For this week’s Fox Racing Canada MXP Chatter, we sit down for a chat with Rob Mouland. Now, at first glance, you may wonder who is Rob Mouland? Well, Rob is one of the key behind-the-scenes figures in our sport as he is the strength and conditioning coach to multi-time Triple Crown Series Champion Dylan Wright. For over a decade, Rob has helped guide Dylan through the rigors of this incredibly challenging sport. Whether it was the year where Dylan went undefeated and took home the 450 Championship, or last season when Dylan had to battle back from the serious injuries he suffered in Lethbridge, Rob has been right there making sure Dylan is as fit and strong as he possibly can be. Rob also trains MX101 Yamaha rider Sebastien Racine, and currently, he’s the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Ottawa Senators NHL Team. Finally, Rob grew up just down the road from the Sand Del Lee track, and he used to ride himself. So, he knows this sport and what the fitness needs of its athletes are.
MXP: Hey Rob, we know you’re a busy guy so thank you for taking the time to chat. How is life in Ottawa these days?
RM: No problem, thank you for reaching out. Life is busy at the moment with the season, and a young family at home, but that’s how I like it, lots on the go at all times.
In your line of work it’s probably better to be busy as opposed to not being busy. Before we get into our conversation about training, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Yes, absolutely. I am from the Ottawa area and I grew up 20 minutes West of the Sand Del Lee track. As a kid, I played your typical stick and ball sports and grew up riding dirt bikes on our hobby farm. In high school, I raced the junior class locally. Although I don’t ride anymore, I am still very passionate about motocross and follow both the Canadian and AMA series.
It’s interesting that you got involved in motocross at a young age. How did you end up getting into training athletes?
As a teenager I became very focused on learning and studying about strength training, nutrition and the human body, from a sports performance perspective. During my time racing in high school, I was more focused on the off the bike training aspect than focusing on seat time (laughs). After high school, I took Recreation and Leisure at Algonquin College and in my second year in the program I was lucky enough to do an internship as part of my schooling in Murrieta, California. During that time I was fortunate to work alongside a trainer who trained some of the top AMA and FMX riders. That experience ignited my drive and dream of working with motocross athletes and professional athletes back here in Canada. After college, I moved on to a degree in Kinesiology at the University of Ottawa. Post university, I was lucky enough to get an internship with the Ottawa Senators which lead into a full time position and this is my 14th season with the hockey club.
That is a great story and wow, 14 years with the Senators. What is it like training the modern day NHL athlete?
Very rewarding for sure! Where the game of hockey is at today with the speed and skill required is amazing. I have watched a lot of live hockey, but am still amazed at what these guys can do and the speeds they do it at. I think working with any athlete or individual who is the best in the world at what they do, is really inspiring. To see what they have done to get here, and also what they’re doing daily to stay at that level. Today’s NHL player or any professional athlete, are a lot more focused on their health and very curious about the “WHY” on what we are asking of them daily. This is one of the biggest things I have seen throughout my years and I think that is really cool.
My Father used to teach simulator training for one of the airlines in Canada, and part of this teaching new pilots was based on the ‘Why before the What’, so it’s interesting to hear that philosophy translated into sport. In a team sport like hockey, is it challenging to figure out what works for each individual and what doesn’t?
Yes and no. We spend a lot of time fine tuning and objectively measuring what each of our players require to perform at their best when the puck drops. For our younger players, it is crucial to establish really detailed daily routines that are executed at a high level. It can be a steep learning curve for a young player that is not accustom to the vigorous schedule and intensity required daily to play in the NHL. Having really good routines helps with that adjustment. For our older players, who are more established, it is about focusing on routines that have brought them success in the past and have allowed them to stay robust for a 82 game schedule plus playoffs. Work ethic is one of our core values as an organization, and we have a really good culture of work ethic in our weight room.
Having that veteran presence around though must really help the young players as they learn how to be a good pro. Moving onto motocross and in particular Dylan Wright. How did you and Dylan connect?
