Video: Working Out with a Pro Mountain Biker - Remy Metailler Shows Christina Chappetta His Gym Routine

 I agree. She's great on camera and doesn't come across as a know-it-all. Looking forward to more content with her. The pedal video illustrated her skills on a bike. Ripper.

 Thank you! That is very thoughtful and I appreciate the great feedback. I try to keep it real at all times...because there is always some bigger, stronger, faster and smarter than me out there ahahh

 @conv3rt: Thanks so much! Been a fun learning curve for sure.

 Damn. Those legs have done some squats, nice! Super friendly and look forward to seeing more. Great to see a pro workout.

 "I was wrong..."
Waki, 25 feb. 2020

 Totally agree.
I think the MTB world is too much into weird accessory/"functional" bs stuff that's being sold to them as the bee's knees. What I think most mountain bikers lack is simply basic strength and flexibility.

BTW, just saw a video is Remy deadlift 210kg, very good

 @Arierep: I got overall joint inflammation again and to my surprise when I checked out some programs and spoke to two BMX racers, I was doing too much... I may have some underlying arthritis condition but it was not the weight alone that messed me up. it was the exercise selection and too much variation per session. Range of motion is extremely important but people teach it like Catholic priests warn of dangers of premarital sex - lot's of fear mognering, no tangible arguments. For instance as I learned: I was doing too deep low back squats considering my mobility. My butt wink when going close to horizontal is evident. I need to increase my mobility before doing more so deep squats. That involves ankle, hamstring, even posas mobility, base conditioning of glutes and piriformis is highly desireable. Then clean: if you don't have mobility for front squat like Remy has - do not do cleans. You will wreck your elbows. Increase tyour shoulder, thoracic spine mobility, get profficient at front squats before you tear your elbow tendons. Balance - it takes very good balance to do a clean and jerk... before you lift something over your head, make sure you know how your arm should go up so that you don't mess up your rotator cuff. Same is true for pull ups. Pull ups done wrong are a great way to mess up your shoulder joint because they pinch the bicep. Add injury history, lack of mobility of shoulder socket and you can bust your shoulder. Box jumps: do not do any maxing plyo without strength base. There is a study showing relation between how much you squat and how hard you can go with box jumps. Especially with eccentric jumps. For instance they do not recommend eccentric box jumps at all until you can squat 1.5BW. An elite BMXer, candidate for Olympics told me he does sets of 5 box jumps! No more per set. Because it's about quality and not hurting yourself.

If there is any exercise that will give you tangible quality goals to develop balance and mobility, it is very hard to beat overhead squat with ass to grass. Do not do ass to grass if you are losing your back below parallell or earlier! Even with a PVC pipe.

Long story short... binge watch the hell out of Athlean X, dr Andy Galpin and Squat University. If you want to tell the crap from gold social media content: Shredded Sports Science.

 You are only partially wrong, WAKI. For some people, heavy lifting is something they should build up to. But not everybody. After all, there are a host of subclinical deformities in just the spine and hips alone that heavy lifting won't seem to effect as the athlete gets stronger, right up until it does. And they will never know they have those flaws in their body until they reach a point where something gives....Big Time. I know of more than one Olympic level coach who was first a champion power or olympic lifter that nowadays lifts their power wheelchair into their Mobility Van . On an electric lift. Muscle fiber strength can increase very quickly, compared to bone density and tendon strength.Everybody is different to some degree in this regard.

 Who told you lifting heavy was bad? That's how you develop power. Your just not supposed to lift heavy all the time. You should also try to peak your power for a particular event or season. If you want to be a beast, you should try plyometrics between sets of deads, focusing on cocentric motion not eccentric. And trap bar deads force better form than straight bar, especially if you have back issues. As far as pull ups go, arms a little wider than shoulder, do them to the front only. Behind the neck will eventually kill your rotator cuff.

 As an American, I can also deadlift 220...lbs

 @WAKIdesigns: Pound for pound gymnasts are the strongest athletes in the world, they don't train with weights. Flexibility and bodyweight training will do more for your overall strength and balance than lifting.

 @Bomadics: Partially true. What gymnasts have is phenomenal power to weight ratios, which is why most of them are on the smaller/shorter side. Also, you're sprint (bike or running) isn't going to get faster with just body weight training.

 @WAKIdesigns: while you and the other guys are right about taking some care with work volume and intensity, accessories, etc those are generally considerations for someone who's already into weight training.
My main point was that the average mountain biker would greatly benefit from just starting to squat, deadlift and bench (yes, and a couple more exercises). Most average guys in the trails (and a good deal of pros) can't even do a simple high/low bar squat with proper form or stability

 @WAKIdesigns: that was gold Thx for sharing. Just send this info to my trainner...

