# Enduro bodies



## butryon (Aug 12, 2005)

What is the general body type by height and weight for the top 10-30 EWS riders? 

I'm pretty skinny and come from an xc background but have really enjoyed the change up racing enduro's. So, I am curious on general body types of the fast guys. Probably need to bulk up a bit.
Thanks


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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

On the shorter side i.e. 5'8"-ish, sinewy & athletic...

Look at Sam Hill, Martin Maes & Jesse Melamed ^^

There are a few bigger guys, Jared Graves, Richie Rude etc. but, they're more an exception to the rule.

Majority of the top guys are as stated earlier. Average height & weight.

You do get the odd taller guys i.e. 6'2"-ish... even then, they're barely pushing 90kg's

Very rarely, do you get a Clydesdale i.e. 6ft or over & +220lb's.

That's going solely on what I've seen of the EWS... top tier are on the smaller side.

'Born to ride!'


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## Agar426 (May 29, 2009)

Having attended the most recent BME and Scott Enduro Cup events, I would agree with the sinewy/athletic comment. Richie Rude isn't super tall, probably 5'11", but he's built like a tank....he could be a running back, but he is the exception in the pro class. Fitness abound...the only "dad bods" were in the amateur classes....


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## mtb_phd (Jun 28, 2017)

Body type probably isn't a deciding factor in enduro. Be fit, race smart and ride fast -- it should come together.

That being said, proper enduro training could change the make up of your body. An example would be a world cup XC racer turned enduro racer that I work with: he has put on over 10kg since the XC days (now 90kg @ 6'4") since he really needed to be much stronger overall. On the other hand, some athletes actually lose weight due to increased time on the bike.


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## butryon (Aug 12, 2005)

I am no world cup racer but I have a pretty extensive xc background. I am skinny and assume that I need to be stronger. I have a lot of volume (10-13 hrs weekly) and ride a ss a lot. What does a person do more specifically to address the discrepancies coming from an xc orientation? I want to do well in some enduro's and have sort of lost my buzz xc racing but have still maintained the fitness for the most part. Thanks Ryon


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## Streetdoctor (Oct 14, 2011)

butryon said:


> I am no world cup racer but I have a pretty extensive xc background. I am skinny and assume that I need to be stronger. I have a lot of volume (10-13 hrs weekly) and ride a ss a lot. What does a person do more specifically to address the discrepancies coming from an xc orientation? I want to do well in some enduro's and have sort of lost my buzz xc racing but have still maintained the fitness for the most part. Thanks Ryon


Intervals, lots of intervals. Strength training for injury prevention.


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## smudge (Jan 12, 2004)

butryon said:


> I am no world cup racer but I have a pretty extensive xc background. I am skinny and assume that I need to be stronger. I have a lot of volume (10-13 hrs weekly) and ride a ss a lot. What does a person do more specifically to address the discrepancies coming from an xc orientation? I want to do well in some enduro's and have sort of lost my buzz xc racing but have still maintained the fitness for the most part. Thanks Ryon


Going fast on technical descents takes a lot of upper body strength, core strength and balance. Even if you're already strong in those areas, there's always room for improvement.


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## GRPABT1 (Oct 22, 2015)

As above, don't forget the upper body. Muscling a bike around in the rough stuff requires much more upper body strength than the average XC rider has. You'll notice this in the women's EWS and DH WC races, those that frequently dominate have arms and shoulders that dwarf the others.


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## pajak (May 20, 2009)

Graves made a comment some time ago about slimming down for enduro from a higher weight. Then after racing, he added weight because he was hitting the deck and there wasn't enough muscle on him. 

I think you also need to factor in the diet of a Euro to that of an American. Euro enduro riders look skinnier, but as a population they are also much lighter, so you aren't making a direct comparison.


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## butryon (Aug 12, 2005)

So, Euro enduro racers are are skinnier than American enduro racers? EWS is not really won by Americans other than Rude and Graves...occasionally! Not that I am up for an EWS race but I like the idea behind a grueling few days on the bike with wicked DH and lots of climbing. Seems like lean but strong is the ideal! maybe 165-185 LBS?

What sort of intervals do people use? Are doing the intervals on DH sections preferred over a standard xc/climbing type of interval? I understand a road bike is ideal but I just cannot do it. Also, for strength training, are body weight exercises sufficient or should a person be hitting the weights? I am not much of a gym guy but do not mind push ups and pull ups. 
Thanks for the info.
Ryon


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## smudge (Jan 12, 2004)

butryon said:


> So, Euro enduro racers are are skinnier than American enduro racers? EWS is not really won by Americans other than Rude and Graves...occasionally! Not that I am up for an EWS race but I like the idea behind a grueling few days on the bike with wicked DH and lots of climbing. Seems like lean but strong is the ideal! maybe 165-185 LBS?
> 
> What sort of intervals do people use? Are doing the intervals on DH sections preferred over a standard xc/climbing type of interval? I understand a road bike is ideal but I just cannot do it. Also, for strength training, are body weight exercises sufficient or should a person be hitting the weights? I am not much of a gym guy but do not mind push ups and pull ups.
> Thanks for the info.
> Ryon


Do whatever you feel works for you. If you don't want to go to a gym, don't. There's "ideal" and there's "what you're willing to do within the time you have available to you." I fit into the latter so I do what I can when I can and going to the gym isn't part of it because I don't have the time for it. Press ups, pull ups, step ups, kettlebell squats I can do in my living room after I put my kids to bed. Do them all with perfect form and do them explosively at least once a week if your joints are OK with it. When you're into your 20 or 30th minute of tech downhill, grip strength might even be an issue. The best thing you can do if you're not already racing is go simulate a race. Do the volume and pace to represent a race and sort out where you need work. I'm always surprised at how tired my shoulders feel after an extended DH section.


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## davec113 (May 31, 2006)

butryon said:


> So, Euro enduro racers are are skinnier than American enduro racers? EWS is not really won by Americans other than Rude and Graves...occasionally! Not that I am up for an EWS race but I like the idea behind a grueling few days on the bike with wicked DH and lots of climbing. Seems like lean but strong is the ideal! maybe 165-185 LBS?
> 
> What sort of intervals do people use? Are doing the intervals on DH sections preferred over a standard xc/climbing type of interval? I understand a road bike is ideal but I just cannot do it. Also, for strength training, are body weight exercises sufficient or should a person be hitting the weights? I am not much of a gym guy but do not mind push ups and pull ups.
> Thanks for the info.
> Ryon


It comes down to strength and endurance. Strength training and riding a ton are key. You need a lot of upper body and grip strength as well. You'll have to be "gym guy" if you really want to do well and I'd add in some yoga too. You should get some guidance at the gym to maximize your investment, either in person or check out some enduro training programs online. In the off season I'd say 3x/week at the gym and 1-2x week yoga and hopefully some more cardio focused work/intervals too.

You need to get to a point where doing a long ride with 5k ft of climbing on very difficult terrain at high altitude is not only possible, but you're still capable of riding strong and confident on difficult trail at the end of the day. It's really a ton of work and dedication to get to the point you can do a big enduro race and be able to ride strong down the last timed stages. I'm getting there!


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