While it seems like common knowledge now, there was a time not too long ago when the words “Hip Hinge” were unknown in mountain bike training circles. Stuck in the bodybuilder inspired stuff left over from the 1990’s, most training routines for riders included a healthy dose of leg presses, leg extensions and leg curls. […]
Author Archives: James Wilson
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Shin Box Mobility Routine for Mountain Biking
I’ve been working with mountain bikers since 2005, which means that I’ve seen a few trends over that time. Seeing something once or twice is one thing but seeing it over and over usually means something. When it comes to mountain bikers, the biggest trend I’ve seen is that they almost always have tight hips. […]
One thing that we take for granted is how much balance plays a role in our performance on the bike. You can be the fittest guy out there but if your balance sucks then you’ll struggle to apply it and not spend half your time picking yourself up off the ground after crashing. Like anywhere […]
Improving your cornering skills is usually at the top of most rider’s wish lists. It is a skill that can not only make you looks pretty cool but will also improve your speed and safety on the trail. However, the way that cornering is usually taught doesn’t tell the whole story. With too much emphasis […]
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Podcast – Overtraining: What It Is and How To Avoid It
Everyone knows that training hard is part of getting better. If you don’t push your body past what it did yesterday then it won’t have any reason to improve your fitness levels. But we also know that if you push too hard things can go wrong. Usually referred to as Overtraining, almost everyone reading this […]
Spending some time getting stronger is one of the best things you can do to improve your performance on the trail. While nothing can replace riding your bike, there are 3 reasons that strength training will help you in ways that just riding your bike can not. 1 – It helps you work on tension […]
A few weeks ago I shared one of my favorite blog posts I’ve done over the years where I broke down how to Manual and Bunny Hop on Your Bike. I really like it because it was the result of a long, frustrating journey as I tried to figure out this elusive skill based on […]
A few weeks ago I was contacted by the Singletracks.com website to see if I would be interested in coming on their podcast to talk about fitness training for mountain biking. It seems that a lot of their readers felt that fitness was something that was a problem for them – which is consistent with […]
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Stick Mobility for Mountain Biking
In this video I share some great new mobility moves I’ve been using in my program. Inspired by the Mobility Stick, they use a wooden rod or length of PVC pipe to connect the two sides of the body together as you go through the movements. While I show you some mobility movements for the […]
When you break it down to its most basic element, riding a mountain bike comes down to the interplay between your Center of Gravity (COG) and your bike’s COG. Usually referred to as “body position”, this relationship determines your balance points and ability to move on the bike. On your body the COG is roughly […]
