Cutting weight for the Nedbank Gravel Burn is only half the fight. The other half is not losing the strength to survive it.

Five weeks ago, Dave couldn't activate some of his own muscles. He didn't know where his body was in space. Now, deep into an 8-week calorie deficit ahead of a 750km gravel stage race across South Africa's Great Karoo, he heads to a biokineticist in Westlake, Cape Town, to build the functional strength his cycling alone can't give him — the kind that keeps a rider upright, pain-free, and strong on day six of seven. It's not about looking strong. It's about not falling apart.

What is a biokineticist?

An exercise-therapy professional who uses movement science to build strength, stability, and resilience — often used by cyclists and endurance athletes to complement on-bike training.

Why does strength training matter for a gravel stage race?

A seven-day event like the Nedbank Gravel Burn demands more than fitness — riders need the core, glute, and postural strength to hold form and avoid injury deep into repeated long days on rough terrain.

# === CHAPTERS ===================================

0:00 — The Weight Cut Wasn't Enough

1:55 — Why Cycling Fitness Isn't the Whole Picture

2:39 — Meeting the Biokineticist Building Him From the Ground Up

3:38 — Cycling First, Strength Second — Or the Other Way Around?

5:23 — Five Weeks In: The Body Awareness Turnaround

6:41 — Training That Complements, Not Competes With, the Bike

9:47 — Protecting Muscle While the Weight Comes Off

10:27 — Next Stop: Fuelling the Fight

# === LISTEN ON THE GO ===========================

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GselFmeym7YgYXtcyPUXU

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/active-hobo/id1846864699