Today, I’m joined by Strength Factory head coach, Ben Plenge. Ben firmly believes that being a better human will lead to you being a better bike rider. We discuss how taking a simple approach of being 1% better each day can lead to building positive habits that when done consistently will help you improve both physically and mentally and ultimately lead to you being a better rider and having more fun on your bike. Ben offers thoughts on what sort of things you should be trying to do, how you might find the time to do them and provides some top tips to help you embed these positive behaviours into your life. So, it’s time to sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Ben Plenge.

You can find Ben on Instagram @strengthfactory_coach and watch his helpful videos over on his YouTube channel here. You can join Ben’s newsletter here and calculate your zone 2 heart rate here.

For all the information on Ben’s programmes, head over to his website thestrengthfactory.uk.

To get 30% off his super popular ‘Over 40s MTB‘ programme, use the code DOWNTIMEPODCAST40 at the checkout.

For 30% off the ‘Foundation‘ programme, use the code DOWNTIMEPODCAST at the checkout.

To get a 50% off your first month (after your free trial) of the ‘Complete MTB‘ programme, use the code DOWNTIMETRAIL at the checkout. You can also use this same code to get an awesome 20% off an annual subscription to the ‘Complete MTB‘ programme. All these codes are valid until 7th November 2023.

Supporting Partners

Strength Factory

The Strength Factory is run by mountain bikers for mountain bikers and has all your training needs covered. Checkout the above programmes and discount codes for Downtime listeners, which are available until 7th November 2023.

Podcast Stuff

Patreon

I would love it if you were able to support the podcast via a regular Patreon donation. Donations start from as little as £3 per month. That’s less than £1 per episode and less than the price of a take away coffee. Every little counts and these donations will really help me keep the podcast going and hopefully take it to the next level. To help out, head here.

Merch

If you want to support the podcast, and represent, then my webstore is the place to head. All products are 100% organic, shipped without plastics, and made with a supply chain that’s using renewable energy. So check it out now over at downtimepodcast.com/shop.

Newsletter

If you want a bit more Downtime in your life, then you can join my newsletter where I’ll provide you with a bit of behind the scenes info on the podcast, interesting bits and pieces from around the mountain bike world, some mini-reviews of products that I’ve been using and like, partner offers and more. You can do that over at downtimepodcast.com/newsletter.

Downtime EP

Downtime EP issue 3 is now available here. EP takes inspiration from the guests and topics of the podcast. It expands on them, and takes them into a stunning print-only format. EP is the perfect companion for some quiet time away from the distractions of modern life. Beautiful to have and hold, and a timeless piece of mountain bike history. Just head over to downtimepodcast.com/ep to save yourself £5 off of the cover price with an annual subscription for just £25 plus postage or you can purchase EP1, EP2 or EP3 on their own too.

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For everything video, including riding videos, bike checks and more, subscribe over at youtube.com/downtimemountainbikepodcast.

Are you enjoying the podcast? If so, then don’t forget to follow it. Episodes will get delivered to your device as soon as it’s available and it’s totally free. You’ll find all the links you need at downtimepodcast.com/follow. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google and most of the podcast apps out there.

Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes

Photo – Dave Price