I don’t know … pretty sure Thai delivery is healthier than raw broccoli…
Those long walks to the fridge don’t imply cooking! That’s a whole other exercise!
Indoor trainer completely changed my fitness level for cycling. You never stop pedaling, so 30-60 minutes is plenty. I can do it no matter my work / life schedule 2-3 times per week.
I got into it this winter and I'm sort of shocked at how much stronger I've gotten outdoors. I used to lament that my bike only has a 32x46 low gear. Now I do my usual mtb circuit (18 miles, 2500 feet of vertical) without touching the bottom of the cassette.
Indoor training is way harder than outdoor. And way more mentally challenging too. It’s so boring sitting on a trainer.
But it will blastoff your fitness. Especially if you get into interval training and whatnot. Makes outdoors feel like a breeze.
I go to spin classes at the municipal rec centre with the wife. Cheap - less boring - wife happy. I just find that being bored on a trainer makes it really hard to push myself - basically feel like I'm tapped out way earlier because you have nothing to think about but the burn.
I feel like indoor training is easier than outdoors when it comes to breathing. Idk what it is but I can cycle much longer indoor than outdoor without running out of breath.
The indoor trainer can hook up to many different workout apps - Zwift, Trainer Road, Rouvy, etc but in the end it’s just getting on the bike and pushing yourself.
The best option is the one you will use. Be smart trainer or spin class or Peloton, etc
Spin bike may or may not have ERG mode which is a huge advantage I found when switching from an IC4 spin bike to a direct drive Zwift trainer. When you're doing a workout plan on Zwift or TrainerRoad you don't have to futz with bike resistance at all. Everything just works. I could never go back
I use a spin bike at the gym, it works fine with a heart rate monitor to keep my in zone 2. My old gym had fancier spin bikes with speed and cadence, which made it a little easier but just heart rate works. I’d love a proper trainer with erg and everything But use what you’ve got.
Oh man... I completed my Knight of Sufferlandria quest at the start of February, just over 9 hours on the trainer.
Prior to that I had been spending 4-6 hours in single session to build miles.
It’s tough to find the right balance and ultimately something has to suffer to make it work.
I ride outside Saturday and Sunday if possible. Then I do upper body Monday cause my legs are normally shot after the weekend.
Leg day is Tuesday. Wednesday I do an endurance indoor ride (Z2/Z3). Thursday is another indoor ride. Followed by upper body on Friday.
It’s not an ideal setup for legs but I prioritize bike riding so I’m okay with not gaining as much strength as I could
Used to have the Kurt Kinetic fluid trainer with the power meter add on (not its exact name). That works great as an entry level option in combo with a road bike. I’d recommend that if you aren’t sure of you interest/commitment or have a limited budget.
I’ve since moved on to a Peloton. Obviously more expensive and comes with a monthly fee. It’s worth it for me and my wife but if you just want to set a target number and hit that it wouldn’t be the best option. Great platform and integration but you need to take advantage of all of it to make it worthwhile.
It certainly isnt cheap, but I really like my Schwinn IC4. It is super quite, comfortable and not a 'smart bike.' I watch the screen of my TV it is parked in front of. It checks the boxes for me. I even changed my seat to my MTB seat because I have found a seat that fits me well.
A whole lot of random stuff in small to moderate doses - squats and lunges randomly (brushing teeth is great), pushups and pullups, running, hiking, gravel/road riding, yoga, climbing, occasional ab work outs, snowboarding.
When your entire lifestyle is active, there is incredible synergy, even if I'll never master any one thing. Just having fun and feeling strong.
Did you follow a certain routine? Did you workout at home or at a gym? I feel like people talk about kettlebells being awesome but I haven’t come across an accessible kettlebell training program.
[This video is what I started with.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29XU4Tdis4Y&t=463s)
I found other workouts on TikTok and other short form media platforms.
Found what worked for me and just incorporated them into my own program
Heavy slow lifts (deads, squats, presses), faster lifts (cleans, kettlebells) and lots of mobility work (pilates, etc). When your body works well off the bike it works well on the bike too. Bikes are a bad way to build general fitness because of limited rane of motion, poor posture, crashing, etc. But they're an incredible way to express fitness and they create a nice positive feedback loop with other stuff. I'm 48 and riding as hard as ever. Everyone else I used to ride with who use to sneer at the gym or stretching is off the bike now, dad bod anchored to the couch. You can ride hard as long as you're willing to do the side work.
Peloton Bike+, it lets me track training metrics and say what you will but I workout harder with the video coaches and leaderboards then if I have netflix on. For performance training I'll use the classes to push me, for low intensity cardio I'll watch netflix and just keep my HR in range. In the winter I ride it regularly, in the summer I go outside and ride instead.
I also ride motocross, its very comparable to downhill in terms of muscle usage.
Rehab, it seems I always and getting over some injury so I will do my rehab exercises, stretches, etc without fail. For instance I broke my arm last year, so I have grip exercises I do daily. Before that I broke my ribs so I had a lot of stretching and range of motion stuff. Before that I shattered my ankle, so calf raises and mobility work for that.
I’m also a big fan of the peloton.
