Physical preparation adviced

[Strazen]

Hello fellows,

Since there are no online events available for me now, I was restarting tonight the career mode in AC.

I now drive with the latest Fanatec wheel kit and the shifter SQ. The wheel is set to maximum force feedback (100), which makes it weigh on the arms while steering and the shifter needs strong shifting with the hand also, thus with the right arm.

With the latest update of Assetto Corsa, I can see a lot the difference of difficulty of the career mode compared to when I drove with the Logitech G27 on early 2015. It's both the Fanatec and the sim update which makes the thing pretty difficult to earn medals. Plus, on the CSP V3 PC driver, I moved down the maximum brake pressure setting of one notch (from 10 = hardest, to 9). It already makes quite a difference with the easiness of braking at the maximum value.

I don't really want to lower the FF setting because I would like to reget stronger. Actually, I'm not weak by nature but I lack again of physical training. I'm overweighted and I smoke quite a lot, so after a few laps, even with an Abarth 500 Esseesse, I pant.

So what I would need are some advices from you to be more prepared. To be honest, I'm not a fan of running. I was thinking of doing home weightlifting (I don't think I'm going to pay 400€ for a one-month fee at the fitness center for a sim) with one 10kg barbell for each arm and two 5kg barbells, or only the 10kg one. Then, for my legs strength, I was thinking of getting this sort of belt filled with lots of sand inside it that I would attach right above my feet and lift the legs repeatedly, so that I would eventually be able to reset brake hardness to the default value.

What do you think of this? Would you have some other preparation advice?

[Festa_PWR]

I`ve heard hand-cycles are quite good at training the upper body while also improving cardio.

Something like . . . LINK

As for your legs, you could also use the above unit as a great trainer for quads and calf muscles

[Strazen]

It looks cool. It makes me think of a real bicycle that I should also take. A good way of putting the nose outside a bit

[Festa_PWR]

It looks cool. It makes me think of a real bicycle that I should also take. A good way of putting the nose outside a bit

Nah, nobody here likes fresh air, it`s full of clean oxygen and stuff.

Much prefer 'inside' air. it`s better for SIM racing

[Strazen]

You're right

[P1LOT]

I don't do any assigned exercise activities. Simracing is about the only workout, but I can tell it has made a difference. The day after a 30 min race there's a slight ache. This has reduced after several events now. So my upper body strength is not too bad, pity about the spare tyre around my middle.

[BBO]

Simracing is about the only workout, but I can tell it has made a difference. The day after a 30 min race there's a slight ache. This has reduced after several events now.

I experienced the same here.

I just do some cycling in the evenings when the weather is better and not like now (everything is frozen here )

But I also know, I'm not in the twenty-somethings anymore and the hand,feet,eye coordination also drops when getting older.
And I'm not a professional driver, so I can't expect to act like one and use all the same things.
I reduced my brake (removed the black rubber on the G29 and changed all the springs to GTEYE springs) to not have such a stiff brake etc.

In the end I want to have fun with racing in the evenings and not total realism and hard work when racing round a track.
But like Gavin, I also sometimes got this little ache (especially because my left shoulder rotator cuff is damaged) after longer races or racing for to long , but the more often I race, the less pain it is. So the racing itself is some kind of physical training for me.

If you want to have everything as realistic as it can be, then there is no way around to also train and do workout like real race drivers do.
But who got the mood and time for this. Not me

So I would say do whatever you like to do and where you have fun with, if you don't like running, don't run, there are so much other things available and I bet no matter what you do, in the end every kind of sport or workout will strengthen your body a little more.

[Strazen]

I have been using Google Fit on my phone (it works on iOS and Android of course) along with my new Razer Nabu watch, which is a smartwatch. You know Razer's moto: "For Gamers By Gamers", and it's actually a watch for your personal training, avoiding the high price of a fitness center. You monitor your progression based on several aspects from this watch to your Nabu app on your phone, and it's pretty cool.

I found myself doing power walking for 1 hour last night when Paris streets were nearly empty at Montmartre, a zone with lots of climbs and descents, so I already feel better and probably it's an element helping for endurance with Simracing if it's done on a constant base, who knows.

[Tberg]

I have been using Google Fit on my phone (it works on iOS and Android of course) along with my new Razer Nabu watch, which is a smartwatch. You know Razer's moto: "For Gamers By Gamers", and it's actually a watch for your personal training, avoiding the high price of a fitness center. You monitor your progression based on several aspects from this watch to your Nabu app on your phone, and it's pretty cool.

I found myself doing power walking for 1 hour last night when Paris streets were nearly empty at Montmartre, a zone with lots of climbs and descents, so I already feel better and probably it's an element helping for endurance with Simracing if it's done on a constant base, who knows.

I was going to suggest walking while reading through your first post. Nothing helps like exercise, sleep and change things up if it hurts.
I´ve never been overweight and I used to do all kinds or sports, even tournaments. Now, gained 15kg the last 5 years due being a parent, bad sleep and, guessed right, not moving that much. I still work out from time to time, and I actually did train cardio last time I was driving a simleague couple a years back, which really did benefit my driving through those 2 hour endurance races. But now, these days, if I stay inactive physically for too long, like a week, I can feel it and get all kinds of soar muscles from doing almost nothing. Including just simracing an hour. It also affects my mood and everything else I do. So I pull myself up and go for a walk. Next day I walk some more, maybe do a few push-ups whatever. Then just increase the workout slowly each day, and a few weeks later I feel great, never get soar doing stuff and generally just feel energy and joy coming through. Then I stop working out and repeat that pattern
Bottom line, you body needs to move, but you don´t have to sweat like a pig in the gym paying overprized membership.

My family just got a dog, guess who´s walking it every night and not complaining

[Festa_PWR]

Luckily my workplace installed a Gym just over a year ago and it`s free to use for employees.

I started going when it opened and have found the treadmill to be my weapon of choice, which is strange because I have always hated running.

It hasn`t half helped with leg muscles and cardio, such a big improvement over being out of breath walking upstairs.