You'll Hate It, But It Will SKYROCKET Your Riding SKILL (Last Chance)

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Mountain biking is hard, and it can be frustrating to spend months and years stuck on a skill plateau. We are on a mission to help 10,000 riders shred with confidence and in this episode you'll get WHY you can progress any skill RAPIDLY, and I don't mean some garbage 1-drill clickbait. I mean the groundwork that actually allows you to learn any skill regardless of which philosophy or channel you follow.
Other channels waste time showing you a body position to try, clinics and lessons work GREAT, but if you're copying the right skeletal body position by activating the wrong muscles, you will cause imbalances and your body will lock up in fear. You MUST watch this video to the end to understand the difference, especially if you're a desk jockey/weekend warrior!
If you're watching this and you can't explain why, but deep down riding yoru bike is important to your mental + physical health and personal goals, you're in the right place.
00:00 - Start
00:56 - BIG Idea: You can learn any new skill on a bike quickly! (But you MUST follow these 3 rules!)
03:02 - #1: You’re stuck because you’re a clinic / technique junkie and you get in your head!
06:15 - #2: Your riding is stuck because you put fitness second (don’t miss this!)
09:25 - #3: Your riding won’t progress until you unlock THIS…(LAST CHANCE!)
References:
vancouversun.com/news/staff-b... -
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... - white paper on acute sleep depravation

[@gregsparks]

I really appreciate the fitness message in your vids. I'm 62, hiker and biker, I agree fitness is key to doing pretty much everything fun.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

I appreciate you! Thanks

[@jimmygrimshaw3318]

Great content 👌 👊🏻

[@ltobin78]

Thank you, I needed this video. I'm 45 now and didn't start riding until I was 41 (Thanks to my 11 year old son at the time). I skated and surfed most my life, which definetly helped with focus and rolling out of crashes, but about 2 years ago I was getting quite confident and without thinking could calve off the lip of a jump throw a decent whip and felt I could place my bike wherever I needed, then oneday I was riding a local trail got thrown off course by a sand patch that wasn't there the day before and it sent me into a tree going about 30kph tearing my nuts open and cracking my lower pelvis on my stem! Now I just can't bring myself to throw that tail out even though it was so easy before, I'm just stuck in my head.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Omg hope your nuts recovered

[@ltobin78]

Luckily I already have 2 kids and my wife had a emergency hystorectemy about 6 years ago, it's the mental scars I'm still dealing with!@@mountainbikeacademy

[@tiagoweyne6661]

Great stuff as always, any chance you could shoot a video showing a routine gym exercise?

[@mountainbikeacademy]

www.loom.com/share/933eafe8bdcb411abe0ceb8346cc273d?sid=216f1331-dc7a-4530-9b6c-8e6aa0f5ee6e

[@TrevX2001]

Hey just a coaching tip for you, Dont take 3 minutes to get to the point.

[@jeremyprovonsil7886]

That can and should be fixed with editing. Otherwise, this guy offers some great information.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Noted

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Nah I scripted this one and intentionally said every word on purpose. I'm testing things. Just think how much better it will be 100 episodes from now lol. You can be like the guys who followed the band before they got famous. Let me know what topics YOU want covered I might be able to do an episode for you. Heck I'll even give you a full breakdown if you want to send in riding footage. :)

[@julianpratt_]

Thought this video was great! Really great tip aswell is having FOCUS, without the proper planning and execution nothing gets done!

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Yes - there's an entire other series on that, I agree.

[@Bonky-wonky]

In my opinion the main problem is the tendency to ‘just go for a ride’, rather than to actually train skills and fitness specifically like in pretty much every other sport. I’m getting close to turning 40 and made a deal with myself to not lose any skills the next few years and actually progress here and there. What really helps achieving this is to do ‘progression sessions’ regularly where I focus solely on skill and challenging myself technically. Landed a jump a few times? Time to manual land it. Try to do every transfer jump that seems even remotely possible. Hit that snappy corner harder than last time. All without scrolling on my phone, talking to people, eating etc etc. Basically an intense workout but for the bike skills. Turns out to be a lot of fun as well. Highly recommended.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Good times!

