DON'T CHASE NUMBERS IN THE GYM

Getting stronger is a means and not an end so keep your ego in check

THE COACH

Jonny Thompson is the head coach for Fit4Racing, an online fitness programme for MTB riders. Once a forensic scientist, Jonny has devoted the last 10 years to coaching athletes from Paralympians to world number one enduro racers. His main focus with the Fit4Racing team is developing and delivering fitness programmes to pro and amateur riders. Training the likes of Adam Brayton, Jonny also sends digital programmes to riders all over the world, many of whom ride professionally.

We’ve all done it. You start training and the early gains come fast and easy. You see the weight on the bar increase session to session and before you know it a double bodyweight deadlift becomes the main goal. Now you’re chasing numbers; weight on the bar or reps, when the original reason for going to the gym was to become a better rider, not a powerlifter. And it’s an easy mistake to make. Yes, having a bigger deadlift or squat is a great way to improve overall strength, but chasing numbers leads to too much time under the bar which can have a negative impact on your riding, not least because if you spend more time training, you’ll spend less time on the bike. Here’s what you need to do instead.

1 HAVE A SOLID PLAN AND TRY TO STICK TO IT