Breathing and Posture Tips for Cardio Training

Jan 12, 2014
by James Wilson  
Views: 6,431    Faves: 24    Comments: 3


One of the hardest parts about creating a cardio training program is knowing the value of numbers. A lot of cardio training programs are very driven by numbers like hours of training, miles ridden, heart rate zones and power zones.

The theory is that training is like a math equation and if we ride X number of miles at Y heart rate/ power zone we’ll get Z increases in performance. We give the body an input that stimulates a specific metabolic response and that is how we improve fitness and performance.

The problem is that this is not a realistic view of performance.

How we perform is not governed by those numbers but instead by how efficiently we can apply our fitness to the specific demands of the trail.

In other words, it eventually boils down to how efficiently you move and breathe.

Applying high quality movement to your training is the missing ingredient in most riders programs because we are told that chasing numbers is the goal. But numbers for the sake of numbers means nothing on the trail.

But this doesn’t mean that numbers aren’t valuable.

We just need to understand that they are a symptom of the real goal, which is to improve our efficiency. When you move more efficiently your numbers will improve but if you chase the numbers you can miss chances to improve your efficiency.

Let me give you a specific example of what I mean…

Rider A and Rider B are doing a series of 20 second intervals. Rider A told to push as hard as he can while maintaining good posture and breathing habits. As soon as he feels them start to go he backs off as he needs to so he can maintain them.

Rider B is simply told to go for a max heart rate/ power output each time. He isn’t focused at all on breathing and posture and simply wants to push as hard as he can. In the process he uses less than optimal breathing and posture but he does achieve a higher heart rate/ power level than Rider A.

So who is getting more from that workout? The rider with the better breathing and posture or the rider with the higher heart rate/ power output?

First, I would argue that it is Rider A. I am a big believer that posture and breathing play a major role in your performance. When you have good, strong posture you waste less energy when you move and the better your breathing the more efficiently you are able to fuel your efforts.

When you train your goal should be to focus on working as hard as you can within the context of good breathing and posture. Letting those two things go to hell so you can chase a higher heart rate or power reading isn’t the point of training and is in fact counterproductive to how you want to ride on the trail.

How you ride is simply and extension of how you train and if you train with crappy posture and breathing habits then that is what you will bring to the trail. And this means that you should let those be your guide, not your heart rate or power level.

Now, the ultimate answer would be “both” – you want optimal breathing and posture plus the higher heart rate/ power output.

And this is your eventual goal with training.

By focusing on the quality of how you move and breathe first you’ll eventually turn those things into a habit so you can put more mental energy into “working hard”. But since you understand that “working hard” had to be done within the context of reinforcing the posture and breathing habits you want to use on the trail you’ll get much more out of those hard workouts.

So using numbers as an objective look at how you are responding to your training program or to get you in the ballpark for how hard to work is fine but they shouldn’t be the goal in and of themselves. Keep the quality of your movement and breathing as the “weak link” that guides your training and let the numbers take care of themselves.

And this is also where a good strength and mobility program come into play. One of the best ways to change your breathing and posture habits is through strength and mobility training, making it easier to apply those things to your cardio training and eventually to the trail. It is almost impossible to change those things on the bike without first getting off the bike to fix the underlying issues causing the breakdowns.

So make sure that you are letting your breathing and posture be your guide during cardio training and use strength and mobility work to re-set and reinforce that posture. This will ensure that you see results on the trail and not just in your training numbers.

So what do you think? Should numbers drive our training or are they simply another guidepost on the way to improvement? Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

And if you liked this article please click one of the Like or Share buttons below to help spread the word to fellow riders who could benefit from the info.

Until next time…

Ride Strong,

James Wilson



MTB Strength Training Systems is the world leader in integrated performance training programs for the unique demands of mountain biking. As the strength and conditioning coach for World Cup Teams and 3 National Championships, his programs have been proven at the highest levels. James has helped thousands of riders just like you improve their speed, endurance and skills on the trail. Visit www.bikejames.com for more training and riding tips like this and to sign up for the free Trail Rider Fundamentals Video Mini-Course.

