Olympus Pro Performance Coaching

Most riders think the answer is to train more.

Often, the real problem is that they’re not recovering well enough from the training they’re already doing.

Recovery is where adaptation happens. Without it, the body cannot fully repair the muscle damage, replenish energy stores, or adapt to the stress you’ve placed on it.

Recovery directly influences:

• Training adaptation
• Energy levels
• Power output
• Decision making and reaction time
• Consistency across training and race weekends
• Injury risk

When recovery is poor:

• Fatigue accumulates instead of disappearing.
• Training quality gradually declines.
• Progress slows despite working hard.
• Small aches become bigger problems.
• Motivation often drops because the body never feels fresh.

Recovery is not just sitting on the sofa.

It is sleeping enough, eating enough quality food, staying hydrated, managing stress, and occasionally stepping away from the bike to let your body do what it is designed to do.

Training provides the stimulus.

Recovery is what allows the body to become stronger, fitter, and more resilient.

If you’re putting in the work but not getting the results you expect, recovery could be the missing piece.

DM MXEDGE and I’ll help you identify what’s holding your performance back.

Most riders think they’re training for endurance - but if you’re not in the right heart rate zone, you’re just burning energy without building real stamina.

👉Zone 2 is where true endurance lives. It boosts oxygen efficiency, burns fat, and strengthens your heart and muscles for longer, stronger rides.

Aim for six hours a week. Stay out of Zone 3 or 4 unless you’re doing high-intensity work on purpose.

I understand that it’s not always easy to fit in six hours of cardio per week.

However, the more consistently you can manage even four hours of endurance training - combined with the rest of your program (e.g., strength training, motocross, and recovery) - the more tangible progress you’ll begin to see.

If you want to improve your cardio fitness, then train at the targeted zones.

If you want to condition your body to suffer for longer, then keep doing short intensity bursts.
Your body - your choice. Right?

🔵Want help dialing in a plan that actually works? DM “MXEDGE.”

‼️PS: There are alternative methods to build endurance besides long hours of Zone 2 cardio.

However, these methods require a solid fitness base to apply safely and effectively, and they cannot fully replace the unique benefits of Zone 2 training

This is where strength and conditioning connects directly to riding performance.

On an off-camber climb like this, the rider has to manage several things at the same time:

Traction.

Balance.

Bodyweight.

Bike angle.

Fatigue.

The rear wheel is searching for grip, the front wheel gets light at points, and the rider has to keep adjusting position so the bike does not pull him out of shape.

That is not just fitness.

That is athleticism supporting skill.

The lower body does a huge amount of the work. The feet, ankles, knees and hips are constantly adjusting to absorb movement, maintain balance and keep pressure through the bike.

The hips help the rider move with the bike instead of getting stuck in one position.

The trunk helps keep the body stable while the bike changes angle underneath.

The upper body still matters, but the goal is not to pull hard on the bars. The goal is to guide the bike without becoming stiff, over-gripping or wasting energy.

This is why strength and conditioning matters.

Not because squats, lunges, RDLs, calf work, carries or core training magically make someone a better rider.

They do not.

But when programmed properly, they build the physical qualities that help riders:

• Hold better positions
• Absorb force
• Stay balanced
• Control bodyweight
• Manage fatigue
• Reduce unnecessary tension
• Keep using their riding skill when the terrain gets difficult

Bike skill is still the priority.

You cannot replace bike time with gym work.

But if the body is weak, unstable or poorly conditioned, it becomes harder to express that skill when the terrain gets steep, loose and unpredictable.

That is the transfer.

Strength and conditioning gives the rider more physical capacity to keep control when the bike, the climb and fatigue are all working against them.

DM “MXEDGE” if you want to build the physical qualities that actually transfer to riding.

1️⃣ Chest and back muscular endurance = RIDING FOR LONGER

The stronger your back, chest, and shoulders are, the better your push and pull force delivery to the bike will be, allowing you to ride for longer. Additionally, you’ll be better equipped to absorb impacts after heavy landings, such as avoiding chest discomfort on the handlebars or going over the handlebars.

NOTE: Avoid isolating arm training.

Your training program should incorporate all three strength phases in a periodised manner: Strength, strength endurance, and power/speed.

