How can I improve my preparation for mountain biking during off-peak periods?
Content
This article could also be called Thank You 2020. Thank you annus horibilis 😱 for making me understand the value of maintaining my physical condition even when I can't get my mountain bike out.
At the end of the imprisonment, there were those who resumed mountain biking, a wide smile when they left and a wide smile when they returned. And those who had a big smile when they left, but who lost it on the way. Usually for them arrival was accompanied by "Pfff, I was drooling" 😓
In addition to these special conditions, mountain biking is subject to seasonality. In autumn, when rocks and roots are covered with slippery leaves, or in winter, when fog, moisture and cold penetrate, it is difficult to plan regular walks.
Some physical qualities take a long time to weaken, but others, such as explosive temperament, will quickly deteriorate with less exercise. The problem is that it will take longer for them to come back too. In addition, even with a long workout, mountain biking does not effectively develop certain athletic qualities.
By cycling regularly, your nerves and muscles (neuromuscular system) get used to working together. Unfortunately, this is one of the habits that get rid of very quickly! Maintaining and developing the neuromuscular system allows you to do the main work of optimizing all the qualities necessary for mountain biking.
| Decreased physical performance when inactive | |
|---|---|
| 🚴 endurance | 20-28 days significant drop - VO2 5% drop after 14 days |
| ⚡️ Power | 15-20 days significant reduction |
| 💪 Strength | 8-14 days significant decrease - after 5 days the decrease continues |
At first, neuromuscular factors decrease, they need more time to recover and re-develop.
And even ...?
So how do you take advantage of these rest periods in terms of time spent cycling? How can you use this to maintain endurance and develop strength?
How to keep your strength?
In part, the performance of a mountain bike is due to power in the biomechanical sense of the word, that is, the product of the force applied to the pedals by the speed of rotation of the cranks. According to a study published in 2018 (Understanding the physiological requirements of the Olympic cross-country mountain bike racing format – in French: to understand the physiological requirements of mountain biking in Olympic competitions), strength is maintained and improved through strength training.
Obviously, we are not talking about bodybuilding, but about enhancing the ability to develop more pedaling effort, prevent injury, and better transfer the forces applied to the mountain bike. In short: Drive faster, longer and in better conditions.
Strength is a combination of strength and speed. The faster you pedal and apply force, the more power you will have. Yes, it makes sense. If you are pedaling very fast without effort, you are spinning and not going very far.
To make a diagnosis of power, physical trainers perform the Wingate Test on cyclists, a test that consists of pedaling for 30 seconds at maximum power and resistance determined according to the cyclist's recommendations.
Through this test, we see that a higher maximum force increases power and therefore maintains performance over this period of time, which is important for mountain biking. Thus, it has been proven that the work of the muscles, in particular the lower body, significantly increases the power of the mountain biker.
How do you work on your regenerative ability?
Being able to recover is a trick that saves you from having to spend a whole week recovering from a walk... The good news is, this can be worked on too!
As we saw earlier, the more you develop your muscle strength, the more you can apply intense effort, longer and more repeatedly.
Your nerves and muscles get used to the effort, you will not give up walking, and this will help you recover.
Aha! A stronger and more balanced body recovers faster between strenuous activities, workouts or walks.
How to train
We agree that building muscle is not the most exciting workout. Therefore, we will vary classes throughout the year to avoid monotony and therefore boredom. Keeping in mind the motivation to be in great shape to resume mountain biking, everything will go away, you will see!
Please note: strength training is not synonymous with weight gain. Earlier we told you that the more strength you have, the faster you will move, but we forgot to mention that you also needed to be light to do this!
Rest assured, high-quality work does not have a great chance of increasing body weight, especially since in our case it remains paired with cycling. Yes, because you will have the opportunity to take a short 1 hour walk between two large gray clouds.
To ride a bike well, you need to have:
- endurance;
- power;
- forces;
- and the ability to repeat and maintain all these qualities.
What parts of the body to work on?
Well all of them!
See you ! 🤡
No, come on, we'll explain:
Lower body
When we think of building muscle for mountain biking, we immediately think of legs.
This is correct, because this work will allow you to get a certain transfer of strength, power and repetition of effort. The muscles of the lower body are the most powerful in the human body and they support the pedal.
How to work out the lower body?
Squats, lunges, glutes and hamstrings.
A few rope lessons will help you diversify your exercises ... and get reinforced concrete calves!
Sheathing
Your strength isn't just in your thighs and calves! The main job should be part of your bodybuilding classes. The more sheathed you are, the better your posture will be. This will give you a more comfortable position, your legs won't do all the work, and you will stay on the bike longer. Plus, you'll have less back and neck pain.
How to properly process the skin?
To avoid board monotony or press consistency and increase your efficiency, consider using accessories such as a swiss ball or medicine ball.
Upper body work
No professional cyclist is bulky at this level, and it's true! But the work of these parts of the body will contribute to better body balance, hence better machine handling, better power transmission, a greater sense of well-being and, besides all aspects of cycling performance, a better posture that will guarantee longevity during exercise.
How to work out the upper body?
Pushing and pulling upper body movements such as pull-ups, horizontal pull-ups, push-ups, etc.
Cervical
It is an area that allows information to be transmitted from the head to the rest of the body, which provides a connection between receiving information and creating the forces assigned to it. But the cervical regions are also called upon to maintain a position in extension. neck so that it is convenient to see where we are going. Then this is very important!
How to work out the back of the neck?
On a bicycle, and especially on a mountain bike, our position can be uncomfortable in the long run. Therefore, our cervixes are very tense.
You can plan neck strengthening activities, such as working with a head support.
Do not forget to loosen them after each session: gently turn your head to the sides, do side bends, then bends forward and backward.
Find the exercises detailed in our article: 8 Muscle Strengthening Exercises for Mountain Biking
Conclusion
By varying training, you mobilize all the resources of the human body. You will work on your strength, your strength, with different efforts and feelings. This will teach your body to perform better both physically and mentally.
Also, remember to apply the concept of polarized training when mountain biking in addition to the strength work you will achieve: 80% low intensity work and 20% high intensity work. Therefore, we avoid a zone of moderate intensity, which causes great fatigue and, ultimately, little progress.
In winter, the days are shorter, but not working hours, which limits exercise opportunities. So why not start the kind of work you can do indoors or at home with good advice and the right plan?
It would still be a shame to deprive yourself of the opportunity to become the best mountain biker!
Maxence Riviere is a physical trainer, find him on Instagram and Twitter or via .
📷 Anželika Konopacka 🎥 Miriam Nicole