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Member since Feb 3, 2009
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41 Comments
  • 25 3
 My lungs have a flat tire
  • 3 1
 Funniest comment I've read in a long time. Using this in my next ride.
  • 6 2
 Lol. Wasn't even that funny. But okay..
  • 6 0
 By the way, my quote is copyrighted.
  • 4 0
 All you that say f*ck good posture! fail to realize that a strong standing posture will translate to a strong and dynamic attack position on the bike. No world cup racers don't focus on posture while riding of course, but when properly trained they don't have to think about it, they naturally fall into a good position while on the bike. I don't know about u guys but when i look at the top WC racers they r able to maintain a strong body position thru the entire course. And if a rider fails to recognize the importance of posture i guarantee his carrier will be significantly shorter due to improper bio mechanics that will lead to the degeneration of tissues in the body that will eventually lead to chronic life long injury's. So go ignore ur posture but when u hit 40 and ur struck down with crippling back pain and can't even ride a bike anymore maybe then u will realize the importance of good posture and muscle tone. just because u have become accustomed to a f*cked up riding position dosn't mean it's good! Your posture is your foundation and as the sayin goes a "house is only as good as the foundation it was built on"!!
  • 1 0
 Odds are that if you are north of 40 you have good posture/riding habits already. How do think we keep up with all the young buck Chuck's. We ride smart not hard...
  • 3 0
 Regardless of what, where, why, and how you ride, posture and good fit on the bike are important. Bad posture wastes energy even for weekend hackers. You can have fun in lots of sports without paying attention to posture, but it's one more thing you have to learn if you're going to reach your potential. Posture affects how well you stand, swing, skate, or scale a technical climb, we just don't always recognize that.
  • 6 10
flag Protour (Jan 12, 2014 at 23:34) (Below Threshold)
 There is no such thing as a "good fit" in a DH bike, other than making sure you are on a frame size that is right for you. You are in an awkward bent over position a lot, constantly reacting, and rarely staying in any given "posture" for very long. Better off concentrating on the "techniques" that will allow you to turn faster and the psychological preparation.
  • 3 3
 This is not a DH specific article. In my eyes its more of an AM / XC article where you are keeping good posture while CLIMBING
  • 7 0
 Ok. Good point I'll shut up
  • 1 0
 I ride an AM bike and I have no issue on climbs but find my lower back aches on descents, even if I take it easy. I think this is more a core strength issue than posture though. Anybody else experience this?
  • 1 0
 definitely a core issue. Since you are bent over when the pain occurs, probably strain on lower back muscles and spinal allignment. stregthening your core and hips could help reduce the amount of pain, and dont forget to ice.
  • 1 0
 What he is saying is a good tip, posture does not have to mean standing strait up which is what I am assuming most of you are thinking. First of all a good attack position is bent over at the hips not rounding the back. Second of all that is not the posture he is talking about. He is talking about setting the shoulders back and down not limiting your lung capacity. This was one of the secondary reasons for DH riders to move to a wider bar,
  • 1 0
 @ snozz good core strength means good posture they are interconnected one will lead to the other. so if u work properly on ur core strength and know what ur doing it will greatly improve ur posture. what some fail to recognize is that posture and muscle tone are interchangeable terms because u need the proper muscle tone to support posture and the proper innervation of all the muscles that are required to keep u strong and to properly stand upright. hope this helps a bit cheers Smile
  • 1 0
 I think good posture, core strength and breathing are extremely important for DH. Posture comes from your muscle memory in a given position/situation. You want to find the right balance of efficiency and effectiveness not just to negotiate the terrain but to get air in the lungs. Yes its constantly changing but just means there's more to deal with correctly and given the concentration already required its not hard to unconsciously adopt bad form, or form that could be improved on. I finish a run and I'm gasping for air with burning arms and legs, vomit knocking at the door at times. Any improvement in muscle efficiency and breathing effectiveness is gonna help.
  • 1 0
 Thanks for the replies. Some good things for me to look into
  • 4 2
 I think what you're saying is the equivalent to a topping on a cake, nice but not essential. The actual cake is the numbers, you can train intelligently by using the numbers. Posture/breathing should be a constant not a variable, choosing what zone/numbers etc to train is a variable & much more important imo. Will you write an MTB cardio specific ditty about numbers please.
  • 4 5
 It's perplexing to me that an article devoted to cardio training doesn't mention anything about recovery and focuses on "position"?!

