Rachel shows off a perfect plank
© Rutget Paw
Bike

Rachel Atherton's pre-season training secrets

Find out what it takes to be the world's best as Rachel reveals how she is preparing for the upcoming 2017 World Cup season.
Written by Rachel Verity
6 min readPublished on
Rachel Atherton’s 2016 season couldn’t have gone any better. Not only did she dominate the World Cup series, but she took her fourth World Championship title and racked up her 15th consecutive win – a feat never before achieved in downhill mountain biking.
But where do you go from the perfect season? We caught up with the queen of downhill to find out what her aims are for the upcoming season and how her new coach is shaking things up for 2017.
You're working with a new coach this year, Nick Grantham. How will you be working with him and what are you looking for him to bring to your training?
Nick Grantham is a hugely well-respected strength and conditioning coach. He works with more mainstream sports, from football and basketball, to fighting and gymnastics. One of the things that really appealed to me about Nick, apart from his cockney charm and obvious knowledge, was the fact that he has worked with a lot of female athletes and at Olympic level no less.
A fresh approach and new set of eyes is something that I feel is really going to benefit me and help take me to the next level physically
Rachel shows off a perfect plank

Rachel shows off a perfect plank

© Rutget Paw

Nick is bringing a fresh set of eyes to our training – we have been training for mountain biking for over 10 years now and a fresh approach and a new set of eyes is something that I feel is really going to benefit me and help take me to the next level physically.
To Nick, I am just an athlete to improve, he sees me for what I am and not what my results say I am
It’s so important to connect on a mental level with your coach and Nick is someone I feel totally comfortable with. From the offset we’ve had a really good relationship – lots of banter and brutal honesty. To Nick, I am just an athlete to improve, he sees me for what I am and not what my results say I am.
What aspect of your training will you be focussing on for 2017?
After 2016 – the perfect season – and the 2015 season – winning every race but one –  I was pretty much exhausted, both physically and mentally. Winning takes everything you have, not just those five minutes at 100% race speed, but the hours before and afterwards. The majority of this winter has been spent recovering, sorting out injuries accumulated over the last two years, addressing health issues and generally resetting and re-evaluating my goals in the sport.
After five World Championship titles and five World Cup overall titles, it is important to keep a fresh goal in mind for the new season. Luckily the human body – especially mine – can always be improved upon, so I have some big things to work on this winter. The big one will be improving strength in my upper body as this is my weakest area, especially after seven shoulder surgeries.
There will be a big focus on the ability to retain that perfect posture to the finish line!
How will your training this year be different to previous seasons?
I don’t want to give away all our secrets, but there are more ways than one to skin a cat! It will just be different – changing things up to keep it interesting is good, and Nick has already brought in some mad ideas that have got us all sweating!
He is one step ahead with his approach to the human body. We will be focussing a lot more on keeping things going – so a lot more recovery based stuff for me. MTB training is always a mixture of strength based gym work, aerobic sessions on the bike, skills related stuff, recovery and then those sessions that are just pure fun!
I know if I put the work, the hours and the dedication in I can be the best
Winning takes everything you have

Winning takes everything you have

© Sven Martin

Do you ever find it difficult to stay motivated with your training in the off-season? What helps to keep you motivated?
What drives me now is different to two years ago – I feel like I don’t have anything left to prove to myself. I know if I put the work, hours and dedication in I can be the best. But something has given slightly and I am more relaxed now with everything.
Sometimes needing to win takes away the sheer enjoyment of smashing a race track
I feel like I want to enjoy everything slightly more, not be so hard on myself – which means that maybe I am not pushing myself as hard to win. Of course, that isn’t true of the rest of the field who are getting closer and faster every season, so the results might not match 2016, but that is OK. I am OK with that as long as I am having fun on the track.
Sometimes needing to win takes away the sheer enjoyment of smashing a race track – the nerves block out the appreciation and the enjoyment of the fans at races. I can cope with not winning everything as long as I am appreciating everything else!
Increased strength has been a huge gain for Rachel

Increased strength has been a huge gain for Rachel

© Mattias Fredriksson

For anyone looking to improve their mountain biking performance, what key areas would you recommend they focus their training on?
I think a lot of mountain bikers don’t do much strength work – especially if they are not professional, but this is something that helps EVERYONE and makes it more fun to ride. A few simple exercises to improve core strength, upper and lower body strength and body stability will make riding your bike at weekends a lot more fun.
Try the plank, side planks, V sits, good old push ups, pull ups (assisted with bands or inner tubes if need be), stability holds with a rubber band and a good leg complex. Squats, lunges, jump squats, etc, all help you stay centred on your bike, soak up those rocks and roots better and let you plow over things with more speed!
What does a typical week in the off-season look like for you?
Every week is different in some way, but it will normally look something like this:
Monday: Gym, physio
Tuesday: Bike, conditioning
Wednesday: Gym, swim
Thursday: Bike, conditioning
Friday: Gym, massage
Saturday: Bike
Sunday: OFF
Bike sessions are split between long road rides, intervals, and actual mountain bike riding – cross country, downhill or MX bike.
Gym sessions are split between bigger weights, conditioning stuff, recovery sessions and personal care sessions.
Then you’ve got to add in lots of food, sleep, rest and recovery between sessions, which could be a dog walk, beach time, movies, dog cuddles, family time or pub food – it’s a pretty good way to live life!

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Rachel Atherton

With a record number of overall World Cup wins and the only perfect season in MTB history to her name, Rachel Atherton is the queen of downhill racing.

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