PerformX Training: Off-Season Training Fundamentals

As we get closer to the end of the riding and race season, we are receiving
more messages regarding off-season training. If anyone has any questions or would like some guidance, feel free to email us, as we can assist with a suggestion of online programs and timing based on your individual needs. Email us at: info@performxtraining.com

Over the 30+ years of assisting athletes, I’ve typically never been a big supplement user or promoter. In my decision making I consider scientific research, as well as personal and athlete feedback, to make my decisions.  This said, a few years ago I discovered ‘Bubs Naturals’ (https://www.bubsnaturals.com), including meeting with them in California to discuss their ingredients, research, ethics, goals, and more. I was impressed. Since then, we have used their products with successful results. Input from our Elite Training athletes and friends has been positive as well.  

Bubs Naturals offers you (PerformX online training customers) a 20% discount as well. If interested in buying any of their products, use the following code PerformX20 (during checkout). Regarding their product, here’s a list of their products and my suggestions of use: 

• Collagen Peptides: For you (athletes), collagen peptides can benefit joint support (soft tissue) and improved recovery. Collagen is referred to as the ‘glue’ that holds our bodies together. It is an incomplete protein that naturally declines in the body as we age, so supplementing with collagen peptides could be important. Bubs Naturals product is non-GMO, heat-tolerant, unflavored, and of high-quality ingredients. I primarily suggest to those who are 40+ years of age and/or could use additional joint (soft tissue) support. 
• Halo Creamer: MCT Oil Powder: MCT (medium chain triglycerides) are basically quicker digesting fats to improve energy levels, mental clarity, gut health, and curb cravings. Bubs Naturals offers a vegan-friendly 100% virgin coconut oil, non-GMO, and in a powder form so it’s easier to store, travel, and mixes well with coffee or smoothies.   
• Hydrate or Die: Everyone’s aware that hydration (electrolyte) products work, and can be beneficial us during hot days (riding, training, or racing) and/or higher intensity/longer output efforts. But there’s also a ton of products out there, some of which I’ve researched, tested, and received feedback about. Currently there’s a few companies and products I like (products from Hammer Nutrition, Re-Lyte, etc.), but have also found Bubs Naturals ‘Hydrate or Die’ as one of my favorites. Primarily as it has one of the better balances of electrolytes (including higher in sodium) from my experience. It also has an organic coconut water powder base, Himalayan sodium and chloride, magnesium citrate from ocean plankton, and no added sugar. I believe the correct electrolyte balance is different for various people, so I would suggest buying a small supply of any brands out there, and test (but NOT for the first time at a race or event…do this on a training or ride day). 
• Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies: In short, your gut health is very important to providing you with proper digestion, energy, and recovery. Apple cider vinegar is a natural way to increase your intake of probiotics and enzymes. Bubs Naturals offers you apple cider vinegar in a non-GMO, vegan-friendly, and tasty gummy.  
• Coffee: Obviously coffee choices are subjective, but I will vouch for Bubs Naturals as having some of my favorite roasts out there (the Origin Blend Coffee | Medium Roast is my fave). Better yet, I LOVE their Instant ‘Coffee + Halo Creamer’ for it’s mix of coffee and HaloCreame r (MCT), flavour, and travel use.

HYDRATION

Proper hydration (for both training and competition) is not just a matter of drinking more fluids either.  Your performance and recovery rely heavily on your hydration. We will not overload you with all the science behind hydration and electrolytes, but simply explain the basics, and some guidelines to following. 
 

• Water consumption: To properly consume the right amount of water, we recommend the following:
• We recommend an increase (approx. 25%) in carbohydrates the day prior to event.  To do this properly, you must also match with an ADDITIONAL 750 ml – 1 L (26 – 35 fluid oz.) of water during that period.  Hence, why they are called carboHYDRATES.  Consume 500 – 600 ml (17 – 20 fluid oz.) of water 2 – 3 hours prior to exercise, and 200 – 300ml (7 – 10 fluid oz.) of water 10 – 20 minutes prior to exercise.  
• Do not assume more water is better, as this can lead to symptomatic hyponatremia (also known as water intoxication).  This will lower performance, and possibly put the body in a dangerous state.    
• Keep an eye on your water loss.  Measuring body weight/water loss during exercise/activity.  If you decide to weight yourself pre and post training/racing, you can get an idea of how much water loss you are going through.  As an old rule of thumb, also observe your urine loss and colour.  On hot days, you should still be urinating on a regular basis, and your urine should be fairly clear.  There is much more complex ways of measuring the above, like core temperature, but these are some simple points to keep track of.    

