When most of us think about improving our performance the first things that come to mind are working hard on things like cardio and strength. However, your ability to relax may be just as important. A study by the old Soviet Union’s sports scientists showed something very interesting about the ability to relax. When they [...]
If you kept up with my In-Season Training Strategies video series last week then you understand why Mobility Training needs to be your #1 In-Season Training priority. When it starts to go then all sorts of bad things happen, from decreased performance to increased pain and overuse injuries. However, if you didn’t get a chance [...]
One of the biggest mistakes riders make when trying to improve their mobility is to try and force their muscles to lengthen and mobilize. We have been taught that the harder we work the better out results but that attitude can really backfire on you when you are trying to improve your mobility. In fact, [...]
Can you touch your toes? If so, can you do it while maintaining a relatively straight lower back? If you are like a lot of riders I have met the answer to this questions is “no” and if you are among them this may be one of the most important videos you ever watch. A [...]
If you spend some time during the week working on your mobility then you don’t need an elaborate pre- and post ride routine. However, taking a few minutes to mobilize a few key areas can help you get into the flow of the trail a bit faster and keep common problem areas from flaring up [...]
Low back pain while riding is one of the most common complaints I hear from riders. If you are doing your mountain bike mobility and strength training exercises on a regular basis you shouldn’t suffer from it often but sometimes even the strongest rider will start to feel it tighten up. While instinct may tell [...]
Before I get too far into this let me say that I am a general fan of yoga. I have done yoga in the past and I encourage my clients to use it as a tool for gaining extra mobility and body awareness. However, just like any other workout method it does have some disadvantages. [...]
One of my favorite stretches for mountain biking is the Frog Stretch. It is one of the best ways to open up the hips and groin, two areas that are notoriously tight on mountain bikers. In this video I show you how to do this “must use” stretch and avoid some common mistakes that keep [...]
Q: I have been with you for a while, and my riding strength has improved tremendously. I regularly clean hills I never even thought about trying a couple of years ago. I rode with a group of riders on Saturday. One of the women from the group noticed I was doing some warm-up stretches on [...]
Let’s face it – as mountain bikers our shoulders take a beating. Being hunched over in the saddle and getting pounded on when we crash take their toll and as a result a lot of riders have a perma-hunch going on where their shoulders are rounded forward all the time. Besides making us look like [...]
I would have to say that 90% of the MTB riders and racers that I have met would be defined as “over skilled”. It sounds absurd since most feel that some aspect of their riding needs work, be it skill related such as gate starts or fitness related such as better power endurance (I define [...]
My buddy Lee McCormack (www.leelikesbikes.com) recently sent me this question… James!OK dude. I’ve been doing longer rides lately, and it’s starting to feel good. My climbing legs are coming back, and I’m comfortable for 2+ hour rides. The weak link is actually appearing on the DH. I’m training and riding the way I always do, [...]
Most exercise professionals would agree that there are many components to fitness. A well rounded approach to fitness that addresses all of them is usually the best way to achieve lasting gains and continual progress from a program. Being deficient in even one of these components leads to slow progress and results in a condition [...]
This last weekend I had a 2 day Skills & Fitness Clinic and had a couple guys come who’ve been following my programs for at least a year. It is kind of interesting to get someone in to see me who answers my “what kind of program have you been following” question with “yours”. I’ve [...]
Hey James, Love your site. I have been very interested in functional training since seeing some of your post on Pinkbike. I am a bit confused about the difference between joint flexibility, mobility and how that relates to joint stability… and how that all translates out on the trail. Do you have a past podcast [...]
Getting the hips loosened up is a priority for any mountain biker. It will decrease low back pain, increase hip drive and help with your technical skills. Here is one of my favorite stretches for this vital area. Multi Planar Hip Stretch -James Wilson-
Low back pain is a common problem with mountain bikers. Here is a simple 5 exercise routine I use to loosen up the hips and upper back so that the body can move freely at the hips and take the stress off the lower back. Here is the routine: – Hip Flexor Stretch X 5 [...]
I’ve been using the kettlebell arm bar a lot in my facility recently. Here is the video demo of it and why it is important for mountain bikers to use. Hint: core strength and shoulder stability, two thing most of us lack… -James Wilson-
The deep squat pattern is very important for mountain bikers to have cleaned up. If you have trouble getting down into a deep squat position then this dynamic flow routine will help a lot. Use this routine on a daily basis for increasing mobility or as a warm up for a workout that requires front [...]
Here is a video I shot this morning show one of my workout partners how to do the Wall Squat and Down Dog-Cobra “Prying” Drill. These are great for “crushing” some mobility out of your hips and upper back. Alternate back and forth a couple times between the exercises, doing 5 reps of each. -James [...]
