It’s true that no two champions are alike. But if there was one common ingredient that every national champion shares, it would be a higher than usual level of confidence. And not just confidence in themselves, but in every aspect of their program; from the bike they’re riding to the gear they’re wearing and of course to their training program and nutrition that helps keep them competitive. And if there was one man who knows a thing about training champions, it would be Cory Worf. 

Over the years the North Carolina based Worf has been the corner-man for a variety of great riders including Sebastian Tortelli, Buddy Antunez, Jimmy Button, Ernesto Fonseca and Justin Bogle. But above them all are the two champions of unrivaled success that he works with now: 7-time national AMA Supercross champion Jeremy McGrath and 4-time AMA Arenacross champion Kyle Peters. As Cory admits, “Proper nutrition is huge,” and with both McGrath and Peters, Cory relies on the full complement of ARMA products to help keep them hydrated and focused. 

From Pedals to Throttles

Cory’s evolution to being a top motocross trainer began in the early-90s when he was working as trainer and masseuse for some privateer mountain bike racers. In 1995 the Schwinn/Toyota team hired him on, before he eventually moved to the Yeti Cycles team. It was here that he met downhill racer Randy “RL” Lawrence who himself would later take the job as a mechanic for Jeremy McGrath. “Yeah, one day I picked up the phone and it was Jeremy asking me to move to California to start helping him. I was thrilled to get the call but told him I’d have to pass until the mountain bike season was over!”  

With the mountain bike season finally in his rear-view mirror, Cory moved to California in 1998 where he took up alongside the King of Supercross. “I basically took what I’d been doing with the mountain bike athletes and transitioned it into motocross. Back then none of the trainers were living with the athletes. I would go to the track and gym and then be at his house cooking for him. In addition to the all the training, I spent a lot of time just talking with Jeremy. People would often ask me what made him so much better than all the others and I would have to say it was never about his fitness. Jeremy was just that good of a rider and he would fight to the death to prove it! Jeremy knew he was the #1 guy and when you have that mindset you don’t want anyone to beat you. It’s that mindset that makes the difference and it’s not something you can train into a rider.” 

Years after working with McGrath, Cory began working with another legend in the making, 4-time AMA Arenacross champion Kyle Peters which included the hard months in 2022 getting back to his winning ways following the serious injury he suffered in a Supercross race. “I had worked with Jimmy Button when he got hurt and so I’d become well-versed in the study of spinal injuries. I would be with Jimmy doing rehab eight hours a day, I’d brush his teeth and help with everything needed to get him moving again. 

“Honestly, Kyle was no different from Jeremy in that he had this incredible drive and determination to not just race again, but to win again. He’d make the two-hour drive (each way) to train with me three or four times a week to work on his strength and mobility. Racing was a gift to Kyle and after his injury he thought it would be taken away. He came back because he wanted it and he felt it!”

The Winning Ingredients

As a trainer and coach, the contents of Cory’s toolbox for success takes many forms. “Obviously, there’s no taking away from the importance of natural talent. But after that it comes down to having the proper balance of some key tools. Fitness is important, but fitness really just boils down to mathematics – it’s just made to sound difficult! As a trainer, knowing my athlete is key and they need to be physically balanced and mentally sound. In fact, I’d say that 90% of it all is mental – they need to tell themselves “I can do it” – and that’s something you can’t train into a rider. You need to trust yourself without any second guessing on the decisions you’ve made. That kind of confidence is key, and from everything I’ve witnessed with champions like Kyle and Jeremy, their knowing that they’ve done the work is what helps provide that winning confidence.”

Part of Cory’s program with both Kyle and Jeremy includes ample use of ARMA products. “No matter what we might be doing, we’re always using HYDR8 all day and every day. Blitz helps them fight muscle fatigue. Most people can’t comprehend the kind of quick thinking that is required when racing either Supercross or Arenacross. These guys have to be thinking at least three steps ahead of anyone else and that’s where the Fire formula plays a role. For either race days or when we’re doing sprint intervals, we’ll be using Fire that has the added boost.

“At the end of the day Kyle would rely on the Reload mix for both the added protein replenishment it provides as well as how it aids in fighting inflammation. All that extra protein was important for Kyle’s career and return to racing. The thing I like most about ARMA is that unlike many other nutritional products out there, it’s well-balanced and clean. And by clean, I mean it doesn’t have all the artificial fillers. ARMA products are also one of the few that are certified with no colors or ingredients with names you can’t pronounce! It’s good nutrition like this that helps fill in the gaps because all the pro riders and bikes are so evenly matched these days, if just one part of any riders’ program brings a 1% improvement, that can make the all the difference.” 

“The bottom line,” Cory adds is that “The riders have to trust their bike, their training program, and their nutrition as much as anything. They can’t just rely on having a better bike, it takes confidence in their whole program to get through an entire season.”