If you want to get a body like an X Games athlete, maybe you should try one of their favorite moves. We’ve got the inside scoop on their workouts.
t The X Games heads to Austin, Texas for the first time from June 5-8, and as the Music Capital of the World prepares for the influx of high-adrenaline action sports junkies, it leaves the average woman wondering, “How do these phenomenal athletes stay in shape for the games?” While you can bet their training regimens are intense, you might also be surprised that many of their favorite exercises are quite similar to your own.
Vicki Golden, Moto X Best Whip: balance exercises
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t Catching serious air on the back of a motor bike while using your strength and body to whip the bike around takes incredible skill. So it comes as no surprise that having a well-honed sense of balance is key to controlling and landing the bike. Vicki Golden, the 21-year-old athlete who’s the reigning bronze medalist in Moto X Best Whip confirms that “balance exercises are always fun since they’re challenging.”
t Try a few exercises at home by performing standard exercises (bicep curls, shoulder presses or deadlifts) while balancing on one leg, or use a tool, like a BOSU Ball, to do squats, lunges, pushups and planks.
Alana Smith, skateboarding: Insanity Workouts
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t There’s nothing I appreciate more than a young person proving that age is just a number when it comes to setting goals and coming out on top. 13-year-old Alana Smith, who already has an X Games Silver Medal in Skateboard Park, must be doing something right. So when she says, “I like to do Insanity because it builds strength, the endurance and core workouts, which help a lot with my skating,” it definitely makes me want to go out and buy the Insanity series for myself.
Tarah Gieger, Enduro X: Road biking
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t It’s nice to know that someone who enjoys the rough ‘n tumble world of Enduro X (have you seen these races; they’re crazy), is sometimes cool with taking the smoother road. Tarah Gieger, a 28-year-old, seven-time X Games medalist admits, “I do enjoy riding my road bicycle if I’m not in the gym.”
Alyssa Roenigk, Sportscaster: Running Stairs
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Photo courtesy of Alyssa Roenigk
t It’s not just competing athletes who embrace the world of action sports. ESPN on-air talent Alyssa Roenigk, who covers the X Games events, is every bit as addicted to the wild ride. To stay fit for surf trips to Costa Rica, half marathons in San Francisco or a quick turn on the slackline, Alyssa says “I love running stairs. The Santa Monica stairs are my best friends.” But she doesn’t underestimate the importance of a strong core: “I love planks. The plank is the key to life.”
Sarah Burgess, RallyCross: Brazilian Butt Lift
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Photo courtesy of Sarah Burgess
t Former speed-skater-turned-RallyCross-driver Sarah Burgess admits that training changed when she hung up her skates and took a seat behind the wheel. “I used to lift a lot of heavy weights, which I miss. Squats, lunges and the leg press machine were my favorites, ranging from 200 to 400 pounds, depending on the exercise. What I do enjoy doing now are my Brazilian Butt Lift DVDs. They’re a great mix of toning the body plus getting the heart rate up, and are a lot of fun too.”
t Even if you can’t make it to the 2014 X Games in Austin, don’t forget to tune in to the live broadcast on ESPN and ABC between June 5-8.
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