Ride Faster and with More Confidence

Apr 6, 2011 at 0:07

Apr 6, 2011

by James Wilson

Would you give me 15 minutes a day if I swore that it would help you ride faster, longer and with more confidence on the trail? If you don't have 15 minutes a day to devote to some sort of workout then are you really serious about being a better rider? Why am I starting this article with a bunch of questions?

I came up with the idea for the 15 Minute Trail Rider Tune Up (15 M-TRTU) based on my own need for a short morning workout that would get my day going and ensure that I was working in a positive direction every day. They originally appeared on this website in an article I wrote a few months ago and since I introduced them here I've found them to be a very powerful tool. Short, focused workouts done on a daily basis can deliver results similar to those seen with longer workouts done less frequently and this seems to be the ticket for the busy trail rider who doesn't have a lot of time to spend in the gym.

This new 15 M-TRTU also uses one of my favorite home gym tools, the TRX Suspension Trainer. With a TRX you can turn your living room into a gym and is a valuable tool for the rider who needs to get a workout in at home on a regular basis. You can find out more about the TRX trainer by visiting their site.

If you're not familiar with the format for the 15 M-TRTU workouts then either check out my first article on them or download the PDF overview in this article as it contains an overview as well. This new circuit also includes an optional cardio circuit, which makes the workouts longer but if you have the time can make a big impact on your cardio.

Equipment needed for this workout:

- TRX

Mobility Circuit:
- Dynamic Y X 5
- Cross Behind Lunge X 5 each leg

Core Circuit:
- Prone Jack Knife or Pike X 10
- Pendulum X 10 each way

Strength Circuit:
- Balance Lunge with High Knee X 10 each leg
- Single Arm Inverted Row X 10 each side

Cardio Circuit (optional)
- Jump Squat X 10/ Push Up X 10/ Inverted Row X 10

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You can download a PDF overview of this workout by clicking here.

You don't have to spend hours in the gym or kill yourself every time you train in order to see significant results on the trail. The trick is to find something that you can be consistent with and stick to it. For myself and the riders I train, adding these 15 M-TRTUs into our weekly routine on the days we aren't in the gym has helped us be more consistent and seeing better results. It's a small price to pay for being able to ride as hard as you want to instead of how hard your body lets you.

James Wilson is the owner of MTB Strength Training Systems, the world leader in performance training programs for the unique demands of mountain biking. As the strength and conditioning coach for the Yeti World Cup Team and 3 National Championships, his programs have been proven at the highest levels. As a regular contributor to PinkBike.com and his own popular blog, James has helped thousands of riders just like you improve their speed, endurance and skills on the trail. Visit www.bikejames.com to sign up for the free 10 Steps to Instantly Improve Your Ride mini-course.

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48 Comments

Score Time Who Faved

+ 27

akozz (Apr 6, 2011 at 1:00)

Almost good idea.... but for me this TRX seems to be super unhandy to use in home. And almost 200$ for it is a joke... I prefere to ride more and do some normal exercices instead.

dcm6861 (Apr 6, 2011 at 1:11)

To me this really looks like a great quick workout when time and motivation to workout is short... combined with kettle bells... and some other simple workout tools you would have a very effective way to progress your strength and endurance.... thats really what this is about... he's just trying to show some very effective ways to workout without having to spend time in the gym... His program actually has a bunch of great material and ideas for workouts

akozz (Apr 6, 2011 at 1:19)

I no doubt that. All I'm saying is that TRX might be not exactly the easiest tool to mount in every house and 190$ is a lot of money for such simple tool. But if You have space and money then why not.

rustybones (Apr 6, 2011 at 1:42)

Yah, tell me about it. If I make a Y shape in my house my hands hit the ceiling......

jordanb890 (Apr 6, 2011 at 6:07)

dont be stupid people and just make your own straps for a fraction the cost

bunkey (Apr 6, 2011 at 11:38)

You know what I prefer doing to stay in shape? Banging the hell out of my girlfriend on a daily basis. Go at it like a f*cking rabbit switching things around every 2-5mins and I can guarantee it does a better job than 99% of these 'quick fix' style workouts some people throw at you....

Just Sayin'.

klerric (Apr 6, 2011 at 12:29)

You must be a pro if you can keep those sessions up!!! 2-5 mins is good going!!!

Rasterman (Apr 6, 2011 at 13:11)

The workout is awesome, but suggesting spending $200 on a $5 strap is ridiculous. All of these exercises can be done with a few dumb or kettle bells (or milk jugs filled with water) and a chair or big rubber ball.

bunkey (Apr 6, 2011 at 13:39) (Below Threshold) show comment

Thanks for your sarcasm klerric - I was meaning don't just stay in the same position throughout the duration, you want a full body workout.

