Video: The Privateer is Back - Off Season Riding with Yoann Barelli & Fitness Testing

 The squat depth was particularly tragic

 This is a cautionary tale to all the riders I meet who don't think they need a trainer. That they'll watch some youtube video about deadlifts and kettlebell swings and go at it alone. You'll do the movements wrong, it will be ineffective and you'll eventually hurt yourself.

 He clearly has no idea how to do a clean and press and he shouldn't be going for his max until he learns the technique. I'd also have him working with lighter weight and a fuller movement on the squats.

 @Adamrideshisbike: this is why i stick with drinkin beer & jerkin off.

 www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEx8__ie6bg

 @alexsin: I thought that this guy was his trainer? I would prob take YouTube video instructions over him.

Not trying to give Adam shit here. Those movement lack in the mechanics that make them what they are. He could have been using half the weight in all of his lifts, hinging properly, bilaterally balancing his strength and stability, and so on.

Think beyond a three rep max. Chains, bands, pauses, speed lifts, time under tension, etc can all do a lot more for you than trying to only lift heavier weights with poor form.

 @Mntneer: My body hurts just watching this guy lift. The vast majority of people in the gym are guilty of lifting too much weight at the expense of good form and better results. I was guilty of this too for years. I would just go to the gym, throw weights on the bar, and lift what I could without ever really researching the real proper form. About a year ago I really got serious, started researching the right way to so things, watching videos from some top trainers, etc and its made a world of difference. I'm probably lifting at most 70% of the weight I used too on most exercises while seeing much better results and experiencing almost none of the aches and pains I used too.

 @Mntneer: Thanks for all the pointers guys. Feel free to send me any sage advice you might have, I appreciate it. A lot of the lack of range of motion comes from my lack of mobility which has come along way since this video was filmed in February. These are complex movements and take time to master. A lot like learning to smash turns it takes time!!

 @adamprice: that’s absolutely true on some lifts like squats. People will tell and scream about not going low enough but that’s often a mobility issue, not a strength issue. Some people’s bodies can’t go that low while still maintaining form.

 Yeah, probably not Adam's fault. He clearly wasn't incorporating barbell lifts in his off season training. A couple months work would put him wheere he should be (but too late for that .

 @adamprice: Range of motion and Mobility issues can take years to overcome. You'll get there.

 @adamprice: We just don't want to see anyone getting hurt! And I'm sure making mobility headway will help immensely.

As far as technique advice, I really like Alan Thrall's tutorial videos. His youtube channel is a great lifting resource. I'd personally advise having a knowledgeable friend or trainer watch and help with these lifts while you get your technique sorted. Better to focus on form and lift quality with light weight than to lift heavy weights poorly and have to spend extra time breaking bad habits.

 Interested to see his results vs last season.

 Thanks, @emarquar: No doubt. Alan Thrall's beard is EPIC! I've watched a few of his videos.

 @CantClimb: Yah after 20 years of playing hockey, my hamstrings are so tight that I've never been able to squat deeply without winking. Takes a lot of mobility that I'm pretty sure biking doesn't help either. I just do front or goblet squats and it helps keep my front way more erect. Sometimes I'll lift my heels a bit too.

 @adamprice: third world squats.. Next time you're your binging stuff on netflix instead of sitting on the couch try to squat and hold it as long as you can. You might only get it for 30 sec or not even get a full squat at all but keep at it every day. Work your way to 1, 5, 10 minutes. You will slowly get there over months.

 @sino428: Agreed, his form aligns to what is seen at most gyms and probably the form of most that are being critical in this thread. Find that many gym users lack focus on form and proper mobility. Even me, I'll find myself lifting the Broscience way... lift heavier then your gym nemesis, but in reality they don't even know you're there. Honestly it's a never ending process of maintaining proper technique and mobility.

Great series @adamprice , can definitely see the improvements!

 @adamprice: You have definitely come a long way since the first series! I received some good tips from a reputable trainer that really helped my deadlift form. At the bottom squeeze your shoulder blades together and really engage your core. This will set you up from the base with great form. Also on the way up focus on engaging your lats, it helps to do some band pull downs and pull ups to get them firing before you go into the the lift, this will also help keep that form tight. When done properly the dead lift should really engage your back as much as your legs. One thing I do to help keep form consistent is to release my grip at the bottom, rengage core and shoulder and go into the next rep.

