 Rider: Jeremy Hand Photo: Zachary C. Bako Joel YounkinsHigh Performance Coach It may not be as much as you'd expect... We’re going to tackle the age-old question that every motocross racer has asked at some point:
"How much should I really be riding?" We’ve all heard the stories: how much gas a rider burns through in one session, how many motos they log in a week, or how they basically live on the bike. And then comes the familiar excuse: “If I could ride that much, I’d be that fast too.” For a rider who doesn't have access or the ability to train at a full-time facility, or isn't home schooled, or has to work a job and can't ride full-time, I promise you, with a proper training program in place, you can still be just as competitive as to riders who ride astronomical amounts each week. More riding doesn't always equate to better outcomes. You need to certainly do enough, but there is a true reality of diminishing returns... The reality? Answering this question isn’t simple. Riding volume depends on a long list of factors: age, psychological makeup, bike size, skill level, track conditions, weather, training methods, and even the time of year. All of these drastically shape how much riding is actually productive. In this blog, I’ll give you a general window of riding hours to aim for if you’re a competitive racer chasing your full potential. Whether your dream is to turn pro or to dominate your class, these time frames will give you a solid starting point. This is just one piece of the performance puzzle (a big piece), but I’ll break it down into maximal, optimal, and minimal amounts—with the context to understand why. Housekeeping
Maximal Practice Time: 6–8 Hours Most riders assume that if one hour is good, two is better. Sometimes that's true, sometimes it's not. Compared to facilities (where riders may clock 12–20 hours a week), this number may seem low. But if you’re training independently, 6–8 hours per week is plenty—and anything beyond that is often overkill outside of specific concentrated pre-season practice blocks. If you can’t progress on 8 quality hours a week, the problem usually isn’t volume—it’s either the plan, the execution of the plan, or you've ran out of talent. Doubling the time won’t magically fix either of those issues. Optimal Practice Time: 4–6 Hours This is the sweet spot for most racers, and if you're in this window, you can really make big improvements along with a solid race schedule in a hurry. A steady 4–6 hours per week mirrors what many pro riders log between rounds. Paired with smart off-bike training, film study, and recovery, this range provides enough seat time to sharpen skills while still allowing your body to recover and bounce back from the races on the weekends. This time frame can yield great weekly schedules of riding 2-3 days a week while getting in 2-3 hours of seat time per session. Again, plenty of time practicing to develop your craft and to make incremental improvements if you have a proper practice plan in place. Minimal Practice Time: 2–4 Hours Yes, even 2 hours a week can move the needle—especially if you have natural talent and a focused plan. Plenty of riders (including some who reached high levels) got by on once-a-week practice sessions in their earlier years while they were learning and developing their skills. While it’s not ideal for everyone, the takeaway is this: you don’t need endless hours to improve. If you ride with purpose and consistency, even minimal time compounds into serious progress over the course of time. Train what's trainable, and aim to improve every time you work on your game and results will come flowing your way. How This Stacks Up When you look at a sport like motocross, it’s essentially a year-round commitment, as so many other sports have become. Even in regions where winter brings snow, the growing popularity of indoor tracks keeps riders logging seat time, or families head south to chase warmer weather and rideable tracks. While I do believe a talented rider can take 1–3 months off and be just fine over the course of a year (and a career), the current structure of racing series makes that a tough sell—most riders, parents, and coaches simply aren’t going to be willing to take that much time off of the bike. When comparing motocross practice to other sports, you have to respect training volume. Volume is the number one factor that can either drive performance or break you down. Inside that window, you’ll either positively adapt or negatively adapt—and your ability to recover and the quality of that work will ultimately dictate which way it goes. Closing Thoughts I know these numbers might seem surprising when compared to the riding that's completed at training facilities, but here’s the truth: You don’t need to ride 12-20 hours a week. You do need enough quality riding to keep improving. When paired with structure and consistency, these smaller numbers are more than enough. Most racers who struggle aren’t lacking hours—they’re lacking a plan. Stick to these ranges, execute with intention for a full year, and you’ll be amazed at how much ground you can cover. I’ve seen it firsthand: riding smarter consistently outperforms riding more for the sake of riding more. P.S. In the future, we'll start to dig into how to make the most out of your practice.
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