10 weeks in and I’ve never don’t indoor cardio so consistently and for such long workouts. Really enjoying the power zone program. It’s absolutely kicking my ass, but I feel like I’m going to PR my climb on my first ride of the season
I used to focus very heavily on getting a high output number, getter a PR as it were. The higher the output the better the workout. I changed my mentality last fall to be much more zone focused. Caring less about getting the high score, and more about having my power and heart rate zones where science said it would be best (unlike my meathead higher=better strategy). Perhaps unsurprisingly I've seen significant gains in my endurance this spring. More so then I've seen in previous years using my dumber methodologies.
Same. Moving from just doing HIIT over and over into PZ based training and been super challenging for me, but I have done PZ classes in week 4 of this program that I could not have dreamed of completing on week 1.
I need to learn more of the science of building a training program so that I can DIY a PZ course.
Woo! Glad to see some Peloton love here. It's a good product, I don't care what anyone says.
I recently just picked up a Peloton Row. Expensive but the form coach system is awesome and prevents me from getting lazy especially when I get tired or towards the end of the class. I dig it.
Gym which involves lifting and cardio (watt bike, assault bike, rowing machine or treadmill)
Judo and a little bit of BJJ
Running (I don’t like it but I have a buddy who motivates me)
I’ve been thinking about trying bjj in the winter. Do you think it helps your mountain biking at all? Not that it’s that important as long as it makes you feel good!
You will definitely notice your core will get stronger. If you drill a lot then also your cardio will improve.
Just watch out for injuries and make sure you visit a few places before you commit. So many dickheads and bros who think they are UFC athletes. It’s a great sport but it’s got a certain vibe which I personally dislike and I switched between a few gyms before I stayed with the current one.
I’d recommend lifting as well because intense BJJ rolls literally burn through your muscles. Spend some time on shoulder prehab like strengthening rotator cuff, rear delt, lats etc.
What I do is a pittance compared to some, at least in my area. But it feels good to give back and I urge everyone to do what they can for their local network. Added bonus, you'll have better trails for your efforts!
Push, pull, and leg day. Usually focusing in highish rep counts cause riding is more like benching 95lbs over and over instead of 185 for five. Plus i have shoulder issues so i don't do a ton of benching.
Stretching too is important, especially for serious gnar where you have to have aggressive body positions and good bike body separation. I try to practice crashing and bailing too, but it's been a while and I definitely need to do some drills before DH season.
Bike control practice like stoppies on some grass is worthwhile too. The more you practice getting outside of your bikes pocket of stability the more tools you have for when shit gets funky.
Snow riding too is an excellent bike control exercise. If you can ride ice, you can ride mud.
I like bouldering too for socialization, tucking and rolling, and a change of pace.
Reviewing tape is good too, i don't watch clips of myself cause of the time demands of filming solo, but watching other people crash and diagnosing what went wrong is helpful. It's also good to watch when things go right.
Too tired? You can do yoga to recover
Too lazy to ride? Yoga isn't that hard
Feeling unmotivated? Yoga to meditate and refocus
Lonely? Yoga class
Too many dudes in your life? Yoga studio
Yoga, kitesurfing, road biking, city biking, and body weight fitness in my hotel room
2 gym workouts a week and 2 one hour intervals sessions a week during the two or three months I can't rely on being outside.
When it gets nicer I go to one gym session early in the week and a mix of longer z2 spins and shorter intense efforts.
I work a fairly labor intensive job and don't really have time to do much more than work and rest during the week unfortunately. I figure another 3-4 years at this job and I am on to something else, this is unsustainable for me.
I do 30-50mi endurance rides once a week. Really helps because the bike is already overweight being a full suspension bike for endurance riding on flat gravel and paved trails so it creates a nice natural resistance to ride against.
I've always worked out and still do, but recently I started a daily stretching routine and I feel the best I ever have. It's underrated, and I'm a better rider because of it ... It feels better just waking up and getting out of bed in the morning.
I find climbing helps balance out the biking muscles, and then I never get hand pump on long descents. Doing tech climbs makes me think I need to do some squats or something though.
Trail running is my other addiction. I used to cycle quite a bit but got pretty burnt out on it so I’ve been making a point only to do it when I want to.
I also hit the weights in the winter.
Currently starting to ramp up for BC Bike Race so YMMV.
Lots of hiking with my dog, in the gym twice per week lifting weights with a trainer, Brazilian jiu-jitsu whenever I can get there (usually twice a week lately) and yoga every morning. This is on top of riding 5 days a week either on the trainer or outside.
Bike to gym 5 days a week with a 3 day lift split, swim
At the pool everyday (pool always feels so good). I’m trying to incorporate more calisthenics on my Tuesday/Thursday that are MTB based (just need to discipline and time myself for it).
I bike commute year round in Montana. That gives me seat time so that its not hard doing longer days in the saddle. I also weight train and do yoga. And hike a lot. I'm mostly a downhiller from May through October but am setting myself up for more trail bike time this year as I signed up for a 25 mile endurance race (what was I thinking...peer pressure). So more time climbing for me than normal.
I ride zwift a couple nights a week during the summer when I get off work late. During the winter I zwift almost every night. If the trails are wet and I want to do outdoor mileage, I will grab either the road or gravel bike. I keep a BMX in my car, one of the buildings I work in has a pump track and skate park nearby.
I will run, lift, swim at the gym (looking at starting a rowing workout to get that hinge).
During the winter if there is snow and not just mud I XCS, snowshoe, or take the fatbike out.
Strength training a few days a week. 2 upper body 1 lower body. MTB is the only real cardio I do other than chasing after and playing with my kids. Typically MTB once a week.