For your hip mobility 90-90's is a fantastic way to open up, give YT a quick search if your not familiar with them. Also just spend some time sitting in a deep squat position with no weight throughout the day (not necessarily before lifting), this will also help open up your range of motion and train your CNS for getting low.

A great fitness resource is Mind Pump Media, they have a great podcast with loads of experience with 1,000's of clients over the years. They do sell programs for different disciplines ect.. One that you may want to look into is their "MAPS Prime", all about mobility, it freaking works wonders. Best of luck! Was rad to see you come down Tiger Mtn, I was timing Stage 3. Cheers!

 @hasteTHEday: @ss to grass ADAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Solid quarter reps.

 @adamprice: Well, there you go Adam. You got your 1 season on the rise where everyone loved you all the time ,through your ups and downs.
Now, be prepared to be ripped apart limb from limb every episode, enough to cause psychosis, a drinking problem and probably a debilitating heroin addiction where to end up homeless on the streets of Seattle, rambling to random strangers about how you were transported from a random shlub to the highest ranks in cycling and "it's all on a TV show on the internet ,I swear"
...this is the Pinkbike Gauntlet.
Only Sam Hill gets safe passage.

 @adamprice: What do you want this time around Adam? Pin it and win it big guy, we've got your back and are just hounding you because we want to see you succeed. Can't wait to see what's in store for you man.

 his poor back

 @adamprice: Too bad you didn't get this advice before/during the Winter break. 3-6 months of novice programming around these 4 lifts will transform your body and strength level, INCREASE mobility, range of motion, and create a foundation for power/speed. It would also help greatly in injury prevention. A MANDATORY foundation for any athletic endeavor IMO. I'd recommend barbellmedicine.com (Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum, Dr. Austin Baraki, Alan Thrall) for best advice on technique, programming, nutrition, equipment, and any other associated odds and ends.
How to Deadlift:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYREQkVtvEc (Alan Thrall)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYN3UGCYisk (Tips From Austin Baraki of BB Medicine)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AObAU-EcYE (Mark Rippetoe/Starting Strength; Art of Manliness series)
How to Squat:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmNPOjaGrVE (Alan Thrall)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtX8GGbDCuc (Tips From Austin Baraki of BB Medicine)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AObAU-EcYE&t=1s (Mark Rippetoe/Starting Strength; Art of Manliness series)
How to Overhead Press:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNFXEEdfQp4 (Alan Thrall)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnBmiBqp-AI (Mark Rippetoe/Starting Strength; Art of Manliness series)
How to Bench Press:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T9UQ4FBVXI&t=1001s (Mark Rippetoe/Starting Strength; Art of Manliness series)
Novice tips from Alan Thrall: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUUIfUR7qOg

 @adamprice: additionally
First Workout/startup Templates:
www.barbellmedicine.com/the-beginner-prescription
startingstrength.com/get-started/programs

 want to upvote this 100x

 @adamprice: Check out Kelly Starret's Building the Supple Leopard and go to town on working on your mobility. Learn to be able to squat with nothing to depth which will no doubt help with fatigue on the bike, especially in your hip flexors.

 @clutched: you get my sympathy. High Fhiiiiive!


I’d be careful with one thing with these guys though. Thrall/ BarbellM/ Starting Strength. Excellent with teaching technique, no doubts about it but They are a bit of an echo chamber and preach almost one and same thing in their programs. Resistance training with grinding slow linear progression. Juggernaut Training System is good to add to the mix since they offer more power lifting angle. And we as MTBers are a lot about power. Juggernaut also seems to have a healthier approach to progression and deload. With BBM and Thrall I was constantly stressed not to lose gains and even though they separated themselves from Rippetoe, they still go full on “if you follow the program you won’t injure yourself, RPE is half relevant since it is so subjective, f*ck your feelings”. Juggernaut puts more emphasis on recovery through adjusting training, for joints and ligaments. I was following BBM and ignored RPE and pains which were signals that later developed into SI Joint failure. Tough luck but they are hiding their dogmatism under constant speaking to common sense and backing themselves with science. The reality is they are all lifters while their clients often aren’t. The reality is there is no way to not be dogmatic when running a school, no matter how hard you try. This is why it is good to seek other perspective from time to time. The reality of online coaching is, while they may teach you all that face to face, especially if you attend seminars and get hands on coaching, details may be lost through internet coaching, no matter how good it is and how hard they try.

