Your Mountain Bike Training Plan for 2026 (If You Want to Ride Better This Season)

January is a strange time for mountain bikers.

Riding is inconsistent. Motivation comes and goes. Instagram is full of people training like it’s already race season — and most riders are quietly wondering:

“Am I doing the right thing right now?”

I'm here to answer that.

Not with hype.

Not with a 12-week shred program.

But with a clear, seasonal training plan that actually respects how mountain biking works — and how real people live.

If you want to ride better, feel stronger, and stay healthy in 2026, this is where it starts.

Why Most MTB Training Fails Before the Season Even Begins

Most riders don’t fail because they don’t work hard enough.

They fail because:

• They train randomly

• They train out of season

• Or they train like someone with a completely different life

January workouts copied from April don’t make you fitter —at best, they'll be ineffective and at worst, they'll make you tired, sore, or injured.

Mountain biking is a seasonal sport.

Your training should be seasonal too.

The Mountain Bike Year (Simplified)

Here’s the framework I use with riders ranging from weekend warriors to elite racers.

1. Winter: Foundation (January–February)

This is where 2026 is actually decided, its time to set the tone.

Focus:

• Build general strength

• Improve joint and tissue tolerance

• Restore & Improve movement quality

• Develop confidence under load

What matters most right now:

• Strength

• Consistency

• Feeling better after training — not wrecked

This phase is not about being impressive.

It’s about becoming hard to break.

2. Spring: Transition (March–April)

Gym strength meets the bike.

Focus:

• Maintain strength

• Reintroduce higher riding volume

• Build tolerance to intensity

• Reduce fatigue without losing gains

This is where most riders either:

• Transition smoothly

  or

• Lose everything they built all winter - if they built it.

3. In-Season: Ride & Maintain (May–September)

This is not the time to chase gym PRs.

Focus:

• Stay strong enough

• Stay pain-free

• Support riding, not compete with it

The goal is durability and confidence, not gym domination.

4. Post-Season: Reset (Fall)

Reflect, recover, and rebuild for the next cycle.

What You Should Actually Be Training in January

If January had a single purpose, it would be this:

Build the strength and movement capacity that makes riding easier later.

That means prioritizing patterns, not gimmicks.

The non-negotiables:

• A squat or split-squat pattern - eg Goblet Squat

• A hinge (hip-dominant strength) - eg Sandbag Goodmorning

• Upper-body pulling (more than pushing) eg half kneeling row

• Smart pressing that respects shoulders eg Landmine Press

• Trunk stability (anti-movement, not crunches) eg bench oblique hold

• Loaded carries or full-body tension work eg Suitcase March

These aren’t flashy.

They’re effective.

And they transfer to:

• Braking control

• Descending confidence

• Long days on the bike

• Fewer “mystery” aches and pains

How Much Training Is Enough?

This is where most riders overthink things.

The honest answer:

• 2 strength sessions per week → enough to make some real progress

• 3 sessions → ideal if life allows

• More than that only works if recovery, sleep, and stress are dialled in

Consistency beats intensity every time.

A boring plan done for 8–10 weeks will outperform an exciting one done for 3.

What Not to Worry About.

Yet

January is not the time for:

• Max heart-rate intervals

• Race-pace simulations

• Endless plyometrics

• “Shred” workouts designed for social media

Those might have a place — later.

Right now, the best thing you can do is train in a way that makes February and March easier, not harder.

Why This Approach Works (And Why Riders Stick With It)

Riders who train this way:

• Start the season feeling confident instead of rushed

• Carry strength into riding instead of losing it

• Miss fewer workouts and rides due to pain or fatigue

• Actually enjoy training again

It’s not magic.

It’s timing.

Where This Fits If You Want Help

If you’re reading this and thinking:

• “I want this structure without overthinking it”

• “I want to know I’m doing the right things”

• “I want coaching, not just workouts”

That’s exactly why I built my programs.

• Breakfast Club → structured, seasonal training with coaching with flexibility for busy people with real lives

• Performance Program → fully personalized coaching, for those looking to get the most out of their training & riding.

If you’re not sure which fits you yet, start here:

👉 Take the MTB Fitness Assessment

It helps clarify where you’re at — and what you actually need next.

Final Thought

January training doesn’t need to be dramatic.

It needs to be deliberate.

Train with the season.

Build the base.

And let everything else stack on top.

Your best riding in 2026 starts now.