Athertons partner up with SAQ® INTERNATIONAL

After a season that brought 2 World Champions, 6 World Cup wins and a World Cup title it was always going to be hard to find room for improvement for the Atherton family. After the Animal Commencal team season review it was obvious improvements could be made. The first step in the teams program was taken by building a purpose built gym at the team's headquarter in North Wales.

Working with SAQ® International and their personal trainer Darren Roberts the Athertons set out to ensure the gym equipment was as World class as their performances. 

SAQ® International have supplied the Athertons with a variety of agility kit including the 'Milokit®'. This specialist equipment is seen more commonly at a premiere football teams training ground and outlines the Athertons different approach to their training.

The Athertons fresh look at physical preparation started in 2007 when Red Bull appointed Darren Roberts to over see their training, working closely with the team Darren has implemented a tough schedule which has seen an amazing improvement on the trios performances. 

Bringing SAQ® International and their equipment on board will ensure the team keeps pushing boundaries in the sport of Downhill mountain biking.

Mountain Biking Conditioning

Explode of the start, pushing down with one leg, pulling up with the other, bike going side to side body staying in control, turning one way then the other, then taking off and landing.  The ability to do all of this doesn’t just take good strength and core stability; it needs stability and strength. Transferring power depends on the body’s ability to use all the power it has, if you have a weak link then you are only as strong as that link. If you can squat double your body weight in the gym in a nice straight line with good technique, powering up through your heels (you don’t ride with your heels) that’s great. But when you’re on the bike, the ground isn’t stable; your ankle, knees and shoulder stability is working overtime. If you’re weak in any one of these areas then that double body weight squat isn’t being transfer through the pedals.

The Milokit® works not only the major muscle groups but also the stabilising and supporting muscles. We can give you specific exercises that match the position you are in on the bike. This way we can make sure the muscles you need to be working are working and not switching off because the major muscle have taken over, which happens when you do exercises in the supported position (bench press). You are not in a supported position on the bike so don’t strengthen in a supported position, you need the ability to control your body and the bike at speed over uneven ground. You do this by having strong shoulders, knees, ankles and core, as well as strong (not big) major muscles. We are looking at power without the bulk, i.e. climbers, great body strength to weight ratios, muscular endurance and anaerobic conditioning (your ability to move explosively). All of this you get from training with the Milokit®.           

 Darren Roberts - RED BULL ATHLETE PERFORMANCE MANAGER

“I’m really pleased that SAQ® are supporting the guys with specialist equipment, especially as they supply most of the elite football and rugby teams.  Agility training isn’t something you’d normally associate with DH MTB, but SAQ® have worked with us to provide some bespoke pieces of kit to help the guys prepare for the 2009 season such as the Milokit®”

About SAQ® INTERNATIONAL

SAQ® is the name behind performance success at the highest level, improving skills like dynamic balance, co-ordination, ‘explosive’ speed, visual reaction times and raw power. The SAQ® family of one-day training courses work in conjunction with innovative equipment like the Milokit® gym-in-a-bag to make training possible and full of fresh challenges whenever and wherever you are.

SAQ® and MILOKIT® are available exclusively from SAQ® INTERNATIONAL www.saqinternational.com www.milokit.com

About THE ATHERTONS

Current Downhill mountain biking World Champions Gee(23) and Rachel Atherton(20) have elder brother Dan to thank for getting them into the sport. Dan(26) who won Round 2 of the World Cup series last season started the family riding BMX bikes at the tender age of 8. Progressing to mountain bikes in the late nineties the family have taken their bike riding to the very top of the sport. Competing in the UCI World Cup Series on the Animal Commencal team the family are without doubt the most successful family in cycling.

Check out the Athertons at http://www.athertonracing.co.uk/