Strength training for freeride mountain bikers: How to get fit for the start of the season

I started strength training at an early age. At the age of 15. Back then, I wanted to feel better, not be a leek, but instead: broad shoulders and muscle tone. But I quickly realised that a strong body only has advantages. Also for biking. I was fitter, faster in my reactions and could take falls better because of the higher body tension and because muscles act like an extra crumple zone on the body.

What's more, muckies can even prevent falls. I've experienced this countless times. You land on the flat and it pushes you over the handlebars. If you can't hold on, you fall. It's like bench pressing. My muscles react at lightning speed and absorb the momentum. Crash prevented! Cool side effect of strength training: a muscular body looks good. And what looks good feels good, because you become a machine - hell yeah! My brother Elias thinks so too, we train together. We have a set-up of weights in our basement, otherwise we are members of the Fit-in fitness centre. The advantage: we can train anywhere in Europe. That's ideal for us because we travel a lot.

Hypertrophy training has a bad reputation. Keyword: disco muckies. But volume is important. Always. Especially after the age of 40. That's why we train with ten to twelve repetitions of the classic exercises after the warm-up session: Bench presses, squats, deadlifts, etc. From time to time, we mix in maximum strength units to check what works and to activate all the fibres. As we precede each strength training session with a 30-minute session of yoga and stretching exercises, we split the training into push, pull and leg units. Otherwise it would take too long.

We train four to five times a week and often emphasise this with an extra shoulder or neck unit. The shoulders in particular need to be "bulletproof" for biking. Crossfit-orientated exercises are very effective. This is because explosive strength helps with freeriding, e.g. flat drop flips. That's why we mix dynamic actions into our training, such as box jumps or exercises from Olympic weightlifting, such as barbell snatches with a strong hip impulse. But this needs to be learnt, otherwise you will hurt yourself. The following exercises will get you fit for the season!

We explain these 8 exercises for your training plan:

1. Shoulder press
2. Support bend
3. Pull-up
4. Rowing
5. High bar squat
6. Front lift
7. Push-up
8. Shoulder lift

1 Shoulder press

The exercise:

Shoulder presses on the incline bench target the front part of the deltoids and the triceps. To do this, sit on the incline bench (this supports the back), palms facing forwards, elbows outwards. The whole torso is tensed. Now press the dumbbells up over your head. Hold briefly at the top, then lower again. The exercise can also be done standing, alternating, in a hammer grip (palms facing inwards) or as an Arnold press variation - here the palms face backwards at the start of the movement. When stretching, turn your palms forwards.

Tip from Daniel Ruso:

We do the shoulder press once or twice a week with four to five sets. We do the exercise sitting and standing (military press). We also often do the Arnold press. Our tip: no lock-outs. In other words: don't fully extend your arms, but always keep your muscles under tension.

2 Support squat (dips)

The exercise:

This deadweight exercise stimulates the chest muscle, the lower part of the trapezius muscle and the triceps. Interesting fact: if you only bend your arms to 90 degrees (photo), you activate the triceps more strongly, keep the muscle tension more intense (higher training effect) and protect the capsular apparatus of the shoulder joint. Whether the elbows are bent at the elbows or close together is irrelevant for muscle activation. Good variation: dips with legs slightly stretched forwards.

Tip from Daniel Ruso:

Nice core exercise with lots of body tension. If you lean forwards more, the chest muscle is trained more, but if you stay upright, the focus is more on the triceps. Again, four to five sets of ten repetitions. Variation: with an additional weight attached.

3 Pull-up

The exercise:

The pull-up primarily trains the latissimus muscles. From the hang, pull your chest towards the bar and squeeze your shoulder blades together. If you lower yourself slowly, you intensify the muscle activity. A wide grip is more effective than a narrow one. For constant muscle tension, it is better to keep your arms slightly bent at the lower point, do not let them hang out completely! Variations: You pull the bar towards your sternum with your back bent backwards (Crossfit style). Or: alternate between pulling to the left and right (offset pull-up). The pull-up with an underhand grip (chin-up, thumbs outwards) puts more tension on the biceps.

