Is Whistler A Really Good Workout?

[ShoreIH]

Or just a really good pounding on the body? When i come home from a day of riding, I am dead beat...but Im not so sure its actually doing me any good.

[Roasted]

I find the mountain more anaerobic than aerobic. Its a workout, but not great for loosing weight but definately builds the upper and lower body.

[ShoreIH]

I find the mountain more anaerobic than aerobic. Its a workout, but not great for loosing weight but definately builds the upper and lower body.


shame, didnt think so.

[.243racer]

just on the forearms

[darce_b]

for me its mainly on the blisters and braking fingers

[IFO]

its def good for your cardio (lung's/endurance)...

but in order to gain max benefit u neeed to continue to ride when your gettin tired and winded...

try riding from the top of Garbo to the village without stopping...great training for every part of riding....

[ronald55555]

i find it beats me up more than anything, only excercise i get is on the fingers. i agree with ian though, but i never go from top to bot w/o stop

[Stinky_Rider]

I love not stopping, you get such a flow going and its such a good workout for yourself. You are only working and improving your cardio and muscles when you feel like you have worked too much.

[Midas]

try doing top to bottom runs on garb, multiple ones.

[FlipFantasia]

try doing top to bottom runs on garb, multiple ones.
yeah, i did 5 different combo's of runs, top to village this afternoon/evening....I feel like I got a serious work out....

[bcbud]

After 78 days last year, I felt a little bigger in the arms, tighter in the abs and more solid all around, I feel even better lately with day 54 tomorrow.....

[Professor Frink]

It definately makes you stronger/more fit. I had no problems with my arms/hands being sore but my legs are sore as fuck haha.

[dawnchairy]

I did the gearjammer this weekend on 2 days notice, and I really thought that my 12 days of whistler (I feel a song coming on) would have helped me. But I was in crappy aerobic shape, and technical xc riding was way harder on my hands, arms and shoulders than whistler. I got spanked. Whistler is not good exercise.

[corey@nsmb.com]

I did the gearjammer this weekend on 2 days notice, and I really thought that my 12 days of whistler (I feel a song coming on) would have helped me. But I was in crappy aerobic shape, and technical xc riding was way harder on my hands, arms and shoulders than whistler. I got spanked. Whistler is not good exercise.


Whistler is great exercise. It won't build cardio like XC riding will, but it does a buttload more for your core muscles and upper body. If you are a lazy sloth and coast everything at Whistler then you won't get as much out of it as your buddies who are pinning it, not stopping for breaks every minute and a half, and who ride trails pushing themselves and their bike handling skills.

Its about how you ride it. If you go hard, it is an incredible workout. If you don't agree, let's hook up for a top-to-bottom and see if you are breathing hard at the bottom, and if you have to stop.

People who ride their frequently can attest to this...Go with a friend who has not been up yet and spend the day riding with them. They will be trashed and ready for the patio by 2, and you'll be waiting for extended play to start!

[Dirt Devil]

If you ride flat out it's definitely a good workout but my hands were maimed after 12 days (not straight) of riding up there. No blisters, they just felt like ground beef. The pain lasted for a good two weeks after I left.

[Sharon]

I find its more mental fatigue.

I have only so many 'oh shits' in me for a day!

the only soreness I get are the callouses on my hands, the general fatigue is easily fixed with a beer.

I get tired faster the hotter the day.

[corey@nsmb.com]

the general fatigue is easily fixed with a beer.

I get tired faster the hotter the day.

Now you are speaking my language! :woot: :beer:

[Wayne P]

Ok, Whistler is not a good work out, unless of course you're out of shape. If you think its a work out you should get on a training program, race/ride some XC and put in lots of quality road miles. Whistler is a pleasure cruise even at the best of times.

[corey@nsmb.com]

Ok, Whistler is not a good work out, unless of course you're out of shape. If you think its a work out you should get on a training program, race/ride some XC and put in lots of quality road miles. Whistler is a pleasure cruise even at the best of times.

I disagree.

I ride XC. I ride road, and I downhill, I weightrain a few times a week and play hockey on average twice a week (3 times in fall and winter).

When I ride Whistler, I try hard and pedal, and every run I sweat my ass off and end up breathing hard at the bottom. I am far from out of shape.

