Deadlifting for Mountain Biking
The deadlift is the most important exercise for you to learn and incorporate into your training program. The bottom position is similar to the “attack position” you need to ingrain in order to best maneuver and control your bike. Executing a rep mimics the full hip extension needed to power standing pedaling efforts, something most mountain bikers are weak with which is why hard climbing efforts overly tax their legs.
In short, if you can not do a deadlift then you can not ride your bike properly. If you can not comfortably get into and hold the bottom position of the deadlift then your hip mobility is putting you into a bad position on your bike and if you are weak on this lift then your true leg power is compromised.
The deadlift will help your technical skills, hill climbing, gate starts, passing efforts and pretty much anything else you need to do on your bike. Learn it, use it, love it…
You can right click on the link below and select “Save as…” to download the IPod compatible video demo.
Deadlifting for Mountain Biking
You can also watch the video demo below
Deadlifting for Mountain Bikers from James Wilson on Vimeo.
Here are some pictures and coaching cues for this exercise.
Start
-Walk up to the bar until you can see your toes on the other side.
-Make sure that you have a shoulder width stance and that your hands are placed evenly on the bar.
-Keeping your elbows locked out pull your butt down towards the ground until you back is straight and you have about a 45 degree trunk angle with the ground. You don’t want your butt too low or your miss the hip training effect we are looking for and you don’t want your hips above your shoulders or you’ll injure your lower back.
-Pack your shoulders into your torso (this should result in the bar being pulled into towards your shins).
-Take up the slack with your legs (come up as high as you can without actually lifting the bar off the ground).
Initial Pull
-Pressing through your heels, extend you legs into the ground and squeeze your butt cheeks together.
-Make sure that your first pull off the ground maintains your torso angle with the ground. Shoulders coming up first means that you are pulling with your low back. Hips coming up first means that you will use the low back to lock out. Both are bad and should be avoided.
Lock Out
-Keep driving the heels into the ground and look to have your hips and knees lock out at the same time when you get to the top. Knees locking our first means that you did not use your hips enough and you need to squeeze your butt cheeks more. Having the hips lock out first means that you did not extend the legs into the ground right off the bat and instead “rolled” your hips under you to make it a more quad dominant movement.
-Squeeze your butt cheeks together tight at the top to protect your lower back. Think about getting as tall as possible to help you avoid leaning back into the lock out position.
-Think about sliding your hips under you to take your focus off the shoulders and make sure that you are using the hips to drive the movement.
Return and Reset
-Lower the bar back down to the ground, keep your hands in contact with the bar and straighten your legs. Pull yourself back down into position to reset and then start the next rep.
So, how much do you think we should be able to lift then?
[Reply]
bikejames Reply:
March 16th, 2009 at 10:20 am
double bodyweight deadlift is still my underlying recommendation for this lift.
James
[Reply]
Hi James,
about the deadlift, I listened to a podcast you did where you mentioned that even a minimal weight deadlift was good for form and to get started out. I also saw your article in “Decline” where Kyle was just lifting cinder blocks.
so, question, you mentioned somewhere that this can be done with dumbells too, I guess, though, that they would have to be on small platforms as all the dealifts I see you demo start with the bar about 10 inches from the ground?
So, if I was to get started with small weights – either dumbells or on a weight bar, should the bar be spaced about 10 inches from the floor to start out? A weight that big in diameter is too much for me to get started with.
2: you mentioned a DVD on core training (deadlifting) by Greg Cook, could you perhaps post a link to that please, google can’t find it.
thanks
I really liked the “it’s all core training” message. it struck a chord with me. You certainly have helped me ride my bike better man.
neil
[Reply]
bikejames Reply:
May 23rd, 2009 at 7:25 am
The deadlift exercise is simply a way to practice the “hip hinge” movement pattern. The action of sliding your hips behind your heels while letting your chest come down towards the ground while keeping your shoulders packed in and straight lower back is really what you are after.
You can do this movement with just bodyweight or using anything you have access to. You don’t have to touch the ground to practice this movement. The actual exercise known as the deadlift does require you to put the implement all the way down and start from a dead stop. This is the difference between practicing an exercise and practicing a movement.
Practice the movement with your bodyweight and dumbbells. Do a deadlift like I described in the video demo. These are not the same thing. When you understand the difference you are starting to understand the true essence of training.
James
[Reply]
Hi James,
thanks for the tips. I hope that I am starting to get it.
If the deadlift position mimics the “attack”position on the bike, does that mean that aswell as a straight back it’s good to ride with shoulders “packed”?
Also, could you please post a link or name for the Gray Cook Core techniques [Deadlift] DVD – or do you feel your own coverage of dealifting is sufficient – when i can start to lift with weight, I want to get the movement RIGHT.
thanks for making my riding better
neil
[Reply]
bikejames Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 6:37 am
Yeah, shoulders packed is best. Most riders have bad posture so the shouldes rounded look has just been accepted but in reality you should be able to set yourself up in a position similar to the bottom of a deadlift. Thats is one of the reasons the deadlift is so great – it places just as much demand on the upper back as the legs and provides a great way to combat the shoulder disfunction brought on by hours in the saddle.
Here is the link for Grey Cook’s video – http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_5096_A_rnd_E_19
Anything of his is worth checking out. His philosophy of “movement first” is pretty much the core principle of MTB Strength Training Systems.
James
[Reply]
hi james,
Hello from Bali, Indonesia
i have been reading your web again and again finally a training program for mTB specfic, great job. i have been riding in between my gym time, focusing on core strenght and some weigh lifting to strenghten my shoulder and arm for Down hill riding.. your article added more variety to my training.
well keep up the training coming..
[Reply]