Don't make my Mistakes

Why Strength Training Matters: The Hard Lesson I Learned in My First MTB Race

When I first moved to Squamish, I was a rookie mountain biker fresh off a 20+ year rugby career. My fitness goals had always been about being fast and winning collisions. At 6'3" and 235 lbs, I felt invincible—when I wasn’t injured. But now, I had the MTB bug, and I knew I had to change my training. I needed to put more emphasis on aerobic endurance and less on muscle mass and maximal strength. To push myself, I signed up for my first race the following spring: the Spakwus 50, an XC marathon that seemed like the perfect starting point to take my training seriously.

I enlisted a colleague to program my aerobic training while I handled my own strength training. Things started off great. I loved having structured riding sessions that got me out the door even when the weather sucked. The plan ensured I was training at the right intensities, at the right times, for the right durations, and with proper weekly volume modulation. I was learning, getting fitter, and making progress—exactly what I wanted. Over the course of my training, I was hitting a lot of PRs on various segments, including some big climbs, which gave me confidence that my approach was working.

Inevitably, work and home life threw some roadblocks in the way, but I adapted. I leaned on solid planning, used the indoor bike when necessary, and even booked spin classes while traveling. Then, four weeks before race day, I made a critical mistake: I deprioritized strength work. At first, I scaled back my gym sessions, thinking more riding time would serve me better. But within two weeks of the race, I had stopped strength training altogether, focusing entirely on time in the saddle.

Race Day Reality Check

I lined up at the start feeling confident. I had four months of solid training, knew I could handle the distance and elevation, and was familiar with the trails. My target was 4 hours, but I secretly hoped for closer to 3.

Then came the first climb. The mass start was fast and aggressive as riders jostled for position. My heart rate spiked, but I figured I could push through. Instead, my legs felt heavy, and my HR stayed sky-high. It went from bad to worse. I had to pull over and stop—something that hadn’t happened to me on that climb since my first ride in Squamish three years earlier. What was going on?

I pulled myself together and slogged through the next 15 km to the biggest climb of the day, only for it to happen again—this time with more stops. By the top, I was running on fumes. My ability to control my bike on the descents fell apart, and I went off track multiple times, even bending a rotor. I had to ride the final 10 km with my brakes dragging.

The finish line wasn’t much of a victory. I clocked in at 4:59. I was a broken man. I couldn’t even drink my free beer.

The Lesson: Don’t Ditch Strength Training

A few days later, I reviewed what went wrong, and even now, I reflect on that race. My biggest mistake? Giving up strength training. Pretty embarrassing for a strength coach, right?

I underestimated the importance of power-to-weight ratio for climbing.  At 215 lbs, I was still a heavy rider, meaning I needed significantly more power than lighter riders to punch up the hills. The ironic part? Despite weighing less, my relative strength had actually increased. I had lost little to no strength in my squat, deadlift, and bench PRs, but without maintaining my power output through strength training, I struggled when it mattered most.

That’s when I started digging into the science behind detraining timelines. Research shows that:

• Neuromuscular adaptations (e.g., motor unit recruitment and coordination) begin to decline within two to three weeks of stopping resistance training (Mujika & Padilla, 2000).

• Maximal strength losses become noticeable after 3-4 weeks of complete cessation, with losses of up to 10-15% after 8-12 weeks (McMaster et al., 2013).

• Power output and rate of force development decline faster than maximal strength, often within 2-4 weeks, making it critical for activities requiring explosive movements (Suchomel et al., 2018).

• Muscle mass losses are typically small within the first 2-3 weeks, but by 4-6 weeks, reductions in muscle cross-sectional area can range from 5-10%, depending on the individual and prior training status (Vogt & Hoppeler, 2014).

Since that race in 2018, I’ve nailed my training for many events, including multi-day self-supported rides, single-day endurance events, and downhill & enduro races. Not to mention the 100+ riders I’ve successfully prepped for big events and races. I’ve learned how to balance strength training with riding, fine-tuning my approach to peak at the right time without sacrificing power or durability.

If you want help planning and balancing your training, I’m here for you. Book a call, and let’s get you training with confidence.

Better still, sign up for the MTB Performance Program and we can have you dialled and ready for your strongest season ever.