 @SlodownU: Nobody told me that, and if you read my post again, you can deduce the this is all from my 34 years as an orthopedic and Sports Acupuncturist. Micro damage CAN occur any time you challenge your skeletal and tendon structure. Every day in the big MMA gym where I get a lot of my patients from, I see or hear about this.
But you keep doing what you are doing. Check back with me in 20 years. If I'm still alive, I'll be in San Diego, CA.

 @SlodownU: I am not suggesting anyone becomes a gymnast, I was suggesting using their training style as opposed the weights as being more beneficial. Also this type of training is great for sprinting as it develops your fast twitch muscles, it does very little for cardio of course, but neither does weight lifting.

 @Bomadics: sorry, but can't agree with that, for various obvious reasons.
- first, you need to precisely state your definition of strength. For most people, that would be measured by lifting a heavy object in a number of ways
- pound per pound, powerlifters and Oly weightlifters are the strongest people on earth (strongman as well, but generally those focus in higher weight categories with lower pound per pound strength), by the most common metric
- you're naive to think that high level gymnasts don't do weight training

 @Arierep: Try doing a little (or a big) survey of gymnasts and power lifter/Olympic lifters after they are retired from competition for several years.. Ask them how they are getting around in the present. I think you'll find another bit of quantifiable evidence there.

 @Bomadics: The book "You are your own gym" talks about training with body weight and it's benefits. The book also mentions alternating exercise type to activate the muscles in different ways using exercises such as Tabatas, Intervals, Supersets, Stapers and Ladders.

 @comt0006: I love this idea! Going to look for that book right away! Thanks

 @WAKIdesigns: How you do the plyo depends on what you're looking to accomplish. Most guys tend to injure themselves on the eccentric part, hence the stairs you mention. Also, the cocentric motion is what builds power while putting on less mass. During the eccentric part of the exercise, the actin/myosin is tearing, which is where muscle mass is built, which is why a lot of body builders emphasize the negatives so much, but increase their risk of tendon and connective tissue damage. The plyo between sets also helps to build more explosive strength and also strength/weight ratio than just the lift alone, however you need a longer rest before your next set of lifts if you incorporate plyo. You want to go into your next set with a reasonable rest so that you can maximize the lift. Among endurance athletes, weight training wasn't always popular, but these days the science is showing that if you carefully incorporate exercises that increase your strength/weight ratio and explosiveness, there are tangible results during competition, but like I mentioned before, you want to peak for a competition/season, then cycle it back.

 @WAKIdesigns: I was reading through and then you said exactly what helped me some years ago with squat/lifting mobility...The overhead squat.

I believe everyone learns squats in the wrong order, back squat, then front, then possibly overhead. If you start with overhead, just the bar, this will make front squat and then back squat (high bar) fall in to place.

 @crag79: i lack mobility in ankles a bit, thoracic spine a bit and then my shoulders are the biggest limit. I may actually never get it, like my wrists are messed up. I tried to stretch them, never happened. The lowest I got was just below parallel. I am watching squat university, he has good tips for mobility

 @WAKIdesigns: Some pointers that helped me, sorry if you already know this..

Olympic weight lifting shoes are a must.

Grip needs to be wide enough so bar is at top of hips when held in front of you.

Try a narrower stance than normal, with toes pointing out, if you don’t already.

The inability to go below parallel may be because your stance is too wide and toes pointing too forward. This is to do with hip socket depth, people with a deeper hip socket need to get their toes out more to stop hip joint blocking.

Just points that helped me, may not help everyone as we are all different. Good luck going forward, sure you will get it.

 @crag79: I checked that. I have the shoes. But my shoulder Mobility is messed up. I can barely reach my hands behind my back, can’t really move the pvc above my head from front to back. I am trying to stretch the shoulder capsule but I will give myself some time. I had inflamed rotator cuff in the past, feel it a bit now, I’m careful. I follow squat university, for exercises!

Thanks! Cheers! Love Olympic lifts, so much technique to learn.

 @WAKIdesigns: try to rotator cuff exercises at warm. Most of my shoulder issues went away since I started that. I got that from Martins Licis (WSM 2019), he's so into that that it became a meme.

For strength training info I still prefer Alan Thrall on YT. Top quality info, very unbiased.