Bjammin (Apr 6, 2011 at 18:27)

somebody's getting a little too detailed...

TheDanish (Apr 6, 2011 at 18:44)

P90X. That shit will whip you into shape real nice.

bunkey (Apr 6, 2011 at 20:14)

Haha yes you could be right Bjammin. Sorry. Its true tough. You see so many of these exercise routines requiring you to spend hundreds or thousands on product X when there are much more effective things in life which people simply overlook. Simply eating and sleeping correctly will do amazing things for your performance on the bike.

dcm6861 (Apr 6, 2011 at 20:36)

bunkey thats a good point but thats not what these exercises are about... its for the people looking to do some sort of training to get an extra edge and help progress... he shows simple ways to do VERY effective workouts... yeah the straps for $200 isnt super practical but you can make something similar for very cheap... and all these exercises work to stabilize and strengthen the core and other important muscle groups in a much better way then some normal weight lifting.

bunkey (Apr 6, 2011 at 23:17)

I'm no fitness expert so you may well be correct. I'm just always sceptical when it comes to 'hollywood smile' style of informercials, especially when involving some seemingly way overpriced product.

aflo661 (Apr 8, 2011 at 2:49)

Mmmmmm.... correct sleeping Smile

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allenrotstein (Apr 6, 2011 at 6:00)

"you don't have to spend hours in the gym.."

Actually, YOU DO! Look at every other olympic level sport.. They all spend few hours a day lifiting weights and doing some plyomectrics and cardio... Top of line bike parts won't make you a better rider, hitting the gym 10 times a week WILL! been there, done that.

No wonder we have so many chubby bike riders complaining about peddaling on a flat track.. Go figure.

ninjaty (Apr 6, 2011 at 7:40)

While the top athletes do need train in the Gym to be competitive, most people don't HAVE to. That said you are completely right. If people serious about becoming faster, stronger riders you need to train off the bike. When you only ride. you will plateau...it's inevitable. Training isn't for everyone, and just riding and being chubby, lazy riders that cant pedal flat sections is good enough for most.

cglasford (Apr 6, 2011 at 8:52)

I would agree if you want to be an olymic level athlete then yes you do have to work-out rediculous amounts in the gym and spend hours on your bike but that doesn't work for most people. welcome to the real world. We have 9-5 jobs and other shit going on. So work-outs like these are great for just improving a little bit and getting off that plateau. Plus if you want to train more and harder James has tons of work outs and can build one especially for you. If you don't read his blog at www.bikejames.com you should and check out is DB combos work out, it's awesome or his no gym no problem work out and if you think you are an olympic level athlete go for his Ultimate MTB work out! He has pro DH riders doing that work out and its a 6 month program! He's just trying to give you all a few tips and most of the 15 work outs don't use the TRX. They use kettle bells and dumbbells.

ninjaty (Apr 6, 2011 at 9:16)

Your preaching to the choir. I am an avid reader of Jame's blogs and have applied many of his exercises to my daily routine and yes, my riding has improved tons. His principles of muscle mobility and core strength have greatly improved not only my riding but my overall health and fitness in other activities I do. If I had more time in the day to train I completely would.

banshee62 (Apr 6, 2011 at 9:38)

Crossfit.com Do their prescribed workout everyday most are less than 30 min. Most will have you laying dead on the floor. Full body workouts every time.

cglasford (Apr 6, 2011 at 11:40)

wasn't aimed at you ningaty, it was for mr allen rotstein, I say do what you can and as long as your are doing something you are better off then the guy that isn't doing it!

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Dirt-Street-Park (Apr 6, 2011 at 3:00)

Or you could ride for 15 minutes longer... Pimp

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puker (Apr 6, 2011 at 8:21)

i found that martial arts training is very effective way of training for riding and vice versa.just about everything that is covered in this vid is practiced at each martial arts session,particularly karate where they focus on developing strong legs and a solid balanced core.

