 Rider: Quinn Wentzel Photo: Zachary C. Bako Joel YounkinsHigh Performance Coach The Pre-Season isn’t where you get in shape. It’s about expressing what you’ve already built. As I discussed a few blogs ago, the sport has adopted the term “Boot Camp” as its way of describing a Pre-Season training phase. I’m not one to get hung up on semantics, although this one definitely "grinds my gears," but this is the actualy and proper training phase we’re covering right here.
We’ve already laid the groundwork. First came the Post Season, where the goal was to restore the body and reset after a long year. Then we moved into the Off Season, where we rebuilt capacity, strength, and general physical abilities. While it’s ideal to have a couple solid months for the Off Season, the reality is that the calendar rarely allows it. Between racing schedules and series overlap, the turnaround is usually fast. That brings us to the Pre-Season. The Pre-Season training phase should last anywhere from 4–8 weeks before the start of the season. Anything shorter, and the body won’t have enough time to adapt. Anything longer, and this style of training begins to wear an athlete down and will actually decay performance. Pre-Season Physical Preparation If the Post Season is meant to restore the body, and the Off Season is meant to build it, then the Pre-Season exists to fine-tune and fully express what your potential. This is where we:
Training during this phase is defined by higher intensity and reducing volume. Intensity becomes the driver, while volume takes a step back to allow the body to click into another gear of performance. This type of training is intentionally short-lived. If you attempted to train this way year-round, you’d eventually lose performance, motivation, or end up sick or injured. The Pre-Season is where you push hard, but intelligently to find the new edge of performance you’ll carry into race day. On-the-Bike Practice In performance & preparation, almost everything falls under “it depends.” Pre-Season riding is absolutely one of those areas where context matters heavily. This is where the Short to Long vs. Long to Short concept comes back into play. Depending on the rider, their background, and their needs, the sequencing matters. Remember the goal is to express your abilities in this phase... During the Off Season, or early Pre-Season if you had more than four weeks, you may spend time emphasizing either Short (sprint speed) or Long (capacity) work. As you move into the heart of the Pre-Season, that process should eventually flip. Here’s the reality though: if you’re reading this and thinking, “This is finally putting the whole picture together,” you’re likely someone who needs a Short to Long approach, unless you are currently coming off of an injury and are "rebuilding." This means:
Doing this correctly requires a precise blend of drills, weekly structure, intent, and sequencing. It’s not a black and white flip-flop of speed and capacity work. It’s a continuum, and the better you blend both ends while prioritizing the end goal of driving up performance and preparation, the rider ultimately "wins." From General to Specific Every phase of training needs a theme. A purpose. It’s not about “just putting in work,” “being in boot camp,” or blindly “trusting the process” because a former pro rider told you so. It’s about being intentional, understanding why you’re doing what you’re doing, and then executing it with precision. Across the entire preparation cycle, Post Season, Off Season, and Pre-Season, the focus must shift from general to specific. The closer you get to racing, the more tailored and race-relevant your preparation needs to become. When you truly understand training principles at this level, they apply across all disciplines. That’s why you see me working with Supercross, Motocross, GNCC, Hard Enduro racers, both pros and amateurs alike. Dirt bikes, quads, it doesn’t matter. The formats change. The obstacles change. The principles do not. Final Thoughts The Pre-Season isn’t about surviving a grind or proving how tough you are. It’s about expressing everything you’ve built and sharpening it for the demands ahead. Restore. Build. Express. When those phases are respected and executed with intent, the Pre-Season becomes the bridge between preparation and performance. That’s where real confidence is built. And that’s where next season truly begins.
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