This is not road biking, recovery is essential in any type of training, and I'm more convinced than ever this guy has little racing experience. . Unless you are talking about pure xc racing, where you are climbing for extended lengths, posture while pedaling is irrellavant. Very small segment of the sport. You think the world cup DH and ews racers are thinking about "posture" when they are sprinting? No they are focused on the track. That is how you win. This guy never talks about that kind of stuff, he tells you to position your feet opposite of the way they are supposed to be in turn instead.

Gravity based racing is a complex sport, so many factors involved. They can be broken down and isolated, but every athlete is different so every situation is different. Regardless, the most important aspect is psychological preparation. Still waiting for am article on that. ..
  • 2 3
 This is a vague article just giving you tips. This is not a full riding school online. What he says makes perfect sense. Maybe he assumes you already know the other things you mentioned. I for one am happy with what I just heard and cant wait to put the tips to use tomorrow.
  • 2 1
 I stand corrected and fully dejected
  • 2 0
 I don't see any tips though. He's realizing himself that the numbers are a tool, not the solution. Fine. And then he says to always check posture and breathing while doing any training. There is nothing useful here. What's the point of putting a blog post on a website where people expect content?
  • 2 0
 If I had a dollar for every time I witnessed someone training with good posture....well, I would have about $1..
  • 1 0
 It's making me wonder what good posture and breathing is. You'd think for someone emphasizing this so much that we'd get some information. But I guess why would any one give information in an advertisement.
  • 1 0
 I'd like to add (as a PT) that RIB mobility will allow that transition from diaphragm movement into the rib/chest movement (more stiffness in the ribcage = more difficulty/work getting that full breath). Tape together two tennis balls and put them on either side of your spine. Start low in the back with your knees bent and let both knees move to one side, then the other. You can also do "pelvic rocks/air shwings" to release low back tension. Once you get into the mid back you can place hands together w/ elbows straight and reach overhead while taking a deep breath. Repeat 5 or more breaths w/ shoulder movement, then roll the ball up your back a couple of inches. You can do the same thing w/ a 4" foam roll, or even a "high bounce ball" drilled out and glued onto a wood dowel that is then placed where your rib meets your spine. Add leg rotation or shoulder/breathing movements. Enjoy!!
  • 1 0
 This article is not for 15 year old dirt jump kids, even though they could benefit the most from it down the line.

Before I worked diligently on posture/hip hinge/deadlift I was getting an extremely sore back after almost every ride. Shoulders back and down works with your "core" to lock in your spine and lets the strong muslces around the hip do the work of absorbing big impacts.
  • 4 0
 But when riding downhill you are not sat upright, you are bent down more
  • 1 0
 Pfft sod watching the rest of that im going out to hit the dirt jumps tell me my posture is all wrong when doing a 360. Give over what a numpty
  • 1 0
 Bike James Rocks. I have been following his training directions for just over a year now and can report without execution that he is on the mark! "Ride Strong"!
  • 2 0
 Schmerk a berwl and shove your 1 in. tires somewhere more efficient for motivation..
  • 2 0
 You win in my book.
  • 1 0
 EAT.SLEEP.RAVE.REPEAT. Dude has the exact same voice
  • 1 0
 Thanks and totally agree.
  • 1 0
 Is it over yet? My ears are bleeding!
  • 1 0
 Thanks again fro another great tip. Appreciate your input James...
  • 2 1
 Don't forget he trained Aaron gwin when he was on the rise.
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