Showjumper – Level 1 Foundation Strength 12 Week Programme

Jumping asks specific things of your body. Landing sends force of well over your own bodyweight up through your foot and leg in a split second for your ankle, knee and hip to soak up. At take-off you have to wait and let the horse close your hip, not throw yourself forward. And you have to hold yourself balanced and quiet from the first fence to the last. The strength for all of that is built in stages, and every stage stands on the one before it. This is the first stage. Get it right and everything after it has something solid to build on.

This programme builds your foundation. It teaches the movements jumping leans on - hinging, squatting and single-leg work (for bilateral stability) to hold up under load. It builds the tissue tolerance and work capacity to train week in, week out without breaking down, and it lays the base of strength the next levels load more heavily. It starts the work that later lets your lower leg stay underneath you, your hips and core hold you balanced over a fence, and your legs take landing after landing without you gripping on. The load is light and manageable on purpose. This stage is about moving well, building a base and earning the right to load. The heavier work comes later, once the foundation is there.

What the programme includes:

·  Two full-body strength sessions, run twice weekly or repeated on demand.

·  3 blocks of 4 weeks. Each block the workouts change to keep building your base and moving you forward.

·  A dedicated mobility and recovery session

·  A mobility "snack"

·  Pre-ride warm-ups

·  Post-ride cool-downs

·  Full instructions and guidance on load, judging effort, progression

·  Clear coaching cues and video demonstrations

·  Habit tracking and in-app insights to keep you consistent

·  Rider group to ask questions, add comments or support

·  Delivered through the Onya Coaching app

Is Level 1 for you?

This is the starting point. It is for riders who are new to structured strength training, coming from Pilates, yoga or mat and bodyweight work, or getting back to it after time away. You do not need any gym experience and you do not need to know the lifts. You will be taught the patterns from the ground up, with clear cues and video for every exercise, and the load kept light while you learn.

Your level here is set by your strength training experience, not by how high you jump. If you compete at a high level but you are new to training with weights, this is still your starting point. A strong rider with no strength-training base starts here, the same as anyone else.

If you have already trained with weights for a while, you know your way around a hinge, a squat and a split squat, and you can load them without your form falling apart, you are likely ready for Level 2 or higher instead.

The programme calendar starts the Monday after purchase. The mobility workouts and programme instructions are available from the day of purchase, so you can get to know the app and make a start before the Monday if you are keen.

Your purchase is a one-off payment for the 12 week programme in app access. It is not a permanent or recurring subscription.

All workouts are written by me, built to be as showjumper-specific as possible, extensively researched and backed by my 25 years coaching riders and showjumping combined with my Level 4 Strength and Conditioning qualification.