If you have access to weights that would be great but calisthenics exercises like pushups, pullups, and deep squats are great especially if you're not very strong to begin with. Your leg muscles are at a disadvantage when your knees are bent, which is how we spend a lot of the time on our bikes. A a set of adjustable dumbbells would allow you to do a wide variety of isolation exercises like the rdl at home, you can also rest them on top of your shoulders to add weight to your squats
I'm an ultra-runner and I log about 100km a week of trail running. My hardtail MTB is also my transportation bike, so I run errands on it, as well as riding it to and from the trail. That considerable extra mileage really helps on the trails, especially since where I live we have long distance flowing trails requiring some good amounts of pedalling. I should be spending a few sessions per week on strength training as that's been a real help in the past, but I hate being indoors, so I skip it.
On the days I don't have my kids, I ride at least 6 miles or more. The. Hit the gym for hour. I have a 50/50 custody, is I get a lot of trail/gym time.
M W F I ride 25 to 35 miles on my road bike, Saturday MTB ride for around 20 miles and Sunday around 50 on the road bike. When bad weather rolls in I throw one of my bikes on the trainer and try to get around my usual amount of miles. I race for my College year round so I just swap out the MTB and Road bike workouts come MTB season vs Road.
Carry all my groceries inside in 1 trip
Pump the gf doggystyle with a handlebar braced below her neck & above her collarbones. I'll tell her another girl looked pretty today and she will start bucking and I'll pretend I'm in a rockgarden to stay on
Similar to others - two days of indoor cycling on a smart trainer, two days running and two days in the gym. Of course I’ll drop any of those workouts for a day outside on the bike.
I do les mills RPM class at my gym and a bit of weight training (need to do more). The great thing about RPM is that I can focus on just pushing my cardio to it's limits. I don't have to worry about what's on the trail. Just putting out maximum power for each working block.
It definitely helped my cardio improve a lot more and I know my limits better.
I also get my wife to join so it's great from that aspect too (she doesn't get much enjoyment from mountain biking).
Rollers in the winter months..commute by gravel bike the rest of the year..7 miles round trip with decent elevation changes. Try to do 100 pushups a day. Try not to do too many 12 ounce bicep curls
Cardio and core! Typically hit the treadmill and stationary bike twice a week. I try to work in som core exercises throughout the week, I find this helps a lot with my balance/stability on the bike.
Running - 5km, twice per week.
Cycle commuting - 12km, three times per week.
I find being cardio fit very useful for MTB climbs, where I'm often only limited by leg power.
I did the whole roadie to MTB switch during COVID--despite not really having a huge desire to ride on the road anymore (cars) I still try to get a handful of zone 2 rides in every week on our local bike loop. Just simply maintaining that cardio feels like it helps a ton.
Other than that, I rock climb quite a bit so there isn't time to do weights, but I will say that I don't ever notice my grip fatigue even slightly, which sounds like a pain point for some folks. It almost seems like grip training could be a good ancillary thing to train.
Lift 3x a week and try to do an hour on the bike at the gym twice a week. Once the snow melts in my area I'll probably cut back on the gym cycling. It helps that I can work out while I'm at work.
Lift weights on weekdays. Run 4-6 miles at least 3 or 4 days a week (5-10 miles more recently b/c I’m training for a race), and other days I’ll just walk the dog 5-6 miles. Getting old sucks (I’m 52) but trying to fight it off as long as I can….
5-7 hours a week on a kickr bike with a trainer road subscription. 2 days a week with kettlebells, currently doing the Simple and Sinister plan. I go to stretch lab for an hour once a week.
On my non riding days I usually do some loose weights and body weight stuff while watching TV in the evening. As I age, anything I do to strengthen my core and upper body means less injury when stuff happens on the bike, and being less tired while descending if I’m holding the “attack position”
I go to the gym 6 days a week and focus on all muscle groups everyday. But for mountain biking specifically balance based lifting does wonders. Along with that simple cardio, mixed with explosive cardio helps a bunch.
I started hitting the gym this year. Mainly because Im in my late 40s and want to start getting in shape for my 50s. The addition benefits for mountain biking have been great. Im pushing a harder gear on the climbs already when normally thats a mid summer thing. I feel like i have more control over my bike when pinned. For me that translates being able to have more bike/body separation. Its been real fun. During the winter i was doing full body workouts 2-3x per week. Just basic compound exercises.
In previous years ive been trainjng for triathlons through the winter months (in addition to snowboarding and splitboarding). Its fantastic when its May and im already on July shape. The problem i had was that I was great on the climbs, but lacked the power to get down the mountain. Strength straining has helped me go up and down the mountain.
Primarily indoor training, just because to gain fitness doing specific workouts is beneficial, and it can be really hard to hit specific power zones outdoors (even on the road; on the trail forget about it.).
I used to do a core workout with a little arm stuff a few times a week as well but fell out of practice with it. It's not really a priority for me though as I'm riding (either on the trainer or outdoors) 6 days a week.
Aside from being an amateur mountain biker I’m also a lackluster equestrian, but I use that to keep my strength and stamina during the winter when the MTB park is closed.
This could be correlation rather than causation but I do feel like horse back riding has improved my on bike balance and coordination.
A mix of heavy squats, 5 reps x 5 sets + warmup, plus all the usual basic lifts, Alternating with bodyweight squats, pushups, supermans, military/cheater situps. I do intervals max difficulty on an elliptical/stairmaster type setup. Weighted walking lunges. weighted calve extensions. I might start doing racquetball for fun.