I got to know the Wright family from racing at SDL. After spending some time with them at the track, I immediately felt like I was part of the family, as I think most moto people in our area would say the same thing about them. I was just starting University, and I think Dylan was 8 years old when we started working together.
Dylan Wright thinking about training at 8 years old isn’t surprising (laughs). What were your first impressions of Dylan?
My first thoughts were this kid is so determined, but his Dad….he is wild! I have lots of Billy Wright stories I would love to share, but we can save those for another time (laughs). Watching Dylan as a kid, before I really got to know him, I was drawn to his tenacity, and the never give up attitude he displayed at a young age. Whether it was after a big crash and how and he responded, or how he would compete while racing older guys on bigger bikes. He carried this quiet confidence and a really strong belief in himself.
Over the years those attributes have served Dylan very well, and it’s interesting that you noticed them at such a young age. Early on when you were making up a program for Dylan, was there one or two things you were focusing on, or was it just a wide angle approach?
Early on in his training, because he was so young, I focused on a lot of gymnastic type movements for body awareness. Balance, body weight resistance, and plyometric training made up most of his work outs. I typically don’t think kids at that age need to be on a structured program, but as I came to find out pretty early, Dylan wasn’t a typical kid.
No, he has certainly proved that he is far from normal. During the past six seasons, Dylan has had a lot of success, but he’s also been through some injuries. We want to talk about his double knee reconstruction surgeries from two years ago. Were you shocked when he told you that he was going to get both knees done at the same time?
I wasn’t shocked, as that was the plan to save recovery time in his rehab. Typically, that surgery takes 8-12 months to fully recover. Surgeons typically want the patient to be able to weight bear on the first leg that was repaired, before they repair the second. We explained to the surgeon he doesn’t have time to stagger the surgeries in order to be ready for the opening round of the Triple Crown Series, and that kind of talked the surgeon into doing both knees at once. Dylan’s athletic therapist and I work closely with the surgeon and shared with him a little bit of Dylan’s personality and how determined he is, and he agreed to repair both knees at the same time.
As you said, a typical recovery from that type of surgery can take up to a year. What was the timeline post-surgery for you to come into the picture and get him doing some light training or movements?
We typically want the patient post-surgery to get movement going as soon as possible, but follow the surgeons protocol. I was in contact with Dylan daily post-surgery, and after the first week, when his swelling went down and he was in less pain, it was then my job to send him daily reminders to pump the breaks on what he “wanted” to do and what he was allowed to do. Dylan and too much time on his hands, is not a good combo. I called him one day early on in his rehab, and he told me he just got back from going 5km in his wheelchair because he was going stir crazy sitting idle. Needless to say, that wasn’t what I prescribed. One other item that helped a lot was that Dylan put in the work to get as strong a possible pre surgery. That definitely made a big difference in his recovery and return to the bike. This is also a great lesson for everyone out there who is getting ready to have surgery. If able, try and get in as good of shape as you can in the weeks and months leading up to your procedure.
Moving on from his knee surgery to last summer. What were your initial thoughts on Dylan’s injuries at the second round of the Triple Crown Series in Lethbridge?
I was pretty shaken up to be honest. I know how tough he is, and watching him lay on the ground for that long , I knew his injuries were something very serious.
Were you surprised that he was able to return so soon last summer and win the final round at Walton Raceway?
To be honest, I wasn’t completely in favour of him returning that soon after the injuries he sustained and where he was at physically strength wise. I feared that he was going to put himself at risk of injuring himself further. Derek [Schuster], Dylan and I were in contact frequently and we ultimately decided to agree to let him race. I was obviously happy he won the final round at Walton, but that win doesn’t help my case when reasoning with him in the future. He is one of the more stubborn athletes I have ever worked with (laughs).
We know every athlete is different both physically and mentally. However, do you see common traits in the top athletes you work with. Like, we’re talking about the Dylan Wright’s and Brady Tkachuk’s of the sporting world.