 @Mntneer: I think learning the basics well will serve Adam well before venturing into the advanced world of bands, chains pauses etc. He actually will benefit from just the basics (correctly executed and appropriately cycled).

A 3RM (executed well) can actually be a good test as it shows where the breakdown points are but at sub-maximal loading. Ad with respect to Adam, the weights he is moving aren't very heavy from a structural POV. This way the coach can see where obvious form breakdowns might occur which then points to appropriate correction. The techniques shown weren't earth shatteringly bad. Done repeatedly and for extended periods, sure, but in this instance he's unlikely to blow a disk.

@adamprice mobility is important but working through a 'full' rom isn't always necessary. The movement pattern of MTB will never replicate a deep squat so you'd have to question the carry over. That said, deep squatting (just body weight) is a very good thing so don't overlook it but make sure that your training is functional for you.

Functional training is often a misnomer as the exercises prescribed may not be functional to the person doing it. EG a full and crisp Snatch is all good and well but the direct carry over to MTB isn't there. The ability to hit the positions is good as it demonstrates a respectable level of mobility, proprioception and strength however the direct carry over to other sports isn't always there.

Theres a bajillion people out there offering S&C services online but take a look at Fit4racing. They're been interviewed twice on The Downtime podcast and the owner, Johnny clearly knows his stuff. Who knows, it could even make for a good threeway podcast / episode / youtube effort.

 @WAKIdesigns: "sympathy" Uhhh, OK. I agree, and strongly disagree with you. Yes SS/Rippetoe is pretty stuck on a Novice LP, although I wouldn't call it grindingly slow. The whole point of being a novice is that you get to enjoy the 'novice effect' of being able to follow almost any basic, progressive programing and make steady gains. For most beginners, it should take a while to stall out, or be over stressed on Rip's SS NLP. It's a decent, easy to understand starting point, and I'd hope for most people common sense would take over if they felt they were banging their head, or body, into the proverbial wall.

The Barbell Medicine crew is quite different from SS/Rippetoe, thus a big reason for the split, and the source that I cited as a primary source for most information. They are FAR from dogmatic, and are very flexible about the 'what', and 'how-to's' for novices. You have them characterized ABSOLUTELY WRONG. Jordan Feigenbaum advocates for exactly the opposite of what you stated. He frequently advocates for novices progressing through use of lower stress (less than RPE 8-10) modes of training, as there is no need for a novice to train in one particular way all the time.

If you are ignoring RPE and pain, you're doing it wrong. RPE is based on YOU, so if you are pushing to 10+ each time, that is YOUR issue. Don't blame SS, or BBM for that. Sorry to hear about your joint issue. Using science isn't hiding, or being dogmatic, it's being scientific. BTW, they cite the best available scientific evidence whenever possible, and not just the 'conventional knowledge', or 'common sense.' That isn't to say that common sense doesn't apply. Maybe you just didn't understand the programming, or use common sense?

Juggernaut Training System has a more powerlifting angle to lifting than the competitive powerlifters at BBM? Huh, that's interesting to hear. Maybe I am reading you wrong? You think that BBM doesn't know that their audience isn't just competitive lifters? Your assessment of them is absolutely baffling. They are medical Drs. who have had all sort of clients and patients to include the elderly, and they talk about that often.
'School, dogmatic, blah, blah,... ' none of that means anything.
I've never seen anything from Juggernaut whatever that was worth repeating, or sharing.