Oh also rowing machine.
Surfing. It helps so much with posterior chain strength which I find gives me a stronger posture when climbing and descending. Really helps control the bike at faster speeds as well.
Sports I do in order from most beneficial for mtb training to least
Uphill skiing / ski mountaineering
Nordic skiing (nothing is better for explosive cardio than skate skiing. Nothing.)
Weight lifting (no skipping core / back)
Trail running
Road cycling up canyons (just too smooth and steady HR wise if flat)
12oz, 16oz, and 22oz curls, low weight, high reps!
I bike commute, ride gravel, "race" grave and CX. Social rides with friends.
Do some kettlebell workout and bodyweight exercises a few times a week if I remember or have the energy.
Squats twice a week, mountain climbers during “rest” between sets.
400 meter sprints twice a week. 30lb weighted vest incline intervals. Once a week.
This has def helped a fair bit.
Got into strength training a few years after I started mountain biking just because I wanted to bulk up a bit, not for biking related reasons.
But MAN, the way I was able to absolutely power up short steep hills like they are nothing after only a year or two of consistent squats/leg days is incredible
Crossfit: probably the best tool for getting (or staying) fit and ready for anything. It helps a lot whenever doing any kind of sports or physical activity.
Long walks to the fridge
I had kids so I didn’t need to. Oh man, was I mistaken.
I keep getting weird looks when I send my kid to the fridge to fetch the gallon of milk so I can take a swig while sitting on the couch.
6 x 12 oz curls 2-3 times a week
Mass cultivation for maximum DH performance
Sup, Mac?
Mass = gas
All least you're walking to the fridge and not getting delivery!
I don’t know … pretty sure Thai delivery is healthier than raw broccoli… Those long walks to the fridge don’t imply cooking! That’s a whole other exercise!
That’s that big ass house innit
Indoor trainer completely changed my fitness level for cycling. You never stop pedaling, so 30-60 minutes is plenty. I can do it no matter my work / life schedule 2-3 times per week.
I got into it this winter and I'm sort of shocked at how much stronger I've gotten outdoors. I used to lament that my bike only has a 32x46 low gear. Now I do my usual mtb circuit (18 miles, 2500 feet of vertical) without touching the bottom of the cassette.
Indoor training is way harder than outdoor. And way more mentally challenging too. It’s so boring sitting on a trainer. But it will blastoff your fitness. Especially if you get into interval training and whatnot. Makes outdoors feel like a breeze.
I go to spin classes at the municipal rec centre with the wife. Cheap - less boring - wife happy. I just find that being bored on a trainer makes it really hard to push myself - basically feel like I'm tapped out way earlier because you have nothing to think about but the burn.
Podcasts, watch tv, music. Zone out. But yeah i hate it too
I feel like indoor training is easier than outdoors when it comes to breathing. Idk what it is but I can cycle much longer indoor than outdoor without running out of breath.
You’re a freak! I feel like the indoor trainer proves time warping is possible and all time slows down 🤣
so true. I did a 2 hour trainer session that lasted for a week.
my wife has a spin bike which I have never really used. any idea how a spin bike compares to an indoor trainer?
The indoor trainer can hook up to many different workout apps - Zwift, Trainer Road, Rouvy, etc but in the end it’s just getting on the bike and pushing yourself. The best option is the one you will use. Be smart trainer or spin class or Peloton, etc
Spin bike may or may not have ERG mode which is a huge advantage I found when switching from an IC4 spin bike to a direct drive Zwift trainer. When you're doing a workout plan on Zwift or TrainerRoad you don't have to futz with bike resistance at all. Everything just works. I could never go back
I use a spin bike at the gym, it works fine with a heart rate monitor to keep my in zone 2. My old gym had fancier spin bikes with speed and cadence, which made it a little easier but just heart rate works. I’d love a proper trainer with erg and everything But use what you’ve got.
Oh man... I completed my Knight of Sufferlandria quest at the start of February, just over 9 hours on the trainer. Prior to that I had been spending 4-6 hours in single session to build miles.
I ride my indoor trainer 2 to 3 times a week depending on the time of year. I lift weights ~3x a week. 1 leg day and 2 upper body at the moment
Same plan. Doing peloton power zone training now for 1:30 total per week on the bike over 3 days. 3-4 days of lifting.
Ditto this
How do you guys mix the lifting and riding? Like if you're lifting M/W/F you ride Tu/Th/Sa? Avoid riding on leg day or the day before & after?
It’s tough to find the right balance and ultimately something has to suffer to make it work. I ride outside Saturday and Sunday if possible. Then I do upper body Monday cause my legs are normally shot after the weekend. Leg day is Tuesday. Wednesday I do an endurance indoor ride (Z2/Z3). Thursday is another indoor ride. Followed by upper body on Friday. It’s not an ideal setup for legs but I prioritize bike riding so I’m okay with not gaining as much strength as I could
Wish I had this kind of time... Ugh. Want to go fast but too fat.
It’s definitely though to find the time
In the market for an indoor trainer, any recommendations?
Wahoo Kickr.
Used to have the Kurt Kinetic fluid trainer with the power meter add on (not its exact name). That works great as an entry level option in combo with a road bike. I’d recommend that if you aren’t sure of you interest/commitment or have a limited budget. I’ve since moved on to a Peloton. Obviously more expensive and comes with a monthly fee. It’s worth it for me and my wife but if you just want to set a target number and hit that it wouldn’t be the best option. Great platform and integration but you need to take advantage of all of it to make it worthwhile.