[seand]

whistler is a so-so workout. the faster you go, the more you sweat for sure.

my upper back is sore after 3 days straight of whistler though. its all that beer lifting!

I was super pooped after this last trip to whistler. finishing with ride dont slide after riding garbo laps all day did me in. i had to resort to a nice 50k roadride the next day as my body was not having any more big bike action.

[Dude]

I find Whistler to be more of a beat-the-snot out of your body session than a good workout, but have to agree w/ Cory that if you pin it the whole day, take few or shorter rests in between sections, and spend the day up top, you will get a great anaerobic work-out out of it. Do I find it helps me on the soccer pitch come September? No. Do I find a season of soccer helps me in April on the mountain? No way.

You get whatever you want out of a workout. How hard you go, where you go, etc. Ride you road bike up Seymour or Cypress, then take your XC bike and ride the Buntzen Lake loop, complete w/ the up and down switchbacks of Lakeview trail. Guarantee Buntzen will have you cursing more than those easy rides up the mountain.

[Timmigrant]

Wayne you more than anyone should get a good workout riding Whistler. Saying its not a work out is like saying racing DH is a pleasure cruise at best. I can honestly say I can't push 100% for even all of Garbo, let alone to the Village. For me anyways Whistler is an amazing workout. The key is to break away from the stop every 2 minutes syndrome. My body felt physically tired after 3-4 rippin' run of Garbo. I don't know if anyone rode the brand spanking new sections of No Joke but DAMN thats fun. I had the 5th tire track in those burms! :dizzy:

[bcbud]

The new section of Middle Freight Train is damn fun for sure, almost cleared that step up wooden bridge thing after the third berm this morning, Dropin Clinic down further is a blast too....

[Wayne P]

Let me reiterate here: Its somewhat of a work out, but it's not that good on a scale of quality. I just packed up a 26' moving van by myself, but I wouldn't call that a good work out either.

When I ride Whistler or any place for that matter, I always pin it. Every run. Its just the way I ride and have always ridden. But even riding from opening to closing with only enough time to take a 20 minute lunch, I feel I have enough juice in my legs to go race XC or road for a couple of hours (and I'm an expert level racer at the best of times). If you can put in lots of days during the year, then sure it would be a good way to sustain fitness.

Maybe some people find it to be a workout, but I can get way more from a 45 minute road ride.

[bcbud]

Maybe some people find it to be a workout, but I can get way more from a 45 minute road ride.

But not as much fun as pinning it on Whistler.....remember fun.....

[Rosscofat]

it has to be a workout cuz I lost 6 lbs yesterday 3 garbo runs a line and bone yard 6 times

[stubz]

doesnt feel like it was untill i sit down a rest then i can feel how much it took out of me.

[XXX_er]

mosdtly I feel pounded after a sesh at a hill ,its a workout but not a good one,freeriding is a workout but not a good one IMO

sure if you do enough of it fast as you can you will get stronger BUT you could also fuckup big and get hurt cuz you are tired/muscles compromised from trying to ride at max.I can ride better skillwise when I'm not tired so my ridng always goes up a notch at whistler /sunpeaks/Tabor at least till I get tired when I make more misteaks

IMO you should be IN shape before you get on yer bike to throw yerself down the hill not getting in shape as a human projectile

[Rosscofat]

ride a ht.. and its more of a workout.. but more of a punishment workout on your knees, elbows, hips and sholders but much worth the punishment

[ESHER SHORE]

10 days up at Whistler in July :)


sore hands...sore forearms...sore thighs...sore back


after a week the fatigue has really set in...needed a day off


it was a good workout for sure, not same as riding up Fromme (we did that the next week), but hella workout if you riding hard and do multiple runs, i don't stop at bottom for rest but straight back on chairlift and do it all again

can't see how Schelyer / Joyride and Garbanzo could not be a good workout...burly trails


rob C

[Farmer]

i'd agree that there are better workouts, try basketball camp, I just lost 12 lbs in 5 days, but if you are going hard and not stopping, that it is still a workout and a hell of a lot more fun than haveing a coach yelling at you for 5 hrs

[Team2K]

its better than sitting home on the couch eating potato chips and watching mindless tv.

[Bryce]

^^ ...or sitting on your ass at work in front of a computer