Ultimate Guide To Riding Position On Your MTB.

Elbows Out....
Head Up....
Heels Down.....
To ride fast and with confidence you need to maintain a solid body position on the bike.
I call this the FLOW position.
The Flow position is only possible when all the links in your body's chain are correct.
Your position on the pedals affects your knees and hips as well as your centre of gravity.
Your hips determine you lower back posture and knee position.
Your upper back determines your head and neck position.
EVERYTHING is connected!
In this video I take a deep dive into correct body position on the mountain bike, how to strengthen it and common faults to avoid.
Stay Strong
Ben
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[@thestrengthfactory.]

What are the key things you learnt from this video? Anything new to you as a rider? What are you going to work on to build your Flow Position?

[@csjtbanks]

Dropping my heels to engage my glutes in the hinge was an AHA moment for me, I was previously working on the hinge but engaging my quads, couldn’t figure out why. You also have me wondering why after an hour or two of XC riding why I get an achy lower back which I need to stretch forward on the pedals to manage...

[@russkgreen]

So much - First - I like "flow position" - it reminds us of the goal, which is to float over and through the features, not attack into them. It didn't really tell me anything I "don't know", but there's a simple awareness checklist here that I can use at the start of every ride, and whenever things aren't flowing well: ankles, legs, hips, light tension through hams, straight back.... It's also a reminder that as a desk jockey I need to work every day on every aspect of my mobility: ankles, hips (hip hinge), and thoracic - all problem spots for me, interestingly, although I wouldn't know that if I weren't trying to up my game. Also - going to build a row station (hook in basement ceiling, straps with handles) this weekend because that is the missing element from my mobility and strength workouts. Also going to check out the SL Romainian DL. So two things in the end: check point on bottom to top body position before and during ride, and revisiting and recommitting to my corrective mobility and strength program.

[@thestrengthfactory.]

@@csjtbanks Glad it helped mate. Work on the hinge off the bike and it will be easier to apply on the bike.

[@thestrengthfactory.]

@@russkgreen sounds like you are on top of things there mate. Keep it up and I'm glad the video helped.

[@MelesBiker]

Why not have the arms like Gee and many other natural riders? Feels more ergonomic and efficent to me. What do you think about this topic?

[@stuartj2773]

Best mtb body position tutorial so far, very detailed any really make sense.

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Cheers mate.

[@Fabien-kz2dl]

Perfect explanation to remember each time why we have to use this position. And effectively not for fun, it’s just about human physical body position

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Thanks mate - glad you liked it.

[@searaydrivingguy]

The hinge, straiten legs, with feet back, and elbows out are great tips. I downhill 3 times a week at watershed park in Delta BC.

[@try2riel8]

2:57 in the video and felt like I had to sing in to leave a positive review.( I never leave reviews). So far no one as explained body position better than you and I have been exploring this subject for months. Amazing job!

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Awesome! I'm stoked to read that. Cheers mate.

[@vincentblanc8432]

Finally a good break down of the basic position on a mtb. I sent the link to a lots of friends, cheers!

[@gredzzkimtb]

this is helping so much man, Im definetly riding with knees to bent which is causing major lower back pain.

[@toooldfortwowheels2048]

I started to watch this video and thought it'd be like any other "MTB position", but you go really deep and focus on a musculo-skeletal breakdown of the issues. Kids will watch this and likely get nothing. Me as a 40yo, rider with years or Rugby, Football and 10 years of desk jobs behind me I found this great. This video won't teach you to be a great rider but it gives you the tools to get you there.

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Thanks mate, appreciate it.

[@jbsrtowner]

Very well done. No BS. Thank you

[@vee2425]

Thank you! I've watched a lot of videos, but this one really gelled with me. As a relatively new rider (one year, female and almost 60) of more technical trails, the one thing that has been a game changer for me was dropping my heels. This was the last piece of the puzzle. Focusing on this one change has allowed me to really use my hips effectively in the berms, and ride more confidently on our local intermediate/advanced trails here in BC.

[@thestrengthfactory.]

That’s great to hear Victoria. 😄

[@TheHeartisaCannibal]

I've been riding with my knees waaaay too bent. I guess I thought it absorbed bumps but I see the error of that logic. Thanks for explaining the reasons and not just telling us what to do... now to work on breaking a 15 year habit!

[@thestrengthfactory.]

