The title pretty much sums it up. I’d like to add some strength work to my routines when I rev things back up in 2019. I have my ‘standard core’ routine, which I do 1-2 times per week, but that’s feeling a little tired.
I’m willing to devote up to several hundred dollars here to get the right equipment (I currently have no weight/strength equipment in the house). I do have access to a full gym (attached to my pool). But I work from home and right now I’m fairly time constrained; adding 30-45 minutes to each swim for weight work isn’t really an option, and neither is making 1-3 extra trips to the pool during the week. Thus I’d like something at home, where it would be easy to fit in 20-30 minutes when possible.
I want a real program or at least a good outline; I don’t want to just sling some kettle bells around three times a week and call it good. I’ll be doing IM training for Texas at the end of April, and then switching over to MTB/CX for the rest of the year. MTB specific movements/strength are a limiter of mine. Any help is appreciated.
As an aside, I have considered the riprow (https://riprow.com/). Has anyone here used one? It’s appealing, but also quite expensive.
You´ve had some great feedback already. A lot can be achieved at home with a few kettlebells, a TRX and a medicine ball. Multi-plane multi-muscle movements would be good to build up to and can be explosive in nature.
For some interesting cues on MTB specific conditioning check Nino Schurter´s conditioning sessions that he posted up on youtube about a year or two ago.
Yes, that T-Nation link that Kurt sent does look promising. I’m still hoping for a more detailed ‘program’. I don’t want to just buy a TRX system and start trying to find things on YouTube. I’m sure such a program must exist somewhere.
Ive coached MTB racers since 1997. I have 4 Pro’s in my queue right now. I prescribe their strength sessions based on years of S&C guidance too. None do much of what you see there. That stuff is ancillary to the BIG stuff. If you are CRAZY strong, crazy mobile and have free time add pedolo planks. Until then do the above. I can recommend some great books as needed.
ESPECIALLY for mountain biking. Strength and mobility is essential. It’s not like road riding.
OP, also check out Dee Tidwell’s stuff. He’s the strength coach for the Yeti Factory Racing team, and he has put together some programs, periodized for training and racing, and starting from the fundamentals (Ie core and mobility).
I’m not sure what you’d need to pick up to do them at home. I’m sure it says on his website.
As has been said elsewhere in this post, The Basics are key, and you’d be well served to develop general human mobility and strength with the traditional tools.
That said, you can accomplish a lot in a very short time on a RipRow. You can check the list for primary movements:
Squat
Hinge
Lunge
Rotate (and anti-rotate)
Pull
Push
while developing your “cardo” fitness and — this is really cool — imprinting truly great riding skills. For a strong, fit rider the skills aspect is huge.
We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, which no one has taken advantage of.
Stoked to send you a machine and to answer any questions,
Let me save you a crap ton of money. Buy a couple of kettle bells and go here, get her DVD’s and follow her workouts. If you want to mix it up a bit she has some TRX stuff as well. If you can do her long workouts with the requisite bell,you’ll be able to accomplish whatever it is you want to accomplish on the mtn bike this next year.