow rest time. Protein is required for the muscle repair, so if you're vegetarian, make sure you are getting enough (chicken + eggs is the normal source).

If you want muscle gain, do more weight and lower reps. However, you probably want tone and stamina, which is lower weight and more reps.

Would also suggest finding a class you like. I like martial arts, but dance, pilates, yoga, spinning etc are all good.

Enjoy!!
 
I honestly find that its better for my riding just to ride more often, rather than to do any other activity.
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I wish I could! But with the wet weather/ arena closures and time change the time has come for riding once or twice a week until Spring rolls around... :(
 
Originally posted by Scarlett 001
Hee hee, so you don't think I would look good if I gained bulk to obtain an Arnold Scharzenegger (how on earth do you spell his last name?!) type physique!!!
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hehe...if you had spelled that name right, I would have either thought you were incredibly good speller...or had looked it up on the internet!! ;)

I know this is not geared towards horses, but I REALLY enjoy aerobics. Just makes me feel more fit and makes me feel good in general. I used to go four or five days a week when I was at my college back in the US. Of course, two of the days was "total body workout" and we used those exercise balls, weights, and these huge rubber band like things to strengthen our muscles. But, like someone else mentioned: I was also riding five or six days a week, three of those were hour long classes for school, and I was doing VERY well...now that i don't have that at uni in Ireland, every time I ride I have to tone my muscles all over again...and it stinks!! :p
 
Firstly, please dont stretch until the end of your workout. I'm afraid to say that is a very outdated idea that adds nothing to your program, except bring your body temp down which is not want you want at that point in your workout. I know loads of people will disagree with me there but I have studied exercise physiology for years. Do your stretches at the end, please.
For riding you need all-over body strength and good core stablity plus strong supple legs. Personally, I would go for a martial art or a regime that takes the best of martial-arts training.
Your present program is pretty good, nice variety. Try doing a cardio burst AFTER your weights, just before you do your stretching so a short fast run or 5 mins skipping its a time-efficient trick that will really progress your fitness.
V. jealous as still too injured from fall to work out!!!!!:mad: :mad:
 
Does carrying two 25 kg sacks of food at a time out of the feed merchants count as a good work out?;) :D :D

It's cheaper than a gym too. Got funny looks from an elderly lady who watched me carry to bags of sugar beet out followed by my man carrying only a fork handle, so to wind her up even more he said in a loud voice, "slow down and give me a hand with this will you" :D :D
 
Blumke99

I hate that part about how the muscle rips. This is surely not necessary to just build muscle tone is it?

Otherwise, yeah, large muscles first and then supporting. When I tell OH this (or any other pearls of wisdom), he thinks I'm bossing him.
 
I used to do ballet (last year). It was good for leg strengthening/toning, working on balance, isolation of key muscles, flexibility etc. But I just cannot find time anymore. :( Too bad as I think it was useful and good for be mentally. But honestly, my career requires so much time and so much of me (up to 60 hours a week), which leaves precious little time for much else. So for now, I may have to stick with the workouts and horse riding.

I'll try to incorporate the ideas mentioned by many of you into my workout, and if I have time for a pilates class or ballet class I may do this too. Thanks for all the great tips and ideas!

But to anyone who is wondering about the usefulness of working out to improving riding, I am a strong advocate based on what has been happening so far. It really has made me more stable, secure and confident in the saddle, and has improved my core strength and leg aids. :)
 
Definitely work on core muscle group. I'm a fan of Pilates but really most ab based workouts will be beneficial. I have a really bad lower back & have had it go out on a few occasions when jumping bigger fences.

When I finally sucked it up & went to PT, they really stressed strengthening my abs/powerhouse. That way, I would take physical stress off my back & strengthen it in the processs. They had me doing a combination of yoga stretching exercises, ab exercises (medicine ball & floor) & leg work to increase flexibility.

Pilates worked miracles. I stopped a while ago (bad me) & have definitely noticed that my back is hurting a lot more again & my position is slipping again.

You can always get the tapes. I have a 20 minute express one that I used to (and will again) do before work in the morning.
 
laura jeanne
I think ripping builds muscle bulk as opposed to muscle tone. I would think the method of lower weight and more reps would work to create tone without the more severe ripping process - not being sexist, but this is the normal ladies workout.

However, I don't know if there is any other alternative to the muscle ripping process for creating bulk. Its the normal concept amongst weight lifters. That's why people take creatine (be careful of tendon injuries if anyone uses this) or have someone else to spot them. That way, you can push the muscles beyond their natural limit which is where the ripping really starts to happen.

hackedoff seems to have studied the area - any ideas if that's correct?

hehe - my OH is the same. She had a personal trainer at a top gym, as she reminds me everytime I offer adivce :)
 
Please please dont worry about getting bulky- its really really hard to get bigger from using weights unless you take up weightlifting professionally, use a weight that you can push/lift 15 times before it gets uncomfortable, but if you can do more than that easily,then it's too light. as for the 'muscle ripping process' dont worry about it!(it's only the current theory anyway) The ONLY place in your body where you can burn fat is your muscles and strong lean muscle tissue boosts metabolism considerably.
In case anyone on this thread didnt know some of us are doing a 'Wednesday weigh-in' if anyone wants to join............
 
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