How It Works
Mountain biking is one of the most physically demanding sports on the planet. But most riders never train for it. They ride when they can, hope fitness follows and wonder why they blow up on the climbs or fade on the final stage of the day. This page exists to change that.
The Ultimate MTB Program is a complete training system built specifically for mountain bike athletes of every level. Four downloadable PDFs covering 32 weeks of structured training, three sessions per week, designed to fit around real life. Two of those sessions can be done on any cardio equipment, a bike, a rower, a treadmill, anything you have access to. The third is a strength and conditioning session that does require access to a gym. Every session tells you exactly what to do, how hard to work and why it is making you a better rider. No coaching experience needed. No complicated technology. Just download, open and follow the plan.
I built this programme because I spent years working with mountain bike athletes at every level and kept seeing the same problem. Riders who were willing to put in the work but had no structure to put it into. This is the structure. It is based on the same applied sports science principles used with elite athletes, simplified into something any rider can pick up and use from day one.
x3 Sessions Per Week | One Payment No Subscription | PDF Download | 32 Weeks Of Training
Phases Of Training
Most training programmes give you a workout. The Full System gives you exactly that, a complete system. Thirty two weeks of progressive, science led training built specifically for mountain bike athletes, structured across four distinct phases that take you from aerobic foundation all the way through to peak physical condition. Every session has a purpose. Every week builds on the last. Nothing is included by accident.
This is the complete package for any rider who is serious about improving their performance on the bike. Whether you are new to structured training or simply looking for a smarter way to ride, The Full System meets you where you are and builds you into the athlete you want to be. Three sessions per week, clear coaching notes throughout, and intensity prescriptions based on your own physiology. No complicated equipment. No expensive gym membership required for the conditioning sessions. Just download, open and start training.
Four complete eight-week training programmes covering Base, Build, Conditioning and Peak phases
32 weeks of progressive structured training across three sessions per week
Two conditioning sessions per week are executable on any cardio equipment
One strength and conditioning session per week from a sport-specific exercise library
Full coaching notes, weekly targets and session guidance throughout every phase
Heart rate and RPE-based intensity prescription derived from a single simple calculation
Instant download, yours to keep forever, access on any device at any time
Built on applied sports science by Jamie, MSc Sports and Performance Coaching, University of Stirling
£67. One purchase. Thirty-two weeks of training that actually go somewhere.
The Full System
Most training programmes give you a workout. The Full System gives you a system. Thirty-two weeks of progressive, science-led training built specifically for mountain bike athletes, structured across four distinct phases that take you from aerobic foundation all the way through to peak physical condition. Every session has a purpose. Every week builds on the last. Nothing is included by accident.
This is the complete package for any rider who is serious about improving their performance on the bike. Whether you are new to structured training or returning after time away, the full system meets you where you are and builds you into the athlete you want to be. Three sessions per week, clear coaching notes throughout, and intensity prescriptions based on your own physiology. A gym membership is required for the strength sessions. No complicated equipment. Just structured, progressive training that works.
Four complete eight-week training programmes covering Base, Build, Conditioning and Peak phases
32 weeks of progressive structured training across three sessions per week
Two conditioning sessions per week are executable on any cardio equipment
One strength and conditioning session per week drawn from a sport-specific exercise library
Full coaching notes, weekly targets and session guidance throughout every phase
Max HR and RPE-based intensity prescription derived from a single, simple calculation
Instant download, yours for life, access on any device at any time
Built on applied sports science by Jamie, MSc Sports and Performance Coaching, University of Stirling
£67. One purchase. Thirty-two weeks of training that actually go somewhere.
MTB PROGRAMS
The Base Phase is where every great mountain bike season begins. Eight weeks of structured aerobic development built around your own physiology, designed to build the engine that powers everything else. This is not easy training. It is purposeful training, and there is a significant difference.
Research consistently shows that elite mountain bike athletes average VO2max values above 68 ml per kg per minute. That level of aerobic capacity does not happen by accident. It is built systematically, over time, at the right intensities. The Base Phase gives you the exact framework to start building yours.
50 minute FatMax conditioning session targeting peak fat oxidation
Progressive threshold intervals building from 1 minute efforts to sustained 20 minute blocks
Full strength and conditioning programme using bodyweight and light load
Two planned deload weeks for adaptation and recovery
Max HR and RPE based intensity prescription, no lab testing required
Full coaching notes and session guidance throughout
The Build Phase takes the aerobic foundation you established in the Base Phase and raises the ceiling. Workout B shifts to VO2max intervals, the most effective training stimulus for developing maximal aerobic power. You will work harder in shorter bursts, recover fully and go again. Week by week the intervals get longer and the adaptation deepens.
The strength sessions move into the barbell programme for the first time. You have spent eight weeks building movement quality. Now you load those patterns progressively under the bar, developing the structural strength that protects you on the bike and keeps you riding injury free throughout the season.
VO2max intervals progressing from 3 minute to 4 minute efforts at 90 to 95 percent of Max HR
FatMax conditioning session maintained throughout for aerobic base preservation
Full barbell strength and conditioning programme across two progressive cycles
Two planned deload weeks built into the structure
Detailed coaching notes for every session including pacing guidance
Designed to follow directly from the Base Phase or as a standalone programme
The Conditioning Phase is where fitness becomes riding fitness. The first four weeks introduce lactic clearance intervals, short explosive 30 second efforts that train your body to buffer and clear lactate rapidly between efforts. This is one of the most undertrained qualities in mountain bike athletes at every level and one of the most performance relevant. The second four weeks shift to sustained high intensity blocks of 5 to 7 minutes, directly simulating the physical demands placed on the body during hard riding.
The strength sessions move into the stability block, a loaded movement quality programme that develops the single leg strength, rotational control and positional stability that protect you on technical terrain and improve your ability to express skill when your body is under fatigue.
Lactic clearance intervals in weeks 1 to 4 at 95 percent plus of Max HR
Sustained high intensity blocks in weeks 5 to 8 building to 7 minute efforts
FatMax conditioning session maintained every week throughout
Stability focused strength and conditioning programme across two progressive cycles
Two planned deload weeks for adaptation and recovery
Built to follow the Build Phase or suitable as a standalone conditioning block
The Peak Phase does not build new fitness. It sharpens everything you have already developed and delivers you to the trails, the race or the biggest ride of your season in the best condition of your training life. The first four weeks return to short sharp VO2max intervals that restore speed and neuromuscular freshness. The second four weeks consolidate that sharpness with longer VO2max efforts before a final preparation block in week eight designed to leave you feeling fast, fresh and ready.
The strength sessions shift to the power and plyometric programme, explosive jump training and high velocity movements that prime the neuromuscular system for peak performance. Research shows that plyometric training produces rapid neural adaptations within days, meaning you arrive at your target event fast, reactive and confident.
VO2max sharpening intervals in weeks 1 to 4 using 1 minute on 1 minute off format
VO2max consolidation intervals in weeks 5 to 8 returning to 3 minute efforts
Power and plyometric strength programme including jump training and explosive push press work
Week 8 designed specifically as a preparation week at reduced volume
FatMax conditioning maintained throughout for aerobic system preservation
The final step in the Ultimate MTB Program before your biggest rides and events