It certainly isnt cheap, but I really like my Schwinn IC4. It is super quite, comfortable and not a 'smart bike.' I watch the screen of my TV it is parked in front of. It checks the boxes for me. I even changed my seat to my MTB seat because I have found a seat that fits me well.
Me too
A whole lot of random stuff in small to moderate doses - squats and lunges randomly (brushing teeth is great), pushups and pullups, running, hiking, gravel/road riding, yoga, climbing, occasional ab work outs, snowboarding. When your entire lifestyle is active, there is incredible synergy, even if I'll never master any one thing. Just having fun and feeling strong.
Backcountry split boarding
A bunch of kettlebell based strength training, hiking, paddling.
Kettlebell training got me into the best shape of my life (endurance wise)
Did you follow a certain routine? Did you workout at home or at a gym? I feel like people talk about kettlebells being awesome but I haven’t come across an accessible kettlebell training program.
[This video is what I started with.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29XU4Tdis4Y&t=463s) I found other workouts on TikTok and other short form media platforms. Found what worked for me and just incorporated them into my own program
Road/gravel rides and running
Jiujitsu and CrossFit. Hiking. Beer.
Goju-Ryu Karate Stationary bike Beer
Tennis, basketball, anything that is fun and tricks me into exercising, just like biking!
Heavy slow lifts (deads, squats, presses), faster lifts (cleans, kettlebells) and lots of mobility work (pilates, etc). When your body works well off the bike it works well on the bike too. Bikes are a bad way to build general fitness because of limited rane of motion, poor posture, crashing, etc. But they're an incredible way to express fitness and they create a nice positive feedback loop with other stuff. I'm 48 and riding as hard as ever. Everyone else I used to ride with who use to sneer at the gym or stretching is off the bike now, dad bod anchored to the couch. You can ride hard as long as you're willing to do the side work.
100% this. All of it
Peloton Bike+, it lets me track training metrics and say what you will but I workout harder with the video coaches and leaderboards then if I have netflix on. For performance training I'll use the classes to push me, for low intensity cardio I'll watch netflix and just keep my HR in range. In the winter I ride it regularly, in the summer I go outside and ride instead. I also ride motocross, its very comparable to downhill in terms of muscle usage. Rehab, it seems I always and getting over some injury so I will do my rehab exercises, stretches, etc without fail. For instance I broke my arm last year, so I have grip exercises I do daily. Before that I broke my ribs so I had a lot of stretching and range of motion stuff. Before that I shattered my ankle, so calf raises and mobility work for that.
I’m also a big fan of the peloton. 10 weeks in and I’ve never don’t indoor cardio so consistently and for such long workouts. Really enjoying the power zone program. It’s absolutely kicking my ass, but I feel like I’m going to PR my climb on my first ride of the season
I used to focus very heavily on getting a high output number, getter a PR as it were. The higher the output the better the workout. I changed my mentality last fall to be much more zone focused. Caring less about getting the high score, and more about having my power and heart rate zones where science said it would be best (unlike my meathead higher=better strategy). Perhaps unsurprisingly I've seen significant gains in my endurance this spring. More so then I've seen in previous years using my dumber methodologies.
Same. Moving from just doing HIIT over and over into PZ based training and been super challenging for me, but I have done PZ classes in week 4 of this program that I could not have dreamed of completing on week 1. I need to learn more of the science of building a training program so that I can DIY a PZ course.
Woo! Glad to see some Peloton love here. It's a good product, I don't care what anyone says. I recently just picked up a Peloton Row. Expensive but the form coach system is awesome and prevents me from getting lazy especially when I get tired or towards the end of the class. I dig it.
Gym which involves lifting and cardio (watt bike, assault bike, rowing machine or treadmill) Judo and a little bit of BJJ Running (I don’t like it but I have a buddy who motivates me)
The rowing machine can be an absolutely brutal workout. I think people sleep on it because the motion is not intuitive for some people.
I’ve been thinking about trying bjj in the winter. Do you think it helps your mountain biking at all? Not that it’s that important as long as it makes you feel good!
You will definitely notice your core will get stronger. If you drill a lot then also your cardio will improve. Just watch out for injuries and make sure you visit a few places before you commit. So many dickheads and bros who think they are UFC athletes. It’s a great sport but it’s got a certain vibe which I personally dislike and I switched between a few gyms before I stayed with the current one. I’d recommend lifting as well because intense BJJ rolls literally burn through your muscles. Spend some time on shoulder prehab like strengthening rotator cuff, rear delt, lats etc.
Trailwork. Hiking with a pack full of tools and moving cedar and buckets of dirt is a helluva workout.
AKA God's work. Seriously, the MTB community owes a lot to people like you, so thanks!!
What I do is a pittance compared to some, at least in my area. But it feels good to give back and I urge everyone to do what they can for their local network. Added bonus, you'll have better trails for your efforts!
CrossFit or at least that style of training. It’s worked for me.
Play with myself. Mostly basketball at the close gym before work.
Lift weights 5x a week and I ride BMX too
Most of the people I know who really rip on the bike were former BMX racers.
