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Tom Danielson's Core Advantage: Core Strength for Cycling's Winning Edge Kindle Edition

by Tom Danielson (Author), Westfahl Allison (Author), Patrick Dempsey (Foreword) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 339 ratings
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Tom Danielson’s Core Advantage offers a simple, highly effective core strength program for cyclists. This comprehensive approach shows the 50 essential core workout exercises that will build strength and endurance in the key core muscles for cycling--no gym membership required.

Professional cyclist Tom Danielson used to have a bad back. He shifted in the saddle, never comfortable, often riding in pain. Hearing that core strength could help his back, he started doing crunches, which made matters worse. He turned to personal trainer Allison Westfahl for a new approach. Danielson and Westfahl developed all-new core exercises to build core strength specifically for cycling, curing Danielson’s back problems. Better yet, Danielson found that stronger core muscles boosted his pedaling efficiency and climbing power.

Using Danielson’s core exercises, cyclists of all abilities will enjoy faster, pain-free riding. Cyclists will perform simple exercises using their own body weight to build strength in the low back, hips, abs, chest, and shoulders without adding unwanted bulk and without weights, machines, or a gym membership. Each Core Advantage exercise complements the motions of riding a bike so cyclists strengthen the right muscles that stabilize and support the body, improving efficiency and reducing the fatigue that can lead to overuse injuries and pain in the back, neck, and shoulders.

Beginner, intermediate, and advanced training plans will help bike racers, century riders, and weekend warriors to build core strength throughout the season. Each plan features warm-up stretches and 15 core exercises grouped into workouts for injury resistance, better posture, improved stability and bike handling, endurance, and power. Westfahl explains the goal for each exercise, which Danielson models in clear photographs.

Riding a bike takes more than leg strength. Now Tom Danielson’s Core Advantage lays out the core strengthening routines that enable longer, faster rides.
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  1. Print length
    299 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    VeloPress
  5. Publication date
    January 1, 2013
  6. File size
    29278 KB
  7. Page Flip
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  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A strong midsection makes for a more efficient stroke. Try the 50 exercises in Tom Danielson's Core Advantage." -- Bicycling magazine

"Tom Danielson's Core Advantage provides both a solid basis of theory and practical exercises for improving our cycling. Designed specifically for cyclists from the ground up to prevent cycling injuries and with the specific posture and motion of cycling in mind. Holistic and progressive workouts. Absolutely no equipment of any kind is needed." -- Pezcyclingnews

"Tom Danielson's Core Advantage argues for a different kind of core training than the traditional parade of crunches. The style of training works for everybody who exercises and especially for those who are getting older and are familiar with nagging back issues." -- Denver Post

"Even if you're not suffering from back pain, [these 50 exercises] are a helpful, practical and surefire way to improve your riding." -- RoadBikeRider.com

"In their book, Danielson and Westfahl discuss the importance of core training and offer plans for cyclists of all levels." -- The Olympian

From the Back Cover

FIND YOUR CORE ADVANTAGE

Pro cyclist Tom Danielson used to have a bad back. He shifted in the saddle, was never comfortable, and often rode in pain. Core strength workouts fixed Tommy D's back pain, and core strength has become his cycling advantage.

The strength routines in this book will help you build power and performance on the bike. You will improve your balance, coordination, and muscular endurance without adding unwanted muscle bulk.

You don't need a gym. You don't need special equipment. With Tommy D's simple core exercise routines, you will eliminate muscle imbalances and lingering pain from injuries. You'll maintain power out of the saddle, climb stronger, and reduce fatigue at the end of a long ride.

Tom Danielson's Core Advantage includes:

  • 45 core strength exercises
  • 5 dynamic warm-up exercises
  • Workout plans in 3 levels, beginner to pro
  • Exercises to build strength, endurance, and balance
  • Cures for back, shoulder, and neck pain
  • Workouts to improve climbing and out-of-the-saddle power

    Tom Danielson's core exercises are essential for stronger riding. They are easy to master, and they don't take much time. Best of all, they will improve your performance on the bike and extend your cycling career.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00D616QPI
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ VeloPress (January 1, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 1, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 29278 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 299 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 339 ratings

