Mountain Bike Pre-Season Training Plan

$69.00

7 weeks, 6 days/week training plan to prepare athletes for mountain bike season or trip
Trains bike-specific leg strength, pedaling power, and speed over ground
Includes multiple power/threshold assessments and follow on progressions
This training plan is one of the 250+ Plans included with an Athlete’s Subscription.

Description

This 7-Week, 6 day/week training program is sport-specifically designed to prepare athletes for an upcoming mountain bike season or trip.

This training program has 3 general objectives:

Increase Pedaling power and speed over ground
Increase bike-specific leg strength, core strength, and upper body strength
Increase volume biking fitness and recovery

This training plan deploys multiple power/threshold assessments and uses assessment performance for the follow-on progressions. In this way, the plan automatically “scales” to the incoming pedaling fitness and each individual athlete.

This is Version 2 of this plan, built January 2021.

Functional Threshold Power Assessment and Power-based Programming
This 7-week training deploys multiple 30-minute, Functional Threshold Power (FTP) assessments using your stationary spin cycle, bike trainer, or on-bike power meter. Follow-on 10-minute threshold efforts are based on your most recent FTP assessment. You’ll complete a 30-minute FTP assessment four times during this training cycle – Weeks 1, 2, 4 and 7. The plan uses your most recent FTP assessment result to dictate pacing for threshold intervals and longer aerobic base/recovery and moderate-pace rides.

No power meter on your machine/bike? You can still complete this training plan using rate of perceived exertion.

Strength Work
This training plan includes focused, biking-specific leg, mid-section and upper body strength training deploying bodyweight and/or dumbbells. You’ll train strength on Tuesdays each week.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Mon: FTP Assessment or Threshold Intervals
Tue: Strength Training
Wed: Aerobic Base / Recovery Spin/Ride (45-90 min)
Thu: Threshold Intervals
Fri: Total Rest
Sat: Moderate Pace Spin/Ride (45-120 Minute)
Sun: Moderate Pace Spin/Ride (60-120 Minute)

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT

Spin Bike with power display, Indoor Bike Trainer with power meter/display or Mountain or Road Bike with a power meter (ideally)**
Pair of 15# Dumbbells (women) or 25# Dumbbells (men)
Foam Roller

** A power display/meter is not required to complete this training plan, but is highly recommended to maximize the training effect.

COMMON QUESTIONS

How Long do the Sessions Last?
60-120 minutes. Longest days will be the moderate-pace rides on Saturday and Sunday.

What if I miss a day?
Begin where you left off when you return to training. This program is progressed – each session builds upon the prior session – so don’t skip a session or skip around. Follow the training sessions in order, regardless.

Where do I find unfamiliar exercises?
See our Exercise Library HERE. The Run/Ruck Calculator is listed as an exercise.

What about nutrition?
See our Nutritional Guidelines HERE.

Can I see sample training?
Yes. Click the “Sample Training” tab to see the entire first week of programming.

How do I access the plan?
Access is online, via username and password. You can log in either through our website or through our app (Mtn Tactical Fitness) available for IOS and Android.

Can I print out sessions to take to the gym?
Yes – you can print a week of programming at a time.

More Questions? Email: coach@mtntactical.com

DISCLAIMER
Before beginning any exercise program, consult with your physician to ensure that you are in proper health. Physical training contains inherent risks including, but not limited to, muscle strains, tears, physical and bodily injury up to and including death. This training program is not meant to provide medical advice; you should obtain medical advice from your private health care practitioner. If you are unable to assume these risks then you should not engage in this training program. No liability is assumed by Mountain Tactical Institute, Inc, its owners or employees, and you train at your own risk. Mountain Tactical Institute makes no warranty, express or implied, of any kind in connection with this training program.

Required Equipment

Spin Bike with power display, Indoor Bike Trainer with power meter/display or Mountain or Road Bike with a power meter (ideally)**

Pair of 15# Dumbbells (women) or 25# Dumbbells (men)

Foam Roller

** A power display/meter is not required to complete this training plan, but is highly recommended to maximize the training effect.

Sample Training

Below is the First Week from this Training Plan:

SESSION 1
MONDAY
Obj: Functional Threshold Power (FTP) Assessment #1

Warm Up:
5 minute spin of increasing difficulty, right into ....

Training:

(1) 30 minute max effort for total power.

Record final power output and calculate average power. This average power is your "Functional Threshold Power" or FTP.

