The Importance of Strength Training for Mountain Biking

Now that the snow has finally melted and the trails are drying up nicely, it's time to say goodbye to those tedious indoor trainer and spin sessions (if you've been doing them!) and get back out onto the single-track we so enjoy.

Getting back on the trails for those spring rides is fun and for many of us, we treat it as a way of getting our fitness back up, especially if we've taken the winter off.  However whether you are a recreational rider or a seasoned racer, knowing the importance of strength training to improve your mountain biking skill is essential.  Not only will it improve your performance on the trails or in a race, but it will also reduce the likelihood of injury.

Mountain biking is demanding, it requires endurance, power, skill, and balance.  It includes extreme variation of terrain from climbing short technical power climbs to rocky rough descents at speed.  Even flat trails can bring you over any size or number of rocks, roots, logs and slippery bridges.  Maneuvering through all that the trail can throw at you can be tricky.  The strain of constantly absorbing all the shock that comes through the bike's frame and suspension system can radiate up your legs and into your spine. 

Although ideally your key strength training should take place during your winter off-season months, if this is an area that you would still like to improve then simply following these key exercises below.  These are all exercises that you can do at home, and if performed regularly will help you to build the core musculature needed to make your mountain biking stronger. 

Warm Up - Jump Rope 3 x 30sec (1min rest in-between)

Step ups & Hip Drive - (using the first step of your stairs) - focus on keeping tall and strong from your mid-section.  The leg on the step is the leg that is doing all the work.  You can either do this with bodyweight or you can hold some dumbbells by your side or above your head.

Full body Plank - Lying face down on the floor, place elbows and forearms on the floor with hands together forming a V - stretch up onto toes and keep back and hips in line (do not lift hips too high).  Draw in your core by lifting belly button inwards and upwards towards your spine.  Hold position strong and look to perform two to four sets of 30-60 second repetitions.  If this is too hard initially then build up to it.

Walking Lunge - Either bodyweight or using a bar or dumbbells, alternate feet and lunge forwards ensuring that your front knee does not exceed your front foot and that your knees and hips do not collapse inwards.  You should drop your weight through your back leg but do not allow your back knee to hit the floor. Come back up using as much of your front leg as possible.  Perform two to four sets of 6 - 8 repetitions.

Full Crunch - Perform an upper and lower abdominal crunch, extending the legs out at the finish.  Return to the starting position and repeat.  Perform two to four sets of 10-20 repetitions.

Step Bridge - Lie on the floor with your feet on the bottom step of your stairs Hip width apart.  Lift one leg straight up towards the ceiling.  With your standing leg, lift your hips so that they are level between your chest and knees.  Lower your hips back to the floor and repeat this 10 times.  Perform two to four sets of 10-15 repetitions on each leg.

Your level of experience with strength work will determine the amount of weight you should use (in some cases it is perfectly fine to be just using your own bodyweight).  Ideally you want to put this into your program on two days per week.

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Deborah Leedale-Brown is a Fitness, Lifestyle & Sport Performance Consultant with her own business (dlb-2 FULL POTENTIAL).  Alongside her Bachelors Degree in Sport Science & Physiology gained in 1994, she is also a certified Sport and Exercise Scientist with BASES (British Association of Sport & Exericse Science), and a BOA (British Olympic Association) registered Strength & Conditioning Specialist
 
Deborah has spent the last 16 years working with both recreational exercisers and elite athletes in the field of Sport & Exercise Science.  She was responsible for the management, development and delivery of support programs in the areas of elite sport performance and health & wellness.  Some of her work achievements include:

• Lead Strength & Conditioning Specialist working with GB Diving (junior & senior programs)

• Strength & conditioning coach to 2000 Commonwealth gold & silver medalists, World silver & bronze medalists & 2004 Olympic silver medalists (Diving)

• Physiology Consultant to Great Britain Cycling Conditioning & nutritional support to England Squash - Junior & Senior World Class Potential players
• Conditioning & nutritional support to professional Golf - EGU, European Challenge and PGA Tour players
• Nutritional preparation for British Olympic marathoner (Athens 2004 / Beijing 2008)

 
During her five years here in the States Deborah company has built up a varied client base each with their own individual health & fitness needs ranging from elite performance development, client weight loss, injury & cardiac rehabilitation, through to young athlete strength and stability program development.
 
At 38 years old my passion for being active is still as strong as ever.  Now that I'm a mom, being healthy and physically active is extremely important to me, and caring for my 6 year old son Oliver means that most of my free-time is spent playing every ball game imaginable and chasing him around on his new bike.  I currently compete at an elite level in XC Mountain Bike racing throughout the Mid Atlantic States and when not training specifically for this I also enjoy Trail Running, Cycle Road Racing, Adventure racing, Duathlon events & Rock-Climbing.

Deborah Leedale-Brown
Fitness, Lifestyle & High Performance Consultant
dlb-2 FULL POTENTIAL
203 Waverly Road . Wilmington, DE   19803
(302) 668-8585

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