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F1 Racing Workout

November 1, 2005 Print This ArticleShare

Author: Michael Greeves


Formula 1 - The Sport

Sitting in the family car in rush-hour traffic on a Friday afternoon is like sitting on your living-room couch watching indoor plants grow. Racing inside the cockpit of an F1 racecar cornering at 4 Gs is a radical shift into one of the most intense physical and mental exercise a person can endure. Formula racing these days are based not just on the most advanced machines but also the mental and physical fitness of their drivers. During professional high-speed road racing, the physiological demands on the driver are similar to those encountered by athletes of traditional sports, so race-car drivers by their own rights are accurately considered athletes. For a long time the world has thought that professional racecar drivers possess mostly bravery, but this view has progressively changed to include a good dose of strength and endurance. Physical fitness is something that all race-car drivers must take with them into the cockpit.

Formula 1 - The Demand

The physical strain in high-speed road-racing is extreme, especially in the neck, shoulders, and arms. A head and F1 helmet together weigh about 6 kilograms, or about 13 pounds. Cornering in a typical Grand Prix can increase G-force by four, turning the head and helmet combination into a fifty pound weight that the neck must control. The shoulders and arms must constantly control the steering wheel to direct the race car, and the trunk must brace the driver through high G-forces. The muscles in these areas must have strength and endurance; and for those times of sudden and quick reactions to avoid trouble, these muscles must also have explosive power.

During competitive racing velocity, heart rate can climb to more than 180 beats per minute and oxygen uptake can reach about 80% of its max. Such metabolic responses can be triggered by physical demands on the body, such as maneuvering the race car, but these responses can also be triggered by the psychological stresses from anxiety, anticipation and competition. One study suggests that measurable metabolic chemicals can differentiate between psychological stress and physical stress (Schwaberger, 1987). Interestingly, it also shows that circulatory and metabolic strain from psychological stress can be reduced with a higher fitness level. This further substantiates the need for race-car drivers to possess a high level of physical fitness -- it can counteract the negative effects of psychological stress on the body (such as coronary heart disease). And of course, physical fitness offers the racer better command of their body (and mind) during racing situations, a component that may lead directly to performance enhancement.

The Formula 1 Workout

The need for neck strength is met by self-resistance through isometric and slow isotonic exercises using one’s own hands placed on the sides, front and back of the head. Resistance at the sides of the head is more important because of the greater frequency of lateral acceleration in turns, but fore and aft neck strength cannot be neglected because of the breaking into and accelerating out of turns. Each set can vary in length of time, as turns can vary in length of distance. Another method of neck strengthening can be accomplished through the use of large elastic bands.

Arm, shoulder and trunk strength should be increased through the use of strength exercises. Power in these areas can be optimized with explosive plyometric exercises using bodyweight and medicine balls. Care should be taken to maintain appropriate strength training volume (sets, reps and frequency) to prevent the kind of muscular bulk that cannot be accommodated by the tight cockpit of an F1 racecar.

To prepare for the metabolic demands of racing, endurance aerobic exercises can be used, such as cycling, running, or rowing (all indoor or outdoor). The intensity should periodically raise the heart rate as high as possible -- up to 170 to 180 beats per minute -- and sustained on the average between 130 and 160 beats per minute.

A physically-fit F1 racecar driver can optimally meet the intense demands of the race, and this ultimately helps to preserve and optimize mental sharpness for quick decision-making and reactions to all situations during the entire race. Train hard.



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