• Electrolytes: From proper nutrition, most of your electrolyte levels should be supported.  But with intense training, competition, and high temperatures comes additional perspiration.  This meaning additional electrolyte loss as well.  To meet your needs, try replacing with these top 4 clinically tested electrolyte sports drink mixes:
  • ‘Hydrate or Die’ by Bubs Naturals (see discount above). 
  • ‘Heed’ by Hammer Nutrition.
  • ‘Electrolyte Hydrator’ by Vega Nutrition.
  • ‘Endurolytes Fizz’ by Hammer Nutrition.
  • ‘Pure Encapsulations’ by Pure Encapsulations.
  • There are many more choices available, but above are products we’ve had success with.  Here are some additional points regarding proper electrolyte usage:
    • Choose a brand containing glucose, sucrose, glucose polymers, and fructose (in this descending order if possible as well). 
    • Choose a serving amount that contains 20 – 30 grams of sugar per 500 ml (17 fluid oz.) of water.  Too much sugar can slow down absorption, and upset the stomach.  
    • Consume serving within 30 minutes prior to intense training and competition, another serving during training lasting longer than 30 minutes, and possibly a serving following intense training and competition. 
    • We will not get in to the proper amount of sodium, potassium, and magnesium that is best, as the jury still seems to be out.  We will add though, I have had success with athletes consuming 400 – 600 mg of sodium, and 100 – 200 mg potassium, in their pre-race electrolyte sport drinks.  This is something that most of the recommended electrolyte sports drink mixes will have covered.    

• Coconut Water: From our experience and study, maybe 250 – 500 ml (1 – 2 cups) per day should do.  Coconut water is high in potassium, and is fat & cholesterol free.  According to a 2010 study published in ‘Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise’, plain coconut water hydrated athletes better than both sports drinks and water.  And coconut water with the addition of sodium is that much better.  Try staying away from all the flavor and sugar added choices as well.  Keep it plain.  Tip:  Try making frozen popsicles out of coconut for a post training and riding treat.  So refreshing!    
   

In addition to hydration, here are a few other suggestions to assist with the summer heat and staying hydrated/energized: 
 

• Stay out of the sun:  Especially at events.  As much as the sun often feels good (after a longer winter without it!), but do your best to stay out of the direct sun.  It drains your energy and immune system, as your body fights against burning.  A few suggestions:
  • Stay covered (where your shirt, hat, umbrella, use sunblock, and/or stay in shade).
  • Wear sunglasses (sun can be just as fatiguing on your eyes).   
  • Train in/with the heat:  Not at events, but when away from events.  This could include the gym and on-bike (cardio and/or technical riding).

MENTAL TOUGHNESS
During these unique times, we are already being ‘tested’ with our state-of-mind, and mental toughness could be the difference of how we come out the other end.

Most of my inspiration and practice comes from my 25+ years of experience.  After all these years, there’s one thing that always stands out, and that is the importance of MENTAL TOUGHNESS.  Without it, all the training, nutrition, mental development, race preparation, coaching, etc., could be wasted.  Think about it, you’ve witnessed fit and well-coached athletes fall apart during training and competition.  You’ve also witnessed not so fit and under coached athletes, who can often rise to the occasion when it counts.  Much of this is due to mental toughness, or lack of.

So what is mental toughness?  It is having the natural and/or developed psychological edge that enables you to cope with the many demands that competition, training, practice, and day-to-day life places on an athlete.  It is remaining determined, positive, focused, confident, and in control under pressure.  For most of you, that’s already understood.  So let me go a step further, and explain how you can better develop mental toughness.

