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Stronger, Fitter, Faster

Life in the fast lane for our drivers is pretty awesome, but it sure does take its toll on their bodies and mental strength.

Picture this. You’re heading down Conrod Straight at 300-clicks in a 600-plus horsepower supercar, trying to make a move on the car in front, or defend the one behind, all while focussing on not making a mistake which could send you into the wall at any moment…we can tell you right now, that’s a lot of pressure and force for your body to handle!

But, as the lyrical genius Kanye West says, “N-now th-that that don’t kill me, can only make us stronger.”

So, with this in mind, we decided to ask what Jamie ‘JDub’ Whincup and Shane ‘SVG’ van Gisbergen’s training routines look like between events to keep their mind’s strong and their body’s race-fit?

“Our biggest challenge in the race car is heat which is generally 25 degrees hotter than the ambient,” says JDub.

“There’s no scientific evidence to say that heat training improves your ability to cope with this discomfort, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that general fitness does help you preform outside of your comfort zone for longer.

“My training consists of plenty of cardiovascular training most days. There are no big crazy fitness numbers in my world, my full focus is to be consistent over a long period of time.

“You will find me running between 5-10 kilometres around the block, riding 30-60 kilometres around the Gold Coast at different intensity depending on the focus of that session.

“I also really enjoy my swimming. Mark Webber once said to me that swimming is a poor man’s physio, and I agree, it’s a great way to keep the body inline for the long haul.”

For SVG, adopting a ‘keep-it-simple’ training regime is the most beneficial for him.

“To be honest, I just do a lot of running, maybe three to four times a week. 

“I also enjoy mountain biking and playing squash, which are really good ways of keeping my cardio up.

“For me, I like to focus more on watching video of past races, look through data and study the next track we’re racing at. That’s how I like to keep race-fit,” SVG said.

Although a champion of the sport, having an escape from racing is also important for JDub’s preparation.

“I just love sport in general. Whether its golf, kicking the footy, mountain bike riding or shooting some hoops, I just love it. While I don’t call this training, the experts tell me it is!”