Am i biking enough?

[United24]

Ok, i'm 6'5, 27 y/o, about 260 at the moment...just really getting into cycling, had a bike for a few years but this year i'm sticking with it, i have a trek 1500...had a rough patch and finally getting my life back in order, was about 280 @ the end of December. I'm eating right(loose low carb plan, very little for carbs, very little processed food, not eating after 7 PM and drinking about 128 oz of water per day) and sticking to my exercise plan w/ very few setbacks...my goal is about 190 or so. I was 180 all through HS. My overall goals are to lose weight and start playing soccer again spring of 2011.

So my first week back i did five 8 mile rides(3 On, 1 off, 2 on, 1 off), avg about 4:30 a mile over that time period.

Last two weeks i did Mon/Tues/Weds 10 miles @ about 14-15 MPH...1 day rest, and a 15 mile on friday and saturday which takes me about and hour and 20 minutes or so...rest on sunday. Repeat. I'm also jogging 2 miles and walking 2 miles back on my off days. So 60 miles of cycling per week...and 8 miles of walking/jogging.

Is this a good amount? Is my schedule of 3 ON, 1 off, 2 on 1 off good? Any other tips/pointers to help me shed the weight quicker?, Like i said i'm new to the whole "biking for fitness" idea.

What is a good target distance for miles per week?


Any help would be great, thanks!

 

[jagonz456]

check out MapMyRide.com you can track your miles there and set goals. Its a cool website. I think its a good idea for you to sign up for charity rides or maybe find a bike club around your town. Keep up the good work.

 

[TheMadOne]

I was 6' 1" and 280 lbs at the beginnning of 2009, and lost 50 lbs last year on a low-carb, ketogenic diet. Now I'm down to around 220, and was riding 200 mi/week in the fall, after completing my first century, if that's any thin-spiration for you. I'm seroiusly training for a double century next month, so I've switched to a cyclical ketogenic diet, where I carb up on the weekends for the hard rides. What I've found is that I can ride all day while in ketosis, and even keep up with the B riders, but I need the carbs to match the intensity of the AA riders on the hills.

What I'd suggest is do what you can for now, and don't worry if it's enough. Be patient--you didn't gain the weight all at once, and you won't lose it all at once either. Just keep at it, and remember that in the long run, "the trend is your friend!"

I would try to find a bike club to ride with at least on the weekends, because that will probably help you ride more, and should also push you to ride with a little more intensity (just ramp up gradually). If you want to stick to the low carb thing, you'll just have to ignore it when they suck on Gu gels, and stop at the bagle shop for a carb fest. Bring some nuts to snack on, and go with egg salad at the break.

You may also want to hit the gym as well. You can ride a stationary bike when the weather is ****--you can do intervals and work on your form, which is tough on the road. I also like to cross-train on the rowing machine; that works the upper body, which is neglected on the bike. And big guys like us definitely need to work on core strength to support out upper bodies on long rides. I started seeing a personal trainer 1/2 hour per week just to help round things out.

 

[Wlfdg]

Unless you like the skinny-fat look I would suggest a serious basic weight training program. Don't waste your time with a split body part routine. They are for bodybuilders using drugs. Basic compound lifts are in order, ie. squat, deadlift, power cleans, bench press.

 

[TheMadOne]

P.S. One other suggestion I would offer is to set a fitness goal, not a weight goal. My fitness goal is to do a double century without lights this year. You should find something that is a "stretch goal" -- something that is possible, but not easy. For example you could set a distance goal, or a pace goal, such as doing a 25mi/40km time trial in a given time.

There are many reasons for this. First, weight is only a proxy. You do not literally want to lose weight--you could do that by cutting off both legs. You could also do it by losing muscle rather than fat, which is not what you really want. Weight loss is a fickle thing. It is easy at first, then gets harder. You have plateaus and setbacks. You may actually gain weight if you are increasing muscle mass, which is a good thing.

But fitness is much more consistent. If you train regularly and rest adequately, you will get progressively stronger. You can measure this by constantly advancing your personal bests toward your goal. As long as you stick to your new habit of eating properly and avoiding the junk, the weight will take care of itself. And you will know if you are heading in the right direction by monitoring your belt holes.