Trail running, hiking, and mountain biking ask one thing of your body that flat-ground cardio doesn't: tolerate descent. The eccentric loading on every downhill step is what destroys quads, knees, and hips by week two of a big season. This class trains for it.
Most trail injuries don't come from one bad step — they come from miles of accumulated load on tissue that wasn't ready for it. Train the prep work, run the trails.
Anti-rotation, anti-extension, and anti-flexion work so your trunk holds its position when your legs start screaming. The bridge between hip and shoulder doesn't get to fall apart at mile 8.
Hip IR and ER mobility for stride freedom. Glute med strength for lateral control on uneven ground. Hip flexor durability for the long climbs. The hip joint is where trail miles either feel good or get ugly.
Slow-tempo lowering of squats, lunges, and step-downs. The descent is where most quad and knee damage accumulates. Train the eccentric capacity in the gym so the trail doesn't have to.
Trail Prep is for people who run, hike, or bike on actual mountain terrain — not flat bike paths. Beginners through ultras welcome. The work is scaled to the person, not the room.
If you've found yourself nursing knee pain by mid-season, getting "tight hips" you can't shake, or just feeling like trail miles wreck you more than they should — this class addresses the root cause.
It runs spring through summer, with the option to roll into Maintenance for the offseason so you don't lose what you built.
