MTB Strength Coach

Back pain is NOT a normal part of mountain biking.

Common? Absolutely.

Normal? No.

I’ve coached a lot of riders through back rehab over the years, and there’s a pattern I keep seeing:

The bigger problem is often preceded by years of tightness, stiffness and an aching lower back after riding that gets dismissed as:

“That’s just part of mountain biking.”

Until it gets worse.

One of the first things I look at is the rider’s hinge.

Some riders spend a lot of time in what I affectionately call “pooping dog” posture — pelvis tucked underneath, lower back rounded, hanging on the spine instead of sharing the work through the hips and trunk.

Others look great when they’re fresh… then gradually collapse into it as they get tired.

The answer isn’t necessarily another back stretch.

Start with the foundations:

Stack the ribs over the pelvis.
Brace 360°.
Build trunk control.
Then move through the hips.

Dead bugs and glute bridges are great places to start.

Once you can keep the spine stable while extending through the hips, something pretty cool often happens:

👉 Your glutes actually start doing the work instead of your lower back.

Then we can build it:

Glute bridge → RDL → single-leg RDL → stronger, more resilient rider.

And eventually, you need enough capacity to maintain that position when you’re tired, because that’s often when things start falling apart on the bike.

One more thing:

Don’t ignore changing symptoms.

Pain travelling into the leg, tingling, numbness — even numb junk — shouldn’t automatically be written off as part of mountain biking.

Your body is giving you information.

I’ve gone much deeper into how I assess and approach this in this week’s article:

“Back Pain Is Not a Normal Part of Mountain Biking — Deal With It Before It Gets Worse.”

🔗 Full article at the link in my bio.

And I’m curious:

How many years have you been telling yourself your tight lower back is “just part of riding”?

Menopause doesn’t mean stop shredding.

But it might mean changing how you prepare for it.

You can still ride hard.
You can still get stronger.
You can still build fitness.
You can still progress on the bike.

The goal isn’t to start doing less just because you’re getting older.

It’s to get a little smarter about how you balance strength, riding, fitness and recovery — so your training keeps supporting the riding you actually want to do.

Keep doing it. Just dial it in a bit.

If you’re a woman riding through your 40s, 50s and beyond, save this one — or send it to a riding buddy who needs to hear it.

Your hands aren’t the problem.

If your hands are always the first thing to hurt on long descents, don’t rush off and buy thicker grips or start squeezing a grip trainer.

More often than not, your hands are just the messenger.

Here’s what usually happens:

1️⃣ Your core and posterior chain begin to fatigue.

2️⃣ You gradually dump more body weight into your hands.

3️⃣ Your riding position falls apart and your arms start supporting your body instead of steering your bike.

4️⃣ You grip harder, your forearms tighten, and a vicious cycle begins.

The result?

❌ Arm pump.

❌ Numb fingers.

❌ Sore hands.

The good news is that during riding season you don’t need to overhaul your training.

A few small tune-ups to your movement, trunk stiffness, shoulder endurance and hinge position can make a huge difference—without leaving you too sore to ride.

The full article (and the exercises I recommend) is now live.

👉 Link in bio.

💾 Save this for your next bike park day or big mountain ride.

Most mountain bikers accidentally make themselves slower during riding season.

The riding ramps up.

The gym gets squeezed in around work, family and long weekends on the bike.

So the first thing many riders do is either:
❌ stop strength training completely, or
❌ keep doing the same winter program until they’re exhausted.

Neither is ideal.

The goal during the riding season isn’t to build maximum strength.

It’s to maintain the qualities that help you ride well while leaving enough in the tank to enjoy your time on the bike.

That usually means:
• fewer sets
• smarter exercise selection
• enough intensity to maintain strength
• enough recovery to keep progressing on the trails

Done well, strength training should make you feel better on the bike, not more tired.

If you’ve been wondering how to balance the gym with a busy riding season, this carousel covers the fundamentals.

The full article goes into much more detail, including practical recommendations you can apply this week.

🔗 Link in bio.

⸻

Save this post for the middle of the season when you’re wondering whether to skip the gym.

This is a niche I never expected to become an expert in.

But at 42, many of the women in my life—and many of the riders I coach—are entering perimenopause or already navigating menopause.

And I’m hearing similar things again and again:

“My recovery isn’t what it used to be.”

“I feel more sore after riding.”

“My energy is unpredictable.”

“The training that used to work doesn’t seem to work anymore.”

That does not mean these women are suddenly less capable, less athletic or less ambitious.

It may simply mean their training needs to adapt.

Strength work, riding volume, recovery, fuelling and overall training stress may all need to be looked at differently.

The good news is that we understand this stage of life better than ever, and there is plenty women can do to remain strong, resilient and capable on the bike.

Your body may be changing.

Your mountain bike goals do not have to.

I’ve written a new article exploring mountain biking, strength training and menopause. You can read it through the link in my bio.