Much of developing mental toughness comes down to self-regulation, a psychological term that means regulating your mental state relative to a given situation.  Meaning, no matter how demanding or high pressure the situation, you must maintain or regain a POSITIVE MENTAL STATE.  This will then help you build motivation, confidence, and focus for the task at hand.  A positive mental state is not something one can simply ‘turn on’ either.  As it is often said, we are a product of our environment.  Meaning, we are influenced and affected by our surroundings (family, friends, peers, etc.).  But I also believe we can choose to have a positive (or negative) mental state.  Not always easy, but often a matter of decision.  Want proof in the power of a positive mental state?  Why do most winners continue winning?  Are they just simply better than their competition?  I don’t believe so.  With success (winning) comes a positive mental state, at the highest of levels.  This then leads to further success (continued winning).  This is why our sports create multi-time champions.  The reverse can be said about loosing (or less than desired results) as well.  Not every champion won entirely throughout their career either.  As an example, look at the career of motocross athlete Ricky Carmichael, who had a couple tough years before becoming a multi-time champ.  So it’s not simply winning that can create a positive mental state either.  As all of you have experienced, from training, proper nutrition, mental development, practice, etc. comes a positive mental state as well.  Knowing you are putting in efforts equal to (or greater than) your goals has a positive effect, physically and mentally.  Again, we have a choice, and it’s within our control.               

Ok, let’s get back to developing mental toughness.  From my experience, the following are the four most important elements in building mental toughness:  

• Motivational Climate:  An athlete needs to focus on the process rather than the end result.  There must be a persistent focus on doing the work and mastering the task at hand, rather than the dream of winning.  Results can never be controlled, only your effort and level of skill can.  Going into a race with one goal, to race as hard as possible and to the best of your ability, can alleviate much of the pressure and dread that competition can stir up in your mind.  “Success is knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”    
• Key People:  Coaches, trainers, parents/family, team members, and fellow athletes play a significant role in developing the values, goals, and mental skills that lead to success.  By posing structured questions (example: race debriefs) that help athletes gain a higher degree of clarity and insight into their own reaction patterns and motives, one can sharpen mental toughness.  Asking athletes how they react to high-pressure situations, helping them determine what they can do to change unwanted behaviors, and helping them hone in on what their dreams and goals are will increase their mental preparation and motivation to do the work, endure the pain, and remain levelheaded at all times.  This is a role I often do my best in assisting all of you with.  
• Challenging Experiences:  In sport, and life in general, challenging experiences also seem to aid in the development of mental toughness.  If you have ever overcome any obstacles in your life, you can use them to gain insight into your own reactions to difficult situations, and help you gain perspective on racing.  (Take a moment and read the above a line again, and reflect on what is said.)  You can also take on and create challenges equal to, or greater than, race events themselves.  Sometimes the best to prepare yourself for fist fight….is to go to war.  Those who attended the PerformX MTB Camp this past winter experienced some great challenges!   
• Hunger To Succeed:  In many ways, this is the most important element in developing mental toughness.  Athletes from Third World countries or poor neighborhoods perhaps see sport as their only way out of poverty, and thus are deeply committed to success, no matter the costs.  This is an environment that has proven (in research study) successful both in sport, and life.  Other athletes are driven to gain their very ambitious parents’ recognition.  Some are driven to satisfy ego, fame, and fortune.  And others, a fascination with where their body and mind can take them.  One’s hunger to succeed revolves around very deep mental structures that are often forged at childhood, and it is thus hard to develop.  While difficult, it is not impossible.  By developing a passion for training, proper nutrition, mental development, and practice….the hunger will grow. 

MEDITATION

Meditation can improve your performance.  With months of physical (and technical) development invested, now is a great time to develop our mind and body connection.  To best develop this connection, I have put together meditation strategy for all of you. I am not going overexplain why meditation is powerful, but simply say it has proven itself as one of the best ways to develop our focus. Without strong focus, we are simply limiting our riding performance and potential. 

