Mountain biking is downright fun and enjoyable.

However, you need to have the right skills and techniques so you can stay safe and perform at your best. And you can achieve this by getting the right training sessions tips.

Here, we are going to show you some of the best training exercises you can do so you can become a better mountain biker.

MTB Training Tips

Bunny hop

This is the most important skill that all mountain bikers should learn from the start. What you basically do here is that you make hop along your bike using nothing but the momentum from your speed, arms, and legs.

You do this by maintaining a slanting position on your feet so you can clip it on your pedal. Then pump your arm simultaneously with your legs so that you can hop with your bike.

Learning this skill is the gateway to maintaining balance whenever you’re out in technical trails or hitting jumps and drops.

Riding downstairs

Riding downstairs will help you gain a lot of confidence when you ride down rocky and steep downhill sections. This gives you the muscle memory needed to maintain balance, as well as helps you learn proper foot positioning so you won’t fall off your bike.

Long-distance rides

Long-distance rides are a great way to train your cardiovascular strength and endurance. Go on long cross-country rides at least once a week spanning at least 50 kilometers.

Doing this regularly will surely make it easy for you to outpace your opponents in races. You can also do a walking lunge exercise before you do this so you can warm up.

Climbing uphills

Climbing uphills is a must for every cyclist, whether you be into cross-country, enduro, downhill, or even into riding a road bike.

The sport is about being able to traverse entire mountains on your mountain bike, so don’t be picky and say that you’ll just shuttle up the trail. Make it a habit to climb uphills to improve your cardio and endurance.

Riding steep descents

Mountain biking is not for the faint of heart, which is why you should have the guts to take on even the gnarliest, or in this case, the steepest of trails.

You won’t fall off your mountain bikes or crash if you just know the proper techniques and get the right training volume on your left leg, right foot, calf muscles, and upper body strength.

Well, you can learn that if you shred steep sections while maintaining the right attack position. Trust us, this can make all the difference. Also, learn to shift your body weight backward so you gain balance and the much-needed bike handling skills when riding on uneven terrain.

Multiple timed downhill laps

Time your downhill laps and push yourself to go faster and better on each hit you make. This is essential if you are training for an upcoming mountain bike race.

Each time you ride on that specific lap adds muscle memory to your muscle groups. You can also find better lines with a properly crafted training plan when tackling sections next time so you can be faster.

Technical sections

Ride on technical sections consisting of huge rocks, slabs, loose soil, and even mossy logs. These trails might seem impassable, but they aren’t really.

That’s if you have the guts, skills, and confidence to tackle them. Don’t worry if you lose balance or crash because that’s a part of the sport. Just be sure that you wear proper protective gear like a full-face helmet, gloves, and knee pads.

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