Jake’s Story

Alex Ackerley
Sep 28
2 min read

This one's been on the back burner for a while, as I know Jake's been working on an awesome project you should all go check out. I'll drop a link at the bottom.

Jake rides a lot — He's a full-time MTB Coach here in Squamish - you might have heard of the Mind Mountain. This means long weeks of high-volume riding, nagging aches, and hours of physio just to keep going. He knew he “should” be strength training, but the motivation wasn’t there.

That changed when he joined the MTB Breakfast Club. Because the program is tailored to seasonal riding loads, Jake found training that actually worked with his riding, not against it.

👉 In just a few months:

“My legs feel powerful, I ride stronger and more centred, and I get less fatigue on the ups and downs.”
“It’s made me more stoked to get out and ride on my days off from coaching.”
“I’m able to ride faster when riding trails top to bottom without breaks, and in the odd Sorca Cinco.”
“These training sessions leave me more energized to ride than I was before.”
“I had about 2 hours of physio exercises from old injuries before joining Breakfast Club. After a month or two, I was pain and ache free.”

The mental side was just as big.Jake says: “I no longer fear crashing and being sidelined. Knowing I’ve done the work off the bike plays a huge part in my confidence.”

He also adds: “An unexpected win has been the mental side. I love the social aspect and walk out feeling clear and positive, ready to take on the day.”

Why I Love Working With MTB Coaches

I’m especially proud of working with MTB coaches like Jake. Coaches ride at high volume, often juggle busy schedules, and give me some of the best feedback on how training translates to the trail. They test my methods to the max, and their insight on riding mechanics and learning styles pushes me to keep refining the program.

Jake also came into the gym as a relative rookie. Before he could move with intensity, he had to learn how to move well. It’s something I see often: even the best riders sometimes need to build solid off-bike technique before strength training really clicks. Once that foundation is there, progress skyrockets.

Shoutout to The Mind Mountain

Jake spent the summer on a personal journey. He wanted to face down his fear just like his clients do every day, so he wanted to learn how to backflip his bike! . I'm seriously impressed by his dedication to self-improvement.

The Bottom Line

Jake now leaves training not just stronger, but clear-headed, energized, and ready to take on the day. His story is proof that when strength training is designed for mountain bikers, it fits seamlessly into high-volume riding — even for the riders who coach others. If you watched his story til the end, you'll know we're now working on the next part of Jakes journey..