No worries mate. It’s worth the effort

[@Finn-nt3jc]

Best vid on riding position so far! Coming from a boardsports background where bending your legs a lot is a good thing, I always had my legs way to bent on the mtb which made me crash a lot of times because I didn’t have enough grip on the front tire! This helped a lot!

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Awesome stuff - cheers Finn! I'm missing the snowboard at the moment. I need some board sports in my life!

[@sirbrakesalot]

I'm hunched down while watching this video

[@ardor4247]

I just sat up a little because of your comment. 😂

[@peterpechmtb]

Hey, I liked the video and tried it on a trail the next day, as I was guilty of some mistakes you mentioned. Smashed my PB on local DH trail with much less leg/quad fatigue in the process. Thank you!

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Solid result there mate!

[@paulm5025]

Hi. Great video! At 5:32 your explanation of the negative impact of the tilted forward front foot CLICKED IN MY BRAIN! Now I get the big impact of a small change. I have had trouble keeping my hips back and hinged and now I know why! Thanks so much!

[@thestrengthfactory.]

No worries mate, glad it helped. Ben

[@russkgreen]

This is outstanding content. Checking out your strength training materials presently. Thanks!

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Cheers mate.

[@ridenich4138]

best mtb body position vid

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Cheers bro!

[@juanguerrero700]

So good love your strength coach view on it helps me think about doing a goodmorning on the bike thank u!

[@thestrengthfactory.]

No worries, Juan!

[@roddixon9402]

Great video ... my weakness is getting on the bike and over thinking a whole list of advice `i've watched on ` You Tube ! Clear simple advice and working through the body feet up ... perfect. Thanks

[@thestrengthfactory.]

It is easy to get bogged down in too much detail. You can only really focus on working in 1 thing at a time, so pick something and spend a good few rides working on it. Improving one thing often has a positive effect on other aspects anyway. Ben

[@marvindiaz7766]

Milllion tnx. Learned a lot. Again,beautiful video.

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Thanks dude

[@thecount1001]

agreed about exercises. the 2 that have the most impact on riding (and paddle sports, and life in general) just push ups and chinups. not strong enough to do real pullups, so i use a thick resistance band and it works awesome to help me get full range of motion. add in face pulls and some basic side planks and that's all the strength and stability i need for everything.

[@Jimmy.meyer.76]

“Taking a shit, then eating shit”. Perfect analysis!

[@kishencua]

big help for new riders like me. Thanks

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Cheers.

[@thephoenixcycle8854]

Excellent video. I see the error of my ways! Thank you 😊

[@thestrengthfactory.]

No worries, glad you liked it. I'm still working on it myself, but I know what I need to do! haha.

[@pdemartin1]

great video

[@jsailer2558]

it's funny it's always the ones with the least subscribers who give the best advice. This and roxy ride and inspire have been the most beneficial mtb advice I've seen. Thanks for the great video and cheers!

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Cheers mate. You know what to do then...... hit subscribe and get your mates to as well! Cheers! Ben

[@MelesBiker]

Great video! One point: Number 1 "Elbows out” spreader Lee Mc Cormack says today: "Ellbows out" was wrong, and I apologize. That position is weak, encourages you to pull and push in the wrong directions, and, it turns out, is very bad for your shoulders. I really am sorry. Now that I know more, I suggest your elbows spend most of their time behind your grips. As you might expect, your handlebar width determines your elbow position. Elbows relaxed by the sides - not sticking way out! - and they’re behind the grips. This is strong, effective and safe. When you pull hard, your elbows will draw inward toward your torso. When you push hard, they flare outward. This is normal. Let it happen. But your median, ready elbow position should be directly behind your hands. You might be thinking, “This is wrong. I see lots of great riders with their elbows out.” You are correct! There are moments when their elbows are out, but these are integrated moments. Top riders like Brian Lopes and Aaron Gwin are not trying to maintain a static elbows-out position - but they’ll flare their elbows in some moments. One example: Tucking low. Another example: Preparing for a big push into a turn or off a ledge. Also, the wider your handlebar is, the wider your elbows will be." Source: www.llbmtb.com/members/riding-skills/row-anti-row/riding-positions "So learn what to do with your elbows. Sorry, I was wrong about them being out all the time."

