Why all Mountain Bikers Should consider a little Olympic Lifting
- Alex Ackerley
- Apr 11
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 11
If you want to ride harder, accelerate faster, and pop off the ground with control — you need power. Not just raw strength, but the ability to apply that strength quickly. That’s where Olympic barbell movements like the push press and cleans come in.
They might look intimidating at first glance — but when coached properly and scaled appropriately, they’re incredibly effective for riders of all levels.
What Is Power, Really?
Power is force x velocity — strength expressed fast. On the bike, that translates to:
Explosive accelerations out of corners
Manualing and jumping with control
Reacting quickly to trail features
Holding speed over technical terrain
If you’ve ever felt strong in the gym but sluggish on the bike, chances are your training isn’t addressing the speed side of the equation.
Why Push Press and Cleans?
Both of these movements teach your body to generate force through your entire kinetic chain — from the ground up.
Push Press: Builds explosive upper-body power and reinforces full-body coordination. You dip and drive through the legs to launch the bar overhead. It’s a transferable pattern to explosive movements on the bike — like bunny hops or sprinting.
Power Clean: This is the gold standard for developing hip extension power. The same powerful hip snap that drives a clean is what you use when jumping, pumping, or accelerating on steep climbs.
Plus, both movements improve:
Postural strength
Core stability under speed
Joint coordination under load
Isn’t Olympic Lifting Just for Athletes?
Yes — and if you're serious about progressing your riding, you are an athlete!
You don’t need to move massive weights or train like a weightlifter. But appropriately dosed Olympic variations, tailored to your mobility and skill level, are one of the fastest ways to build usable power for mountain Biking.
Scaling for You
If you're new to barbell lifts, we start with regressions — like:
Dumbbell push presses
Clean pulls or high pulls
Medicine ball variations
As you progress, we layer in barbell technique — always prioritizing movement quality, not ego.
Final Thoughts
Mountain biking demands power. And if you want to build it, Olympic-style lifts like the push press and clean offer a fast, effective, and fun way to do it.
They're not just for the gym rats — they're for anyone who wants to ride stronger, react faster, and handle more trail with less fatigue.
Want to talk more about how to program Olympic movements in to your plan? Or maybe you just need to learn where to start with the basics. Book a call with me and we'll figure out where you should start.
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