Cross Training Workout for Mountain Bikers

Studies have shown that spending time in nature can have fabulous effects on your overall health and happiness. Mountain biking not only gets you outside but is also a great way to stay in shape. Mountain biking gets your heart rate up, but it also requires a lot of strength, balance, and coordination. 

Here’s a workout you can do at home or at the gym that will help your performance out on the trails.

Cross Training Workout

Perform each exercise for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds in between sets. Complete the circuit 3-4 times.

• Split jumps

• Thrusters 

• Single leg deadlifts

• Plank rows

• Single leg Bridge to sit-up 

• Rollover plank 

Make sure you warm up before doing any workout. Here’s the classic Fit for Self warm-up routine.

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Split Jumps

Stand in a ready position with one leg forward and one leg back. Your hands can be on your hips or in a ready position by your sides. Prepare to jump by bending your knees and sinking into a deep lunge. Lean slightly forward and hold your core steady.   Quickly sink your weight down and then explosively drive both the heels off floor launch your body upward fully extending your knees and hips. As you jump into the air, quickly switch positions with your legs. Attempt to land softly on the forward mid-foot and let your heel meet the ground. Allow your hips and knees to bend deeply to absorb the landing. Prepare for the next jump.

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Thrusters

Grasping a straight bar or two dumbbells and hold at shoulder height. Your feet are directly under your hips as you drop down into a narrow squat position, from here you are going to drive through your heels back up to a stand position while pressing the weight up overhead. At the top of the movement, make sure you are in complete alignment with core strength. Take a deep breathe in and lower back down to a deep narrow squat, exhale and press overhead to complete your second repetition. 

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Single-Leg Deadlift

Hold a kettlebell center between both hands. Stand on one leg, keeping that knee slightly bent. Perform a stiff-legged deadlift by bending at the hip, extending your free leg behind you for balance. Continue lowering the kettlebell until you are parallel to the ground, and then return to the upright position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

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Plank Row

In a plank position with dumbbells in hands directly under your shoulders. (Legs can be a little wider for stability purpose here). Lock in your right arm and brace your core so your hips do not shift and you row up with your left side. Bringing your elbow behind you and engage your latissimus dorsi to pull up the weight. Exhale and lower the weight back down to the floor, acknowledge your core in a plank position and now row up with the right arm while bracing with the left. 

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Single-leg Bridge to Sit Up

Start by lying face-up on the floor, keep your right knee bent and foot flat on the floor with your heel in alignment with your knee. Your left leg is straight up in the air toward the ceiling. With your right leg press through your heel driving your hips up off the floor into a bridge position. Your shoulders will rotate back, and your core will stay strong so as not to overarch your low back in the bridge position. As you come back down from the bridge position lower the right hip down to the floor and let your left leg come down straight out in front of you, then curl up to a sit-up position and reach forward to the extended leg. Once full range of motion is completed, lower yourself back down slowly (working your abdominals on the eccentric contraction) You have completed one repetition. Focus on one leg and then switch sides. 

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Rollover Plank 

Starting in full plank position, making sure your hands are directly under your shoulders, and your arms are fully extended. Take your right leg and placing it back across your left leg, rotate fully onto your left arm and draw your right arm up towards the ceiling to perform a side plank. Bring your right arm back down to the floor under your right shoulder and place your right foot back in alignment with our right hip. Perform the same rotation on the opposite side, placing your left leg back across your right leg and draw your left arm up to the ceiling to perform a left side plank. You have performed one repetition on each side.