Over the duration of five days, I ate, slept, rode, thought, stood, sat, breathed, sweated, drank and worked out like a professional motocross and off-road dirt bike racer. Granted, I'm not a professional dirt bike racer. I'm not even close. But I tried my hardest to find out just what these guys and gals go through to win. I learned a lot about commitment, hard work and getting your head truly in the game.
While embedded in Ryan Hughes' program I went through three core-busting workouts, two 100-degree sessions in an ultraviolet sauna, a two-hour consultation with one of the country's leading holistic exercise professionals and got eight hours of sleep each night inside Ryno's dormitory. I did a 30-minute moto, three 20-minute motos, a series of start and corner drills and a pile of one-lap timed sprints with really fast guys and gals. I stopped eating gluten, rejected nonorganic food and gave up Gatorade. I became conscious that everything you do-everything you eat, the music you listen to, the way you walk, talk, think and speak-affects the way you effectively ride a motorcycle.
Ryan Hughes' program is all-encompassing. So much so that I'm conscious of the position I sit in as I type this story because of its potential effect to my on-the-bike performance.
This is Ryno's world: a world, according to Hughes, that will change the way people train for motocross at the elite level. It might sound crazy. And a lot of people in the world of professional motocross have put parts of Hughes' ideology outside the walls of sanity. But I wouldn't be so quick to doubt its effectiveness or legitimacy. Talk to Ryno with an open mind and you just might believe. Spend a week in his world like I did and you'll be buying organic food like James Stewart buys Italian cars.
Ryan Hughes has personally gone through every fad and phase of training for this sport and, through that experience, believes he's fine-tuned the secrets to building champions.
If this was a how-to story, I could sum up Ryno's riding technique tips into four general areas: feet, hips, core and eyes. But riding is the end game at this camp and everything in your life goes together to make the riding the best it can be.
Trying to contain Ryan Hughes and his interconnected theories on physical, emotional, spiritual, neurological, nutritional and mental well-being inside a magazine article isn't easy. If you look at motocross racing as a puzzle, with each piece representing an aspect of your life, then this will kind of make sense. There are a lot of different shapes. Let's put some of what I learned together.
 Ryan Hughes: trainer, coach,...  Ryan Hughes: trainer, coach, moto guru. |  Ryan Hughes' hands-on training...  Ryan Hughes' hands-on training often puts him on the bike. |  Hughes and star pupil Ricky...  Hughes and star pupil Ricky Dietrich listen to Paul Chek. |
Riding Technique
There is a new-school technique for riding a motorcycle. Riders like James Stewart and Ryan Villopoto do it naturally and it's all about body position. Remember: In Ryno's world, everything is connected and it starts with your posture.
Broc Hepler works out while...
Broc Hepler works out while Vince Friese (inset right) gets his posture on.
To be most effective on a bike you want to be in a position that will have you ready to react. You want to be in charge. You need to be on the front of your feet, your back needs to be elongated, your chest should be expanded and forward and your hips need to be rolled forward or "unlocked." Your knees should be bent. Imagine doing a squat in the gym and you'll get the idea.
Improper riding position can be easily demonstrated while standing on flat ground. If you curve your back forward, stand on the middle of your feet and let your hips roll back so your butt sucks into your pelvis you'll essentially be in an emphasized slouch. Have a buddy give you a shove in any direction and see if you can react and hold your ground. You can't. You're at the mercy of forces surrounding you and have little input into your own position in the world.
If you reset your posture to a correct position you'll be able to react and move efficiently. Your legs will be stable and strong and your upper torso will be elongated and alert. You can effectively grip with your ankles and knees since you're not holding the weight of a slouching upper body against the acceleration of your bike.
But it's a lot more than just being ready-and this is where the all-encompassing aspect of Ryno's deal comes into play. If your back is elongated, your spinal column is expanded and your nervous system is on full alert and ready to act. Your diaphragm can expand and you can breathe properly. Your brain recognizes where your body is (since you've trained it to do so through your other exercises) and is in tune with your surroundings. Your joints are extended into their most open form for maximum range of motion. It goes on and on and on.
After a quick lesson from Hughes I put this form to use during some test sessions. Immediately, I felt more forward on the bike and aggressive. I was automatically in a better cornering position since I was up front on the seat and a weight was miraculously lifted off my arms. My legs truly took more of the load (which makes sense since they're bigger than my arms) and my body stayed put on the bike since I was gripping with my legs. I personally felt more in control everywhere, even when I got tired. It's a comfortable feeling riding the bike instead of the bike pulling you around the track.
But I still got tired. But it was a different kind of tired. It was in my abs and my hips and my legs. And the rest of Ryno's athletes passed me like I was standing still even after a healthy head start. They should, though. Since they're super fast and all that. But I want to get stronger and faster. Who doesn't? That's why I was excited for the gym workouts.