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  1. Tom Danielson

    Tom Danielson

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  2. Allison Westfahl

    Allison Westfahl

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    Allison Westfahl is a nationally renowned exercise physiologist, author, and fitness personality. She was raised on a small sheep farm in Kansas, and went on to graduate magna cum laude from Yale. After college, Allison moved to Colorado to pursue a career in fitness. At the age of 25, she became the youngest Director of Personal Training at Flatiron Athletic Club, which was crowned “Best Gym in America” by Men’s Journal. Two years later she was honored with the Pursuit of Excellence Award, a grant given to only two trainers annually by the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

    Allison has been featured in Fitness Business and Athletic Business for her career accomplishments, and she is regularly called upon by local and national publications for her expertise in the field of strength training. She holds a Master of Science degree in exercise science, and multiple certifications through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and USA Triathlon.

    Allison’s ability to create effective, efficient workouts that improve athletic performance is widely recognized; her “moves” have been featured in Shape magazine, Bicycling, The Denver Post, and Bob Greene’s workout DVD “8 Week Total Body Makeover”. Allison’s first book, The Gluten Free Fat Loss Plan, was published in May of 2011. She has also penned over 20 articles on the topic of strength and conditioning, and is frequently asked to guest blog on popular fitness websites.

    Allison lives in Denver with her husband Brian and dog Muppet. In her spare time she sings with a professional chamber choir and experiments with trying to sit still. You can reach her via email at allison@allisonwestfahl.com.

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
339 global ratings
Great material with really poor book binding
3 Stars
Great material with really poor book binding
This review really has two components. First the quality of the material presented which I feel is great and useful for me. The second is the quality of the book itself which is horrible. Chunks of pages just falling out, really poor glueing job. If it was within my return window I would return this book because of that. The nature of this book is to refer to it frequently to review exercise charts, method of performing the exercises and with such poor workmanship pages are everywhere after the first usage.
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Top reviews from the United States

Krzysztof Kajetanowicz
5.0 out of 5 stars More versatile than the title suggests
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2014
Verified Purchase
The first half of the book is a theoretical description of the body parts involved, their role on the bike, typical problems that cyclists suffer from and the ways in which the exercises help solve those problems. Doesn't sound appealing, does it? Well, this section is really easy to understand and, believe it or not, interesting, so do not skip it, especially if you're as lazy as I am and need things explained to you before you've found your compelling reason to do the routines every day.

The second part are the exercises, organised into three levels five routines each. On every level there is one routine emphasizing injury prevention and rehabilitation, one for posture (correcting the cycling slouch), one for performance, one for endurance and one "mix" (though the others seem quite comprehensive as well).

I am probably less athletic and slower on the bike than most readers of this book, and definitely lazier as well as less consistent. I do not do gymnastic exercises. I do nothing I wouldn't find 'fun' in some way. I do not do anything that you have to do every day (or every couple of days). Well, this book has motivated me to get off the couch. I actually do the exercises, I enjoy the heck out of them, and I love how they get my blood flowing in the morning.

The best thing is, in our culture of instant gratification, these exercises do get you instant results - my posture improved on day one. I can see my strength and mobility grow each week (I even move differently than I used to - for instance, I am now more likely to bend to the side when picking up an object on my left/right than to turn on my feet and lean forward).

This book is not just for 'big cyclists' (pro or amateur) but for anyone stuck behind a desk. If you feel you should "do something" about being out of shape - inflexible, prone to pains, with bad posture and little mobility - but somehow can't get to it, this might just make the difference. Certainly worth a try.
4 people found this helpful
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ELG
5.0 out of 5 stars So far its making a difference
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2013
Verified Purchase
So, when I first got this book I flipped through it, found the exercises, thought to myself "these look stupid, waste of money", closed it and stuck it on the shelf for a couple months.

Now you see, Im no stranger to the gym, workouts have been a part of my lifestyle since high school.
But Ive also had persistent cycling back pain for a few years, as well as worsening back pain in everyday life too. Standard core routines (even 'functional' based core routines) havent had much difference either in cycling or daily life, and often even leave me with worse back pain for a couple days after the workout.
A few weeks back after a ride where my back really bothered me I decided to give the book another chance.

I skipped all the wordy stuff, went to the exercise section, and picked out a few of the exercises that I thought looked 'good' to me.
Did those for a couple weeks, and to my surprise there was a small, but measurable, difference in back strength and less back pain at the end of rides. hip flexibility and daily back pain have made small improvements as well.