Absolutely, I have a had a privilege to work with some of the best athletes in the world, they possess a lot of the same characteristic traits. Competitiveness is number one. Brady hates to lose. It doesn’t matter if it’s a card game on the plane or a hand eye warm up game before practice, he is always competing with teammates and it gets heated. Brady treats every competition or regular season hockey game as if its Game 7 of Stanley Cup playoffs. Dylan also shows that characteristic. Dylan hates losing more than he likes winning.
Another trait that is very prevalent, is the ability to repeat the mundane tasks daily. Doing the small details over and over and over again. Also, having a growth mindset and not focusing on skills or qualities that you are good at, but really focusing and being obsessive about becoming more proficient at aspects of your game or riding that you may currently lack.
Lastly, work ethic. Having the mental capacity to do what others aren’t willing to do is what makes good athletes great, and ultimately champions. In all my years, with working with Dylan I have never had to push him to challenge him for more output. As a kid, early on in his pro career, and even now to a certain aspect, I write programs with a certain number of reps, sets, volumes, and intensity. When we would debrief about his week, I often get a response of “I added this, and that wasn’t hard enough, so I went for another run.” I have become a pretty good negotiator with Dylan, trying to get in his head to ensure he isn’t over training. He is one of the hardest working and most mentally tough athletes I have ever worked with.
That would certainly explain Dylan’s success in recent years in Canada, as well as on the World stage. Perhaps you get this question a lot, but if a normal everyday person came to you and said, I want to get in shape, what can I do? What would you tell them?
I get this question a lot. My answer is always the same. Focus on small changes and incremental gains, rather than trying to attack the mountain all at once. If you identify four aspects that you need to improve for your health and fitness, start with one aspect and build from there. In my experience this approach will lead to desired results rather than attempt to make a massive change that may not be sustainable long term. I also am a big believer in setting goals with action plans. Set a goal and accompany that goal with action items that you can hold yourself accountable to.
That makes good sense. Obviously, you’re a busy guy with a lot on his plate. However, based on your experience now in motocross with training Dylan Wright and Sebastien Racine, would you have time to take on new clients?
I am busy, especially during the NHL season. However, if the opportunity came up later on in the spring to take on another motocross athlete then I would certainly look at it. As I mentioned above though, the athlete would have to be a good fit with how I do things.
If a motocross rider came to you and said I want to be as fit as Dylan, how do you figure out who is serious and who isn’t?
I would explain to them what a typical day looks like for Dylan in the off-season and in-season and challenge them with questions on whether they are willing to put in that type of work and grind the same way he does. Now, obviously expectations from me are tempered back for amateur athletes that aren’t doing this for their job. I think it is also important for young riders have to understand that pro riders have spent years working on their craft. Success doesn’t happen overnight. Focus on doing the basics, and then build from there. I also account for the importance of having fun and being a kid. Today’s elite amateur athlete in any sport is over stimulated and over structured in my opinion.
Going back to hockey for a moment. Like every sport, this one has changed so much in the past 10-15 years as far as the amount and type of training they all do now. We’ve heard old stories from the early 1990s about players showing up at training camp with their golf clubs in the backseat and using camp to get back into shape. These days, players spend all summer training for their season. We’re going to put you on the spot now. Who is the fittest Sens player, and do you think they will make the playoffs this year?
Yes, today’s NHL player’s off-season preparation and requirements look completely different than then did back in the 90’s. It has changed so much that in some cases, we force guys to take time off after the season from their training, to ensure they are fresh when they resume working out and skating.
That’s a tough question. All of our players have to be explosive, strong, well-conditioned and athletic, but we do have certain players who are exceptional in all or multiple buckets of those performance metrics. It’s too hard to pick one individual player. Finally, we have been playing some great hockey this season and hoping things continue to go our way come April.
Rob, it’s been pleasure talking to you. Thank you for enlightening us with your knowledge, as well as your experience training Dylan Wright, one of the best riders this country has ever seen. If someone wanted to reach out to you to inquire about some training opportunities down the road, how can they contact you?
No problem Chris, it’s been great chatting with you. Here is my contact info and hopefully we’ll see you in the Ottawa area this summer. Email: robmouland1@gmail.com Instagram: @mouland_r
