Is your Program serving you or getting in the way?

This Pro Coaches' secret weapon - His Ideal Program.

If you’re an MTB rider with a job, a family, and a packed life, chances are you know exactly how Mike felt before he started training with me:

✔ inconsistent in the gym

✔ juggling nagging injuries

✔ struggling to find a plan that didn’t burn him out

✔ frustrated that “MTB-specific training” didn’t match the realities of being a working rider

Mike isn’t a beginner. He’s a coach, a freerider, and someone who takes durability seriously — and even he reached a point where the typical options weren’t cutting it.

Here’s his experience in his own words, along with some context on why this matters for most riders.

The Problem: “Consistency, sustainability, nagging injuries.”

When I asked Mike where he was before joining the program, he summed it up clearly:

“Consistency in gym training, finding a program that was sustainable and adjusted for the seasons, and nagging injuries.”

This combination is incredibly common.

Not because riders don’t want to train — but because most plans are designed for people with way more time, fewer responsibilities, and fewer stressors.

Mike had already tried two MTB-specific programs:

“One didn’t understand modern mountain biking at all, the other was too intense for 90% of riders.”

A program can be smart on paper and still be wrong for your life.

Especially during enduro season, or when work and family are adding load, a 5–6 day schedule can be unrealistic for many working riders.

The Aha Moment: “I never feel burnt out.”

Out of everything Mike shared, this stood out:

“I never feel burnt out.”

That’s the central goal of proper MTB strength and conditioning.

You don’t get better by doing more — you get better by doing what’s appropriate, consistently.

A good program should build:

• strength

• power

• durability

• movement quality

• cardio capacity

…without competing with your riding or your life.

Most riders can achieve this with as little as two visits to the gym, when the structure is right.

Mike put it simply:

“My durability has increased, and I am stronger across the board on my bikes.”

The On-Bike Payoff: “Back-to-back park days don’t kill me anymore.”

This is where things get real.

Mike told me:

“Physically stronger on steep descents, and able to handle multiple back-to-back days in the park without feeling like a train hit me.”

Your dryland program is working for you if you are noticing:

• increased confidence on steep terrain

• better riding position when tired

• easier to ride consecutive days

• up to speed quicker after time off bike

  
  

If it's getting in the way of your riding, then it probably isnt. .

The Mental Side: Burnout, Identity, and Getting Re-Engaged

After one of our recent check-ins, Mike sent me a message that I think reinforces why the 1on1 coach relationship matters:

“I really enjoyed our discussion. It added significant validity to the MTB Breakfast Club — both as an investment from you, and from me… me validating that my early morning sessions, trusting you with pain management, etc. are paying off.”

What he shared next is something most riders experience at some point, but rarely say out loud:

“I mentioned burnout, and trying to ignore it, or at least being in denial… I woke up today more mentally engaged, determined, and focused than I have been in a while. Very rare, especially on a Friday.”

This is why coaching check-ins matter.

Not because they’re motivational — but because they:

• reduce uncertainty

• clarify priorities

• reconnect riders with why they’re training

• adjust the plan before fatigue becomes a problem

Mike finished his message with something that shows how small conversations can shift an entire training block:

“I hit today’s session with more commitment than I have in weeks. I felt stronger mentally and physically… I typed up our notes and will hang a copy in my basement to stay focused on upper back and shoulder health.”

Real riders aren’t robots. They go through phases of doubt, burnout, overthinking, stress, job pressure, life changes, and identity shifts.

Training only “works” when it adapts to that reality.

The Gym Shift: Confidence, smoothness, and enjoying the process

Another one of my favourite notes from Mike:

“Much more confident, smoother, and I’ve learned to ‘love the process.’”

That doesn’t come from grinding harder.

It comes from training at the right intensity, with exercises that support riding, and enough consistency to feel progress week after week.

What Actually Makes This Approach Different?

Mike said it best:

“It is specific to working MTB riders… but still provides elite-level training without leading to burnout.”

This is the gap in the market.

Riders don’t need watered-down plans.

They need smartly dosed plans — structured around their life, stress levels, and riding schedule.

What Mike Would Tell Another Rider

I asked Mike how he’d describe the program to someone else. His answer was simple:

“1 hour a day, 2–3 days per week. That’s it. Also, Alex is a rider, and clearly in touch with the demands of enduro, DH and freeride.”

And his 1-sentence summary?

“Progression, durability, strength.”

That’s the goal.

📩 Final Thoughts

If you see yourself in Mike’s experience — inconsistent training, recurrent aches, struggling to balance riding with gym time — the takeaway isn’t “do more.”

It’s:

Build a structure that fits your actual life, removes unnecessary fatigue, and supports long-term durability.

Whether you’re managing burnout, returning from injury, or trying to ride more consistently without feeling wrecked — there’s a way to train that supports all of that.

If you’d like help dialling in your own approach, I’m always open to a conversation.

No pressure. Just clarity.

See you on the trails,

Coach Ackerley

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