Thanks to COVID, the 2020 Eventing season wasn't quite what we had all hoped for, least of all expected. It's meant the year has flown by in a blink & we are now approaching the end of the season. Just 8 weeks left & it will all be over for another year.
Whilst there have been many disappointments & setbacks this year there is no reason why the next 8 weeks can't bring you your best results yet.
You've had lots of time in lockdown to work on your horses performance, the ability of extra time to focus on his weaker areas & improve his performance.
But have you done anything for your own performance & training? Eventing is a partnership between horse & rider, yet so often the aspect of rider fitness & performance is forgotten by both trainers & riders themselves. I have so many riders come to work with me & they say that in lessons their trainer always tells them to constantly sit up & pull their shoulders back. Sound familiar?
This is something that you aren't just going to solve with more lessons. This is an area of weakness that you need to focus on improving. Working to improve your upper body strength & c0re stability would be your answer. Often the message of rider fitness is highly overcomplicated or confused by the fitness industry & riders are left either;
A; Unsure of what training they should be doing that is riding specific.
And
B; Believe that they need to spend hours in the gym, training 6 days a week to see results.
The latter is most definitely not true. Obviously, with a strength specific programme where we focus on progressive overload at some point, you may find that you can no longer get results at home & need the gym, however, everyone can get results when they start training. Regardless of whether you train from home or in the gym.
Strength & fitness work needs to be specific to your riding movement & you want to make sure that you are working the same muscles you use when you ride & as well as replicating movement patterns that you do in the saddle so you train yourself to be as strong as possible in your riding movement.
8 weeks is plenty of time to start to see adaptations & results as your body responds to the demands of training you place upon it. If you were to follow a progressive training programme, eat well & recover properly then you would most definitely see results in this time.
Focus on what you can control to get the MOST out of your last 8 weeks of the season. Focus on your own training & performance and make sure you are in control of your strength & fitness so when you get to your events you are fit & strong enough to give your horse the best ride you possibly can & achieve the best result. Using your time & effort over the next few weeks to prioritise yourself & work on being the best rider you can be is the best investment you could make to have your best Autumn season yet. If you could commit to 3 training sessions a week that is plenty, 3 hours tops I'm sure somewhere in your schedule you could make time for that if you made zero excuses & prioritised yourself.
A few riders of all different levels & abilities have said to me a few times that they are going to wait until the end of the season to then work on their strength & fitness. I respect their decision & thought process but in my mind, if you have the opportunity to start working on improving your performance now so you can have the best result possible in October, surely that makes more sense?
You spend all of your hard-earned money on your entries, lessons with your horse, the physio for him, the farrier, the fuel to get there, maybe you spend money on a groom so you can just focus on you on competition day?! But amongst all of this preparation you've overlooked one key aspect.
THE RIDER.
That's YOU by the way. Don't forget that every Equestrian sport is a partnership. Why do you think the best riders in the world work on themselves off their horses & get unbeatable results? It's time to work on yourself & focus on strengthening your performance so you can do your horses justice & get the results you both deserve.
A client I caught up with today, who has been competing at 3* level this season, said that the Event Rider Fitness programme has been the best money she has ever spent on herself. That was incredible to hear but once you start seeing results you'll question why it took you so long to start!
4 Top Tips to Get Your Best Autumn Season Yet;
1- Follow a progressive rider-specific training fitness programme that focuses on strength, balance, co-ordination & endurance, that is specific to your capabilities & goals.
2- Plan & prep your weeks. Make a plan on a Sunday night of your horses training for the week, your meals & your own exercise. Writing it down & being planned ahead of time makes it much easier to adhere to.
3-If you're unsure of what you should be doing invest in yourself, invest in a coach. Learn from them how to train yourself specifically to improve your riding so you can understand how to get the results you want.
4- Trust the process. Getting as fit as you can be doesn't have to be complicated! Trust the process, be consistent. Don't try to reinvent the wheel.
Good luck for the rest of your season & I hope you all have your best Autumn season yet!
Katie X
P.s If you're ready to take the leap & want to start, then fill in the form below & click the call link to book your free 30 minute chat with me.
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