 @Arierep: strength untaaaammmmm..d Alan is great but just like other Ex Starting Strength dudes, now Barbell Medicine is that I got an impression that I should just lift no matter what, and without looking into their programming I could just wreck yourself... Starting Strength programming is totally out of whack. I hope BBM is better

 @SlodownU: ...and many of them do weight training as well.

 @WAKIdesigns: yeah James, shredded sport science is reqlly good....Alan Roberts Every Damn Day Fitness is another one.

 @Arierep: oh, are you a high level gymnast?

 @Arierep: While I agree that most mountain bikers (and people in general) lack basic strength and flexibility, I have definitely seen much gains switching from a simple olympic weight/strong lifts/etc type of program to a more "functional" style of training. About the same amount of time training, just changing exercises and programs. Either way, working with a trainer is often key to a success in the first year+ of training.

 @WAKIdesigns: Sort of true yeah but i guess he's focusing on USA and the direction they are going in general and is understandably very angry about it.

 Anyone reading this comment thread who's interested in an online coach, I use Matt Wenning at www.wenningstrength.com for online training

 @Arierep: The core dead lift is all about form. Same with a back squat. If your form is solid, you can move a lot of weight SAFELY. Essentially, the only parts of your body that should really move much are your hips and knees. Pull with your back too soon or too late, rock forward on your toes or sit back on your heels, and you risk pulling something (and as we get older, the healing process is soooooooo much more fun).
Get your a**es low folks!

 @Bomadics: Gymnasts at the US Olympic Training Center work out with weights. I’ve seen them with my own two eyes.

 @Arepiscopo: you cannot squat low with good form if your hamstrings are too short. Buttwink where lower is a fact. Same with front squat. No way to not hyperextend your lower back without good shoulder and thoracic spine mobility. Poor programming, lifting constantly at RPE 9-10 no matter the rep and load you are at a high chance of messing up your tendons and joints. In the era of douches like Goggins or influencers on dope acting natural, it is not impossible to imagine folks wrecking themselves for going too hard.

 @SlodownU: IDK if I'd say that trap bar dead lifts force better form. Its really just a different form altogether. Putting the weigh back in the stance compared to the barbell dead lift just forces more work to the quads and less to the lower back. That's obviously good if you want to take strain off the lower back if you have back issues, but at the same time part of the benefit of the dead lift is to work the lower back. The trap bar takes the movement more towards that of a squad than a true hinge exercise like a barbell dead lift. Both are good exercises but they aren't completely interchangeable.

 @SlodownU: I think I should maybe go ask a Chiropractor........oh, who is also not an MD/DO. I am stunned that people would downvote (again) pesky facts as often as they do. I do work with a few people who I just tend to roll my eyes at (recently it has been a few PT's who got their "Doctorate" in PT and for some reason think they will be called "doctor" in a hospital environment....they won't).

 @sino428: they don’t. Theoretically there should be no difference what so ever in the form of the deadlift between bar and trap. Also Theoretically Trapbar allows you to lift faster and more reps. In practice Most people, including pro athletes in some videos, do “deadsquats”. Also achievable with the bar. But much harder to do.

 @WAKIdesigns: Yea I guess you could say its easier to find the proper form for a trap bar deadlift than it is to find the proper form for the barbell. But they are still somewhat of a different movement because of the position of the weight.

 @Bomadics: they do train with weights, it helps prevent injuries...it’s all encompassing. And how are you evaluating strength?

 Shes jacked, I don't think she needs any advice on how to lift, I think she should actually be giving it.

 @SlodownU: exactly what I thought

 She reminds me of my bud (we're still buds right?) Anne Galyean. Fit, aggressive, powerful and riddled with old injuries from shenanigans.

 I'll always have him beat in the calves department hahah thanks crew!

 @SlodownU: thanks bud! Luckily I've been blessed with the good genes haha But have spent many years in the gym, coming from a soccer background of all things!

 @blowmyfuse: I'll take that! THANKS! Anne is a beast for sure and one I look up to on and off the bike 3

 She sure doesn't look like a stranger to the gym with those guns. Work it girl!!

 @christinachappetta: You're welcome. I've got 2 daughters who are 14 & 16 and am always looking for girls who ride to show them videos of for motivation.

 I completely agree, he will be a phenomenal instructor!

 I do something similar to this but usually not the strict 5/3/1 routine

jimwendler.com/blogs/jimwendler-com/limited-training-time-maximum-results.

Bullet point is one gym day where I hit squats, deads, and military press (can't bench due to injuries) and alternating heavy deads and squats, so one week, heavy squats and light maintenance deadlift, next week heavy deads and maintenance squats. Other day I just do a bunch of chinups, pushups, and single leg and core stuff at home.