🔵The following exercises and their variations work well when included in a periodised routine as described above: Barbell or dumbbell Bench Press, Bent over row, and Shoulder Press.

2️⃣ A STRONGER CORE FOR BETTER CONTROL

The stronger your core, the more control you’ll have over the bike, making it easier to navigate tricky sections.

As fatigue accumulates over time, your body position on the bike may change (such as arm use), resulting in poor technique, arm pump, and potentially race-jeopardising mistakes or injuries. A weak core can also lead to lower back pain.

🔵Exercises like plank variations, Pallof press, woodchop, and sit-up variations are effective, as long as you progressively increase the weight load.

‼️Remember:

A weak upper body can lead to arm pump.
Poor nutrition can lead to arm pump.
Incorrect bike setup or poor posture can lead to arm pump.
Race nerves can lead to arm pump.

➡️If you’re not sure how to achieve that, don’t panic, and definitely stop following generic workouts. After all, they haven’t worked so far 🤷🏻‍♂️.

Instead, we can work together to provide you with a solid training structure, efficiently improve your strength and fitness, stop gassing out mid-moto, and help you achieve Top 10 finishes and even win races.

📲If you want to find out how to make your next racing season your best yet, then DM me MXEDGE , for more information on how I can help you.

Your environment is a performance tool.

Every motocross and enduro rider focuses on the bike, fitness, nutrition and technique.

But very few pay enough attention to the people they spend the most time with.

The people around you influence your standards, your mindset, your confidence and the decisions you make every day.

A strong support system doesn’t just celebrate your wins. It keeps you accountable, helps you through setbacks, and pushes you to become better when motivation is low.

That environment includes:

Your coach
Your family
Your teammates
Your closest friends

And the conversations you have with yourself
If the people around you constantly make you question your goals, lower your standards or discourage your progress, growth becomes much harder.

Find people who believe in your potential, challenge you to improve, and genuinely want to see you succeed.

In the long run, the quality of your environment will often determine the quality of your performance.

If you’re a motocross or enduro rider and you know your environment, mindset, fitness or structure is holding you back, DM me “MXEDGE” and let’s see what needs to change.

This is where strength and conditioning connects directly to riding performance.

In technical terrain, the rider is constantly managing force through the feet, ankles, knees, hips, trunk, shoulders and hands.

The key is not just being “fit”.

It is being able to:

• Hold a strong standing position
• Absorb repeated impacts through the lower body
• Keep the trunk stable while the bike moves underneath
• Stay loose through the arms instead of over-gripping
• React to unstable terrain without losing posture
• Maintain movement quality under fatigue

That is why gym work needs to be specific to the demands of riding.

Squats, split squats, lunges, hinges, calf work, carries, rows, presses and anti-rotation core work all have a place when they are programmed with the right intent.

The goal is not to make riders look good in the gym.

The goal is to improve the physical qualities that support better movement on the bike.

Strength gives the rider more capacity to hold position.

Mobility gives the rider more freedom to move with the bike.

Core stability helps control the torso while the terrain changes underneath.

Conditioning helps maintain technique when fatigue starts to build.

Bike skill is still the priority.

But strength and conditioning gives the body the tools to express that skill more consistently.

If you want to build the physical qualities that transfer to riding, DM “MXEDGE”.

Moment captured 📸 by .

5 Things To Improve in order to Avoid Lower Back Pain 👉🏼 as long as there is no an ongoing injury or a medical condition.

Lower back pain after riding isn’t always caused by a single problem. More often, it’s the result of several factors adding up.

A proper warm-up prepares your muscles and joints for the demands of riding. A stronger trunk including your core, hips, glutes, and lower back helps improve stability and control. Good riding posture reduces unnecessary stress on your body, while a correctly set up bike allows the suspension to absorb more of the terrain instead of transferring those forces to you.

Fitness matters too. As fatigue builds, movement quality often declines, technique breaks down, and the body starts compensating. Over time, that can increase the load placed on the lower back.

Address the cause, not just the symptoms.

If lower back pain is affecting your riding, it’s worth assessing your strength, movement, bike setup, and riding technique rather than relying on short-term fixes.

DM “MXEDGE” if you want to build a body that can handle the demands of riding.