April 15 — 2022 | Santa Cruz, California

Meet Robin // https://www.mindfullyrobin.com

Follow Robin // @mindfullyrobin

Hey Juliana fam! As a Juliana ambassador and strength/yoga/mindfulness coach, what excites me the most is getting more women feeling strong, balanced, and aligned on their bike. What’s more, the best time of the year is here - riding season (!!!) But if you are like me, you probably played on skis all winter, or ran, or took a little break from riding all together. Breaks from any sport are GOOD and welcomed in my world because this gives the body ample time to recover and prepare for all the gains (physical, mental, and I’ll say it, spiritual) to come on the bike. 

SO, saddle up, because I’ve got three strength based workouts that can be done literally anywhere with minimal equipment that take less than 30 minutes each. 

Please keep in mind that if you are new to strength training, I highly recommend trying all movements out with no weight at first. Please take care of your body and be mindful of any previous injuries.

Workout #1: Mobility

This workout is intended to support you in safely and confidently moving around the bike while cornering and tackling tech sections. 

• Equipment: a mat
• Why: When we’re moving through technical terrain, we must be able to move our bodies around our bikes to maintain balance as we keep the bike moving through peanut butter mud, over rocks, or up and over roots/down trees. Cornering also requires us to move the bike in order to keep the grippiest part of our tires in contact with the ground and prevent sliding out - which means our bodies must then counter this movement to prevent us (and the bike) from falling into the turn.

Workout:

Repeat these exercises three times:

• Goblet Squats (6/side)
• Wild Things (6/side)
• Cossack squat w/ knee drop (6/side)
• Lunge Twists (6/side)
• Kneeling hip openers (6)

Workout #2: Stability

This workout is intended to help you confidently stand over the saddle as you push, pull, hold, and rotate your body while riding uphill or downhill.

• Equipment: a mat, a kettlebell, and a resistance band
• Why: Riding fast downhill or uphill through tech sections requires us to pull the front wheel up over roots. I call it “graceful bouncing” as we half pedal, half push through rocks, kind of like literally pushing a shopping cart up or off small boulders. Having confidence through these sections starts with confidence in our foundation and core.

Exercise:

Repeat these exercises three times:

• Band side steps w/ hip flexor activation (20 steps both directions)
• Single leg KB holds (4/side) 
• Knee Stabilizers (24/side)
• Alternating push ups (10 total)

Workout #3: Strength

This workout is intended to give you the power to pedal with speed through variable terrain, hit features safely with confidence, and squat over the saddle during any riding position. 

• Equipment: a mat and 1 kettlebell
• Why: Strengthening those big powerful muscles like the quads, glutes, and hamstrings protects us from injury, and most importantly, allows us to have more fun in any terrain. 

Exercise:

• Repeat these exercises three times:
• Around the world complex (6)
• Deep Goblet squats (8)
• Dead Clean Press (6)
• Side stance hip hinges w/ row (4/side)

So there ya go! I would recommend working up to a cadence of doing these three exercises once a week (or another mobility, stability, and strength series). Mobility, stability, and strength are equally as important for making gains on the bike, and ensuring more hoots and hollers are heard as you descend. 

I hope these three exercises help bring more joy, confidence, and ease into your riding. Please remember to get a quick warm up or cool down in, and listen to your body. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. 

Personal plug… Come summer I’ll be re-launching my coaching biz. If you are at all interested in getting set up with a personal plan created for you, let me know :)

Mindfully,

Robin