I was going through my YouTube videos and found this one that never got posted here. It is a great video demo on how to squat properly – more importantly, it shows you how to avoid putting excessive stress on the knees during squats.
If you feel that you can not squat or that excessive squats kill your knees then watch this video! It will help you get more drive out of your hips, which will not only feel better but help you get more leg drive on the trail.
Split stance exercises are some of the most important for us as mountain bikers. The stance gives us a very unique core training effect that is also very specific to riding a mountain bike.
Here is a video demo of the Split Stance Shoulder Press and several variations you can use. It is one of my favorite upper body exercises for mountain biking.
Being able to keep your shoulder blades stabilized is very important for shoulder strength, health and function. On our bikes, being able to resist the “hunched shoulder” posture is important for keeping the tension out of your neck. In addition, being able to have your upper back in a flat, strong position gives you better control of the bike and balance on the trail.
The wall slide is a staple exercise in my facility to counteract the effects of riding posture, which also happens to be desk posture and sitting in your car posture. Do 2 sets of 10 reps a few times a week and watch what happens to your posture and shoulder health.
I’ve talked a lot about the single leg deadlift and its importance in a strength training program for mountain biking. Because of that I’ve also had a lot of requests for a demo of this outstanding exercise. I listen to what my peeps want…
Sometimes you just don’t have a lot of time to get a good warm up in. Well, with this time crunched warm up drill that is no longer an excuse. Getting warmed up and mobile before strength training is very important and increasing mobility is a must for mountain bikers so this drill should come in handy.
We’re all going to crash – it is just a fact of life for mountain bikers. I don’t know why but practicing basic tumbling drills is not something that has been recommended for mountain bikers to help them understand how to crash better…until now.
Getting good at these basic drills will save your a** some day. It can be the difference between walking away from a crash and lying there in a bloody, wimpering heap. Trust me on this one, I’ve had these drills save me more than once!