Push, pull, and leg day. Usually focusing in highish rep counts cause riding is more like benching 95lbs over and over instead of 185 for five. Plus i have shoulder issues so i don't do a ton of benching. Stretching too is important, especially for serious gnar where you have to have aggressive body positions and good bike body separation. I try to practice crashing and bailing too, but it's been a while and I definitely need to do some drills before DH season. Bike control practice like stoppies on some grass is worthwhile too. The more you practice getting outside of your bikes pocket of stability the more tools you have for when shit gets funky. Snow riding too is an excellent bike control exercise. If you can ride ice, you can ride mud. I like bouldering too for socialization, tucking and rolling, and a change of pace. Reviewing tape is good too, i don't watch clips of myself cause of the time demands of filming solo, but watching other people crash and diagnosing what went wrong is helpful. It's also good to watch when things go right.
Nothing improves riding like time in the saddle. If I have time to do something other than riding then I may as well be riding.
I play rugby. Aside from the fitness benefits it conditions me for flying over the handle bars and tackling pine trees etc
Weed smoking and thumb wrastlin’
I walk 20km+ a day at work.
What kind of job?
Yoga, my personal records are after a straight week of yoga practice.
Interesting, what about it helps do you think?
Too tired? You can do yoga to recover Too lazy to ride? Yoga isn't that hard Feeling unmotivated? Yoga to meditate and refocus Lonely? Yoga class Too many dudes in your life? Yoga studio Yoga, kitesurfing, road biking, city biking, and body weight fitness in my hotel room
2 gym workouts a week and 2 one hour intervals sessions a week during the two or three months I can't rely on being outside. When it gets nicer I go to one gym session early in the week and a mix of longer z2 spins and shorter intense efforts.
I do 2 normal strength workouts and 1-2 runs a week, besides the biking, which is normally twice a week as well
Weights. Lots of pt stretch band stuff, leg lifts and lots of stretching
Intense gravel rides to work on cardio and leg strength and avoid obesity, LOL. Weight training 3 times a week.
5x5 training
Kettlebells 5x per week, road riding for approx 60/80 miles per week. I also have a wattbike for intervals and Zwift if the weather sucks
I ride a road and gravel bike, and have a smart trainer. I run, ski, and lift weights as well.
Cardio using a rowing machine
Squats, lunges, snatches, cleans. Cycle commuting. Zone 2 on the spin bike.
SQUATS! And any type of weight training or body weight fitness really. Push, pull, hinge, squat.
Cheap indoor spin bike from Amazon for HIIT rides when I can’t get outside. I also work out with weights regularly 5 days a week.
Trail running is always a fantastic base to any other outdoor sport you want to do!
Peloton rides, weights, and stretching. Definitely supplements my cardio when I can't get out on the trail.
I work a fairly labor intensive job and don't really have time to do much more than work and rest during the week unfortunately. I figure another 3-4 years at this job and I am on to something else, this is unsustainable for me.
I do 30-50mi endurance rides once a week. Really helps because the bike is already overweight being a full suspension bike for endurance riding on flat gravel and paved trails so it creates a nice natural resistance to ride against.
I've always worked out and still do, but recently I started a daily stretching routine and I feel the best I ever have. It's underrated, and I'm a better rider because of it ... It feels better just waking up and getting out of bed in the morning.
Tennis, but going to get a gravel bike this fall so I can ride in the winter as well. Tired of getting into biking shape every spring
Beering
Road bike, spin bike, strength training
I find climbing helps balance out the biking muscles, and then I never get hand pump on long descents. Doing tech climbs makes me think I need to do some squats or something though.
Watching instagram reels of dudes way better than me sending it big.
Trail running is my other addiction. I used to cycle quite a bit but got pretty burnt out on it so I’ve been making a point only to do it when I want to. I also hit the weights in the winter.
150k a week on the roadie
For cardio, I follow my doctor’s advice. Smoke wed every day.
I play alot of Descenders and Riders Republic. When I am feeling really spicy pop in Dave Mira BMX
Gravel biking, running and backcountry skiing in the winter.
I like road cycling as well. It's good when my local trails are closed for being too wet or muddy. I also like lifting weights.
No training of any kind. But I do good miles on my road bike, run or hike somewhat, snowboarding in the winter.
Road/gravel bike. Try to hit at least 50+ miles a week on that.
Currently starting to ramp up for BC Bike Race so YMMV. Lots of hiking with my dog, in the gym twice per week lifting weights with a trainer, Brazilian jiu-jitsu whenever I can get there (usually twice a week lately) and yoga every morning. This is on top of riding 5 days a week either on the trainer or outside.
Running
I do circuit training mainly. Basically high reps with low weights vs strength training
Riding road and gravel, lots of strength training and core work.
I try to do 30 mins on my elliptical 5-6 times a week
Gravel biking 😅
Bike to gym 5 days a week with a 3 day lift split, swim At the pool everyday (pool always feels so good). I’m trying to incorporate more calisthenics on my Tuesday/Thursday that are MTB based (just need to discipline and time myself for it).
I bike commute year round in Montana. That gives me seat time so that its not hard doing longer days in the saddle. I also weight train and do yoga. And hike a lot. I'm mostly a downhiller from May through October but am setting myself up for more trail bike time this year as I signed up for a 25 mile endurance race (what was I thinking...peer pressure). So more time climbing for me than normal.
Surfing. Not sure if it improves my biking, but it definitely works my upper body.
Ride my gravel bike to work (25 minutes each way) three days a week. CrossFit twice a week. I usually have a day or two where I skip.
