Sometimes we get a little overzealous in our quest to become a better mountain biker. We spend a lot of time and effort picking the right workout, hitting the gym and logging our intervals yet we forget why we are doing it. The truth is that we don’t train for the sake of training – [...]
I forget where I first heard it but one of the most powerful bits of advice I’ve ever read was “nothing fails like success”. Once people experience a little bit of success with something they tend to stop looking for better methods and end up failing to really improve as much as they could. Remember [...]
This post originally appeared on www.singletracks.com last week and covers some ideas about using strength training to improve your pedal stroke. Most riders are told that a powerful, efficient pedal stroke means that you need to spin circles or pull through the top of your pedal stroke. However, some recent studies are calling that advice [...]
This is the replay from my online clinic. I hope that it changes how you look at mountain bike training in general and kettlebell training in particular… You can find out more about my all new MTB Kettlebell Conditioning Program at www.mtbkettlebellconditioning.com -James Wilson-
Alright, it’s finally done! I’m proud to announce that I released the new MTB Kettlebell Conditioning Program last night at the conclusion of my online clinic. It has been a big project for me and I’m very happy with how it came out and the amount of support I’ve received so far. To celebrate I’m [...]
James: On page 22 of the Oct 2011 issue of Bicycling magazine talks about using knee extensions to improve your ability to turn a crank. A new study found that three weeks of thrice weekly strength training for the knee extenders improved torque by 17% among older cyclists. Since I’m approaching 70 this month and [...]
In this podcast I go share my insights on how to combine my two favorite things – kettlebells and mountain biking! I’ve been using kettlebells with great success in my facility for years and there are a lot of advantages that they offer mountain bikers. In this podcast I cover: – What are kettlebells? – [...]
I spent the weekend in Long Beach CA attending the Perform Better 3 Day Functional Training Summit listening to some of the best coaches in the world share their knowledge and insights. It was an amazing experience to hear some of the coaches I’ve looked up to for years live and in person and to [...]
This post originally appeared on PinkBike.com about a month ago – Get a group of mountain bikers together and a lot of them probably have or have had some sort of shoulder issue. From overuse injuries due to hours in the saddle with bad posture to impact injuries from crashes, the shoulders are a sensitive [...]
One of the biggest problems with strength training for mountain biking is the confusion between “bodybuilding” and “performance training”. A lot of riders don’t realize that big muscles don’t always equal an increase in trail strength and performance on the trail. This confusion has a lot of riders following the wrong advice and getting the [...]
This video goes along with my July article in Decline Magazine and covers the 3 basic kettlebell exercises and how to get started using them to make you a faster mountain bike rider. -James Wilson-
Last night I went on a Ribbon shuttle, which is one of the more epic rides we have around Grand Junction. The Ribbon trail is an amazing ride for a few reasons – the views are spectacular and the terrain is a bit surreal. You find yourself riding along at 35-40 mph on stretches of [...]
If you think about how far bikes have come in the last 10-15 years it is pretty amazing. Advances in how we engineer bikes and parts let us ride faster, push the boundaries of our sport and have more fun on the trail. And just like bikes, how we “engineer” workouts has advanced a lot [...]
One of the most important factors in a successful mountain bike training program is to have a planned progression. At its most basic level this means having some sort of idea of what you want to accomplish from one program to the next – keeping an eye on where you’ve been and where you want [...]
For a mountain biker, building a strong, high performance core for the demands of riding for hours on grueling trails requires a smart, multi-pronged attack. You want a core that is able to connect the upper body and lower body, resist twisting and be able to coordinate with the hips for lateral movement around the [...]
On Saturday I got the chance to go ride The Whole Enchilada, which is a series of trails in Moab UT. Starting up in the LaSalle Mountains, connect Burro Pass, Hazard County, Upper Porcupine Singletrack, Lower Porcupine Singletrack and the Porcupine Rim Trail and you’ve done the Whole Enchilada. It is a tough day of [...]
One of the most damaging rumors in our sport is that strength training does not help cycling performance. Apparently there are some studies that show no increase in performance in cyclists after undertaking a strength training program and that has become the battle cry for some riders when the subject comes up in forums. This [...]
One of the most important movement skills for any mountain biker to posses is the basic “hip hinge”. This is your ability to bend at the hips and not at the lower back and it is directly related to your ability to get into good body position on the bike. Without this movement skill you [...]
Sometimes I’m reminded that the desire to purposefully put yourself into harms way on a mountain bike is not normal – and that’s one of the reasons that I love it so much. For example, last night I was hitting some jumps at the The Ranch and got a little too whipped out on one [...]
Combo drills are a great way to build strength endurance and cardio capacity while using strength training exercises that work on movement skills we need on the trail. They are also excellent for increasing your coordination between different movements, another skill that will serve you well on the trail. Since trail riding requires a high [...]
