As it is the case for professional athletes, such as basketball players from the NBB, NBA and NBL leagues, their workouts involve a combination of exercises based on fundamentals and physical conditioning to keep them in shape, but there are few that span multiple muscle regions at the same time and do so effectively, such as bicycle exercises. Regardless of the category, the pedal can contribute for the player to develop better resistance and cardiovascular health, in addition to helping in the recovery process of any possible injury.
Players like Reggie Miller (ex Indiana Pacers), Dwyane Wade (ex Miami Heat), LeBron James (Lakers), Chris Paul (OKC Thunder), Danilo Gallinari (OKC Thunder) and Barbosa (ex Warriors) have cycling as part of their physical routines and below you will understand why:
THE BODY ASSIMILES BETTER WORKOUTS: A quick bike session before you go to the gym or the court is an effective way to increase your heart rate and prepare your body for other exercises. The gradual increase in the pace of the pedal minimizes, for example, muscle stress with weightlifting.
IMPROVED MUSCLE EXPLOSION: Training with a stationary bicycle can be an excellent way to work on increasing speed, strength and endurance on the court in cases of shorter distances, also known as high intensity interval training.
LESS PHYSICAL EFFORT REQUIRED: Long training sessions, from low to medium intensity, can contribute to increasing the athlete's performance on the court before reaching his limit, thus avoiding muscle fatigue or any more serious injury.
ACCELERATES MUSCLE RECOVERY: Training with reduced and constant speed can help the player's muscle recovery after a match. The low-intensity process recovers blood flow from muscles that are often painful and tense and provides the necessary nutrients for their reconstruction.
FIGHTING INJURIES: Many athletes tend to train some muscle groups more intensely than others, and we know that the result of this medium to long term practice is injuries. A cycling workout with medium intensity, ensures that the basketball player strengthens his hips, buttocks, as well as supporting muscles, such as ankles, calves and hips that are normally injured regions.
Between 03 and 05th of July, Leandrinho Barbosa traveled 274 km by bicycle towards the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Aparecida with the project #PedalaLeandrinho, an action that had the participation of partners with the intention of collecting food and donating to families affected by the pandemic.
See the highlights of this action here.