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Hey mate, that is an interesting quote and article, thanks. I guess the whole elbows out thing should be more like, 'don't tuck your elbows in.' You don't want to ride like a T-Rex. Similarly, the elbows out coaching cue helps to encourage people to have weight on the front wheel which is something a lot of riders struggle with. I agree about keeping behind the grips and for a lot of people this will have an elbows out appearance. Cheers mate

[@gatoryak7332]

I think that Ben described it well starting @20:00. He's saying the same thing that Lee McCormack says, as far as I can tell. They explain it differently because they see it from different perspectives. Lee is comparing it to his former method of elbows out, up, and forward. OTOH, Ben's perspective is that of a strength coach who knows that the strongest, safest way to control a handlebar is about the same as the strongest, safest way to press up a heavy barbell. A strength coach would have never advocated Lee's original idea. The 'elbows out' cue is really aimed at roadies and beach cruisers who ride with elbows very close to their bodies. That is weak, ineffective, and dangerous for mountain biking.

[@manioziolek4543]

Thx for that video!

[@thestrengthfactory.]

No worries

[@rickcorlett]

Ben, I modified my riding position based on this video over several rides last month and saw some great successes I wanted to share with you. The minimal knee bend made a big difference on quad fatigue on long descents. This is just obvious now that I have watched this video, but it is clear to me that my knees were just bent a little too much trying to get too much suspension out of my body at the deficit of quicker quad fatigue. An unexpected success was that with the dropped heels and straighter legs I felt like I more powerfully pumped the terrain with less physical effort on my part. I could feel more acceleration through corners and features and felt like I was doing less to pump. I had only been dropping my heels when flying up to a corner where I needed extra braking traction after a fast section but didn't realize how much it would help me to integrate that as part of my whole posture. Thanks!

[@thestrengthfactory.]

That's awesome mate. I am really glad to hear that.

[@falllinemaniac]

You sound like a ski instructor ☺ literally, your emphasis on ankle knee and hips all are crucial for ski performance in precisely the same way. The psoas engagement is a great awareness to the hinge too.

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Except, unlike a ski instructor, I won't try to kiss your sister! haha

[@michaelb.5399]

very cool video ;-) i have never thought about heels down before, but actually it makes sense to me! I often have the feeling that a lot of beginner rider tend to have a body position to close to the rear end of the bike instead of being somewhere center. I have noticed that telling them to lean a little more forward helped a lot. maybe a video to this would be nice! also: I would really like to see some videos of riders, where you stop the video and tell whats wrong in particular in order to get a few good examples. that would be great ;) and thanks for the video!

[@thestrengthfactory.]

I agree that most new riders are too far back. Something that I’m always working on as well.

[@iriemtb3234]

Great, thanks! 😊

[@thestrengthfactory.]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@yannik85]

Really good!

[@thestrengthfactory.]

💪🏽

[@lucassutton5539]

Great break-down

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Cheers mate.

[@hobmarg]

Danny Hart is one who I think is amazing at looking super chill/neutral on the roughest tracks (Loic as well obviously). Great video, I was lucky to have been a gym/fitness enthusiast before taking up mountain biking so had decent mobility/strength coming into the sport which has helped, but I like these kind of videos to ensure I am doing everything I can for the "optimal" neutral position on the bike. My latest problem is actually some posture issues from too many road riding miles during COVID... climbing fitness has definitely improved but need to do mobility work.

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Check out my video on posture on the MTB. I think it’s super important for riding and most of us spend too long sitting hunched over phones so we need to look after it. Thanks

[@thecount1001]

IMO the very best rider to watch for form is Sam Hill, but he's boring because he always looks perfect, very little body english and just never makes a mistake. always heels down, solid as a rock.

[@joelhenderson3723]

Funny how a lot of top tier athletes (not all, obviously) are kind of boring. Just flawless fundamentals. Every. Single. Time.

[@evanblackwell3920]

This is dead on.

[@jankesdh87]

Pretty good stuff. What also helps to "open up" your body position is your brake lever position, rather than have them steep, have them as flat as your wrist let you. Not only it reduces the arm pump but it'll change the angle of your elbows putting you in stronger position.

[@thestrengthfactory.]

