Transforming Mountain Bikers: My Clients
I recently received a message from one of my clients that made me both incredibly happy and a little sad. She wrote, “Hey, so I know you train a lot of serious athletes and I’m not in that group, but this is the kind of win I’ve been working towards.” I’m thrilled that she’s seeing the progress she’s been working so hard for, but it also made me pause. The truth is, whether you call yourself an athlete or not, I work with people just like you. Mountain biking demands a lot from your body, and my goal is to help every rider—whether you’re a weekend warrior or competitive racer—achieve their own version of success on the bike. The following are some stories from riders who have taken their performance to new levels through strength and conditioning, and I think you’ll find a bit of yourself in them.
Case Study #1: Working Mom – From Burnout to Breakthrough on Long Climbs
Challenge:She's a passionate mountain biker who came to me frustrated with her endurance during long climbs. Despite her love for riding, she consistently found herself out of breath and struggling to keep up with her family on sustained climbs. She wanted to improve her stamina but wasn’t sure where to start.
Solution: After assessing her riding habits and physical capabilities, it was clear that she had a solid base of strength but lacked the specific endurance and cardiovascular capacity needed for long efforts. I developed a strength and conditioning plan tailored to target her climbing endurance. This included building strength to weight ratio, combined with work capacity as well as intentional on-bike conditioning that she could do while working on skills at the same time. We also worked on core stability to ensure she could maintain an efficient posture on the bike during extended efforts.
Results:Within three months, this Working Mom demonstrated a significant boost in her endurance through strava times as well as reporting some surprised looks on her kids faces :) She went from struggling halfway up climbs to reaching the top with energy to spare. Her ability to stay in control, and focus on executing skills helped her to improve further on her skills practice. Maintaining her speed, and recovering quickly has made a dramatic difference in her riding experience. She recently completed a ride with 800m of climbing - her biggest ride to date. And she enjoyed it!
Case Study #2: The Commuter – Overcoming Injury to Hit New Heights on Technical Descents
Challenge: This Athlete had always been an aggressive rider, thriving on technical descents and challenging trail features. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury from a crash left him hesitant to push himself as hard as he used to. He came to me seeking a way to regain confidence in his body through strength, while also sharpening his riding capabilities.
Solution:Given his injury history, we designed a program that focused on shoulder stability, thoracic mobility, and total body strength. We incorporated exercises to rebuild the confidence in his upper body—progressing from gentle assisted drills to dynamic and complex movements further down the line. Core and hip strength were also major components to improve control and power transfer during descents.
Results:After just 10 weeks, he felt stronger and more in control than ever before. His shoulder was no longer a limiting factor, and he regained his ability to tackle aggressive lines with confidence. He even reported feeling more stable on the bike and better able to absorb the impacts of technical terrain. He’s now back to riding at his peak, and last month, successfully completed a technical enduro race, placing in the top 10 for his category.
Case Study #3: – Building Explosive Power for Enduro Racing
Challenge: A competitive enduro racer, was struggling with maintaining explosive power through consecutive stages of races. They found that after the first few stages, their legs felt fatigued, and he couldn’t keep up the intensity needed to maintain his pace. He was looking for a way to improve his power and endurance for racing conditions.
Solution:For this rider, the key was developing explosive eccentric power alongside endurance. We introduced a mix of plyometric exercises, Olympic lifts, and interval-based conditioning that mimicked the intense efforts required in enduro racing. This program was designed to build fast-twitch muscle fibers for quick bursts of power, while also enhancing his anaerobic threshold to sustain his performance over multiple stages. We also worked on improving his recovery between efforts through targeted conditioning drills.
Results: Our improvement was immediate and it kept coming. After 12 weeks of training, he noticed a significant increase in power output, allowing him to sprint out of corners and up short climbs carrying way more speed. Overall race performance improved, and he now consistently finishes races stronger, holding his speed and stamina through every stage. Most recently, he achieved a personal best at a local enduro event, finishing 2nd in the masters age group.
What These Riders Have in Common
While each of these athletes had different challenges and goals, the common thread in their success was a personalized progressive program that they could adhere to long enough to yield results. The most physiologically effective programs are rarely successful because few people can stick to them for long-term. My approach finds the Nexus of your needs and wants with the most palatable version of the Gold standard practices to chase your outcomes.
A personalized Bike Fitness plan is the fastest, most reliable way to take your riding to the next level—whether it’s smashing your best on a climb, descending with more control or speed, or competing at a higher level route to success. How much longer can you afford to wait?
Ready to Elevate Your Mountain Biking?
If these stories resonate with you and you’re ready to unlock your full riding potential, I’d love to help you. Reach out today for a free 15-minute consultation, and let’s talk about how we can build a plan to achieve your riding goals.
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