NEWS
19.09.2008 FITNESS FANATICS
Mangold and Arch show peak fitness = peak performance
Some pilots run, swim and bike while others climb mountains, ski or sky dive and still others strap on inline skates, play hockey or racket ball. The 12 Red Bull Air Race pilots have their own formulas on how to stay in top physical condition – vital to withstanding the rigors of high-speed, low-altitude flying. Yet opinions among the pilots vary on the best recipe to prepare for the high G forces they are exposed to in the race of precision flying. Some extol the virtues of weightlifting to strengthen specific muscle groups while others avoid weights altogether, fearful of adding body mass or compromising dexterity. There is nevertheless a consensus among the pilots that a high level of cardiovascular fitness and endurance to help the body cope with G forces, and a minimum amount of body weight is essential to success.
“You’ve got to be in good condition for this race,” said American Mike Mangold, two-time Red Bull Air Race World Champion, after slipping away from the airport for a workout. He may be the oldest pilot in the field at 52 but is regarded as among the fittest. Mangold is unabashedly proud of his fitness, saying he could beat the other 11 pilots in any one-on-one test of physical fitness. “You have to have a lot of energy to go out there and fly. If you want to react quickly, you’ve got to be at the top of your game physically.”
Mangold, 178 cm (5’10”) tall and weighing 84 kg (185 lbs), divides his training into three parts: daily hour-long sessions strengthening his cardiovascular system (jogging, inline skating, biking or swimming); three weekly weight-lifting sessions of up to 90 minutes; and intense, regular 15-minute stretching sessions. “Having more body strength is going to help you with your G-force tolerance,” he said. “I do a lot of weights, working on different parts of the body: chest, back, legs and a lot of abdominal stuff because you’re subjected to a lot of forces, especially the compression of the lower back in the seats with the high G-forces. You can hear our necks cracking and things like that because of the high Gs over the years. You have to be stronger to keep your skeletal structure in good shape. We’re all probably a bit shorter than we should be. I honestly think it’s due to the compression we’re under.”
When he is on the road and there is no gym available, Mangold will turn his hotel room into a makeshift training chamber. “I can drop down and do 50 push-ups at a time, so I’ll do like five or six sets of 50 for 250 to 300.” He said he would happily take up a fitness challenge against on any of the other pilots on the standard U.S. Air Force Academy fitness test: pull-ups, long jump, push-ups, sit-ups and running. “If we had some kind of physical fitness test, I think I’d probably beat just about everyone here.”
Tne pilot who would likely put up a good fight in any Mangold fitness challenge is Hannes Arch. The Austrian, who has leaped up near the top of the championship ahead of Mangold in only his second year, attributes it partly to a fast plane, a good support team, good flying and good fitness. He has been a shining example of how being peak physical condition can make a crucial difference between finishing near the top or near the bottom. Arch lost 10 kg in the off-season and works out almost every day of the year. Spain’s Alejandro Maclean also lost a lot of weight last year and saw his performance improve.
“It’s a sport where we face high Gs and a lot of stress,” said Arch, 40. “The flying is really demanding so physical fitness is really important. I don’t do weightlifting at all because it just makes the muscles big and slow. I do a lot of running, jogging, hiking in mountains and also running in mountains because it’s really good for the overall fitness. I think that’s the key to being really strong during the whole race week. It gives you the base to sustain all the stress.”
Arch, Mangold and others said it is not only the flying itself that is taxing; there are other demands – everything from scores of media interviews to public pit lane walks and working on the planes – that takes their toll. Especially in their “home” race pilots can spend much more time talking than racing.
A few others are sometimes seen working out in hotel gyms or running through parks in the early morning hours such as Nigel Lamb, who is also an avid racket ball player. Others such as Paul Bonhomme and Kirby Chambliss are mountain-biking enthusiasts. Mangold said that the trend among pilots in the last year or so has to put a premium on weight-reduction to help reduce weight in the plane. “More are exercising now to decrease body mass. We all know if the plane is lighter it’s going to go faster. That’s an added driving motivation right now.”
Arch said he also likes to do sports climbing. “It’s good for the coordination of muscles and the stretching of muscles and for concentration. It gives you peace of mind.” He does not count the number of hours he goes running. “I’m just doing sports all year long. I try to stay in shape and work out every day. It’s really important for the results and the sport itself if you want to succeed.”
Despite his top physical shape, Arch said he believes he could be doing more to be in even better condition for the unique challenges of the Red Bull Air Race. “You can’t just train and get into shape in a few weeks. You need a couple of years. I don’t consider myself to be in the best shape I could be. I’m running a long-term plan. There’s more fitness and sports planned for next year.”