For sure. Reviewing the video I could have mentioned wrists as well. Maybe next time. Thanks dude

[@gatoryak7332]

Good discussion, especially the arm position detail that so many people get wrong. A nit to pick regarding your presentation. The 'flow position' is a good home base, but body position while mountain biking should not be static. In fact, good riders flow their bodies through the 'flow position' almost constantly. Even the heels-down advice is not always appropriate. A suggestion: There would be value in videos that teach when, and why, and how to move the body in and out of the 'flow position'. Show how to make the hip hinge a dynamic skill rather than a static position. Most of us pedal our bikes, so how does pedaling relate to the 'flow position'? Consider standing vs sitting while pedaling. Personally, I find that standing pedaling leads to much more fun on a mountain bike. In general, standing pedaling works better if the rider is a little more forward than the basic 'flow position'. That will pull the heels up and toes down during the pedal stroke, which is OK if the rider has good basic pedaling skills. When riding up steeps, a standing rider should not move the 'flow position' aftward. Instead, the hip hinge is deepened by pushing the butt back while keeping the upper body forward.

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Hey mate thanks for the comment. I totally agree that this is not a static position and that we need to move in and around this position. It simply serves as a base to work from. It is a ready position that you move from as you execute a skill. All of the movements on the bike basically start and finish with this position. Also check out my video on standing climbing - you might like it.... kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXmyg52ep7GckKc

[@styleyK]

As a 50 Yr old mtb beginner I am about to go into the garage and check my position on my bike. Also hitting the gym later to work on strengthening the areas you mentioned. 🙏🏿👊🏿

[@thestrengthfactory.]

This is awesome!

[@MarioXcore1]

Man thank you so much! I think I’ve been weighing my rear too much and sometimes my legs are barking at the end of a trail! Gotta adjust my ankles and flatten my back out for sure

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Let me know how it goes, Mario. Remember to slow down a bit as you adjust the position. Then re-build the speed as it becomes more natural.

[@MarioXcore1]

@@thestrengthfactory. will do man thanks again for the amazing advice.

[@raphben23]

Ok one new subscriber!

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Nice one!

[@everywherelocal]

nice video 👌

[@thestrengthfactory.]

😉

[@MelesBiker]

I learned again that I better learn from analysing natural riders, who got their position without thinking about it. They stand more efficient and relaxed on their bike. No elbows out, not this aggressive low flow position as it shown by you in the Video. Better efficient like Martin Maes etc. Greetings from Germany!

[@TrailBoundco]

tried thinking about dropping my ankles are on todays ride. is it normal to feel fatigued in the front foots calf / armpit under the knee? my muscles aren't normally sore from riding. Also I felt like I had to try much harder too get the rear foot ankle to bend down and get into that heal position

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Hey mate, sometimes when you try to change your position it puts a bit more stress on a part of the body that doesn't normally work too hard, in this case the calf. I would expect you to get used to it over a few rides, but if in doubt, wind it back a bit. The rear foot never drops as much unless your weight is moving rearwards on the bike.

[@venz5179]

of course you loose tention if your body is not moving... i can create a perfect tention with my heels in a "wrong" position. The same goes to bended knees.

[@TrailBoundco]

Would you say the same technique with the heals down applies to moto trail riding, up and down hills? elbows up, hinge at the hip is commonly talked about for moto but curious if you think the heals down applies or not

[@thestrengthfactory.]

The fundamentals are the same, except the feet are parallel with each other and an MX boot restricts your ankle movement somewhat.

[@vin9976]

Hey man, great breakdown. When you are in the Flow/Attack position, the chest is down pretty far (2:17 in video). Its kind of holding a position like you are little down into a push-up position. That looks good but its definitely fatiguing and I think its actually not good advice to have the default position that deep. When watching the pros they aren't down in that deep of a position and the reason is that their arms are critical suspension. Watching Jesse Malemed talk about his brutal leg breaking crash, he describes how a couple of rough hits dropped him too deep (close to the bars) and once he was passed that point, he had no control of the bike. So having your arms that bent to where your back is flat, is basically like running suspension at 50% sag where you limit the amount of travel/distance your arms have to soak up a hit. I hear people say "ride with a flat back and butt high" but then you watch pro's ride and they are way more upright with their arms much more extended (more like 20% sag) and legs bent a fair amount (drops your CG too). Watching uber-strong Richie Rude ride..his arms are fairly extended, when he runs into stuff, his arms bend a bit more as he soaks up the terrain and then extend again to just slightly bent (just like a fork). Its funny because on the PinkBike pagelink for this video (below), there is a static pic of your riding. In that real life riding position of yours, you are in exactly the same position that Sam Hill/Richie Rude ride in...your knee's bent fairly well and arms slightly bent lol. However it doesn't look ANYTHING like the position you demonstrate at 2:17 in your video. I think THAT is the proper riding position, your body is basically properly "sagged". www.pinkbike.com/news/video-in-depth-analysis-of-riding-positions-with-the-strength-factory.html

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Hey dude, just watched it back and know what you mean. It was surprisingly hard to hit the correct position every time leaning on a tree and thinking about it rather than just riding like normal!