 350mg testosterone enanthate per week

 @Mntneer: In all seriousness, 350/wk is way too high for a mountain biker. If you want to avoid the water retention and bloating, you'll have to take an ai which can lead to tendon and bone issues. In fact, supraphysiological doses of test can ALSO lead to tendon issues. 250 is probably the max most mountain bikers should take but 150-200 is probably ideal. Older guys should just get on hrt for life or avoid it altogether.

 @Mntneer: why do so little?

 To be fair, there is nothing wrong with only lifting once a week during the season for maintenance. At the end of the day, if you only lift to improve your mtb riding then theres no point sacrificing mtb riding for lifting which probably wont create any advancements you cant do in the off season. Your body can only take so much per week, especially with a job and family thrown in.

 @WestwardHo: my water e2 conversion is really low, and I take 12.5mg EOD of exemestane. Prevents my estrogen from crashing, and I don't experience any of the harsh side effects of running AIs and having bone dry joints.

350 is my high, but not HRT dosage (which is 200/week). 200 isn't "more than enough for me," and 350 lets me push it without my BP and LDL getting out of control

This is surely favorable to my old days of rotating test, tren, mast with test, deca, eq and no time off.

 @Mntneer: Haha, that's for sure . Tren is nasty stuff. If your bloods are good and your body likes 200 then that's good man. As i've gotten older, I keep moving my test doses down. I seem to feel my best around 125-150/wk. I might throw a little primo or var in there once or twice a year but that's about it.

 @Mntneer:
Uhm,

Are you guys comparing your drug usage, that seems very strange to me. Maybe I'm out of touch but...I don't really care about recreational drug use but when it sounds performance enhancing, that just seems strange. Unless there is a medical reason of course, then whatever.

 @Mntneer:
Nevermind my earlier comment, looked into that stuff and it looks like it is mostly not performance enhancing. Except testosterone which may have performance enhancing effects obviously, given the right combo of other factors.

Just a totally foreign jargon, that looked very strange. I haven't been in the gym in a serious way since the mid 90's during my D1 NCAA days, so, I guess I'm just not familiar.

 Thanks for bringing this topic up! So much info to cover in a quick video! I am super interested in knowing more about this and hope to do a video in the future on this topic...maybe mid-summer when bikers are in full swing?!?

 @christinachappetta: Would be awesome! It's tough to balance riding vs strength and body work when the riding season gets going. I'm sure there are many that can relate.

Thanks to those that responded!

 If you Bike more maybe go full body 2-3 times a week and lower the total workload + volume.

You can still gain strenght or atleast maintain your strenght/ muscle mass.

And dont forget to consume more protein because of the endurance work

 @briceps: I did the 5/3/1 for most of 2019 and it worked. I also modified some stuff, and tried to space out the 1RM workouts so I wasn't trying to blast squats and bench in the same day. The increased VOLUME and consistency were the best rewards, plus Wendler calls 'max' at like 95% of 90% or something so its never truly blowing yourself up. All in all, a good program, and dead simple to stick with, so you can get back to doing something outdoors in the mud with two wheels.

 @tlilly

Just lifting during the off season? No conditioning?

During the season I would focus my strength training sessions on a few compound lifts and a few selected accessory lifts and try to keep the sessions short.
Do quality sets, e.g. say do 5x5 of Squats/DL/DB clean and press or whatever compound lift of choice, and never go to failure. If you feel that rep 4 was hard, and that rep 5 is going to be a grind, you leave that in the tank.
Also do recovery rides, slow ass pedaling in zone 2.
You could also sneak some mini-workouts in here and there.

Most of these ideas if from a combat sports/boxing coach, Ross Enamait. I think his way of thinking and programing is easily transferable to biking.
rosstraining.com/blog

 @mlangestrom: Thank you! And yes, I do plenty of conditioning work as well. Lifting is just the thing that affects recovering the most, at least for me.

 @tlilly: I've just read this as well. sportsandscience.de/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Ausdauer-und-Kraft.pdf

Here they recommend a program based on daily undulating perodization, (I think Ross writes about it to) and 2 sessions a week during off season. During the season, 1 session seems to be enough to keep your gains. For cyclists they recommend heavy strength training with a focus on maximal velocity in the concentric phase.

