Adam Brayton AKA Mr Gas to Flat; is a rider and racer of the highest calibre, but 2016 saw him crank it up a notch. Ewen Turner finds out how he did it, and discovers his overall fitness played a huge role!

Riding DH to a high level isn’t just about being fast or even naturally talented, those things help, but hard work off the bike is often the difference between the riders and the podium and those who aren’t…

It's early, and I'm stood outside a building on a dark and cold Saturday morning looking for the way in. My only clue that I'm in the right place is a rapid whirring sound and thud of feet running and jumping about. Before I've even opened the door, it's starting to dawn on me what I have signed up for, and that the sound is skipping, yes, definitely skipping!

I cautiously stick my head inside, and my suspicions are confirmed as I see four young fit looking types warming up for whatever training is coming their way. The room is surrounded by kit that looks like it will hurt me, and ropes hang from the ceiling giving me flashbacks to gym class as a small child. Metal bars and weights of all shapes and sizes hang ominously from the incredibly stylish rustic wooden clad walls. This is not a mirror-walled, clinical gym where punters come to preen and pose; this is looking serious, apart from the skipping, I don't like skipping.

In the world of fitness, cross-fit is the Hipster, it's raw, rustic and authentic, tapping into the ideas of back to basics effort with no high tech machines with flashing lights and computers. Put some tables down the middle and serve flat whites and before you know it there would be bearded, checked-shirted types there before you could do five reps on the ropes.

I'm here because I want to see what happens behind the closed doors of mountain biking. The world of World Cup Downhill racing has an image of hard riding, hard partying and plenty of shenanigans thrown in. There is, however, more and more emphasis on the training that goes in 'off the bike', and with Adam Brayton coming off the back of his best season ever I wanted to see what was going on.

Adam Brayton is something of a local legend in these parts, know affectionately as Mr Gas To Flat, he has a reputation as a no holds barred rider of the highest standard. Hailing from Keswick in the North West of England, he's a small town guy that has gone on to compete on the world stage at the highest standard. Those who remember his section in Earthed 5 will know he came out guns blazing and hasn't looked back since! Certainly, a go big or go home rider.

Jonny Thompson, the man behind Fit4Racing and Crossfit Cumbria invited me to come and see what he has been doing with Adam. Being just down the road, I figured I should go and see what was going on, and I threw my trainers in the van. At a casual glance, Jonny looks like any ordinary human, an exceptionally nice guy and extremely knowledgeable on the subject of strength and conditioning training for athletes.

However, see him in the gym and he has such an intimidating physique he makes you wonder what you've been doing with your life as such a slacker. Torso intimidation over, and my trainers on, the session focuses on developing strength for downhill riding, starting with warm-ups involving stretchy bands, before moving on to pushing 'the sled' around the car park and sprint reps. The sled is a metal contraption on which, weights are added and then pushed across the car park, simple really, no frills here.

This is followed by reps on pull-ups, rowing machines, ropes, weights and the infamous burpees. As I limp wearily between kit, Adam and Jonny power through showing little sign of slowing as my attempts at pull ups descend to weakly lifting my knees up and down like a tired sloth. The intensity is high, and effort is huge, as for the result? Well for me it's two days of recovery, for Adam and Jonny's other athletes, it's all for the win. It's worth noting that this didn't feel like a general fitness session, and everything Jonny gets us to do has relevance to bikes. Sometimes we can assume the just because something is hard, it must be good for us, but here, it's also aiming for a precise and accurate goal.

Adams relationship with strength and conditioning, or Crossfit, call it what you will, started back in February 2016. With little time before the start of the downhill season, he started training with Jonny Walker (Hard Enduro superstar) and was thrown into the deep end as at this point Jonny was fully engaged and training for the motocross season. Very simply Adam tells me, 'I thought I was training well, but after only one session, I knew THIS is how you are supposed to train'. This is a serious statement as anyone who knows Adam will be aware of the effort he has put into training over the years.

'I knew what I needed to do in order to step up.  I think my results from last year show that it has paid off' Adam tells me, and it's hard not to agree.  4th at Fort William, 10th in the World Cup overall and 3 top ten qualifiers it's an impressive set of results, throw in a 3rd at Red Bull Hardline and it's looking ever more impressive.  So how does he feel after such a great season? 'Over the moon and I put it down to this training. I trained hard my whole life or thought I did, but I was obviously not doing the right kind of stuff. Jonny got it real specific, and we were nailing the bits I need to work on, and I'm stronger than ever'.

So, is it all about strength for racing? Or resistance to crashing and increased resilience? For Adam the change has been more than physical, 'One of the big things is confidence, and obviously confidence is everything in this game. And knowing I put the work in, the mental edge that gives me, that's what it's almost like, it's hard to describe, you go to the race, and you doubt nothing, and you're ready for it because you've worked for it.'

With any training relationship between coach and athlete, trust is everything, and I get the impression that the relationships that Jonny develops with his clients are key. He knows how to get the best from them and tap into their motivation. Adam races cyclocross in the winter, and although it's not an essential part of the fitness training, it's crucial for keeping the competitive spirit strong. I get the impression in this relationship Adam does what he's told. 'I just turn up, and he (Jonny) says jump and I say how high?'