[@paulthompson6357]

As I am approaching 50 the biggest thing that elevated my riding was the ability to relax on the bike. A stiff and nervous rider will only cause harm. Thanks for sharing.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

You're welcome!

[@hommuside]

Awesome content yet again. The other thing about being fit and having your skeleton wrapped in lean muscle is that you can have the odd spill and still facilitate the mortgage payments. 👍

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Hoping said mortgage payment was created approx 2018 when rates were low. Lo rates = bigger sends

[@_drawkward_]

I started MTB at 45 (now 47), and point number 3 is one that I have had to work on. I wanted so badly to learn at first that I neglected recovery and stunted my progress. Progression is addictive, and the more saddle time you have the easier it is to progress if you are a true beginner. Initially, it is about building fitness and just being able to ride a bike...at all. My fitness progressed much more quickly than my skill, leading to a nasty crash and injury that set me back, which got me into my head. Coming back, I tried to get back into shape too quickly and hit a plateau; I had to change up what I was doing to move forward. Now, I am trying to work on a more balanced approach and I feel like I am reaching a few cruxes in my riding (drops and step-downs are now leading to jumps and rhythm sections). When I hit a new feature or type of feature, I have found that giving my brain some time to process it with a rest day seems to help lock things in. For me at least, recovery time is not just about giving your body time to build muscle - it helps my brain with learning the skill. Love your videos.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Yes- I cover this in my flagship program - we call it the progression process. Muscle activation and base fitness first, then neurological programming, then functional training, THEN skill development. Good comment! And stick with it. Even if you’re really really really good you still crash lol.

[@mariuskaupas]

Your body knows everything it needs to know. Your consciousness is just here to watch.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Ohm

[@Bjjmtb]

Great ideas!

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Glad you like them!

[@tiroltrailhead]

...Hey, I love your new and different angles on these old topics. Fitness and functional mobility as key factors make so much sense. However, this is bad news for MTB coaches: so many clients obviously dont bring the fitness and functional mobility needed to shred😢.. Send clients home to train and come back when they are fit enough to get into bike skills? (..an idea for future episodes: summarize key points in short, disgestable, take away messages?)

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Definitely not bad news for Mtb coaches

[@glockperfection19]

Your right. I hate it. 😂 Absolutely truth though.

[@Stahlbucks420haha]

I have literally lost 100lbs. since Feb. it is june.. My main focus is getting back in the saddle and being Best Friends with the bike,, I couldn't agree more about the fitness portion. As a recently LARGE DOOT, I was comfortable on the bike... but, not "locked In".. Now I'm @216Lbs.and still losing weight, and I feel "dancey" on my bike(we cutting ruggs in this MF lol). I have you and other amazing Influencer's to thank. I definitely agree you can train-long, and train-wrong

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Whoa- how’d you do it??? That’s crazy good

[@Stahlbucks420haha]

@@mountainbikeacademy Doot, kinda broke my jaw,,, and let me tell you... that wasn't exactly the catalyst. In Feb i was about 309lbs. When the disc that facilitates the opening and closing in the mouth got stuck, and i was left with about a 1 inch space to shove soft foods in my maw.. it only took about a week and i was up to 316(eating pudding and BS). I felt like I was teetering, that this could be my downfall, or I could not go so quietly into that goodnight. So, I chose to fight the downfall, I got on KETO and a Lions-Diet variation. I also brushed all the AZ dirt off the Giant Talon hardtail. and went back at it hard!!! With your help(I can't possibly thank you enough for sharing your knowledge and expertise) I am really starting to feel balance and like i can have a steezey that i can sustain and progress with.. also picked up a Giant Stance 29'r #1 and love it! thanks for the response, and sorry for my lengthy one, keep up the great work!!