RECORD RESULTS

Comments:
Don't start the 30 minute max effort from a dead stop. Use a running start and start the clock already working hard.
For example, if your using an Echelon Bike ... Start the time trial right at 5 minutes and stop at 35 minutes.
Calculating your total power can be a little tricky ... as you can't count the output you produced during the warm up ... so make note of it when you start the 30 min effort as you'll need to subtract this warm up effort from the total output at the end of 30 minutes.
The machine your own will likely keep calculating after you finish the trial, so you'll need to make note of the final output.
The Echelon bike measures total output in Kilojoules (kj). Go HERE to convert it. You have to take your total kj (total minus the warm up output) and divide by 30 to get kj/minute. The calculator spits out your average power output for the 30 minute effort. No Power Meter? Follow the warm up protocol and pedal as hard/fast as possible for 30 minutes.

(2) 2 Rounds
Hip Flexor Stretch
Pigeon Stretch
Frog Stretch

******************************

SESSION 2
TUESDAY
Obj: Strength

Warm Up:

4 Rounds
10x Squats
5x Push Ups
5x Walking Lunge
10x Sit Ups
Instep Stretch

Training:

(1) 8 Rounds
Mini Leg Blaster
4x Scotty Bobs @ 15/25#
Rest 30 Seconds

(2) 15 Minute Grind …
5x Dumbbell Squat Thrust @ 15/25#
15/15x Standing Founder
10x Slasher @ 15/25#
10x Face Down Back Extension

“Grind” = work steadily, not frantically, through the circuit

(3) 4 Rounds (2 minutes total)
20 Second Calf Raise
10 Seconds Rest

(4) Foam Roll Legs, Low Back

******************************

SESSION 3
WEDNESDAY
Obj: Aerobic Base/Recovery

Warm Up:
5 minute row/spin of increasing difficulty, right into ....

Training:

(1) 45 Minute spin/ride at your "Easy Power" pace.

To get your "Easy Power" pace - take your FTP and multiply by .75. So, if your FTP from Monday's assessment (SESSION 1) was 182 Watts, 182 x .75 = 136.5 or 137 (round up). Today, spin/ride 45 minute efforts at 136 watts, + or - 3 watts (134-140). No power meter? Spin/ride 45 minutes at an "Easy" pace. "Easy" = you can speak in full sentences while spinning/riding.

******************************

SESSION 4
THURSDAY
Obj: Threshold Intervals

Warm up:
5 minute row/spin of increasing difficulty, right into ....

Training:

(1) 3 Rounds
10 minute threshold effort at your "Interval Power" pace.

Spin easy for 5 minutes between efforts

To get your "Interval Power" pace - take your FTP and multiply by 1.2. So, if your FTP from Monday's assessment (SESSION 1) was 182 Watts, 182 x 1.2 = 218.4 or 219 (round down). Today, row/spin your 10 minute efforts at 218 watts, + or - 3 watts (215-221).

No power meter? Do this:

3 Rounds
Spin/Ride 10 minutes at your Threshold Pace - as fast as possible
Spin/Pedal easy for 5 minutes between efforts.

(2) 2 Rounds
Hip Flexor Stretch
Pigeon Stretch
Frog Stretch

******************************

SESSION 5
FRIDAY
TOTAL REST

******************************

SESSION 6
SATURDAY
Obj: Moderate Power Spin/Ride

Warm Up:
5 minute spin of increasing difficulty, right into ....

Training:

(1) 45 Minute spin/ride at your "Moderate Power" pace.

To get you're "moderate power" take Monday's FTP (SESSION 1) result and multiply by .9. So, if your FTP from Monday's assessment was 182 watts, 182 x .9 = 163.8 or 164 (round up). Today, row/spin for 45 minutes at 164 watts, + or - 3 watts (161-167 watts). No power meter? Spin/ride 45 minutes at an "Moderate" pace. "Moderate" = comfortable but not easy.

(2) Foam Roll Legs, Low Back

******************************

SESSION 7
SUNDAY
Obj: Moderate Power Spin/Ride

Warm Up:
5 minute spin of increasing difficulty, right into ....

Training:

(1) 60 Minute spin/ride at your "Moderate Power" pace.

To get you're "moderate power" take Monday's FTP (SESSION 1) result and multiply by .9. So, if your FTP from Monday's assessment was 182 watts, 182 x .9 = 163.8 or 164 (round up).

Today, row/spin for 45 minutes at 164 watts, + or - 3 watts (161-167 watts). No power meter? Spin/ride 60 minutes at an "Moderate" pace. "Moderate" = comfortable but not easy.

