Weight training and cycling.



Hey there. I have been cycling and bodybuilding (both at the same time) for 30 years, so I believe I am uniquely qualified to answer your question. Simply put, it's not a matter of too much muscle or being to heavy to climb well. It's all about "strength to weight" ratio. In other words, if you weigh 220 and can squat 530 and another guy weighs 150 and can squat 375, then you both have the same S--T-W ratio (you can both squat 2 1/2 times your bodyweight). Bigger guys have a lot of power, but they don't always use it efficiently. You must learn how to use the proper gear on a climb. Chances are you won't be turning the cranks as fast as a "skinny minnie" would, and that's okay! Learn to use your upper body as well, which means to pull on the same side of the bar as your pushing with the pedal. Use that upper body! So, to review: 1. Get as lean as possible (forget about your bodyweight, focus on bodyfat). 2.Work on increasing your stregth overall, but especially in your legs, upper arms, upper/lower back. 3. Do A LOT of hill work and work on different techniques (seated, standing, slow and fast cadence). Good luck!-bikerray
 
I am a biker and a physiotherapist at diamondback mountain bike reviews and in my opinion cycling is enough for trimming down weight. You don't have to go to the gym anymore to lose weight. Riding and proper diet is enough to achieve and maintain your ideal weight.
 
Originally Posted by DeadLights .

Why can't we all just be 20 forever?

My back was even better yesterday, but my legs are still barking at me. How often should I be riding? I have been going ever day, but perhaps I need to let my legs have day or two off?

I know in weight training rest is required. In this type of exercise is it really needed to let your legs rest? Or can you beat the bike up as often as you want with no ill affect? I don't want to over train at the beginning and burn out.
Based on your speed on the flats, 14-17mph, you don't seem to have much power and you have some excess weight. For climbing you either need lower gears or more leg strength.

Exercises are good for strength building. Get on your bike and ride the same hill time after time. At the fastest repeat rate you can sustain for the climb. (Your hills seem to be rather short so a bit of experimenting should not take too long.)

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Pain is relative. I take 2 pain pills when I wake up, 2 when I start my ride, 2 when I get done, and 2 at bedtime. And I still hurt a lot. And I go out and bicycle everyday - weather permitting.

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For guys with your riding experience it is impossible to overtrain.
 
For you to gain muscle mass, you need time to let your muscles repair. This may mean that you need to get off the bike and stay out of the gym a few days out of the week. For me, when I work out my legs I am no where near being able to ride for at least two days afterwards. I workout 4 days a week. Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Fri. This means that for my body to recover and not have either cycling or working out interfere with the other I can only ride Mon- Thurs. Mondays are back day so I generally take it easy on a ride because my lower is tired from the morning and to ride tuesday, I need to relax a bit. If I don't get on the bike thursday, I am going to miss 4 days of riding unless I plan in advance to do a weekend ride and do not work out my legs that week. I have to eat every two ours (300cal roughly) or I will start loosing weight, and if it is a long ride I have to eat before, during, and after, and then again before bed plus I have to sleep in more than normal. This is all do able, but the only problem for me is that muscular build, low fat equals no cycling tops fit right.

ALSO, YOU MAY BENEFIT FROM THIS.
FOR LEG WORKOUTS ORIENTED MORE TOWARDS CYCLING, TRY TIMED EXERCISES. THIS MEANS WITH SQUATS FOR EXAMPLE, START WITH WEIGHT THAT YOU CAN GET AT LEAST 20 REPS WITH, AND THEN GET A TIMER AND SET IT TO 1 MINUTE. DO AS MANY AS YOU CAN IN THAT TIME AND EACH WEEK YOU ADD THIRTY SECONDS. ONCE YOU GET TO 4 MINUTES ADD TWENTY LBS AND START BACK AT 1 MINUTE. THIS WILL BE THE FIRST EXERCISE OF YOUR WORK OUT. NEXT WILL BE THREE DROP SETS OF LEG EXTENSIONS, THEN 3 SETS 20 REPS OF LEG PRESS. THEN 3 DROP SETS OF LEG CURLS, THEN SINGLE LEG HIGH FEET LEG PRESS 3 SETS OF 20, THEN WEIGHTED BRIDGES, SHOULDERS ON A BENCH WIDE FEET. THEN FINISH WITH CALVES.
 
Originally Posted by Ecdycis .

