Are you training too hard?

– Why You Should Shift Your Gym Focus in the summer (Not Abandon It)

Let’s be honest: here in the Pacific Northwest, summer doesn’t last long. We know that. Every sunny day feels like it could be the last, so we try to make the most of it—sunset laps, alpine missions, and maybe even the occasional multisport epic. And that’s exactly how it should be.

But if you're riding more, sleeping less, and cramming adventure into every pocket of your week (guilty), it might be time to dial back the intensity and volume of your workouts. That doesn’t mean you stop training. It means you shift the focus.

Why Shift?

🌞 1. Longer Days = Less Sleep

It’s not just a vibe—research shows that people tend to sleep less during summer months due to increased daylight and heat disrupting sleep cycles.👉 Study: Seasonal effects on sleep patterns

Less sleep = slower recovery = higher injury risk.

📆 2. Busy Schedules, Full Plates

When every weekend is stacked with rides, travel, or events, it’s unrealistic to train like you're still in the base-building phase. Most of your “training” is now happening on the bike.

🎯 3. This is the Big Show

The rest of the year is about prepping. Summer is go time. You’ve earned it, but now you have to manage it—so you don’t burn out, break down, or miss out due to injury.

How We Shift the Focus (Without Losing Gains)

Here’s how we structure summer gym work inside the MTB Breakfast Club and the Performance Program:

✅ 1. Smaller Sets, Fewer Leg Exercises

You're already smashing your legs on big rides. We don’t need to pile on fatigue. Think 2–3 work sets, not 4–5, and keep total lower body volume low. The goal is to stimulate, not annihilate.

✅ 2. Less High Impact, More Joint-Friendly Options

Eccentric-heavy work like depth jumps? Not ideal mid-season. We pivot to box jumps, med ball throws, and band-resisted work that builds power without hammering your joints.

✅ 3. Replace Risky Movements

Overhead pressing and barbell snatches have their place—but mid-season, they often flare up tight or cranky shoulders. We swap in landmine presses, push-up variations, and smart rowing patterns that build strength and keep shoulders happy.

✅ 4. More Mobility

If you ride 10+ hours a week and never open your hips or T-spine, you will turn into a hunchback. So we double down on mobility. Hips, spine, shoulders—every session. Even 10 minutes helps.

✅ 5. Keep Intensity High—but Smart

Yes, we still lift heavy. Yes, we still train explosiveness. But we focus on clean execution, compound lifts, and loading strategies that support your riding—not compete with it.

Maybe my favourite drill to undo tight, biking shoulders. Give it a try.

Bottom Line

You can still make gains during summer. Just be realistic about your body’s capacity and energy. Ride all the rides. Soak up the sun. But don’t ghost your gym work.

Shift the dial. Stay strong. Stay mobile. Stay in the game.

Want Help Recalibrating Your Program?

If you’re unsure how to tweak your training for mid-season riding, let’s chat. I offer free 15-minute strategy calls for riders who want to get the most out of their time in and out of the saddle.

👉 Book your free strategy call here.

Let’s make the most of what’s left of summer—strong, smart, and injury-free.