Mountain biking is a great way to get out and explore nature, but does it also provide a good workout for your arms? The answer is an emphatic yes!
Mountain biking can be an amazing upper body workout that Targets the arms, back, chest and shoulders.
Mountain biking requires not only leg strength and endurance, but also arm strength and endurance. Your arms are constantly engaged while mountain biking, helping you steer the bike, keep it balanced on uneven terrain and maintain control over rough terrain.
When mountain biking up hills or over rough terrain, your arms work hard to pull the bike up over rocks or roots. You also use your arms to push down on the handlebars as you go downhill. This helps to give you maximum control of the bike when descending steep slopes or going around tight corners.
In addition to helping with balance and control on the trail, strong arms will help you climb hills more efficiently. When climbing a hill with your mountain bike, having strong arm muscles gives you extra power in your pedal stroke so that you can get up the hill faster.
How To Work Your Arms While Mountain Biking
To work your arms while mountain biking, try some interval training. Interval training involves alternating periods of intense effort (like climbing a hill) with periods of recovery (like going downhill). During each interval you should focus on using your arms as much as possible; push down on the handlebars while going uphill and pull up as much as possible when going downhill.
You can also do some weight-bearing exercises off the bike that Target your upper body muscles like bicep curls and tricep extensions. These types of exercises will help strengthen those muscles that are used most during mountain biking.
Conclusion
Mountain biking is an excellent full-body workout that engages both your legs and upper body muscles. Your arms play an important role in steering and controlling the bike on uneven terrain so having strong arm muscles will help improve your overall performance on the trail. Interval training is a great way to work out both your legs and arms while mountain biking and doing weight-bearing exercises off the bike will help strengthen those specific arm muscles used during riding.
