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Cycling and weightlifting

6K views 51 replies 25 participants last post by  cyclebrarian 
#1 ·
Looking to get some other opinions. I have been cycling 20+ years, will be 42 this year and have started lifting the past 6 months. Being a true ectomorph I did this to beef up my upper body and get some lean mass.

I also did this to burn more calories and to also start eating clean so I could trim some belly fat and get some some six pack abs and improve my overall physique and strength.

I ride Sun, Tues & Thurs and lift Mon (chest/shoulders), Wed (bis/tris) & Fri (back/chest or arms). I also try to do some ab/core work every lift day as filler.

Any thoughts? I have no desire to race anymore. I just want to be fit and not look spindly up top.
 
#2 ·
If your goal is to have a more "balanced" overall figure, then nothing wrong with that.

Weightlifting never made me a better cyclist. Got to revisit that in a weight training class for a month. Since I couldn't just sit at the leg press or bike all class long, did end up gaining weight. Never been faster than normal, nor have I slowed down because of it. Leg presses did kinda bring me back up to speed because I was coming off weak in allergy season.

I do think some weight training is good for the non-competitive cyclist. You really have no absolute reason to compromise your upper body strength, although competitive cycling requires it to a degree.
 
#3 ·
If you want to be a balanced healthy athlete, you are on the right track. Cycling tends to produce anorexic athletes with some muscles in the legs. Try to enjoy whatever sport you practice and make sure to stay away from injury if possible (Read: warm up and stretching). I have been lifting some weights myself recently and over the past few months my body is looking much better, although I haven't lost weight, but I do seem to have lost some fat and gained muscle. After all, the goal of non-competitive sports is too feel better. Riding bikes is great, but so are other sports too.
 
#4 ·
You only need a few basic lift exercises to strong and look good.

1) squat: 5 sets of 10. If you're struggling with 5 reps then back way off on the weight.
2) deadlift: 5 sets of 10
3) pullup: 5 sets, reps will depend on your strength, but try for at least 10
4) pushup: 5 sets, reps will depend on your strength, but try 10-15

I do all of these exercises in one gym session. I like to do squats and pushups together, alternating sets in between. Then I hit the pullups, and usually I work in some calf-raises while resting. Then I hit the deadlifts. Sometimes I will do pullups and deadlifts together.. but keep in mind that deadlifts do work your arms.. so if you work them together, your pullup effort will suffer a bit. I can finish them all in under 1 hr easily, and then go out for an easy ride.

These 4 exercises will hit every major muscle group in your body that you care about when posing in front of the mirror ;). Do it at least 2 days/wk, 3 is even better, but no more than 3 is necessary.

You don't need all the fancy routines like bi/tri, chest/shoulder, lats, deltoid, blah blah, that the muscleheads like to talk about.

I'm assuming that you are not looking to get massive like them muscleheads, not looking to "bulk up". I'm assuming you just want to be strong and tone overall, and have a structually healthy body for a 42 y/o.
 
#14 ·
You only need a few basic lift exercises to strong and look good.

1) squat: 5 sets of 10. If you're struggling with 5 reps then back way off on the weight.
2) deadlift: 5 sets of 10
If you want to gain strength without adding weight, low reps with heavy weight is the way to go. 5 sets of 10 is endurance craziness. 3-4 sets of 3-5 is usually a recommended routine.

Also watch your diet. You can't put on weight (fat/muscle) if you're not overeating.
 
#5 ·
I train running, cycling and strength, and feel it's a great combination for overal fitness. It's even possible to get to a very good level with it.

What I really like in terms of strength is more crossfit-type trainings. Those are more intense than regular strength exercises. I bought some kettlebells for the purpose as well as using more traditional weights. The exercises burn a lot of calories and you will be sweating as never before, but the results are great. Lean, strong and functional muscles. Since several kettlebell exercises use primarily the glutes it also builds up strength suitable for cycling.
 