Some of you have already started meditation practice provided in Newsletter #2, if not, no biggie and start now.  Cathy (who is trained and certified in meditation) wanted me to remind you that the mediation below is very basic, yet VERY powerful at developing your mind and body connection….which often leads to better concentration and focus.  

Instruction as follows: 

• Frequency: Every day. 
• When: 2 X daily: mornings (upon waking) & evenings (prior to bed). 
• Duration:
• Daily: 5 minutes per practice (set a timer on your phone). 
• Period: 2 weeks.
• Where: Sit on edge of bed, relaxed but aligned body, hands on thigh, and eyes closed. 
• How:
• Breath normally (through nose).
• Simply relax, sit quietly/still, and focus on your breath.
• If your mind starts to wander, simply bring your focus back to your breath.  

That’s it.  As titled… “Made Simple”.  I know it might seem basic to some of you, but again, do not underestimate how powerful (and difficult) this simple exercise is.  

I highly suggest you commit to this daily for 2 weeks as outlined, then contact me once you have.  I would not only love the feedback, but Cathy and I also have some simple drills you can use to maintain this development over the summer. 

RECOVERY 

Recovery is as important as training. We all know training increases your fitness, but without proper recovery, you’ll limit the benefits of your training (and performance).  There are MANY theories and thoughts out there on recovery, so I’m going to keep things simple and provide points that I’ve seen WORK.

• Resting Heart Rate: As I’ve suggested to many of you, here’s my suggestion on paying attention to your resting HR: 
• Take your HR first thing in the morning upon waking, prior to getting out of bed.
• Check HR manually (I suggest carotid artery, next to ‘Adam’s apple’ on neck, with index finger), but electronically (HR monitor, watch, etc). 
• Establish average resting HR over 1 week period.   
• If resting HR increase by 5+ beats per minute (BPM) for 3 days consecutively, you could be over-trained/under-recovered or ill/sick.  Either way, take 1 – 3 days off, until resting HR returns to average.  I would also suggest contacting me. 
• Rest/sleep: As mentioned in previous newsletter, sleep is critical.  At this time of year, with all the additional riding, training, and potential travel, I would suggest the following: 
• 9 hours of sleep nightly, including going to sleep by 10pm LATEST (9:30pm better).    
• Adding a 30 minute afternoon nap, especially during big days of training, riding, and/or racing.  They can often provide more energy than any caffeine drink or snack can do.  Plus add increased concentration and calmness. 
• Hot/cold therapy: The Scandinavian’s are way ahead of us here.  Many of you already know or apply to your routine, especially during events.  Here’s what I suggest:  
• 5 – 15 minutes heat (hot) with hot tub or sauna (steam, dry, or infrared).
• Immediately following heat above, 5 – 10 minutes of cold dip (cold stream, ice bath, or cold shower).
• If possible, repeat above 2 – 3 times, per week.   
• Foam rolling, fitness trackers (Fitbit, Apple watch, etc), massage equipment (gun), various supplements, etc.: For me, the jury is still out.  I cannot confirm any of these tools or products have proven they work to improve recovery.  I remain open minded about all, and if at any time they prove their worth, I’ll suggest.  Until then, I would love to hear feedback from those who’ve experienced positive or negative/neutral results. 

ADDITIONAL tips and suggestions:

• Does being positive actually help? If you’ve never been told about the ‘good wolf vs. bad wolf’ parable….then here goes…  When two wolves meet in the forest….one being good and other bad….who is most likely to win in battle?  The wolf who is best fed and exercised (stronger).  Who/what do you feed most….positive or negative thoughts and words? We suggest taking 15 minutes, and watching this video. Even a few times. One of the best summaries I’ve seen on developing positivity. Link here: https://youtu.be/wmx_35rQIRg. 
• Should you meditate? We say yes. If you are committed to achieving your highest performance levels, and improving wherever possible, then we recommend you give meditation a go. We have witnessed the effectiveness of meditation, and have spoken with many of you its’ rewards. You might be surprised how many top athletes and successful/happy people incorporate meditation in to their lives. Here’s what we recommend:   
• The Mindful Athlete: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=141SqutHuGI.  This isn’t meditation, but we believe it’s a good listen before you start meditating (or not).  
• Basic meditation (to get you started): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzV6J4WCwRM.  It’s 15 minutes, and we recommend you practice every day for one week.  See how it makes you feel?  If you feel there’s been a positive effect, go to the next step (see #3).  If not for you, at least you can now confirm.       