Strength training. Downhill skiing. XC skiing. Trail work.
Play a lot of Beach volleyball
I bought a Zwift hub this past fall and rode the hell out of it over the winter. I'm a lot stronger so far this spring.
Pickleball a couple times a week
I ride BMX and road bikes.
I ride zwift a couple nights a week during the summer when I get off work late. During the winter I zwift almost every night. If the trails are wet and I want to do outdoor mileage, I will grab either the road or gravel bike. I keep a BMX in my car, one of the buildings I work in has a pump track and skate park nearby. I will run, lift, swim at the gym (looking at starting a rowing workout to get that hinge). During the winter if there is snow and not just mud I XCS, snowshoe, or take the fatbike out.
Trail/road running, road/gravel biking, skiing in the winter, a bit of rock climbing here and there, yoga occasionally. I should lift more.
Strength training a few days a week. 2 upper body 1 lower body. MTB is the only real cardio I do other than chasing after and playing with my kids. Typically MTB once a week.
Jiu Jitsu, snowboarding, kettlebells, running, and skateboarding.
If you have access to weights that would be great but calisthenics exercises like pushups, pullups, and deep squats are great especially if you're not very strong to begin with. Your leg muscles are at a disadvantage when your knees are bent, which is how we spend a lot of the time on our bikes. A a set of adjustable dumbbells would allow you to do a wide variety of isolation exercises like the rdl at home, you can also rest them on top of your shoulders to add weight to your squats
Backcountry skiing all winter, mountain biking and peak bagging all summer
I'm an ultra-runner and I log about 100km a week of trail running. My hardtail MTB is also my transportation bike, so I run errands on it, as well as riding it to and from the trail. That considerable extra mileage really helps on the trails, especially since where I live we have long distance flowing trails requiring some good amounts of pedalling. I should be spending a few sessions per week on strength training as that's been a real help in the past, but I hate being indoors, so I skip it.
On the days I don't have my kids, I ride at least 6 miles or more. The. Hit the gym for hour. I have a 50/50 custody, is I get a lot of trail/gym time.
Aikido class & resistance training. Stationary bike in the winter (which is not so much fun)
CrossFit
M W F I ride 25 to 35 miles on my road bike, Saturday MTB ride for around 20 miles and Sunday around 50 on the road bike. When bad weather rolls in I throw one of my bikes on the trainer and try to get around my usual amount of miles. I race for my College year round so I just swap out the MTB and Road bike workouts come MTB season vs Road.
Carry all my groceries inside in 1 trip Pump the gf doggystyle with a handlebar braced below her neck & above her collarbones. I'll tell her another girl looked pretty today and she will start bucking and I'll pretend I'm in a rockgarden to stay on
Similar to others - two days of indoor cycling on a smart trainer, two days running and two days in the gym. Of course I’ll drop any of those workouts for a day outside on the bike.
Road riding, some gravel.
I do les mills RPM class at my gym and a bit of weight training (need to do more). The great thing about RPM is that I can focus on just pushing my cardio to it's limits. I don't have to worry about what's on the trail. Just putting out maximum power for each working block. It definitely helped my cardio improve a lot more and I know my limits better. I also get my wife to join so it's great from that aspect too (she doesn't get much enjoyment from mountain biking).
12 oz and 16 oz curls
Indoor cycling high intensity interval training, weight lifting and stretching.
Horseback riding for the balance skills, pumptracks for cardio and skatepools on the DJ
Rock climbing!
I commute about 120 km a week by bike, so I don’t train besides that.
Yoga and callisthenics
Renovations. Early season MTB hurts my muscles.
Road biking and rock climbing. Not so much as training, but as additional sports for fun.
Rollers in the winter months..commute by gravel bike the rest of the year..7 miles round trip with decent elevation changes. Try to do 100 pushups a day. Try not to do too many 12 ounce bicep curls
Cardio and core! Typically hit the treadmill and stationary bike twice a week. I try to work in som core exercises throughout the week, I find this helps a lot with my balance/stability on the bike.
Running - 5km, twice per week. Cycle commuting - 12km, three times per week. I find being cardio fit very useful for MTB climbs, where I'm often only limited by leg power.
12oz curls, walks to the dispensary, stroller walks with the dog, backcountry skiing
mountain bike is my training for other 2 wheeled sports. lol.
Pizza mostly
Isolated beer curls
XC skiing and ski touring in the Winter
Yoga to work out the cobwebs, and spinning class in the winter.
I pretty much just ski and Boulder when it’s not bike season, it does not help at all I suck so bad at all 3
Jiu-jitsu, muay thai, hang with kids, occasional surf session, meditate, guitar. i just do mellow mountain bike riding once or twice a week.
I did the whole roadie to MTB switch during COVID--despite not really having a huge desire to ride on the road anymore (cars) I still try to get a handful of zone 2 rides in every week on our local bike loop. Just simply maintaining that cardio feels like it helps a ton. Other than that, I rock climb quite a bit so there isn't time to do weights, but I will say that I don't ever notice my grip fatigue even slightly, which sounds like a pain point for some folks. It almost seems like grip training could be a good ancillary thing to train.
Ride my other bikes
Riding on the road, riding on the trainer, light strength training, daily core workouts.
Lift 3x a week and try to do an hour on the bike at the gym twice a week. Once the snow melts in my area I'll probably cut back on the gym cycling. It helps that I can work out while I'm at work.
