028 | roadmagazine.net

Peter ParkIt was the Summer of 2008 and Lance Armstrong was spending time with his family in Santa Barbara. Lance ran in to long-time friend and trainer Peter Park. With an urge to get back in to superhuman shape. Armstrong and Park spent four to fi ve days a week together training and having fun along the way. Trail running, stretching, core work and strength training led to the return of Lance. “The Tour was happening, the Olympics were coming, and Lance got the bug again”, shared Park. Lance was committed and was quickly getting fi t again.

Park has known and been friends with Armstrong for over 15 years and he is Armstrong’s offi cial strength and conditioning coach. They fi rst crossed paths back in the triathlon world where they both competed with one another. Perhaps their friendship and work together is coming full-circle as talk circulates about Armstrong conquering the triathlon world once again next year.

I had the chance to talk to Park about his work with Armstrong and the importance of strength and core training for cyclists. “Building a strong foundation is so important for success on the bike”, Park shared. “You need to be mobile and fl exible on a bike and strong enough to hold your body in an effi cient bike position for long periods. And that comes from core work”. Through his home based fi tness and performance company, Platinum Fitness, Park works with athletes of all levels and particularly enjoys working with cyclists.

When Armstrong approached him in 2008 he wanted to focus on mobility work, increasing muscle mass and raw strength. Armstrong, like many cyclists had tight hip fl exors and was able to work with Park on specifi c exercises that helped get him get back on the bike in prime form. Park also works with Armstrong’s protégé, Taylor Phinney.

In addition to working with Armstrong on his strength training, nutrition is also a focus. Although Armstrong knows exactly what he should be eating while getting in to race shape, every once in a while he is tempted just like the rest of us. “I often ask Lance is the food he is eating a drain or a pump. Is that food taking away from the work you are doing or adding value? Sometimes I don’t even have to ask. He’ll just look up as he noshes in to sausage pizza and say ‘drain’” shares Park.

Park suggests that cyclists complement their bike training with workouts off the bike that include using bands, medicine balls, and plyometrics. This month we feature one of Park’s workouts for cyclists. So get off your bike and get busy. Maybe you will have a comeback of your own.

up front about their stance against doping. They represent everything our team stands for. It wasn’t really a hard sell.

What would you consider a successful 2009 season? To see our team be competitive week in and week out, race aggressively, animate races, always race like a team, and always race to win. If we do that, the wins will come and it will be a good year.

Where do you see the program in the future? In 2009, we are planning on spending fewer resources on NRC events and more traveling and racing internationally. In the US we will focus only on UCI events and races important to our sponsors. In the next two seasons, I would like to see our team become one of the dominant US programs, while staying true to our values. In 2009 we hope to double the amount of international racing we do, and start looking at upgrading to a Pro Continental status. It is awesome to have a sponsor like Kelly Benefit Strategies which has been incredibly supportive of the teams direction.

Tell me something about that people might not know about your team. We are less concerned about the NRC standings than we are about racing like a team every time we get on our bikes. We are enjoying what we do. We have an awesome group of guys that get along better than any team I have been a part of no matter what the outcome.

Did you think that before the race your team had a chance of winning the event, or were you surprised by the outcome? I knew we could do it. We had been very competitive in all the field sprints since mid season that year. But if you’re not winning outright, people don’t notice even when you are consistently knocking on the door. One week prior to the USPRO Criterium Championships, we rolled a team train at the front of the Tour of Elk Grove and we podiumed both days.

Was it disappointing for you to win the USPRO Criterium Championships, but see the stars and strips jersey go to Kirk O’Bee of Health Net, presented by Maxxis? No. For a small budget first year team to win the USPRO Criterium Championships was huge. Especially the way we won it. The jersey would have been nice, but there was no disappointment.

(Editor’s Note: although non American cyclists are eligible to participate in the USPRO Criterium Championships, they are ineligible to win the title of USPRO.)

How did the attitude or dynamics within the team change after that win? When the guys realized they could not only ride the front of big races, but win against the big teams, their confidence skyrocketed. After that race, our guys never hesitated to take the front of a race and our team stood on the podium at almost every race we entered for the rest of the 2007 season.