[@mountainbikeacademy]

I’m stoked reading this sounds like FUN Never apologize for sharing something real like this to me again 😉 literally this is why I do this And the trolls too gotta love the trolls - but for real that’s what the vids are for GREAT JOB PROUD OF YOU

[@andrejgorkic2193]

Getting better at mtb is the same as any other sport. Practice a lot in the parking lot and than tranfer the knowledge to the trail. Feel the skill you are mastering dont just copy the moves. You have to start small and session on the trail. Session! No going around it. Repetitions will sadly have to be in the 1000s to get it fixed in the cerebellum.. I am slowly getting better but without coaching (online mtb scool) it wouldnt happen in my lifetime.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Keep at it!

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

When I was 8 racing BMX my dad always told me that everyone else around was shit as long as I'm doing what I did in training. Well that was a traumatic period of my life 😂 btw you could have got to the point faster indeed, being fit is the foundation, the main course meal, biking and motocross is the cake 🎉 can't disagree about that 😂

[@mountainbikeacademy]

I'm testing different approaches. I scripted this one out before hand and I'm testing it against ones I don't script at all. Likely I'll integrate some of the up-front stuff and weave it in in the future.

[@jokermtb]

I’m at a crossroads….rotator cuff surgery or live with it and not be able to ride like I used to…

[@mountainbikeacademy]

well talk to your doctor not the internet lol.

[@powskier]

The fitness that matters is explosive strength which is the first to decline when you get older. The reason you can't clear that gap is because you are a sorry jumper off the bike.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Technical term “jumper off the bike” for the win. Love it.

[@dkumagai30]

Perhaps I have a unique perspective on this given I’m an older rider with a powerlifting background, but strength is not what I lack. What keeps me from doing greater than 20’ gaps is not my skill, it’s my lack of confidence and the risk of catastrophic injury.

[@Yoda-em5mt]

@@dkumagai30 i aggree i was a pro mtb er a martial arts guy body builder am fitt and strong not as fast and flexible as when i was 18 now 53 but i like riding and hate crashing i will send a nice 20 foot gap but have no probs just saying nah not today i call it smart riding not being stupid i know old guys older than me that are just fkn stupid send shit way beyond there skill level and fk themselves up alot . Ride smart and have fun . 👍✌

[@mountainbikeacademy]

What was your main takeaway from the video? Comment below!

[@trailsandbeyond]

My main takeaway is its just too much words on the video and the main advise starts at 5:02

[@davefellows]

@@trailsandbeyond I was thinking exactly the same. Actual content also seems a bit weak. #2 and #3 are super obvious. #1 I thought was pretty meh. I've improved my riding immensely over the last 2-3 years just from doing it and intentionally practicing different aspects/techniques when I ride.

[@rinky_dinky]

point 2 and 3 are crystal clear. get fit get coordinated work on balance get well rested point 1 though.....i dont understand

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Some riders it doesn’t affect as much. All good!

[@rinky_dinky]

@@mountainbikeacademy I wasn't clear, I meant I don't get what you're trying to say in point 1 👍

[@mountainbikeacademy]

@@rinky_dinky oh got it - basically it’s someone who gets what technique to do in their mind but can’t make it happen on the trail when it counts.

[@Bjjmtb]

I think he means you have to establish muscle memory for the movements involved in sending it. If you’re in your head, thinking about what to do, it’s too late. You have to train yourself to do the right thing automatically.

[@z-pac5238]

@@rinky_dinkyI think he’s saying that just going through the motions isn’t enough. That you need to activate the correct muscles with supplemental exercise. Then it all comes together on the trail “without thinking” or “being in your head”. In effect building muscle memory… I think. Agree it could be better explained

[@exorder2005]

Fitness always helps, but it's just a tool, it will give you more reps when you're practicing something and help you avoid injury, yet I know pretty overweight riders who rip because in the end it's more about technique than about anything else as with everything. Fitness, if you have it while learning, will obviously help, but sorry, some muscle memory you only train on the bike. There's also the fact that our brains get worse at learning new things the older we get, so don't go expecting to learn a trick or a new technique in the time it would take a kid to do it, especially if you've never done a similar sport with similar body movements. Take calculated risks, make practice as safe as you can, and enjoy the journey. With a bit of rationality you can correct bad habits by recognizing them by riding with someone else and having them critique your technique, or having someone film you, or even watching youtube videos and taking note of the techniques used. It's doable. You just need common sense.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