I remember growing up influenced by 1990s downhill, and the marketing teams back then were not pushing hard work and gym time into my teenage image of pro riders. These days we know that hard work is crucial to success, and working weaknesses and developing strengths is all part of the progression. 'I don't think people realise how hard we work' says Adam, 'We're not workshy, and we put the effort in.'

All this chat about time in the gym might make you think he's not riding a bike so much, but this is not the case. 'I'm out on the big bike every weekend, and one heavy day of timed runs.’ This is evident as after an hour or so of training he's straight in the van heading for some uplift time on the bike, the only thing holding him back are my questions.

I have to ask him about his influence on the up and coming riders, as we are joined by Gemma, Gavin and Luke, all young riders getting on board with training early in their careers. Gav even forgoing a night on the town to be up in time for training in the morning! Now that’s dedication for an 18 yr old. This is Adam's influence, whether he admits it or not, and the future looks bright for the local riders.

I love a good chat about talent versus hard work, and fire it at Adam, regularly regarded as a talented rider, 'I had some guy message me to say how lucky I am to be where I am, I don't think they realise how much work we put in' Adam replies. Again, I feel the image of downhill may be over glamorised given the workloads, pressures and travel, but he wouldn't swap it. 'I haven't got any talent I just work hard' Adam tells me, and take that as you will, but a belief in hard work will certainly maximise all the latent talent available.

For next year, building on an impressive season, what are his goals and ambitions? A full world cup as always and to make the world champs team are crucial, and build on the results. Add in a few other events and a return to Hardline, and you have a busy season. 'I feel I'm a top 5 guy and missed some opportunity this season, 1.5 off the podium at Lenzerheide and at Mont Sainte Anne I came pretty close. I was a little disappointed at the Worlds as I wanted a top ten' says the man coming off the back of his best year ever. It's this never satisfied attitude that will no doubt drive him forward to that elusive top step.

Sponsors are always a tough balancing act and although in his own words he's had, 'a bunch of offers this year', he's staying local and riding for Hope. Along with support from Ohlins, Scott and Crank Bros. 'Oh and I'm looking forward to getting my HB22' the latest super bike from Hope!

Jonny Thompson Fit4Racing

What is strength and conditioning and why should you do it?

Behind the scenes, mountain bikers of all levels are crushing it in the gym, and the results on the track are astounding. Fit4Racing specialises in S&C for off-road bike sports, using new and extreme training methods of training riders are able to improve dramatically. Yes, mountain biking is a skill based sport; however, real potential can never be reached if you are not physically able, or for professional riders, physically dominant.

How does this training work?

If you are great at performing traditional cardio, say running, and you also have good strength, say in the back squat, that you would be proficient at everything in-between?. Wrong. What we have found is that if you increase your ability to complete the elements in combination, like three rounds of 400m run and ten back squats, as quickly as possible, it is far better for your on-bike performance than to train the run and squat separately.

How do you incorporate this into your training?

  • If you are new to S&C, keep it simple. Some of the best programmes are the least complex, just because it’s not rocket science doesn’t mean it won’t be effective.
  • Consistency rules. Training 45 minutes 3 times a week is better than 2 hours once a week.
  • Strength comes in many forms, don’t limit yourself to squats and bench press, look to strongman movements such as sled pushes and carries for overall strength.
  • Define your fitness as your capability over all areas, not just cardiovascular, so identify your weak areas and improve on them.
  • Eat, sleep and recover well, there is no such thing as overtraining, only under recovery.
  • Movement quality and safety should be prioritised over weight and intensity.

How Fit is Adam so our readers can measure up at home?

  • Height – 5’8
  • Weight – 73kg
  • 1 rep max back squat – 140kg
  • 2km Row – 07:00:03
  • Max unbroken pull-ups – 35

Conditioning Workout

  • 400m run
  • 20 burpee box jumps
  • 20 pull-ups
  • 15 burpee box jumps
  • 15 pull-ups
  • 10 burpee box jumps
  • 10 pull-ups
  • 400m run
  • Time: 7:11

Any final tips?

If all else fails, get strong, keep your workouts varied by incorporating many disciplines and workout as hard as you can at least twice a week.

How can riders get involved with you?

Fit4Racing programmes are specifically designed around individuals and available on monthly subscription. Also, we've got our Instagram and Facebook page crammed with free info to help you get the best from your S&C efforts. A first step would be to try one of our weekly free workouts, we post them every Monday and are a good reflection of a typical day’s training.

Videos

Adam
Hope Pro 4: Adam Brayton RAW
Hope Technology - Once Upon a Trail - Adam Brayton
By Ewen Turner
Ewen Turner is a self-confessed bike geek from Kendal in the Lake District of England. He runs a coaching and guiding business up there and has a plethora of knowledge about bikes with an analytical approach to testing. His passion for bicycles is infectious, and he’s a ripper on the trails who prefers to fit his working life around his time on the bike.

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