The Best Way To Train

Hey everybody.

There is so much debate on the best types of exercises and workouts for athletes to achieve their performance goals. Some athletes/coaches swear by weights intensive training programs, others rely purely on riding volume, some rely heavily on dry land workouts and so on. If your browsing articles on fitness I guarantee you'll find a whole range of opinions on the best way to do things. So what's the answer? How should we train?

The answer is everybody is different - we all have different body geometries, lung capacities, muscle densities, natural levels of fast/slow twitch muscle fiber, lactic acid thresholds and a whole heap of other stuff. Because we are all built so differently, what works for one athlete may not work for the next. Its a matter of being in the game for long enough to learn and experience different training methods to find what works for you.

How To Win The Holeshot

Hi everybody. Been a while since my last post so I thought I'd give you something that you can start incorporating in your training immediately to improve your race starts and help you win you the holeshot. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, the rider who wins the holeshot in a mountain bike race is the one who is the first to enter the singletrack after the start gun. This is an advantageous position to be in as you can control the tempo of the race and you can make ground on the riders who are stuck in the log jam. This is especially useful for short track racers where positioning is everything.

The power step up is an exercise that you can incorporate into your gym workout that develops explosive power through your legs and hips which will transfer into your pedals. All you need is a bench/box/ledge to perform this exercise. The video below explains the power step up well. Make sure you are keeping you knees behind your toes to prevent stress on your patella tendon.

How To Stay Injury Free

Injury prevention is one of those things that we often neglect when we're healthy but wish we'd done when we're in pain. If you're riding/competing seriously, injury prevention measures should be an important part of your weekly training schedule. Along with preventing injuries, many of these methods also improve performance and could be the missing ingredient in escaping performance plateaus. Below are some methods that will help prevent injuries and increase performance

Stretching

Stretching is the simplest and cheapest way to prevent injuries and should be a staple in your training regimen. Stretching lengthens your muscles which reduces tension on your joints and increases your all-round range of movement which prevents injury and increases efficiency.

Weight Lifting

Lifting weights a few times a week strengthens your muscles and joints which reduces risk of injury. Aim to use free-weights over machines as this will help to stabilize your joints better. Lifting weights also has other more obvious benefits such as increased muscle endurance and power.

Foam Rolling

Foam rollers that can be found at many sport's stores and physio therapy clinics are very useful tools in providing yourself with deep tissue massage. This helps to lengthen muscles while reducing tension in your joints. Foam rolling also increases recovery time and improves bloodflow to your muscles.

Off Season Workouts

It's important to keep fit in the off season if you plan to race in the competitive season. Beginning an intense training and racing season without proper preparation is sure to result in injury. Make use of indoor trainers, weight lifting and cross-training (running, swimming etc.) to keep your muscles and tendons conditioned. The off season is also an ideal time to strengthen your weaknesses which may include speed, endurance or technical skill. A successful off season is vital for a successful competitive season.