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csherer22 (Apr 6, 2011 at 15:00)

Props banshee62 crossfit is a retarded workout they will murder you in 30 min or less in most cases. Full body, full core, and balance plus muscle crushing reps add strength to parts of your body you don't even know exist dose wonders for mtb. Crossfit702

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nixxkixx (Apr 6, 2011 at 20:45)

Wow, Some of you need to try things before you bash the shit out of them!! I am not even going to get into the lot of it, but straight up- the TRX trainer is extremely versatile and you can use it anywhere. The reason it is worth it is the ability to adjust the length of the straps in seconds and move on to another exercise in a snap (not to mention comfort, easy on the eyes and portable). I use the trx on my riders and they love it.
Duh, of course you can easily throw a rope over a tree branch and tie hand/feet holes at each end and have something very similar- but shitty.. I dare you to try a push up on one- you wont think its so stupid after you feel your whole body shake and barely be able to push yourself back up. It's an amazing small muscle joint stabilizer tool that has endless benifits to any fitness routine.

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olekdh (Apr 7, 2011 at 3:18)

I made my own trx, it cost me about 25$ (60 pln) for straps, and old lock on grips. thats funny how U all complain about the prize while there are plenty of schemes of trx in google. DO YOUR OWN.
anyway it's a great piece of equipment real hard training

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socalshreder (Apr 6, 2011 at 18:12)

I workout every day and Im actually studying to become a Strength and Conditioning coach. The TRX looks very versitle but there are several exercises with weight you could use. Squats, dead lifts, clean lifts, leg press. Also you could even get the same workout with caples at the gym. Also balance and stability workouts help tremendosully in the moutainbike discpline. Just puttting weight in your hands and trying to balance on one leg is good, all the nerve recipators in your leg fire and helps you stabilze your body which is important in rididng. Id like to try the TRX; but fellas old fashioned hard work put in at the gym and lots of riding will serve you well. I wish my gym had something like this though.

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stinkysam (Apr 6, 2011 at 11:10)

tbh, i dont see how this will help with riding your bike faster with more confidence, the only way to do that is to get out on your bike a ride Smile

ernle (Apr 6, 2011 at 12:26)

my mum help disighn this it a perfect peice of kit witch is highly afective witch will help you have a better injurence wich will help you in that last straight saweghaei

Bjammin (Apr 6, 2011 at 18:30)

u nede to werk onn yur spelign

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dkidd (Apr 7, 2011 at 15:28)

clearly this thing is so expensive he couldn't even afford a good antiperspirant to do the goddamn commercial.

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SHARK555 (Apr 6, 2011 at 2:47)

lol. I just use the lift straps in the garage. Can hold my the truck canopy, should easly hold me.

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nsbichboy (Apr 6, 2011 at 4:41)

Also try this work out, it looks similar . . with the squeezing of the but cheeks and what not. haha

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AsbjrnRytter (Apr 6, 2011 at 10:14)

That defiantly look like some shit bought on the TVshop... Can't really see how thats gonna improve riding skills!

summit800 (Apr 6, 2011 at 13:25)

lol yeah for sure man. this is just retarded. if you wana improve on your riding then go for a dam bike ride? if its the winter get a trainer or take up a winter sport like skiing instead of being set up like this creepo in his garage suspending himself off the floor like some kinda kink ass dominatrix set up.... 200$ for a couple straps, give me a break. rather toss 200 into a trainer, or a set of skis? simple and fun and you can actually go outside and enjoy the elements....

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AggressiveCouch (Apr 8, 2011 at 16:24)

how does this give you confidence? unless it somehow makes your balls bigger?

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amando96 (Apr 6, 2011 at 3:44)

A pump track is pretty helpful for speed and stamina, go on it for an hour or two without stopping, I dare you.

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socalshreder (Apr 6, 2011 at 18:37)

Play Hockey. It will get you in shape.

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matt-beer (Apr 6, 2011 at 10:24)

Try the workout for a month and then voice your opinion.

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pbuser102331 (Apr 6, 2011 at 4:21)

If i reach up i can touch my ceiling so this ain't gonna work in my house.

lightningskull (Apr 6, 2011 at 7:40)

can't make everyone happy

pbuser102331 (Apr 6, 2011 at 10:01)

mfrs need to understand this when designing a product.

jjgoride (Apr 6, 2011 at 13:12)

The TRX can be suspended from a door/door frame and is packable for travel (less than 1 lb and takes up less space than once size 13 shoe). Suspending it from a higher anchor point allows more flexibility in what you use it for, but it is still a good training device hung from a doorway.

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roscoeharris (Apr 7, 2011 at 21:54)

p90x. enough said.

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trevpratt (Apr 7, 2011 at 16:05)

who is this joker

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devildual (Apr 6, 2011 at 20:08)

ride to work

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matt-beer (Apr 6, 2011 at 10:24)

Double post.

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nixxkixx (Apr 6, 2011 at 20:47)

Ignorance

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