(2) 2 Rounds
Hip Flexor Stretch
Instep Stretch
Pigeon Stretch

1) Mission Direct

Gym numbers mean nothing. All that matters is mission performance.

To this end, MTI’s fitness solutions and programming are not boxed in by convention, tradition, orthodoxy, public opinion or any other artificial constraint driven by inside or outside forces.

We begin with the raw fitness demands of the mission and build a fitness solution which directly prepares the athlete for those demands.

2) Fitness Solutions Built from the Ground Up

MTI’s programming is not “re-tread” bodybuilding, football, CrossFit, kettlebell, strength or general fitness programming. We’ve built our fitness programming for mountain and tactical athletes from the ground up.

The Fluid Periodization methodology we deploy to concurrently train multiple fitness attributes is completely original and has continued to evolve and improve over the years.

Our mid-section training methodology, Chassis Integrity, is also original, as is our endurance programming, 7 strength training progressions, tactical agility, and work capacity programming.

Our mountain sports pre-season training plans, tactical PFT, selection, school, course, and fitness improvement training plans across military, LE and Fire Rescue are MTI-developed, tested and athlete-proven.

Over the years hundreds of athletes and coaches have taken our advanced programming and unit fitness leader programming courses and MTI is widely recognized within the mountain and tactical professions and fitness media as a thought leader in fitness programming for military and tactical athletes.

3) The MTI Method

→ Research: MTI begins program design with extensive research of the fitness demands of the mission, sport or event, identifies the exercises and progressions which sport-specifically meet those demands, chose end-of-cycle goals, and program backward to design the training plan.

→ Deploy & Assess: We deploy the training plan “Lab Rats” at our Wyoming facility. Training session and cycle issues are identified and fixed as we work through the training plan. Post cycle we assess the programming’s effectiveness and efficiency. We keep the stuff that works, and fix or toss the stuff that doesn’t.

→ Publish & Assess Again: Plan is published for purchase as an individual training plan and made available to our subscribers. Feedback/results are assessed.

→ Iterate: We take what we learn from lab rats and athletes, re-visit, update and improve already published training plans. Several of our individual training plans are on their 4th or 5th version.

4) Mission-Direct Research

MTI exists to “Improve Mountain and Tactical Athletes mission performance and keep them safe.” To that end, we have developed a unique research methodology aimed at identifying real world areas of improvement and identifying immediately deployable mission-direct solutions. Click HERE to learn more about MTI’s Mission-Direct Research methodology, and Here to read about just few of our research efforts.

5) Field Proven

Our stuff works. Weekly we receive unsolicited reviews of our programming and testimonials to its effectiveness.

6) Programming Breadth

MTI’s library of 200+ sport-specific fitness plans for mountain and tactical athletes is unmatched. Resources range from specific programming for tactical special forces selections, to specific plans for climbing Rainier and Denali, to general fitness solutions such as running improvement, to post-rehab from injury.

Over the past decade, MTI has partnered with hundreds of athletes throughout their individual mountain and tactical careers, and provided fitness solutions as they face new mountain objectives, tactical schools, selections, PFTs and deployments, and came back from injury.

7) Worldwide Influence

Our work is not limited to US Athletes.

We’ve developed selection-specific training plans for Canadian, UK, Australian and German Special Forces Selections and worked with individual military personnel from Scandinavia, South, and Central America.

Canadian, Australian, UK and western European law enforcement and fire/rescue athletes have used MTI programming for mission-direct fitness.

On the mountain side, Alpinists from Japan to Slovakia have consulted with MTI and used MTI’s programming to prepare for mountain objectives.

8) Mission Performance beyond Fitness

MTI’s exists is to improve Mission Performance for mountain and tactical athletes and keep them safe.

This focus on “mission direct” solutions, enhancements and improvements drives our work and research and extends beyond fitness solutions to include training, leadership, gear, team culture, and safety.

Fitness is just one area of our work.

Our non-fitness research has included tactical cultures, combat uniforms, and gore-tex performance, and effect of stress on marksmanship.

Our work on defining what it means to be a Quiet Professional has had penetrating influence and driven healthy conversations with both mountain and tactical professionals.

9) Direct, Honest, Clear Answers

Since 2007 we’ve taken and answered dozens of questions weekly from mountain and tactical athletes. We’ve saved these individual Q&A’s and now thousands are archived on our site.

We’re not salesmen, and our answers are noted for their directness, honesty, and clarity. Our stuff isn’t for everyone. If we can help, we’ll let you know. If we can’t, we’ll let you know that, too.

– Rob Shaul, Founder

All of the Above is Backed Up By Our Promise: Our Stuff Works. Guaranteed.