Encouraged by the results, I read the book cover to cover (which has good info). I wont dismiss the other exercises anymore, if picking a few random exercises from the list has positive results, I have high hopes that the workouts will make a bigger difference. I am starting the workout plans from the beginning, Level 1 workout 1 and will progress though (hopefully) level 3.

Ill check back in to update my review in a couple months to share how it is going.
20 people found this helpful
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David C. Brayton
4.0 out of 5 stars Fine Book but could easily be 40 pages shorter
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2019
Verified Purchase
Core strength is much more important for overall fitness than big pecs or biceps. Folks should really focus on their core before working on their big groups. It makes everything better, from sitting all day in front of a computer to gardening to making love.

Tommy D provides a nice set of exercises and moves that really helped me. I added them to my routine about six weeks ago and have really noticed the improvement. Even though I had been doing the basic exercises (bench press, quad extensions, etc.) it became clear quite quickly that my core was lacking.

Like most self-help books, a good editor can easily cut the size in half.
One person found this helpful
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pastorman
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Value for under $12.00
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2013
Verified Purchase
There's a lot of essential background information here in one place - a comprehensive overview of the core with a good and understandable treatment of the many issues and the ways they manifest themselves. Those interested in such detail will find something they didn't know before and be able to link to what they already know. Tom's take on how this has worked for him and enabled him to improve are timely and thoughtful. Many of the exercises aren't necessarily new, but they're packaged and explained well; and they certainly address all of the core muscles and groups. The illustrations and handling of the how to are very helpful. Even the most experienced will find some detail or bit of info that can be added to his routine or help create another (i.e. - the placement of towels under the feet while doing mountain climbers or performing bicycle crunches slowly). I bought 3 books just to give to friends - what a great value for under $12.00.
One person found this helpful
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Taco_driver
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended book!
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2014
Verified Purchase
Tom Danielson's Core Advantage is an excellent book. Allison Westfall provides much of the material for this book, explaining the mechanics of bike riding and injury prevention. The first third of the book explains the importance of core strength both for injury prevention and improved riding ability. I've noticed a huge improvement personally. I can now do the weekly Shootout group ride (60 miles, 2.5 hrs) and my back feels fresh at the end. I used to have lots of tightness and a compressed/fatigue feeling all over my back. I also feel more stable during hard efforts and my upper body is steady without rocking. My power numbers are up a bit too. There are 3 sets of workouts that build on the last. The workouts start with dynamic stretching, then list exercises with # of sets and # of reps. Each exercise is explained with text and pictures. Easy to use.
6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Adriana Cortes
5.0 out of 5 stars Clear instructions to create strong core
Reviewed in India on April 3, 2019
Verified Purchase
Clear instructions to create strong core
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Marcelo Pinto
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in Brazil on July 18, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book explains all nuances in core training for cyclists, and presents progressive exercises to get the most from your core. I suggest that you buy the book, and watch videos on internet to do the exercises correctly.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars It works
Reviewed in Australia on October 17, 2020
Verified Purchase
Love this book; it definitely helps with seated sprinting performance. I was limited on core exercises and having an actual program to follow helps avoid procrastination (because you’re no longer guessing what to do).
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Sasha C
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Reviewed in Canada on January 17, 2014
Verified Purchase
I have suffered from a bulging disc in my lower back for the past few years. As I've gotten more into cycling, this is obviously a problem.

I've tried many other 'core' books, but this one is really solid. I like the progression of increasing the difficulty as your core becomes stronger. There's also a great description of the body and the issues related to the core.

I've been doing core work based off this book for just a couple of months and I very surprised at how strong I've gotten. My cycling has also improved from being able to push harder without 'tweaking' my back.

I highly recommend it.
2 people found this helpful
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Andrea
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good ! Ottimo libro !
Reviewed in Italy on April 11, 2014
Verified Purchase
Libro molto utile e pratico.... Perché non l'ho comprato prima !?!?
Da quando alleno con regolarità il core il mio assetto in bici la mia postura e il mio rendimento generale sono migliorati drasticamente.
Lo consiglio a tutti e sopratutto a coloro che come me prima di leggere ed usare questo libro che il ciclismo sia solo gambe.
Peccato non ci sia una versione equivalente in italiano.
Raccomandato e consigliato. Un libro da avere!!!

Very good book. Why didn't i buy it before ?!
2 people found this helpful
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