I’m 37 and I learn faster than I ever did in school. I was on medication to focus back then. I super strongly disagree we learn slower. That’s not the whole picture. And even if we learn slightly slower, why the hell would I let that stop me from learning a trick I deeply care about? I agree some muscle memory you only get on the bike. As someone who has been paid well over 6 figures to properly “diagnose” what a rider needs to progress and worked with hundreds of riders, eight percent of riders had little to no fitness constraint for the skill they were attempting. 92 percent of my riders could not perform a skill due to raw strength, mobility, flexibility, or functional movement reasons. Some of them were pretty good but compensated. Looots of riders are in this space! That’s why I make these videos. Also- you may be super fit/young which would make your position make a lot of sense! I agree that not everyone needs a crazy focus on fitness. Like high schoolers. They can get away with just riding lol. Your last paragraph is spot on and I agree completely! Thanks very much for sharing your thoughts. 😎

[@exorder2005]

​@@mountainbikeacademy​thanks for your thoughts, it's nice to have a good conversation like this, I don't disagree with what you say, I'm watching the channel a lot, guess my comment was somewhat skewed through my own perspective. I snowboard and decently fit from doing that a lot during the winter and spring, for me snowboard tricks definitely came easier than bike tricks do, or even techniques. But I learned snowboarding when I was younger. I got into MTBing 2 years ago, i;m 35 now, and I've been practicing the 4 big things I find are the basic things you need, manuals, bhops, wheelies and cuttys. They certainly came or are still coming to me harder than the snowboarding skills did. I guess it can be a combination of things, I still think age can impede you, be it being less fit cause of it, or just having that mental block of your adult brain telling you "DANGER" with any new trick/technique you try, but it can also be bad habits, hence why I check your videos so often. So thank you for the content you make!

[@mountainbikeacademy]

www.loom.com/share/5212486793e14c589b0d7821b5ed1ef1

[@exorder2005]

@@mountainbikeacademy 🙏really appreciate you took the time to answer this in such detail man. I'd say keep up the videos, your insights on bike skills are very good and you can't even imagine how many ppl search for alternative approaches to learning some of these skills. Your manual tutorial helped me especially.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

@@exorder2005 Yess yeah I've had a knack with cornering and manuals...for some weird reason. Just very intuitive to me. Just so happens to be the 2 most in-demand "clickable" things. More than happy to share! There's tons of riders out there that are looking to smash it. Appreciate ya right back for the solid convo!

[@Yoda-em5mt]

The sad truth is anyone thats good at something like really good never had lessons or went to a skills coach they just are good naturally its called talent you cant teach a gumpy talent sure you can take there money and talk alot i get i,m an ex mtb skills coach sorry the thruth hurts .

[@mountainbikeacademy]

Your parents didn’t let you watch mighty ducks growing up did they? ;) I respectfully disagree. Riding at a high level is a function of inputs and outputs. Give the system (human) the right inputs, turn them into habits, and you have a decent rider.

[@Yoda-em5mt]

@@mountainbikeacademy i didnt watch tv as a kid and i dont even know who these ducks are ha ha . I understand your response and would have said similar when i was still relying on coaching for an income and i do aggree with how you say decent rider as there is a huge gap between decent and good sure you can get most people to improve but alot just dont have what it takes .

[@mountainbikeacademy]

@@Yoda-em5mt lol we would all prob turn out better if we didn’t watch tv growing up What’s cool about it is I don’t reply on coaching for income. I do this because I love it and I am very good at creating the products that go along with my interest. So all good.

[@Yoda-em5mt]

@@mountainbikeacademy thats cool i totally aggree on the point of being fitter and stronger in order to ride better everyone can benefit from that its impossible to ride well when your to tired to hold yourself up. I still dont watch tv just this utube stuff cause its all pure ha ha .