<\/u><\/u>With a few weeks to go before mtn bike season hits full force, now’s the time to focus on getting your body prepared for the rigors of off-road riding.\u00a0 While riding the trails is about the best way to get in shape, doing a bit of prep work beforehand will boost your fun quotient!\u00a0<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

Endurance Work<\/b>\u00a0– Do some solid cardio workouts 2x per week for at least 30min to build your fitness base – if possible, lean toward leg-intensive exercise like walking\/running, hiking, road cycling & stairclimbing.\u00a0 These should be at lower intensity & focus on increasing distance and\/or time.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

Interval Work<\/b>\u00a0– Climbing up & down hills requires that your body recover quickly.\u00a0 To simulate this add interval training into your program (spin classes are great for this) 1-2x per week.\u00a0 Focus for these workouts is to take your HR up into your uncomfortable zone, back off & let it recover, then repeat.\u00a0<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

Strength Work<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 Mtn biking requires a good amount of strength from both lower & upper body.\u00a0 In order to make it up the steeper hills you\u2019ll need to put more force into your pedals.\u00a0 You\u2019ll also need to be able to pull strongly on those handlebars to keep the front end down.\u00a0 A solid, full-body strength training program is a must for getting the most out of your riding time.\u00a0 Aim to do weights 2-3x per week for best results.<\/p>\n