 @briceps: I was doing different variations of Wendler’s programming for a few years. That’s a good way to start for sure. For mountain bikers in particular, advancing to a conjugate method (westside barbell) program can be very well worth while. Lower weights with bands or chains while training specifically speed and good form increases not just strength, but power! The one component that a lot of people leave out is speed in their training. Strength+speed = power and that’s really what matters the most for cyclists after they have built a solid base of strength (with 5/3/1 or equivalent training). This also increases the ability to ride more and train together without being too taxed from the heavy weights. Cheers!

 What are your goals and what equipment do you have access to?

 Single leg squats and single leg kb exercises have been my personal biggest improvements. Especially because on the bike, we can really overuse 1 side of the body without realizing it. Thanks for the compliments!

 @christinachappetta: I might have missed it, but folks should add a pressing motion too. I know bench press has saved me smashing my face into the stem on harsh landings multiple times.

 Thanks for the feedback! I have been in many gyms over many years and this routine made gains for me, and kept me feeling it for a few days hahah maybe I need more gym time. But for sure, time on the bike is crucial for improving. Being strong to take those big hits, also crucial.

 SAME! gyms creep me out sometimes... but a few years ago I did a lot of indoor climbing in the winter and it was crazy how strong my grip and upper body were at the start of spring. And it's quite fun :-)

 words to live by!

 @christinachappetta: I’m blushing now because I only said dudes... young RIDERS* thanks for the video I’m going to get some bands for recovery soon!

 Oh... chinups, bring the elbows in slightly as you chinup, its much easier as there is no impingement to taking place.

 @betsie: noticed that too. Look also how Remy’s arms go forward when lifting the kettlebell. I learned the hard way...

 Hahaha ????????

 She made me self conscious with her biceps...

 @remymetailler: Right?! She’s got some guns!

 @remymetailler: What about a night riding video segment? North Shore with Wade or????? I could volunteer my group to take you up Fromme?

 @fabwizard: It's coming..

 @remymetailler: And as you know, Remy, In THIS world , it's more important to LOOK good than it is to FEEL good!
And I must confess, back in the day, Ray's "gun show" was considered one of my finer features....

 @remymetailler: Cant wait, love your videos.

Last night was a great snow ride. Snow rides at night absolutely epic.

 @remymetailler: Lmao. Remy hanging out at the Chapetta gun show.

 @remymetailler: You are not the only one lol and you are fit AF, excellent routine! She is an absolutely chisel attractive woman.

 Nice video though!

 I find nearly every SkiErg video to be a bit cringy since I have spent a lot of time skiing (and understand that proper technique is difficult and takes time to develop). That said, it's cool to see xc skiing sneaking into normal gym routines in North America.

 Thanks for the feedback! But do you have bone floating around in your wrist, and a bone graft, that prohibits you from bending it?? Maybe...maybe not... Lucky to still be able to ride bikes and I'm stoked about that!

 @christinachappetta: I have a lunate and scaphoid that were turned to dust after sticking my arm out to prevent my head from being the first thing to hit the ground after a one story drop turned fall.

Luckily a very skilled surgeon and a dozen pins later my arms are the same length. It only gets about 15 degrees up but after a lot of lifting and a coach that wouldn’t let me compromise I was able to loosen things up to get much closer to 30-35. Push ups still suck and I notice when I haven’t worked out in a long time as it gets stiff.

Side note, your arms aren’t parallel in the video which is forcing you to try and bend your wrist further. Arms start and stay parallel through the movement. Try making them flat and see if you still can’t grip the bar, I’d bet a decent amount you can over the course of time.

 @christinachappetta; @usedbikestuff : The arms crossed front squat is just as valid, and possibly the best core strengthener in existence. Risk/reward should always be considered for injuries. Is "wrist flexibility" more important than "wrist stability?" Or even that critical for sports performance? No. Especially if it means the difference between being able to squat or not squat.

 THANKS!

 THANKS! It took a few tries to get the confidence up to jump hahah everybody knows girls can't jump... but Remy gives me the confidence to try.

 @christinachappetta: if you ever box jump sans Remy, avoid wooden boxes or run the risk of gouged and bloody shins. I know, I know, manslplaining and all, but still...

 @christinachappetta: Good hop for sure! I thought a better way to box jump was instead of resting on the ground, you spring up as quickly as possible once coming off the box. Sort of like a quick reflex action. Rest on top of the box if necessary. Might require a lower box height but in this case the height isn't the point, its how fast you can complete the cycle of On-Off-On.

 No, that is Mountain Fitness, the gym I go to in Squamish. Not my home gym..

 @remymetailler: thanks for sharing Remy, and explaining the exercises so well

 nah, he's in Me-hi-co!!!!