• How should you incorporate riding with training with? We have developed our online training with a ‘quality over quantity’ approach. Meaning, our training should allow the time and energy for 1 – 3 rides per week, in addition to continuing your training as prescribed.
• How should you approach your riding (for on-bike fitness & skill development)? We suggest your riding focus on either 1) on-bike fitness; targeting stamina/endurance development (adding duration as you progress) OR 2) on-bike skill development; targeting riding technique, line choice, and bike set-up. For either, we suggest choosing the time and energy available, as well as areas you feel you need to target most. 
• Should you train if fatigued? Again, our prescribed training should not consume all of your energy, in fact many of our programs may possibly increase your energy and recovery. Do not feel that each and every workout needs to be fatiguing or exhausting, as we suggest varying or lowering intensity levels when needed. Training at lower PIL (Perceived Intensity Level) can also be beneficial, as it can boost your recovery and progress. We do not recommend a ‘all or nothing’ approach to your fitness development. As we always say, listen to your body, push when feeling good to push, and pullback when it feels right to do so. 
• Miss a few training days during holidays or when sick? Don’t worry! We suggest continuing your training from where you last finished. Don’t try and make up the time by doubling up workouts, as this could just lead to overtraining and limiting your development. This is why we provide the additional access to your training (4 week programs = 8 weeks of access / 8 week programs = 16 weeks of access / 12 week programs = 24 months of access), so you have the additional time to complete your programs. 
• What if conditions limit your on-bike training? Try substituting with running, hiking, swimming, etc. for your prescribed cardiovascular training. 
• Are you having trouble finding the time to train? If so, maybe consider setting up a home gym. If you are and could use some guidance in selecting equipment, get in touch with us (info@performxtraining.com). We can also provide 15% discount on Ancore (pulley systems) and preferred support on Concept2 (stationary row, bike, and ski equipment). 
• Should you increase resistance and/or repetitions during the period on your program? As outlined in our instruction, we do not suggest you focus on increasing resistance and/or repetitions during period on your program. Instead, focus on improving your form, technique, ROM (range of motion), stability, alignment/posture, and tempo (speed lifting/lower resistance). You will gain more athletic performance by following this procedure. As we remind our athletes… your first priority should not be increasing resistance and repetitions… it should be improving kinetics (movement) and athletics (form, technique, stability, etc). 
• What to do when you have completed your online training program (4, 8, or 12 week period)? If you are getting close or have finished up your online training, we suggest either 1) Repeat the entire program, or individual routines within the program that you feel benefited/challenged you the most. This is also why we’ve provided the extended access to your online training. Each routine is relatively short in duration, so repeating one or all of them for 1 – 3 weeks can be fairly productive. OR 2) Follow-up your 4, 8, or 12 week program with one of our Accessory Programs. These programs were developed with our 4, 8, & 12 Week Online MTB, Moto, & Actions Sports Training clients in mind. The programs are a great compliment to the ‘sports specific’ MTB, moto, & action sports training. If unsure which to choose, feel free to reach out to us (info@performxtraining.com).  
• Want some advice on nutrition? If yes, email us at info@performxtraining.com, and we’ll provide you our ‘PerformX Nutrition 101’ guidelines.
• Want to add some yoga? Follow our YouTube channel, including our PerformX Training – Yoga Foundation Basic series: 
• PerformX Training – Yoga Foundation Basics Part 1 VIDEO HERE
• PerformX Training – Yoga Foundation Basics Part 2 VIDEO HERE
• PerformX Training – Yoga Foundation Basics Part 3 VIDEO HERE
• PerformX Training – Yoga Foundation Basics Part 4 VIDEO HERE
• PerformX Training – Yoga Foundation Basics Part 5 VIDEO HERE