Our Stuff Works. Guaranteed.

By Rob Shaul

I received notes frequently from athletes hesitant to purchase a subscription or training plans asking me to sell them on why they should make the purchase.

While I understand the question, I’m not a salesman – so I can’t put a hard sale on anyone for our programming.

I can tell them the process we go through to design our programming.

We begin with extensive research on the fitness demands of the event, identify the exercises and progressions which sport specifically meet those demands, chose end-of-cycle goals, and program backward to design the plan.

Then we test the cycle on ourselves and our lab rats here in Wyoming. We document, note what works and doesn’t work, re-assess, and make changes and modifications.

Then we publish the programming in the form of one of our plans or as part of our subscription daily training sessions for tactical and mountain athletes.
We don’t stop there – our daily programming is the “tip of the spear” for our programming evolution. We use these sessions to learn and make continuous improvement.

As we learn more and improve, we go back, and update the sport-specific training plans on the website. For example, we’re currently on Version 5 of our Ruck Based Selection Training Plan and Version 3 of our Dryland Ski Training Plan and Version 4 of our Big Game Back Country Hunting Training Plan.

We understand our programing isn’t cheap, but we believe it’s a great value. The $79 for the Ruck Based Selection Training Plan, and $39 for the Dryland Ski Training Plan reflect the, research, work, innovative theory, iteration, testing and feedback we’ve put in and received to make these plans effective.

All that matters for us is outside performance, and we feel strongly that Our Stuff Works in the real world.

Here’s our guarantee:

1) Individual Training Plan Purchase:
If you purchase an individual training plan, follow it as prescribed before your season/event/pft/selection, and if you don’t feel you were physically ready for your season/event/pft/selection, and/or didn’t see dramatic improvements in your early season performance, we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

2) Athlete’s Subscription
If you purchase an Athletes’ Subscription, follow the training sessions as prescribed, and are not satisfied with the quality of the programming, notify us within 30 days of purchase, and we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

Questions?
Email: rob@mtntactical.com

COMMON QUESTIONS:

Do you have any reviews or testimonials from athletes who have used your Athlete’s Subscription
Yes. Click HERE.

Is it true you guarantee your stuff works?
Yes. If you purchase an Athletes’ Subscription, follow the training sessions as prescribed, and are not satisfied with the quality of the programming, notify us within 30 days of purchase, and we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

How is MTI programming different than CrossFit?
This is a common question. Read our answer HERE.

You have a lot of competitors. Why should I choose MTI?
MTI is driven to improve mountain and tactical athletes’ mission performance and keep them safe. This emphasis and focus on mission performance sets us apart. Read about more that sets us apart HERE.

If I purchase a plan or subscription, how do I access the programming?
All of our plans are online, accessible via username and password.
You can log in through our →Website or Mobile App →IOS and Android.

Do you have downloadable .pdf’s of the training plans?
No. But you can print the programming, by week, from your browser. You access individual training plans online via a username and password.

Do you have a mobile app?
Yes, we do. Available for IOS and Android.

What is the difference between purchasing an individual training plan, packet of plans or an Athlete’s Subscription?

Plan – Like purchasing the DVD of the first Star Wars movie. You own it forever, including any updates we make to the plan.
Packet – Like purchasing the DVD’s of all the Star Wars movies. You own them forever, including any updates we make to the plans.
Athlete’s Subscription – Like subscribing to Netflix. You get access to all 200+ plan in our library, but lose access if you unsubscribe.

If I purchase an Athletes Subscription Can I cancel on my own, anytime?
Yes.

Do I have to contact MTI to cancel or can I do it myself?
You can do it yourself. Instructions HERE.

If I purchase a subscription and have questions about where to start or what plans(s) to use for my goals, will you help?
Yes. We answer dozens of training questions from athletes weekly. Email coach@mtntactical.com.

If you add new plans or update existing plans after I subscribe will I have access to them?
Yes. We are continuously adding training plans and packets (2-5/month) and updating plans. With your subscription you’ll have access to all new plans, new courses and plan updates.

What Equipment is Required?
Click the “Required Equipment” tab to find out what equipment is required for the specific plan you are interested in.

Where do I find unfamiliar exercises?
See our Exercise Library HERE. The Run and Ruck Calculators are listed as exercises.

What about nutrition?
See our Nutritional Guidelines HERE.

Can I see sample training?
Click the “Sample Training” tab to see the entire first week of programming. You are encouraged to do it before purchasing.

What if I have more questions?
Email rob@mtntactical.com

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