#6 ·
If your goal is to add muscle mass, I would say that cycling is sort of antiproductive to that goal. I would say just use cycling for transportation.

I know a few cyclist (one of them a fairly serious Cat 1) who gave up "serious riding" and mostly do crossfit type lifting.

The Cat 1 was hit by a car from the back (put him in the hospital for a while) which really changed his whole perspective on training for cycling. He got hard core into lifting and added about 15 pounds of muscle (from 155 to 170 pounds). He's ripped as hell and is really loving it, posting occasional pictures of his ripped physique. He might come back to cycling one day (since he's fairly young) but he's definitely enjoying being strong and attracting chicks.
 
#13 ·
It really depends on where your priorities are. If weight training is all about the looks then it would require full dedication and cycling would be no more than some cardio to help burn off body fat.

The OP seems to be more interested in general fitness and it is perfectly possible to build up some muscle mass. Look at Greipel, he's not exactly as skinny as Froome. A bit more emphasis on the upper body and you can get very functionally fit.
 
#8 ·
IMO, isolation lifts like bis/tris are a waste unless you just need to have killer guns. Do the prime mover groups (bench press, row, pull ups, row) and you'll gain all the functional strength you ever need with a decent amount of looking good as a bonus. Include squats/lunges/etc for a full body workout.
 
#9 ·
IMO, isolation lifts like bis/tris are a waste unless you just need to have killer guns. Do the prime mover groups (bench press, row, pull ups, row) and you'll gain all the functional strength you ever need with a decent amount of looking good as a bonus. Include squats/lunges/etc for a full body workout.
This is good advice. Working individual muscle groups is old school and a bit of a time vampire.

Two hard efforts a week of full body / functional moves is all you really need to compliment your cycling.

Personally, I super set or double-up all my resistance training moves. IE: one push and one pull, then rest. You get a harder workout done in less time, and tend to keep your heart rate elevated throughout your gym time.
 
#20 ·
Man, you are on the right track. Nothing wrong with adding in some additional exercises if you simply want to look a little more even. It was posted above that there are a few exercises that you can do to hit everything and have shorter workouts. I also agree that lifting won't make you a better cyclist. Sure it may give you a little more strength in your legs but I have never noticed much of an improvement.

None the less, I did the same thing a month or so ago. I took 2 months off the bike (rode all winter due to it being a mellow season out here on the east coast when I would normally be in the gym). I went from 185 to 198! I ate clean, a ton of calories and a very high protein level. I also drank close to a gallon of water a day! I did manage to stay on the bike but only once or twice a week and only for about 30-40 per ride. At the end of what I called a bulking cycle, I broke the bike back out and shifted my workout schedule around. I have now pretty much only been back in the gym once or twice a week and on the bike 3-5 days. I am now back down to 180 but look bigger than when I started. I guess that was actually the goal. Not going to lie, I was starting to out grow all my damn clothes (a financial factor that I did not account for!) so going back down in weight was a good thing! I feel better being back out on the bike now. Not that I am much faster but just enjoying it more than I remembered before lifting. Guess it is just a nice change of pace if you will.

I am dealing with some cramping now (just posted a thread about that) and have to wonder if it has anything to do with the extra muscle I have put on over the years of bouncing in and out of the gym or just age.

In any case, do what you enjoy and make sure you use good form over heavy weights. Don't let pride get ahold of you in the gym. Better to go a little lighter and get something out of it than to be put out of commission due to tearing a ligament or tendon.
 
#22 · (Edited)
I'm 40 and same body type as the OP. I spend a lot of time on my mountain bike and a fair bit of time on my road bike. I'm the first to admit I'm never gonna win a race - I just love riding my bikes. I find that weights a couple times a week really helps me with building lean muscle mass and has been a positive in my 'training'. ( not that I'm actually training for anything)
Perhaps not as applicable to the road but the increase in upper body and core has definitely made me a better mountain biker. Much more comfortable in the techy stuff and much better balance as I'm stronger.
I say do whatever feels right!
 
