I just had my newest article for Pinkbike.com posted today, be sure to check it out. It covers some great exercises and strategies for improving you ability to corner. If you have any questions or comments leave them there and I’ll get back to them ASAP.
Click here to read the pinkbike.com article
-James Wilson-
Strength is huge for a mountain biker. The stronger you are the easier it is to crank out slow RPM grinders when the trail steals your momentum, jump up and sprint a hill or straightaway and basically manhandle your bike around the trail. It also makes you far more injury resistant and durable. One of the biggest things that separates roadies from mountain biking are the strength demands and so making sure that you have adequate levels is important to your performance and long term health.
So, how strong is strong? I used to say list a double bodyweight deadlift and bodyweight military press as big indicators but over the last few years I’ve changed my mind a bit. Here is my most recent list of lifts and recommended goals for each: Read more…
I love the Turkish Get Up – rep for rep it gives you more than just about any exercise. I recently refined how I coach this great exercise and so I decided to shoot a video going over how to do it and how it applies to mountain biking. First, here are the steps to a great Turkish Get Up:
To get set up for the Turkish Get Up follow these steps: Read more…
Exercise Demos and Routines, Mountain Bike Strength Training
Just wanted to let you guys know that I posted a new core training article and video over at www.pinkbike.com. You can link directly to it through the link below:
http://mtbstrengthcoach.pinkbike.com/blog/coretraining1.html
-James Wilson-
Every once in a while someone will catch me in a video without any shoes on. While barefoot training is getting more popular I realize that not everyone has heard of it before. You may not know why I do it and encourage my clients to do so as well. If not, let me explain…
The essence of training is to restore and strengthen proper movement. Just like a car, if your body is out of alignment then power will be lost and extra wear and tear will result. All of your body parts work together to create movement and your foot is particularly important.
Your foot is where it all begins – it is your main contact point with the ground. The foot is amazing display of natural engineering. Here are a few facts about the foot and how they help you move:
- Your foot has is one of the top three most finely wired areas in the body. Your toes are as sensitive with nerve endings as your lips and fingertips.
I just spent the last 3 days working with my friend and colleague Gene Hamilton or Better Ride (www.betterride.net) to become a certified Better Ride skills coach. I took a camp with Gene a few years ago and it made a huge impact on not only my riding but how I look at creating training programs to enhance technical skills. When he sent out an email telling his former students he was offering a chance to become a coach for him I jumped on it.
Besides learning how to teach basic and advanced skills I also learned some great things about bike set up. Here are the top 4 things that Gene says will instantly help improve anyone’s ride (yes, even an XC rider):
1) Shorter Stem – Read more…
