Simone@Italy said:why doing spin-bike before weight training? I've always heard that the reverse is better ... ok ok, I'll guess that this is another myth that some of you is going to destroy in a few post 🙂
In general what you say is true in certain circles.
If I were still competing in bodybuilding I would put it first and it would always be first because that is the primary goal. For many bodybuilders and those in other strength related activities cardio is often thought of as a necessary evil and by many "hard gainers" like myself tried to keep cardio only to precontest training so that the bulk of the season the focus would primarily be on training with weights and off season nutrition levels. Therefore, cardio takes second place. It would also be smart to arrange it in that order for someone who is generally doing a fitness lifestyle, although, some light cardio happens to be a good warm up for training with weights as one gets older and the joints get a bit "creaky" like mine.
In my case I am leaning more to cycling these later days so it is becoming my primary goal. If I am going to expend a lot of energy in progressive training I want the focus to be for cycling and the remaining amount of energy in that session to go toward the weights. That is why I say that most people with jobs and families only have "x" amount of time per day and can only fit in "x" amount of training per day/week. The body can only handle "x" amount of training stree and external stresses, such as, work and recover in a natural state.
At this point one needs to examine their goals, their genetics, their timeline, their daily stress load and determine a plan of attack. My genetics lean toward ectomorph/mesomorph. I can gain muscle fairly easy and that is why I was a nationally qualified bodybuilder at one time. Though I still love training with weights, I am challenged in my new interest in cycling and being that I like challenges I want to see if I can take my body to the same limits of training and recovery as I did back in the day when I used drugs. This is a personal experiment to see what my body is capable of doing.
On one hand I believe in certain rules of physiology, but on the curiosity side I want to test some of those theories and see if I can break them in a natural sense. So far the rules of physiology are applicable in my case. My body can only handle so much load, but I am testing that load everyday within the limits of time available. That is why I stearnly believe in the rules that in a natural sense most people can only handle so much stress per day. Those who choose not look at in a natural sense can handle more stress per day and have the advantage by being able to train harder (not easier like the general public assumes).
Because I have increased my focus in cycling since 2006 I have made a huge jump in endurance, but have decreased in strength. Some of the strength loss is also a result of other factors like structural capacity. Even if I were to forget cycling and go back to a primary focus on weights I can no longer handle the loads that I once used. I have problems with my lower back and I have had a lot of issues for some reason with micro tears in my quads or tearing of the fascia everytime I go above a 315 lb squat. My weight training style has changed from a psuedo powerlifting style to more of the traditional bodybuilding style of weight training with lighter weights, moderate volume and less rest between sets.
My current status:
Endurance: increased significantly
Explosive Strength: decreased
Body Composition: lean muscle is maintained, but perhaps a small drop because my genetics respond better to training with heavier weight and more rest. Fat levels are dropping, but I am regulating this (calories +/-) to not drop it too fast so that performance both in endurance and strength are maintained as best possible under the stress load.
In summary I am interested in training, nutrition and physiology and like to test theories on myself. Not to write scientific documents or to boast my findings because my study about myself is meaningless for any official scientific documentation, but that I will have a better understanding about myself and what I am capable of achieving. For example after retiring from bodybuilding competition I was curious if I could achieve the same strength level doing squats in a natural state compared to the days when I was using steroids. I not only matched the strength level I blew it out of the water, but my training was completely different, my maturity and knowledge base was significantly improved and I had become more in tune with what my body could handle in a daily training load. It took a longer training periodization but, increased training and nutrition knowledge and efficiency excelled in this case over chemicals and insane training levels.
As Urikola knows there can be increased performance for even the most veteran competitor by increased knowledge and the use of that knowledge to shape an efficient training program. I came to this website to gain more knowledge by those like Coogan, Alex, ric, Frenchy, Dave and a few others who have been gracious to share that knowledge base with many of us. Training with weight I am a wiley veteran, but in cycling I am a newbie that is trying to soak up as much as I can and apply the best I can within my daily limitations, my genetics and my goals.
🙂