[@vin9976]

@@thestrengthfactory. Cool. How do you like those TLD Stage knee pads? Can they take a hit and pedal in the heat? I have some Sam Hill 7idp pads and while they are great, the Sas-tech padding is stiff and doesnt go high enough above the knee when bent.

[@thestrengthfactory.]

@@vin9976 Only had them a couple of weeks and they are pretty cool considering the amount of skin that they cover. Protection is only on the front so it can take a hit there, but no side protection like their brilliant Raid pads that I often wear. It's always going to be a compromise between heat and protection in my opinion.

[@eduardomoura8779]

Great video! Synergetic aproach is to me the only think that makes sense. I've got a question, since ever I had the tendency to walk with my knees pointing out, when I'm laying down the same happens, and also when I ride the bike. Now and then I try to correct the position of my knees, but I wonder if that is the right thing to do, considering that I'm 40, and that could compromise the rest of my body. Do you think that I should correct or leave it as is? Thank you.

[@thestrengthfactory.]

That is a tricky one, Eduardo and I would suggest that you are best off going to see a physio to get properly assessed. In general terms though, we want the feet, knees and hips all lined up and basically facing forwards. This lets us move naturally and puts less stress on the joints. The 'turning out' you describe may come from the hips or from the foot, so a proper assessment is really important.

[@eduardomoura8779]

​@@thestrengthfactory. I would say it's derived from my hips, but I understand what you mean, and I will try to do that. Thank's for your time.

[@TrailBoundco]

When cornering would you say you should shift your hips(weight) to the outside?

[@thestrengthfactory.]

It depends how you look at it really. There is some hip shift and then there is some lean of the bike. Basically you want your weight over the contact patch of the tyres, which can sometimes be interpreted as moving your weight to the outside.

[@jimmit77]

Good analysis of the mechanics of the riding position. Have to disagree with the straight legs. Depending on what you're rolling in to and perhaps your height/relative leg length, you may need to be legs bent much of the time. Consider balancing the volume between voice and theme music.

[@arqomx]

I've seen some encourage to do cyclist's squat (squatting with heels elevated with anything like plates etc..), for strengthening calves and ankle.. what's your take on that?

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Generally heels elevated is to allow for restricted range in the ankles, or sometimes to focus more on the quads, rather than calf and ankle. I only use this if the athlete has tight ankles and can't squat flat on floor.

[@mjaynz]

My quad on my back leg gets real sore on decents. Is this from not hinging at the hips properly?

[@thestrengthfactory.]

It is certainly possible. The rear leg does take a bit more load than the front as well though, so on straights that are less technical you could switch feet for a short rest.

[@useport80]

any tips for core work that'll help mtb? already squat and deadlift regularly.

[@thestrengthfactory.]

It all depends on your level, but the fundamentals of bracing your core for riding and lifting can be built with front and side planks. You can then move on to more advanced options like RKC Plank and using a cable machine or bands to perform Pallof Press and variations of it. I'll post a video just below...

[@thestrengthfactory.]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGfFpn2ug993mqM

[@dwaynerobertson6998]

How about rims and how strong they are how cheap they art and what is the most durable rim underneath $200 or lightest from underneath $200 or something like that

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Wrong channel! 😂

[@dwaynerobertson6998]

No one destroys rims anymore or you just ride on The sidewalk with your bicycle lol jokes

[@cougar231000]

This is just Motocross position applied to Mtb...

[@thestrengthfactory.]

There's certainly a lot of overlap between the two.

[@aardvarkissues]

Elbows out is bad aero - probably need to be able to do both and know when to switch if you're looking for seconds...

[@thestrengthfactory.]

haha, cheers Mike. Most trails are below the speed where that matters but for sure on fast tracks, aero matters!

[@mikereynoldsguitar502]

i bet you were an NCO?

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Haha, nope. Drop the N.....

[@mikereynoldsguitar502]

@@thestrengthfactory. ha i heard the all to familiar "tone" that only command has (no offence) it kinda bodes well for civvy st . . . . .. subbed though i could learn a thing or two i reckon

[@jerlasvegas]

Volume of intro WAY too loud. Volume of content WAY too quiet.

[@thestrengthfactory.]

It was an early video and I have that sorted now. Cheers.