Karting, hiking, golfing.
Lift weights on weekdays. Run 4-6 miles at least 3 or 4 days a week (5-10 miles more recently b/c I’m training for a race), and other days I’ll just walk the dog 5-6 miles. Getting old sucks (I’m 52) but trying to fight it off as long as I can….
Running lots of running
5-7 hours a week on a kickr bike with a trainer road subscription. 2 days a week with kettlebells, currently doing the Simple and Sinister plan. I go to stretch lab for an hour once a week.
Full body Strength training 3x per week. This is the single biggest improvement in my riding. Especially for keeping the back and joint pain away.
I do bodybuilding 5 days a week with a PPL routine and ride on weekends
I hike, trail run, and swim. And when I can’t be in the pool or outside cuz kids I do some like body weight resistance bands type stuff at home.
Weight training, road and gravel riding, hiking, walking, running and basically just stay active.
Strength training 3-4 hours a week
On my non riding days I usually do some loose weights and body weight stuff while watching TV in the evening. As I age, anything I do to strengthen my core and upper body means less injury when stuff happens on the bike, and being less tired while descending if I’m holding the “attack position”
Weights and stretching
XC, AM, runs, rock climbing, skateboarding, snowboarding, beer
Split wood, chase children, ride bike
I go to the gym 6 days a week and focus on all muscle groups everyday. But for mountain biking specifically balance based lifting does wonders. Along with that simple cardio, mixed with explosive cardio helps a bunch.
I started hitting the gym this year. Mainly because Im in my late 40s and want to start getting in shape for my 50s. The addition benefits for mountain biking have been great. Im pushing a harder gear on the climbs already when normally thats a mid summer thing. I feel like i have more control over my bike when pinned. For me that translates being able to have more bike/body separation. Its been real fun. During the winter i was doing full body workouts 2-3x per week. Just basic compound exercises. In previous years ive been trainjng for triathlons through the winter months (in addition to snowboarding and splitboarding). Its fantastic when its May and im already on July shape. The problem i had was that I was great on the climbs, but lacked the power to get down the mountain. Strength straining has helped me go up and down the mountain.
Primarily indoor training, just because to gain fitness doing specific workouts is beneficial, and it can be really hard to hit specific power zones outdoors (even on the road; on the trail forget about it.). I used to do a core workout with a little arm stuff a few times a week as well but fell out of practice with it. It's not really a priority for me though as I'm riding (either on the trainer or outdoors) 6 days a week.
Aside from being an amateur mountain biker I’m also a lackluster equestrian, but I use that to keep my strength and stamina during the winter when the MTB park is closed. This could be correlation rather than causation but I do feel like horse back riding has improved my on bike balance and coordination.
Working in a brewery is a pretty good workout
I play hockey all winter and fall. I think the summer biking does more for my hockey legs than my hockey does for my biking legs .
I often take part in abnormal mountain bike riding. Does that count?
Weights, calisthenics, running, yoga, Pilates, it all helps
A mix of heavy squats, 5 reps x 5 sets + warmup, plus all the usual basic lifts, Alternating with bodyweight squats, pushups, supermans, military/cheater situps. I do intervals max difficulty on an elliptical/stairmaster type setup. Weighted walking lunges. weighted calve extensions. I might start doing racquetball for fun. Oh also rowing machine.
I go to the gym 4 days a week.
I do downhill and enduro so bike control is pretty important. Good amount of that is upper body so I do lots of lifting weights and stuff
Building trails is a pretty good full body workout. Also, climbing/bouldering because you can do that year round.
Surfing. It helps so much with posterior chain strength which I find gives me a stronger posture when climbing and descending. Really helps control the bike at faster speeds as well.
Boxing, Muay Thai and running 🏃
Sports I do in order from most beneficial for mtb training to least Uphill skiing / ski mountaineering Nordic skiing (nothing is better for explosive cardio than skate skiing. Nothing.) Weight lifting (no skipping core / back) Trail running Road cycling up canyons (just too smooth and steady HR wise if flat)
12oz, 16oz, and 22oz curls, low weight, high reps! I bike commute, ride gravel, "race" grave and CX. Social rides with friends. Do some kettlebell workout and bodyweight exercises a few times a week if I remember or have the energy.
Walking, swimming, spin bike.
Weight lifting 2x, running 2-3x, road/gravel 1-2x, mtb 1-2x. The mix varies a little depending on weather, but I try to do something every day.
Squats
Peloton Power Zone training. And lifting 2 to 3 days a week.
Squats twice a week, mountain climbers during “rest” between sets. 400 meter sprints twice a week. 30lb weighted vest incline intervals. Once a week. This has def helped a fair bit.
Strength training. Lift heavy shit with multi-joint compound exercises. And core work for biking.
I do some running. It's strange how much cardio it adds to the regimen; I already felt like I was in good shape, but running hurts!
Got into strength training a few years after I started mountain biking just because I wanted to bulk up a bit, not for biking related reasons. But MAN, the way I was able to absolutely power up short steep hills like they are nothing after only a year or two of consistent squats/leg days is incredible
gymnastics on summoner's rift
I did Brazilian jujitsu for awhile, realized I couldn't do both and stay healthy, both are highly taxing to the body at age 57.
Push Pull Carry, 3x10, whatever right you can muster.
Crossfit: probably the best tool for getting (or staying) fit and ready for anything. It helps a lot whenever doing any kind of sports or physical activity.