 @clutched: yes I agree, that wasn’t the best description of them, even my way of seeing them. They are some of the best in the business, whoever you are whatever you do, if you never really lifted , follow them, you won’t be disappointed. They are the shit. So I didn’t really pictured them as that a*shole CT Fletcher... they are different from Rippetoe (eho is fkng good 8/10, say what you want) in a way that they want people to have more variation, but I find their attitude to progression similar.

I listened to hours and hours of their youtube stuff, follow Jordan on insta, listened to many of his lives. Love his stories and his devotion to posting facts and battling myths. Sense of humor is welcome as well. But Not a single time, have I heard him say “take it easy, you are have a desk job and maybe you like wasting time in front of TV or spend lpts of time with your kids”. No. At every question ( and I underline: not my question) about deload, RPE, what you get is at best , “shrugging shoulders and saying whatever floats your boat, we know better”. Just watch the youtube vid of Alan Thrall about Deload. Just watch it. They all treat it as if, someone was to stop training for a few weeks and came back trying to PR 1RMax without warm up sets. Also they stay hard with Rip on doing other stuff in the gym than lifting heavy and this is what I meant with them being dogmatic. People
Doing other stuff than resistance training and treat it only as one chapter of their periodized training may get an impression that everything what doesn’t have to do with barbell is a waste of time. And that’s totally wrong. Otherwise how could a stick of a rider like Jesse Melamed win with a meatball like Richie Rude?

You can see in latest stories from Jordan how unsuited he is to powerlifting. Ot that I know a lot about snatches, cleans and jerks but looking at people who can do it, he is rather out of his depth.

At least that is my perception of them and the only critique I can give them, because otherwise I give them 9,5/10. They are better than Juggernaut, no doubts about it, I just meant that it is worth checking other legit guys as their approach is a bit different, maybe because guys from JTE openly state that they have a history of injuries so it’s not all butterflies and daffodils. JTE disagrees with BBM on some issues and vice versa, and I think it is worth watching their debates on youtube.

So to paraphrase Jordan - eveything is nuanced and take everything with a pinch of salt. Even Jordan

 @jonnycrash: yeah I would bet he can do a full depth body weight squat. The max test was pretty false because he didn't even break parallel.
All that cardio work, just focusing on the main lifts and doing them well would surely give the greatest gains currently.

 @adamprice: check out the book Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. It’s a classic.

 @adamprice: I bet the biggest physical adaptation you’ve had during this program is the thicker skin from the exercise of putting yourself out there. Good on you for what you are doing. Gives an old(er) guy like me motivation to train harder, keep it up! I’ll keep watching.

 @BenoNZ: to top that Many BMX racers do lots of power lifting and try to keep their bar speed on basic lifts rather high. They do plenty of different forms of plyo. Speed is a very important compound here. You can see Aaron Gwin, Adam Brayton, even Eli Tomac do lots of that.

 And the rowing form. This guy is an inspiration - it would be a shame if he injures himself in the gym.

 @adamprice: Yo - protect your back. Seriously. You're right, you have range of motion constraints. You can get strong and work around that for a very long time - but it'll catch up with you. Watch that deadlift - that rounded lumbar spine will cause you serious issues. Maybe not now, maybe not five years from now, but it will catch up with you (speaking from experience here).

You're motivated, you're smart, you've got a good base, you've got great resources now. I hope I interpret your response up there correctly, and you've been working on mobility and functional movement. It translates right over to the bike - and the rest of life - and armors your spine.

 @sino428: Problem is, he's not maintaining form. Look at the DL - that rounded spine is going to cause trouble under load. Look at his squat - it's not just depth, his low back starts rounding while still well above horizontal thighs. He needs correctives and focus on integrity of motion.

 @g-42: I agree, thats why I made the overall point about most people lifting more weight that they should be. Its amazing how much more difficult the lifts are when you keep very strict form. Like I said I am at most lifting 70% of what I used too yet my muscles feel 2x as worked when I am done. It really is an ego thing. I get it, you go to a gym and you want to lift alot but if you really want the best workout its something people need to get over. Took me a long time to realize too. I used to feel like a pussy if I wasn't putting up 225 on the bench. I can still bench 225 if I want too, but my workouts are much better if if I stay under 185 with strict form.