#24 ·
Heck yes - it's good you added some weight training! Especially for the over 40 crowd it can be important to produce testosterone and keep things in balance. Even if training for competitive cycling, most cycling coaches/training programs include weight lifting for the Masters athletes. Be it by reading Joe Friel, Dave Morris, following a plan from one of the Training Peaks plans available for purchase, or whatever - weights are part of the plan. More as maintenance during the cycling season, but through the traditional phases during the off season.
 
#25 ·
I don't get the "just ride your bike more and more and more" mentality that a lot of people seem to have, unless your a grand tour contender and want to win up the most ridiculous mountains on earth I think its important to have muscle mass and it will help your cycling at any level except the highest level.

Now I am not saying you should be a bodybuilder but generally speaking, having a chest, arms, shoulders and back that don't look like they will blow away in the wind is a good thing. Also if you crash that extra muscle will come in handy. Since most races are crits around the block and not up the stelvio, we will survive with some extra mass. I have been putting in a lot of miles and disintegrating lately, I think its time to hit the gym.
 
#26 ·
I think mainly because we are cyclists and we prefer cycling to lifting..

I used to lift. Was pretty into it at one point. My legs were always my strong suit so that trqnslated well as I have gotten into cycling.

I quit the gym but still mix in some core exercises, yoga and a ski machine. Should do more weights but maybe during the off season if I can bring myself too.
 
#34 ·
Haven't lifted for years--but this was my experience too BITD. Winter would be stationary bike, every second day at the gym doing a full circuit (weights plus pull-ups etc) alternating upper and lower body concentration on alternate days with the occasional run thrown in for good measure.

Spring would be breaking out the fixed gear bike and riding a fair number of miles with fairly low gears/high rpm, then switching to the road bike for some serious training. Any increase in bulk would seem to melt away, but I know that I ended up as a better competitor because of increased core/arm/shoulder strength.
 
#31 ·
#37 ·
More of what I'm talking about. Taking longer to find this stuff in print. Must have seen a lot of it in videos.

Salazar’s group is setting time aside for running specific strength training - often lifting heavy weights with limited repititons - to perfect their form.


Ever mindful of their mass, runners avoided weights fearing the possibility of bulking up. Salazar takes this fear head on and dismisses it. "It’s very hard to bulk up. I’ve never seen a single athlete of mine bulk up."

"Bulking up not only means lifting really hard but eating a ton, and it’s very hard to gain weight. Not even a single one of my athletes have gained 2lbs. The only one’s that have gained a little bit of weight have been the girls… because they haven’t been as muscularly toned… but it’s good functional muscle that actually allows them to compete better."
“Back going thirty years ago there was an old philosophy about strength training for distance runners. It was this idea of lightweights and lots of reps. And I really don’t believe in that. When do something like that, at some point there’s no stimulus or further growth. At some point if you’re just doing lots of reps and light weights, you’re going to maintain where you are at but you’re not going grow,” he says.


To make it to the next level, strength training is a must | Outdoor Track and Field on Flotrack 2013 - Flotrack
 
#47 ·
Some of this advice... Anyone who really deadlifts usually cant do more than one real set per week. Cycling and lifting are a bit at odds with each other. A 40-something ectomorth cyclist is never going to get huge unless he is genetically gifted.

OP, checkout Beyond Brawn. Two days per week, one hour each day max on the big muscle exercises (squats, deadlifts, presses, pullups, etc) is plenty. Two to three sets is enough. Some of the Bill Pearl inspired routines (Google it) are also interesting. The science behind all this stuff is really sketchy.
 
#52 ·
I need to start doing some upper body work myself and have no excuse since there's a fitness center 2 minutes away in our apartment complex. I've been doing some core ab work the last few months and can tell a difference (even though I don't have six pack abs or anything resembling it).
 
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