Top 3 Exercises for Explosive Gate Starts
MTB Racing
One of the most frequent questions that I get from riders around the country is “what are the best exercises for gate starts?” Apparently a lot of people are looking for the “magic exercises” that will make a big difference in their perceived weakness out of the gate and/ or the few strokes immediately afterwards. First off, if you are looking for just one exercise to cover most biking ills I would have to recommend the deadlift, as a properly performed deadlift will target most of the areas aggressive MTB racers are lacking in and most are very weak in this lift.
However, this exercise is a must for every MTB rider and not necessarily specific to gate starts. Since off-season training is upon us I decided to reveal my Top 3 Exercises for Explosive Gate Starts. I think that anyone with a gate start at the beginning of the race (like you DH and 4X riders) will find these exercises extremely useful as a part of their strength training program.
First, you’ll quickly notice that there is not a leg press to be seen on the list. With few exceptions (injury being the only one I can think of right now) the leg press should never be used in an MTB strength training program. Sitting down and bracing your back against the seat back of the leg press will artificially strengthen the core. You are only as strong as your weakest link, which is usually the core’s ability to act as a platform to create strength from. By taking your core out of the equation as the weak link (as the leg press does) you create false strength, or strength that you can not use on the bike. Since you can not brace your back against something on your bike, the leg press should be avoided if you are serious about your strength program maximizing your riding potential.
1. Banded Deadlift –This exercise is indispensable in your quest to build an explosive gate start. A more advanced form of the regular deadlift, this requires the use of strength bands. These thick rubber bands are not the same as the rubber tubing you see in most gyms and are designed to add several hundred pounds at the lockout point of the lift.
By attaching the strength bands to the bar and doing a deadlift you will maximally overload the full range of motion, especially the top half, as well as really forcing yourself to accelerate and explode in order to overcome the stretching bands. If you watch a great gate start you will notice that the rider basically performs a ¼ deadlift action, throwing his hips out in an explosive manner. This action requires extremely explosive hips and few exercises can match the specific nature of this movement and its requirements like the banded deadlift.
2. Bulgarian Split Squats – This movement is an indispensable tool in your quest to build a great gate start. Basically a 1 legged squat with your trail leg propped up on a bench behind you, my clients have come to build a love/ hate relationship with this movement. They love it because of the results it brings and hate it because few lower body exercises are as challenging to perform, especially as you advance the move by adding weight via DBs and barbells and even move to an overhead squat version.
By propping the trail leg behind you it not able to assist to the same degree that it is in other one-legged movements, such as lunges. The reason that this exercise is so valuable is because we never use both legs to push at the same time on the pedals, making MTB riding a true unilateral (one sided) lower body endeavor. While we need bi-lateral (two sided) lower body movements like the banded deadlift to build high levels of strength and power we also need movements like the Bulgarian Split Squat in order to convert that strength and power into a more usable MTB specific kind.
3. Push Up Variations – This one is actually dependant a bit on the upper body strength levels of the athlete, but most MTB racers that I have come across lack the functional strength to do at least 6 clean reps of several push up variations. These more advanced versions include feet elevated, fisted and swiss ball varieties’. Push ups challenge not only the chest, triceps and deltoids, they also demand a lot of core and upper back strength in order to create the platform needed to push from. It is this platform that is holding most riders back, especially those that have used a lot of traditional bench pressing.
Having a big bench means nothing more than that you are very efficient at lying down, bracing your back against a bench and pressing weight directly away from you. On your bike you are not lying down, and as previously mentioned you must create your own platform with your core and upper back. While bench pressing is certainly needed, until you have mastered your own bodyweight then you have no business as an MTB athlete in seeking bigger bench weights.
If you are serious about getting a stellar jump out of the gate then I feel that you must incorporate these exercises into your routine. A racer who utilizes these exercises this off-season will definitely have an unfair advantage over the rest of the field. They will give you the best return on your time investment and really work on the movement patterns and physical qualities needed to dominate this part of racing.
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Those interested in more information about James Wilson and his exclusive MTB Strength Training System can visit www.MTBStrengthCoach.com. James offers a free e-mail newsletter which includes two free bonuses – 1) a special report on the Top 10 MTB Strength Training Mistakes and 2) a free sample workout program. James can be contacted for inquiries about the MTB Strength Training System or to apply for a spot on his client roster through james@mtbstrengthcoach.com.
