In this article I’m going to give you my cross country mountain bike training plan. And it’s not just any cross country mountain bike training plan.
it’s my goal to provide a number of doable steps I would take myself to get to the next level, whatever that may be. These steps might be used by anybody, including those with race aspirations.
I like my casual rides, and hop on the trail in the weekend. And though I tend to push myself as hard as I can, I get passed enough by riders who’re simply better and fitter than I am. And I’m man enough to say that that stings me to the point to right exactly this article.
And with the purchase of my Cannondale Scalpel Team Replica, I’ve gotten a taste of what it means to go really fast. Now I just need to be able to do that for an extended period, instead of feeling blown out after a couple of minutes. So here goes.
Looking towards Nino Schurter for inspiration
Tony Robbins has taught me to emulate those who are experts in their respective field. So for some expert guidance in the field of cross country mountain biking there’s probably no better person than Nino Schurter, the Swiss scalpel who won a record 10 world championships.
So to get me some of that Nino goodness, I’m simply going to look at what he’s doing, ditch the things I can’t or don’t want to do, and come up with my own plan.
Now obviously I can’t change my genetics, and I’m almost a foot longer than this man, but we have to start somewhere. And I don’t think there’s any other person who’s held more championships titles in any mountain bike discipline than this man. So it’s a good start for sure.
Nino Schurter Cross Country Mountain Bike Circuit Training
Apparently the entire training regimen of Nino is online. Big ‘ol thumbs up for the magic of the internet. So let’s have a look at what it tells us. Below is the entire set of exercises Nino does.
- Nino basically focuses on his legs, core, and arms, and does 3 of those in a row.
- He does such a set 3 times, with different exercises, so that’s 9 exercises in a row. Let’s call this a lap.
- And he does such a lap 3 times as well, for a total of 27 exercises total.
- Between each individual exercise there’s an active rest, which simulates a descent. The active rest in between an exercise is 20 seconds.
# | exercise type | description | video tutorial |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | leg | kettlebell leg raise; 8 kg. kettlebell on balance ball w. 3 kg. bar; 30 sec. each leg | |
leg active recovery | rope jumps w. eyes closed | ||
2 | core | abb rolout on balance ball | |
core active recovery | balance on exercise ball w. eyes closed | ||
3 | 3. arm | balancing shoulder press; 5 kg. alternating dumbell press | |
arm active recovery | juggling on exercise ball | ||
4 | leg | exercise ball pull in | |
leg active recovery | rope jumps w. eyes closed | ||
5 | core | balancing Russian twist; 2 kg leg weight w. 6 kg medicine ball | |
core active recovery | balance on exercise ball w. eyes closed | ||
6 | arm | balancing triceps dips; 20/25 times | |
arm active recovery | juggling on exercise ball | ||
7 | leg | twisting box jumps; 3 kg bar w. 1 foot platform | |
leg active recovery | rope jumps w. eyes closed | ||
8 | core | exercise ball back extensions; 4 kg dumbell, feet against wall/obstacle | |
core active recovery | balance on exercise ball w. eyes closed | ||
9 | arm | balancing plank pull through; 4 kg cylinder weight | |
arm active recovery | juggling on exercise ball |
Cross Country Mountain Bike Training Plan Adjustments
It’s obvious you’re not going to pull off what Nino is doing. At least not for the first time, and for me, not ever. So there are a number of easy adjustments you could make.
- adjust the laps: instead of 3, start with 1
- adjust the exercise time: instead of 1 min, start with 30 or 40 seconds
- adjust the exercise intensity: if there are weights involved, reduce how heavy they are. If there are exercise or balance balls involved, remove them. If there are a number of iterations involved, reduce the amount.