Tip from Daniel Ruso:

We include pull-ups in every workout. We always reach inwards with our thumbs. 12 to 15 repetitions, four sets and make sure that the whole body is under tension. Avoid the cat hump at all costs.

Our tip: Always warm up before strength training and make sure your movements are clean!

4 Rowing

The exercise:

Rowing with a barbell primarily trains the back. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width and hold the bar by the long arm. The knees are bent, the upper body is bent forwards (the wider, the greater the strain on the back extensor); the entire musculature is tensed. Now raise your upper arms, pull your shoulder blades together and bring the bar to your belly button. Then slowly lower it again. Keep your torso stable when pulling, do not straighten up! Important: You should first automate the exercise sequence with a light weight.

Tip from Daniel Ruso:

Rowing with the bar is one of our favourite exercises. This is because it improves stability in the shoulders, torso, back and thighs. You need that when biking. I start with 50 kilos as a warm-up and later train with 70 to 80 kilos. Important to avoid injuries: Pay attention to how you feel and choose your weight accordingly.

5 High bar squat

The exercise:

The squat trains your thighs, buttocks and calves. Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, pull your shoulder blades together and place the bar on the upper part of the trapezius muscle. Position your feet shoulder-width apart and pointing slightly outwards. Look straight ahead. Lower your body by pushing your hips back and bending your knees. Great: All squat variations are ideal stabilisation exercises for the back muscles.

Tip from Daniel Ruso:

The squat strengthens the legs and, like deadlifts, releases the most testosterone in the body for muscle growth. Rule of thumb: Imagine you are sitting on a low stool. This image helps you to keep the weight on your heels and prevent your knees from pushing too far forward. My tip: We also do a lot of squats on the balance board without weight - this trains coordination.

Our tip: For complex exercises, such as squats with weights or deadlifts, practise with little weight first.

6 Front lift

The exercise:

Front presses with the barbell are the ideal exercise for training the front shoulder muscles (deltoids). This is where the highest muscle tension occurs. However, front raises and side raises with dumbbells also strengthen the deltoids. Here, the backs of the hands point upwards, but the hammer grip also works. Tip: first practise the movement sequence with a light weight, especially on the back. Balance board.

Tip from Daniel Ruso:

We like to do front raises as a warm-up session with light weights. We combine front raises, side raises and bicep curls to activate the shoulders and arms. Four sets each. We also get on the balance board to improve core and knee stability.

7 Push-up

The exercise:

Everyone knows and loves the good old push-up. Push-ups strengthen the chest muscles and promote core and shoulder stability. A narrow hand position (photo) also works the triceps. A wide hand position stretches the muscle fibres of the chest more. It can be performed in many variations. Important: Your body forms a line from your head to your heels (body tension) - do not sag!

Tip from Daniel Ruso:

The all-time favourite! Push-ups work anytime and anywhere. We rarely go for max reps, but do 4 x 20, often in variations: Hands close, wide, with the leg raised, as mountain climber push-ups (knees pulled up), in support on a medicine ball or with the feet suspended in a TRX band.

8 Shoulder lift

The exercise:

Shoulder raises are a highly effective exercise to train the upper part of the trapezius (neck muscles). Stand with your shoulders shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent, tense your core muscles and pull your shoulders upwards/backwards as far as possible (shoulders towards your ears!). Keep your arms long. To make it even more intense, you can incorporate several short end contractions at the highest point. With high Weights the exercise is particularly effective.

Tip from Daniel Ruso:

This is a bodybuilder exercise. But for us bikers, it helps to strengthen the neck muscles and stabilise the head. This is important when landing after drops, for example, when impact forces push the head forwards with a full-face helmet.

You can find more of the Ruso brothers' hara-kiri edits on Instagram:

Book tip:

For all those who want to know more about: the benefits of strength training, the best exercises, optimal muscle building. "Hypertrophy Training" by sports scientists, published by Riva-Verlag, price: 25 euros >> available here