Rachel Atherton, a world-renowned mountain biker and entrepreneur, is celebrated for her fearless riding and dedication to the sport. Recently, she showcased her signature bike in an Instagram post, where she’s seen tackling rugged mountain terrain. Captioning the post, “All day epics, and sending anything in sight 🔥,” Atherton highlighted the bike’s smooth performance and versatility. Beyond biking, her fitness routine includes yoga, climbing, and plant-based nutrition, all of which keep her in peak condition for epic rides and competition.
She Does Yoga
Atherton’s performance coach, Alan Milway, shared some of her go-to workouts in an interview with Red Bull. “Yoga is one of Rachel’s favourites – and one of mine,” he revealed. “It’s amazing for flexibility, core strength, balance and injury prevention. Between us we’ve pretty much converted Gee and Dan – it’s become an important pillar of our programme.”
She Does Conditioning Exercises
Milway tells Red Bull that conditioning is a big part of Atherton’s training. “There are things that we have to do (and do repeatedly) as part of Rachel’s training which lay vital foundations for her strength, stamina and general conditioning. They’re generally based in the gym or on the road bike and to be honest they can get a bit monotonous, especially when you have been a serious athlete for as long as Rach has. So alongside all of that we try and incorporate things that will keep her interested, but will still be beneficial to her overall preparation for racing.”
She Climbs
Milway tells Red Bull that Atherton also enjoys doing climbing workouts. “The main difference in strength between male and female athletes tends to be in the upper body. Rach loves to climb, which is an awesome upper-body workout. It’s also sociable, fun and challenging – she’s been getting tips from fellow Red Bull athlete Shauna Coxsey [too].”
She Prioritizes Recovery
Atherton shared her weekly diet and exercise schedule with GQ. She says that recovery is extremely important after a race day. “If we’ve been racing Monday will be a rest and recovery day. I’ll have a post-race massage to flush any lingering toxins out of my muscles and do something fun and light: a swim, stand-up paddle-boarding or even a spin on my XC bike with the dog for company. Then I’ll have a vegan recovery shake.’
She Eats Plant Based Food
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Atherton revealed in her GQ interview that she eats a lot of plant-based food. MD Anderson states doing this has a lot of benefits. “Plants have essential nutrients that you cannot get from other foods. The vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants in plants help keep your cells healthy and your body in balance so that your immune system can function at its best.”