During a rally, a racing driver must endure extremely difficult conditions in the car. This is especially true when the weather is not good, the heat is pouring from the sky, and the temperature in the vehicle reaches 50 degrees Celsius.
Therefore, the efficiency of the body is important, but no less important is the endurance and strength of arms during driving on bumpy routes and with a lot of turns.
Have you ever rutted on an asphalt road? You know very well that getting out of it is not easy, you have to jerk with the steering wheel. Think to yourself that the same thing awaits you when you are a racing driver, but with much more intensity.
Sharp turns that you enter at high speeds, potholes or ruts on roads that are paved but not covered with asphalt or other surface. All of this makes it rather difficult for you to finish a race without adequate arm strength. Fortunately, there are ways to strengthen both your wrists, forearms, and arms themselves.
Some of the exercises don’t require equipment, while others are worth getting extra weight for. Below is a sample arm workout that should be performed by a driver two to three times a week. Don’t perform them every day, your arm muscles also need rest and recovery!
Let’s start from the top, that is, the biceps and triceps, as well as the muscles of the shoulder girdle, which are also worth developing and strengthening. In these exercises it is good to use equipment such as, for example, dumbbells or kettlebells. The first will be push-ups, which, in addition to the mentioned muscle groups, contribute to strengthening the muscles of the chest. Perform three series of 12 repetitions, every two to three weeks increase the number of repetitions in a series
You can develop your biceps by lifting on a bar with an underhand grip, while your triceps – with an overhand grip. This great exercise also contributes to a better and more secure grip and strengthens the muscles of the forearms. If you can’t do a full pull-up, start with a free hang. Also try to do negative pull-ups. Start at the top and very slowly work your way down to full arm extension
An exercise that will strengthen your forearms even better is lifting dumbbells with only your wrists. Rest your elbow on your knee, or a “prayer bar” if you’re at a gym, and begin the exercise by repeating the movement a dozen times. Perform the same number of repetitions with your other hand.
Start by lifting with the palm facing the floor, then change the position to exercise the front group of muscles, including one of the largest, the radial flexor of the wrist.
Exercise your hands by both strengthening them and increasing their range of mobility, especially at the wrist. To do this, kneel on the ground, rest your hands with your fingers pointing first forward and then backward, and lean slightly, transferring your body weight from your knees to your hands. Start by placing your entire hand on the ground, and then try to perform this exercise resting only your fingers. Here you can practice for time or repetitions. When you feel you’ve done enough, let it go
The few exercises listed here can strongly affect the strength, endurance, but also the mobility of your hands, forearms and arms.
Main photo: João Jesus/pexels.com