With seasoned professionals like Andrew Bajadali and Alex Candelario, who have increased the teams overall depth since 2008, are there any races that you think you can win this season that you might have previously thought were out of reach. With the new additions, I believe our team can win any race we enter. Outside of the overall GC at races like the Tour of California, we can win anything we start. That includes races like the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic and the USPRO Road Race Championships. We are certainly not going to be the favorites at the big races, but nothing is out of reach if we use good strategy, execute as a team, and have some luck too.How did you attract Bajadali and Candelario to your program? Did you approach them, or did they approach you? I approached them. Cando and I have been friends since the Prime Alliance days and Baj is a close friend of Cando’s. Both of them race hard, are 100% team players and very

[L to R, Top to Bottom]Ryan Anderson, Andy Bajadali, Zach Bell, Dan Bowman, Alex Candelario, Jake Erker, Cheyne Hoag, Jake Keogh, Shane Kline, Reid Mumford, Neil Shirley, Jonny Sundt, David Veilleux, Scott Zwizanski, Clay Murfet (missing)

In honor of Jelly Belly’s 10th year in professional cycling, ROAD is giving out 75 water bottles with packs of the caffeinated Sport Beans to the first 75 people who send us an email. Send to give-away@h3publications.com. Put

Jelly Belly Bottle in the subject line. Hurry, they won’t

last. Once they’re gone, they’re gone!

JeJeoonn7755hehehehe

nn e eubublly y

nene..lalagg

f f ssioio77hhtthhnnppllllnn

InIn h hononoror o offinin p prorofefessssgigivivingng o outut papackcks s ofof t tBeBeanans s toto t tsesendnd u us s ananawawayay@h@h3p3p

JeJelllly y BeBelllilinn

75 Bottle Giveaway

030 | roadmagazine.net

Active warm-up: warms up joints and activates muscles for workout. Do one set of each.

1. Side lunges: keep hips back weight on heels.10 reps each side.

2. Bridges: Squeeze glutes at top and slowly lower hips. 12 reps.

3. Deep squat: Keep hips back and weight on heels.12 reps.

4. Push ups: keep core and glutes tight. 12 reps.5. Hip stretch: keep back straight while leaning

forward. hold 20-30 seconds.

Reactive/ Plyometric round: For snap and power. Do two sets of each in circuit format.

1. Med ball chest pass into wall: Keep feet parrallel and core tight. 12-15 reps.

2. Ball slams: Keep core tight throughout.12-15 reps.

3. Squat jumps: Keep back straight and core tight. 10-12 reps.

4. Alternating Split Jumps: Keep back upright and core tight. 10 reps each side.

Strength/ Core: Use heaviest weight possibleand still keep perfect form. Do two to three setsof each circuit.

Circuit 11. Bulgarian split squat: Stay tall and core tight.

5-8 reps.2. Push-up with stability ball roll: 12-15 reps. With

feet on ball and hands on ground, perform apush-up then roll ball toward you. Keep hips down and still.

3. Side plank holds: keep legs and glutes tight. Hold 30 sec to 1 minute.

Circuit 21. Step ups: stay tall throughout movement. Do one

leg at a time. 5-8 reps.2. Pull up: 5-10 reps. May use exercise band for

assistance if needed.3. Walkouts: Start in push up position and with core

and glutes tight walk hands out until felt in core, hold 2 seconds and walk back. 5-8 reps.

Kettlebell Swings: Great exercise for hip mobility and power. Keep back straight, shoulders down and squeeze quads and glutes at top of movement. Do not hyperextend back. Do fi ve sets of 15-20.

–Compiled by Paige Dunn

more information, check out: sbplatinumfi tness.com or infl icttraining.com

side lunges. bridges.

deep squats. push ups.

hip stretch. med ball chest pass. ball slams.

squat jumps. Bulgarian split squat.

push ups with stability ball. side plank holds. step ups. pull ups. walkouts. Kettleball swings.

WORKOUTS FOR CYCLISTS