Are You Strong Enough for the Trails You Ride?
- Alex Ackerley
- 11 minutes ago
- 3 min read
My Reccomended strength minimums based on the trail rating.
One of the most common assumptions I hear from riders is this:
“I've been riding alot, so I feel pretty strong.”
And to a degree, that’s true.
Riding builds:
endurance
skill
confidence on the bike
But there’s another piece of the puzzle that riders often overlook.
Durability.
As trails get steeper, faster, and rougher, the forces going through your body increase dramatically.
Your arms absorb braking forces.
Your legs absorb landings and compressions.
Your trunk stabilizes everything in between.
If your body doesn’t have the minimum strength to handle those forces, something eventually gives.
Usually that’s your technique, your confidence, or your joints.
I’m less interested in how strong riders can get.
I’m more interested in whether they meet the minimum strength standards that help keep them safe on the trail.
Here are three simple tests I use with riders to check that baseline.
1. Push-Up
Force Absorption Through the Bars
Push-ups test something mountain bikers rely on constantly:
the ability to absorb force through the arms while keeping the body stable.
Think about what happens when you:
brake hard on a steep descent
hit braking bumps
ride through compressions
push into terrain
Your arms aren’t just pushing — they’re stabilizing your entire upper body.
A strong push-up shows that a rider can:
keep their trunk stiff
control shoulder positioning
transfer force through the hands and arms
Standard
chest touches the floor
elbows stay neutral (not flared)
body moves as one unit
If the hips sag or the chest never reaches the floor, the movement isn’t doing its job.
2. Chest-to-Bar Row
Controlling the Front End of the Bike
Pulling strength is hugely important in mountain biking.
Your lats and upper back help you:
maintain the attack position
control the front wheel
manage terrain feedback through the bars
When riders lack pulling strength, the arms fatigue quickly and the front end of the bike starts to feel unstable.
The simplest way to test this is a chest-to-bar row.
This can be done with:
a barbell in a rack
TRX or rings
any setup where you can row your body toward a bar
Standard
chest touches the bar
full arm extension at the bottom
body stays rigid
This isn’t about cranking out sloppy reps.
It’s about demonstrating controlled pulling strength and stability.
3. Knee-Height Depth Drop
Impact Readiness
Mountain biking involves a lot of impact forces.
Drops.
Landings.
Compressions.
Rough terrain.
But most riders never actually train their ability to absorb those forces.
The depth drop is a simple way to test that.
Stand on a box around knee height.
Step off and land in an athletic position.
What we’re looking for is a landing that is:
quiet
balanced
controlled
If the landing is loud, wobbly, or collapses through the knees and hips, that’s a sign the body may not yet have the strength to manage bigger impacts safely.
Strength Minimums by Trail Difficulty
Not every rider needs the same strength level.
But as trails get more difficult, the forces increase.
Your body should be able to handle the terrain you choose to ride.
Here are some simple benchmarks.
Green Trails (Beginner)
Goal: basic control
Push-Ups
1x Chest to floor push-up
Chest-to-Bar Rows
5 reps
Depth Drop
Low box (~20–30 cm)
Controlled landing
Blue Trails (Intermediate)
Goal: control on moderate terrain with some steeper terrain.
Push-Ups
5 clean reps
Chest-to-Bar Rows
8 reps
Depth Drop
Knee-height box
Quiet controlled landing
Black Trails (Advanced)
Goal: control under aggressive terrain in sustained efforts
Push-Ups
10 clean reps
Chest-to-Bar Rows
10–12 reps
Depth Drop
Knee-height box
Land quietly and stabilize immediately
Double Black / Race Terrain
Goal: high impact tolerance & control
Push-Ups
15+ clean reps
Chest-to-Bar Rows
12+
Depth Drop
Knee-height box
Stick the landing instantly — stable and ready to move
What If You Can’t Pass These Yet?
That’s not a problem.
It just means your strength training should focus on building these patterns first.
The goal isn’t to become a powerlifter.
The goal is to make sure your body has the minimum strength to handle the forces riding throws at it.
When riders improve these qualities, they often notice:
more stability on descents
less arm fatigue
better control in rough terrain
fewer overuse injuries
Strength doesn’t replace riding.
But it fills in the gaps that riding alone doesn’t always develop.
If you’re curious where your current strength sits, you can take the MTB Fitness Score here:
It only takes a few minutes and will show you the biggest strength gaps that might be holding your riding back.
I'll see you on the Trails,
Alex
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