A look at Aaron Gwin’s off season training regime at the RynoPowerGym.

I beamed over some questions to Alex Couture to ask a bit more about this Rhinoceros themed gymnasium.

What exactly is the RynoPowerGym?

RPG is a video based gym website that has comprehensive training programs for MTB and MX athletes. It is all built around Ryan Hughes training and as most of us know, Ryno has been training Aaron Gwin the last two years and through both championships!

You train a lot of motocross guys at the gym, how much does the MX training plan cross over with MTB riders such as Aaron?

The MX training and the MTB training are so similar. They both demand a strong core and great coordination. I see a lot of similarities in the explosive energy riders need. You have to go all out in your Moto the same way you do on a Downhill race run. We can’t afford to let you guys gasp for air, so we prepare both athletes for he gnarliest conditions. We work a lot on that stuff but with the website, we are able to offer food guides for the week, recipes, and a nutrition section that teaches you why you eat the way we tell you to. So it’s a lot more than just telling you what to do, it’s explaining. That leads to a more long-term understanding.

What do you think are the key physical areas/strengths that benefit a MTB rider?

Well, we know they have to have a strong set of legs, that’s a given. And we also know they need to hold onto the grips, also a given. What people don’t realize is how those all have to be in sync. We teach movements and exercises that coordinate these two areas and most workouts we do are involving many body parts at once and almost never segregating one area. We do not believe in stationary exercises. You should always be balancing and lifting or swinging. This way your postural muscles and core are always engaged.

How important is training in relation to injury prevention?
Injuries in MTB and MX are a given. You can never really prevent them all together. What we can do is be the most fluid as possible. We do a lot of stretching and a lot of cool down work. I also think that if a rider is stronger he can react faster and sometimes recover from an accident that would have otherwise caused a crash.

The MX race schedule (indoor and outdoor) in the US seems incredibly arduous compared to say our short 6 round WC series? Well the good news for the MX guys is it’s all in one country for the American Circuit. Aaron has to travel all over the globe. Hahaha. We make sure the riders get rest. Professional athletes, and myself included in the past, had a tendency to over train and our bodies paid the price. I recommend adding rest to your schedule. Sometimes you have to plan your rest. Otherwise you get caught up and you are still exhausted from your week when the race comes.

So what are these Ryno Power supplements then?

Ryno Power supplements are six specific supplements that each target a need your body has when competing or training. You combine them together to maximize your performance and recovery. They are the best supplements on the market; there is simply no better option out there. They are clean, pure and they don’t have any crap in there that you do not need. Aaron has been using them for two years and apparently the Trek team all used them last year too. This year we are the official supplement sponsor of Team Trek and a personal sponsor of Aaron. Aaron also has Red Bull so we do not over expose him. We are just happy he takes the best stuff.

How do they benefit a downhill rider?

I think a Downhill rider needs to be strong and explosive. We can do that for him. We also see a stronger mental side in our riders. People do not realize how bad some of the food they eat is. On race day you need bottled water and our supplements. When you are super clean minded and your body works like a machine. That’s what you want right?! This stuff is all approved by the International Olympic Committee for use at all ages. I’d like to see what other supplements can say that.

Is milk just as good as energy drinks at repairing muscle fibre? Wow, that is a bad question to ask me. I do not drink milk or energy drinks.

Can riders in the UK get access to your training programs then?

Absolutely, please tell them to subscribe to rynopowergym.com. They can do a Mountain Bike Training membership for $14.95/ month or they can do the full Motocross Membership that includes GYM and MX technique lessons for $19.95/month. Both programs are available for the year and you save almost 50% when you pay for a year. The sites are constantly being updated so in one year there is much more to keep you excited. I also would love to have them come out to California and train with me. They can email my partner Ryan McCarthy at [email protected] and he can get them dialled in. The supplements are available in the EU at rynopowerEU.com

Anything else we should know?

I just want the MTB community to know we are committed to bringing them the best we have to offer in both supplements and training. We feel like the MX and MTB communities are so intertwined and Aaron’s background is a perfect example of that. We want to see more cross over athletes and vice versa. These athletes can learn a lot from us and we will be around for a long long time. Visit rynopower.com and rynopowergym.com. Also look for us on Twitter @rynopowerlife and FB: Ryno Power Sports Supplements and You Tube: TheRynoPower

See you all soon I hope!