The Ultimate Sandbag is still my favorite new tool to work with. Since getting one in the facility a few months ago I have been using them more and more in rider’s programs. In fact, one my clients favorite new cardio workouts is a sandbag combination drill I recently created.
This workout does a great job of improving your ability to produce strength and power in the face of a high heart rate and accumulated fatigue.
This workout will have you doing a combination drill that combines the Rotational Lunge, Around-the-World and Clean & Press exercises. You will do each exercise for 3 reps before moving onto the next one in the drill, continuing through the drill for 90-120 seconds before resting for 60 seconds. You’ll repeat this sequence 3 times for a quick 10 minute workout that will build strength and endurance in a very trail-riding specific way.
Watch this video to see a demo of the exercises and how this drill will look in action: Post Continued :: Click to Read More
Core training is one of those subjects I could probably do an article on every month and riders would still want to learn more. By now almost everyone realizes that without a strong, injury resistant core it is impossible to be the best mountain biker you can. Luckily core training has come a long way over the last few years and we now know that there is a lot more to it than just doing some crunches and planks.
In this month’s training feature I wanted to share 4 more core training exercises that I use in my programs to help riders develop not only a strong core, but ability to apply that core strength in a way that will help them on the trail. Being able to create movement around a solid core and resist twisting and bending is what we need as mountain bikers and these 4 exercises will help you do just that.
Since I use a lot of different training implements in my facility I will show you a sandbag, kettlebell, dumbbell and bodyweight core training exercise, giving everyone something that can try out and use. These 4 exercises present a challenge for even the strongest riders so if your looking for something to take you core training to the next level look no further. Post Continued :: Click to Read More
Using the suspension training system – like the TRX or Jungle Gym – to increase the difficulty of bodyweight based exercises is one of my favorite ways to challenge riders who have built a good degree of strength and control in the basics. For example, doing a push up with a TRX completely changes the core and overall stabilization demands of the exercise and presents someone who has mastered the basic push up a completely new challenge.
However, I see most people make one critical mistake when doing the TRX push up (this also applies to TRX fallouts as demonstrated in the video) – they don’t think about their feet and end up with a very weak and wobbly base.
I’ve seen this tip add as many as 5 extra push ups to someone’s personal best
In this video I show you how to instantly improve your strength in the TRX push ups – I’ve seen this tip add as many as 5 extra push ups to someone’s personal best – by improving your base of support, namely how stable your feet and ankles are.
Post Continued :: Click to Read More
Talent is Overrated a book that had been recommended to me by a couple of people in the coaching world. It is an in depth look at what exactly fuels great performance in any field and challenges the myth of the “natural talent”. Time and again, when you look at story behind the performance you find that even those who were supposedly blessed with “talent” worked hard to achieve those results. After reading it I wanted to share some of the lessons I took from it with you.
The take home message from the book is that “lack of talent” is usually not the real issue. Instead, the author of the book looks at the traits shared by great performers and identifies several things that, if applied, can help anyone achieve greater performance in anything.
Average performers blame outside forces, great performers look at how they can learn and grow.
Here are a few of the things that really stood out for me:
- Deliberate Practice: Great performers all engage in a lot of “deliberate practice”. Deliberate practice is a term coined by the author to distinguish it from the mindless activities that usually define “practice” for most people. For practice to be deliberate you have to identify specific things that you are trying to work on and be mindful of how you are doing. Post Continued :: Click to Read More