 @WAKIdesigns: I am not going to keep on with the dueling essay responses, except to say the you have repeated a bunch of inaccuracies again, and you are missing the point a bit. Go look at my first post, and it's context in this convo. We are trying to give some beginner advice to someone who lacks the base level ability. What I posted is spot on for that task. Also, I think you are referring to 'powerlifting' when what you really mean is 'olympic lifting.' Nothing wrong with olympic for an intermediate, or better lifter, but it makes your responses even more confusing.

 @clutched: sorry, yes I meant Olympic lifting. At the same time I do not know how someone’s impression of someone else may be inaccurate... I wrote that BBM is 9,5/10 and this tiny little 0,5 bit is what I missed from them. I also do not know how you can have a problem with someone saying... nevermind. That also
means I am 9,5/10 with you on it.

 @adamprice: You should be proud of the progress you've made, I think most of us are disgusted with your coach. There are ways to modify all those exercises to get equivalent training effects without putting you at risk.
Your coach should have been working with you on that, and putting you in the proper positions, not overloading you in compromised positions. You put your trust in him and his knowledge, that's HIS job. Mobility is a lifelong journey, and I'm built like you and it took me a year to go from your squat depth to below parallel, so I feel your pain. Keep grinding dude! Looking forward to seeing you tear it up this year!!!

 Starting Strength and Barbell Medicine coaches also use leg press to work on mobility.

 Maybe they could get the Hound to give some inspirational talks to Adam?

 No incest either

 @WAKIdesigns: bummer, right?

 @WAKIdesigns: season isn’t over yet

 @Grosey: hahahahaha

 @Grosey: I want at least an army of incels!

 Anyone else notice that Todd Schumlick sounds exactly like @mikelevy?

 Without a doubt it’s the “coach” who should be called out.
The scary thing is this guy is working with professional athletes.
If the guy couldn’t hit anywhere near proper squat depth/form with 95 pounds, a real coach would have shut it down, not let him continue working up.
He should be using a broomstick or an empty bar until he learns how to rack a clean, and do a proper hip hinge.
Strength training does zero good if your athlete gets hurt before his first race

 Yes let's all talk about how poor of a coach someone is who also coaches Gwin and Richie Rude. Gotta love all the armchair warriors here talking about Adams form who would get smoked by him at any race.

 The very same coach who presumably recommended the supplements that got Richie Rude banned?????

 @briceps: my point here is not how good/bad the coach is, it’s his dedication mate. Have you seen gwin training? It’s a totally different thing.

If you’re supposedly being followed by ANY coach, those gestures would have been corrected way before season 2..

Regarding getting smoked by Adam, I might not be as good at riding as adam is, but definitelly i’m a better lifter and that’s only because i’ve been coached on how to do those things. Hence it’s the coach’s fault that he’s not even better... maybe if he had proper coaching by his current coach or any other, he could smoke you too at any race ????????‍♂️

 I'm not sure why you're being downvoted. I found those numbers surprising as well, especially considering his height/weight. A solid block of base training to build sustainable power would make the world of a difference for Adam.

 @Quorts: agree. It might be boring but seems to me like some time on zwift/trainer road would do him a world of wonder.

 I was also surprised by this, I coached a bunch of highschoolers last year who were pushing comfortably over 450w for 3 minutes, sure that will drop for 5 minutes, but these guys all weighed less than 70kg (most hovering around 60kg) and im pretty sure they'd still smash 304w

 I had no idea he was from a town so local to where I grew up!

 His VO2 max is someplace between 444 and 305 watts.. If I was to guess I would think it's going be around 320-340 given the 2 tests. This is low compared to most pros.... His 5min max is low compared to most competitive (cat 1/2/3) amateur cyclists FTPs especially considering that Adam looks to be a bigger guy. . It looks to me like there is a lot of low hanging gains for him to make in strength and fitness.

 @Squamishboz: Yeah, if he gets really fit, he can be competitive. He is not looking pro fit. Super cut and no body fat like all the top endruro pros.

 @Squamishboz: Watts is not his V02 max. Watts is power output in relation to body mass. V02 max is calculated in ml/kg/min. So, liters of oxygen relative to your body mass over a time interval (min).