This is an excerpt from an upcoming article on www.strengthcoach.com. In it I cover the 3 main physical differences between road riding and mountain biking and why these difference mean we need a very different approach to training…
Here are three things that must be considered with a mountain bike training program:
1) Slower RPMs require more muscular strength:
One of the foundations of the famous Carmichael Training System is that higher RPMs require less muscular strength and more aerobic capacity to keep going. That is why 90-110 RPMs is goal for a lot of road riders – spinning that fast produces the most power in the most energy efficient manner possible. What this means for the mountain biker, however, is completely different.
Read more…
Share on Facebook
Mountain Bike Cardio Training, Mountain Bike Strength Training
I got an e-mail from a blog reader recently about his experience with a bike fit. I want to say up front that this guy has a really good perspective on the whole thing and that our exchange was very beneficial. However, he did bring up some good points about a bike fit that I had not really thought about before.
He basically pointed out how, during the process of the bike fit, he was told that his knees caved in with each pedal stroke and his pelvis was rotated forward. Through the use of arch supports, shims and some other adjustments this problem was “fixed” and his legs now move much more efficiently, which resulted in more power and comfort while riding (I also need to point out that this was mostly on his road bike).
This got me thinking about how the problems were not really “fixed” and how a bike fit may actually be masking your real problems and setting you up for more pain down the road. Here is my take on bike fittings…
Read more…
Share on Facebook
Mountain Bike Cardio Training
In the Ultimate MTB Workout Program I have a couple different cardio workout programs specific to DH and XC racing. They are basically interval workouts based on the different length of effort during a race and I have gotten a lot of questions lately about which workouts are the best to follow for Super D racing and trail riding.
In a nutshell, the DH intervals are shorter and more intense while the XC intervals are a bit longer and have a bit more volume. This presents a problem for the rider who falls somewhere between the intense 3-5 minute scramble that is DH racing and the 2-3 hour pedal fest that is XC racing. Here is how I have been telling people to decide which one is best for them…
Read more…
Share on Facebook
Mountain Bike Cardio Training
I don’t know why but I have become obsessed lately with the whole “pedaling endurance” concept. The more I think about it the more I think it holds the key for most mountain bikers to take their riding to the next level. And far from being just a DH rider concept, this idea applies just as much to trail riders and XC racers.
I was going over the new programs with a couple of my riders this weekend and in talking with them I mentioned a saying I’ve heard many times before – Fatigue masks fitness.
No matter where you are or what type of riding you do this saying applies to you. When you get tired your “fitness” is hard to display. However, what is important to note is that fatigue from one thing can affect your fitness in another area.
Let me give you an analogy to illustrate my point – Read more…
Share on Facebook
Mountain Bike Cardio Training, Mountain Bike Strength Training
I was talking with one of the local riders who trains at my facility after training last night and he was talking about his perception of how his interval workouts were going. He had built up to doing 40 second intervals and said that they were not getting any easier. To him this meant that something wasn’t right and he wasn’t getting fitter.
I told him that 40 second sprints will always suck and if he is looking for the day when they would be easy, it wasn’t coming. You get fitter and push yourself harder – it will always feel relatively hard.
He said that his idea was that he was supposed to start with the 30 second intervals and then they would get easy and then that would mean he was ready for the 35 second intervals. After they felt “easy” he was ready for the 40 seconds intervals and so on. I realized that he was applying a volume based progression mindset to an intensity based exercise.
Most riders will judge their relative fitness levels to how long they can ride. When you first started out an hour long ride would kill you. Eventually that became easy and you were able to ride longer. When that become easier you could ride longer again. Basically, you looked for your current volume of riding to get easier, that told you that you were fitter and you then looked to start riding longer.
However, with sprint type intervals this is not the right way to look at it. It isn’t about making how long you are going feel easier, it is about being able to cram more power into that time frame. Without objectively looking at your performance this can be tough to do.
Read more…
Share on Facebook
Mountain Bike Cardio Training
The last week has been pretty exhausting. Between tying to play catch up on missing a week while at Mike Boyle’s facility in Boston and getting over a head cold that just wouldn’t let go I was trying to help people keep some perspective on articles and posts I had written.
On NSMB.com I had posted an article on the Bulgarian Split Squat and found myself defending it against some people who felt I was either saying it was the best exercise ever or were upset that I did not go over a different exercise that they thought was more appropriate. It was one article on one exercise and yet some people lost perspective and it resulted in a lot of confusion and wasted online hairsplitting.
On Monday I posted some thoughts I had on pedaling endurance for DH racing. Some people had a tough time keeping perspective on the situation – I am not saying that pedaling endurance is not important for DH racing. It is very important for all mountain bikers and will always be a part of a good training program.
Read more…
Share on Facebook
Mountain Bike Cardio Training, Mountain Bike Strength Training
