Want to ride faster, tackle longer descents and feel stronger on the trails? Here's what the science says about strength training for mountain biking. If you've ever finished a long descent at Glentress or the Golfie with burning legs, tired arms, and hands that barely want to hold on to the handlebars, you know mountain biking is a proper full-body workout. But what should you actually be doing in the gym to improve your riding? The good news? You don't need complicated exer

Discover how strength training for mountain biking helped ATS client Byron improve his performance, build resilience and smash his Enduro racing goals.

Why does ATS use small group personal training instead of traditional 1-to-1 sessions? Because we think you can have the best bits of both. You get the individual attention and adaptable training you'd expect from personal training, combined with the environment and community you'd get from training as part of a team. You still get coached as an individual "Small group" to us doesn't mean everyone walks in and does the same workout. Your training still needs to make sense for

If you're already running, cycling, playing rugby or training for another sport, adding strength training can feel like one more thing you've somehow got to squeeze into your week. So how often do you actually need to strength train? Our answer is pretty simple: One session every week is infinitely better than none. Yes, doing more strength training will get you better results. But there's something much more important first. Can you actually do it consistently? Start with wh

When you hear strength & conditioning, you might picture professional athletes throwing barbells around while a coach with a stopwatch shouts at them. But strength & conditioning isn't just for professional athletes. In simple terms, it's training designed to help your body perform better. That could mean getting stronger for rugby, building more powerful legs for cycling, feeling better on the hills, or simply being able to do the things you enjoy without feeling like your b

At ATS, we keep it simple. You don't need dozens of fancy exercises. Just a few movements done well will build stronger, more resilient knees that transfer directly to better riding.

Not everyone trains just to lift heavier weights inside the gym. Most of us are there to see it transfer to our lives. You train so life feels easier, sports feel sharper, and your body actually does what you ask it. Gym Numbers are just tools Adding weight to the bar feels good. Hitting a PB matters. But those numbers aren’t always the goal they’re indicators. What counts for most people is what happens outside the gym: You run stronger up hills instead of fading You feel s

Game day nutrition doesn’t need to be strict or complicated. It just needs to support performance. Most poor performances aren’t caused by lack of effort or fitness — they’re caused by under-fuelling . When you don’t eat enough before a game, you’re more likely to experience: Heavy legs early on Brain fog and slow reactions Energy crashes after halftime The fix is simpler than most people think. The three priorities on game day On game day, food has three jobs: Fuel high-inte

Walk into most gyms and you feel it straight away. Headphones in.Eyes down. Everyone doing their own thing. There’s nothing wrong with training solo sometimes. But when that’s all there is, it gets lonely fast. And for most busy people, it’s another place where you’re left to figure things out on your own. That’s not how progress sticks. Training works better when you’re not invisible When you train around other people, properly, a few things change: You show up more consist

You don’t wake up every day feeling unstoppable. Some mornings you’re buzzing. Legs feel springy. Bar speed’s there. Life feels under control. Other days? Work’s been heavy, sleep was rubbish, and your head’s already full before you’ve even had coffee. Both days count. The mistake most people make is thinking training only “works” when everything lines up perfectly. High energy. High motivation. No stress. No fatigue. That’s not real life. Training shouldn’t punish you for be

You make hundreds of decisions every single day, work calls, messages, what to eat, when to rest, when to train. By the time you finally get a spare hour for yourself, your brain’s already cooked. That’s where most training falls apart, not because you don’t want it enough, but because you’re tired of deciding what’s next. That’s why having a plan matters. A clear training plan means one less decision to make. You walk in, know exactly what you’re doing, and get it done. No s

You’ve probably heard it before: “Just add a few more sets — you’ll get stronger faster. ” But here’s the thing, more doesn’t always mean better. In fact, piling on extra sets can actually stall your progress, leaving you tired, sore, and frustrated. At ATS, we don’t chase exhaustion, we chase performance that matters. 1. Quality Over Quantity Your body doesn’t care how many sets you log. It cares about how well you move, how smartly you progress, and how effectively you reco

When people walk into the gym, they often feel overwhelmed. Machines everywhere. Hundreds of exercises on Instagram. Conflicting advice about “the BEST workout split”. But here’s a secret most experienced lifters and coaches know: 👉 You don’t need 50 fancy exercises. You need a handful of powerful ones — done well. They’re called compound lifts — exercises that train multiple muscles and joints at the same time. Think: Squats Deadlifts Presses (bench or overhead) Pull-ups o

When you’re in your 30s, life feels busy. Work demands, family commitments, social plans — fitting in training can feel like just another...

Eight easy steps to help guide you on how to start your weight training journey.