For you to gain muscle mass, you need time to let your muscles repair.
A lot of people say that, but

A lot of people here think everyone has enough muscle mass to put out 1000w. No need to build muscle mass.

40 miles a week (20 miles twice) at the effort that the OP is doing is not going to cause more damage than can be repaired overnight.
 
Originally Posted by An old Guy .



A lot of people say that, but

A lot of people here think everyone has enough muscle mass to put out 1000w. No need to build muscle mass.

40 miles a week (20 miles twice) at the effort that the OP is doing is not going to cause more damage than can be repaired overnight.
I can put out 1000 watts but I am licensed radio operator.
 
Originally Posted by An old Guy .


Pain is relative. I take 2 pain pills when I wake up, 2 when I start my ride, 2 when I get done, and 2 at bedtime. And I still hurt a lot. And I go out and bicycle everyday - weather permitting.

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For guys with your riding experience it is impossible to overtrain.
AOG, that has to be one of your most ironic responses yet, and you've had some choice ones!
 
Originally Posted by dhk2 .


Quote: Originally Posted by An old Guy .


Pain is relative. I take 2 pain pills when I wake up, 2 when I start my ride, 2 when I get done, and 2 at bedtime. And I still hurt a lot. And I go out and bicycle everyday - weather permitting.

---

For guys with your riding experience it is impossible to overtrain.
AOG, that has to be one of your most ironic responses yet, and you've had some choice ones!


I believe his pain isn't caused directly by cycling.

I agree with AOG on the over training point. For the amount of cycling that most folks on this board do, overtraining isn't going to be an issue.
 
I don't think the OP's pain is caused by cycling. My pain is not caused by cycling - except that I was hit by a car while cycling and now my knees are not what they were. But it does not matter.

I deal with my pain. If I don't take pain pills, by the end of the day my knees are killing me - even on days where I am just standing up. By the next day all is good and I can start over. The pain pills don't help or agrivate the problem. They just make the day a bit more enjoyable. (I use over the counter pain pills. The real good pain pills I keep in a bottle at home.)

The OP has back pain. I expect he will find a way to deal with the pain.
 
As an update. My back has been fine for several weeks.

One day it just stopped hurting. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/icon14.gif
 
Pain pills are a poor excuse. Just masking the symptoms. You would be healthier to stay off all the docotor precribed pain meds. I broke 3 ribs racing, seperated my shoulder took no pain pills. They screw up your liver kidneys and metabolism. The body was meant to heal naturally. The entire nation relies to much on drugs. Doctor prescribed or illegal still drugs.
 
Originally Posted by moto1 .

Pain pills are a poor excuse. Just masking the symptoms. You would be healthier to stay off all the docotor precribed pain meds.............
..... The body was meant to heal naturally. The entire nation relies to much on drugs. Doctor prescribed or illegal still drugs.

I believe that everyone should have a doctor they trust.... not just see a person that prescribes treatments. moto1 is correct we've [America has] become a nation of pill poppers. I would like more than just pills for America.... I demand more than just pills for myself.

I once had a doctor that thought I should treat my arthritis with a medication that has since been taken off the market because of the heart failures it caused. I had protested the "pain pill treatment" when he prescribed it... but he assured me that it was the proper way to treat the pain. I believe I would be dead today... if I had followed his advice... instead of finding a better doctor.

For some people and some ailments I am sure pain pills are the proper treatment! Not being a doctor myself... I have no idea who needs what drugs. I know that for me... pain pills aren't my first choice. A healthy and wholesome lifestyle that recognizes and benefits all dimension's of my being seems to work best for me.
 
AOG, that explains alot of why you post the way you do. I was like you for about a year or so. But like myself I can see you got a way to get pass the pain. It takes time and yo have the go through all the stages like loosing a loosing someone. I take OTC myself in the morning and at night. Considering what I had to take when the herniated discs were at their worse, this is nothing. I still have the heavy pills for the bad times.

As for those who believe that pain meds are only for the weak, you should not comment till you have walked a mile in their shoes. I had felt the same way till I have learned my lesson the hard way. No two people's pain is the same and to compare yourself to someone else is silly in the pain game.

AOG I give you credit as I know how hard it can be to continue to work out through the pain. I still know what it is like but to go from DL 300lbs, doing back to back centuries, to barely being able to walk a city block cause I tripped getting in a van, to now doing the Gran Fondo, it has been a long journey to say the least and while still a bit upset I am not as angry as I used to be. Keep up the cycling...

-js
 

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