It’s that time of year when most peoples racing seasons are over, and new training plans start. Weight training is supposed to be important at the start of winter – for me, it’s got to be simple and easy, and something I can do at home.
I made up a routine loosely based on the No Gym, No Problem – Mountain Bike Strength Training (from the MTB Strength Coach), not just because it’s dead simple, but also because “Bodyweight training also offers the added benefit of increasing our body awareness and control.” You might be dubious about just how much you can increase your strength by using only your bodyweight. But you might surprised how hard this workout can be. A really important aspect of the routine is to pay attention to the time you take on each exercise. “Tempo allows me to assign a rep speed which will greatly enhance the effectiveness of the workout. Tempo is communicated via a three number sequence such as 3-1-3. The first number tells you what speed to lower yourself down in the exercise, the second number tells you how long to pause at the bottom and the third number tells you what speed to raise yourself back up.”
This is a typical workout I might do (the videos are for illustration only – so don’t give me a hard time about their content!)
Set 1 (x2):
- Jumping Box Squat x6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSACII6VxWo
- Feet Elevated Push Ups x8 (3-3-3): (pretty obvious)
Set 2 (x2):
- Bulgarian Split Squat x8 (3-3-3): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jam1mzKAx3Q&feature=related
- Inch Worm x8: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ncHhj4FjFE
Set 3 (x2):
- Uni Stiff Leg Deadlift x8 (3-3-3): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtevN0SWp-o
- Step Ups x8 (3-3-3): (self explanatory)
Set 4 (x2):
- Ab Sequence: http://www.bikejames.com/ipod-videos/mountain-bike-core-strength-sequence/ (this is probably worth doing every day!)
And that’s it. The only thing left to do is explain to the rest of your house why you’re jumping on the furniture!
Other workout options here: http://www.bikejames.com/category/demos-and-routines/
