Bicycling and Lifting

[The_Warhammer]

Hey all, some of you know I'm a big bicyclist during the summer months. I started lifting in Nov and love it. My question is if the two can be done w/o one negatively impacting the other? Are they mutually exclusive? Bicycling = almost pure cardio, Lifting = the polar opposite.

I've made some gains since Nov in the muscle dept, but I don't want to lose that now that biking season is starting back up.

Is anyone else into both? What were your experiences? Thanks in advance.

[LyingSac]

Originally Posted by The_Warhammer

Hey all, some of you know I'm a big bicyclist during the summer months. I started lifting in Nov and love it. My question is if the two can be done w/o one negatively impacting the other? Are they mutually exclusive? Bicycling = almost pure cardio, Lifting = the polar opposite.

I've made some gains since Nov in the muscle dept, but I don't want to lose that now that biking season is starting back up.

Is anyone else into both? What were your experiences? Thanks in advance.

damn Hamma how far do you cycle?....I have a goal of competing and finishing a (mini) triathlon.I just want to finish.They usually run 4 miles,bike 18 miles,swim 1/2-mile.I've been training after lifting but i probably don't ride as far as you do.I've been averaging 7miles a day and lifting no problem for my crippled ass.

[thepainter5]

I believe that if you plan to ride serious miles you need to change the way you consume food while riding.
When I see the Lance Armstrong type of cycling body, I want to tell him to eat more. If you are going to do that amount of cycling, you will need way more calories during the long rides, as well as the nutrients required to prevent muscle breakdown. I like to ride/run and I treat each run/ride as a workout itself which means twice the creatine/glutimine/bcaa's and extra protein.
With that in mind I believe it is possible, unless you want to get to the Tour de France where extra body weight is bad.

[Minotaur]

Originally Posted by thepainter5

When I see the Lance Armstrong type of cycling body, I want to tell him to eat more.

I'll bet when people see me on the bike they want to tell me to eat less.

[MtnBikeMike]

I can't say that I lost any muscle mass over the months when I ride but I have lost significant amounts of strength. Its hard to serve two masters.

My summer weight training consists mostly of hi rep super sets and diet is the key. I lost weight each of the last two summers but that was the goal.

I like this on long rides. I take two bottles with me. One water and one Gatorade with a scoop of ON whey. Lots of Glutamine and BCAAs.

[bubba g]

I limit most of my rides to one hour. If I go on a longer ride, I bring lots of food with me so my body has plenty of fuel to burn.

[thepainter5]

Originally Posted by Minotaur

I'll bet when people see me on the bike they want to tell me to eat less.

Or, ride more. LOL

We all have different goals and the people looking at us are usually the first to tell us what to do, even if they themselves do nothing.

[cast iron shore]

I know everyone's metabolism is different, but mine doesn't want me to lift and ride. I don't do short easy rides, but no matter how much I eat and how effectively I weight train, if I ride I lose weight.

[partsRheavy]

Absolutely. Food = necessity for rides longer than 1 hour.

Bike isn't out of storage yet, but I've seen 3 riders in the past 2 days!

Originally Posted by bubba g

I limit most of my rides to one hour. If I go on a longer ride, I bring lots of food with me so my body has plenty of fuel to burn.

[Xtcme]

Originally Posted by partsRheavy

Absolutely. Food = necessity for rides longer than 1 hour.

Bike isn't out of storage yet, but I've seen 3 riders in the past 2 days!

If you ride like me, You will lose most of your weight and muscle by summers end. I have given up bikeing for at leat 2 years. I go hard and long( giggity) and lose a lot of weight biking!!

[EMISGOD]

Originally Posted by The_Warhammer

Hey all, some of you know I'm a big bicyclist during the summer months. I started lifting in Nov and love it. My question is if the two can be done w/o one negatively impacting the other? Are they mutually exclusive? Bicycling = almost pure cardio, Lifting = the polar opposite.

I've made some gains since Nov in the muscle dept, but I don't want to lose that now that biking season is starting back up.

Is anyone else into both? What were your experiences? Thanks in advance.

I attempted to train for a bike race last year while keeping in the gym as well as a great deal of other stuff, but wound up having to drop it. It's a matter of rhythm. If you're not training for a race, then you should be able to limit or nullify the inherent conflict. For instance, I tried to ride to and from the gym when I could as well as tried to fit the bike in mainly for Cardio and sometimes for transportation.

I used either XF Ice preloaded before a ride or Purple Wraath during and didn't run into anything I would consider a problem, considering it was a new bike (which meant I was trying to dial it in for months as well as running into problems with trying to take slicks on trails that destroyed tires -- eventually, I got it) and I had not ridden one at all for about 2 decades...I will be trying Champion's Revenge at some point this year, but probably not starting for at least another month, maybe longer...

[Tyrbolift]

Originally Posted by The_Warhammer

Hey all, some of you know I'm a big bicyclist during the summer months. I started lifting in Nov and love it. My question is if the two can be done w/o one negatively impacting the other? Are they mutually exclusive? Bicycling = almost pure cardio, Lifting = the polar opposite.

I've made some gains since Nov in the muscle dept, but I don't want to lose that now that biking season is starting back up.

Is anyone else into both? What were your experiences? Thanks in advance.

Been into both many years. The biggest adjustment I had to make was my riding had to be timed around my lifting split. i can't ride the day before much pressing because the riding uses too much tris and chest holding myself up. However, it's great for after benching, that day or the day after.

Also can't ride right before a leg workout, for obvious reasons. In fact, the way I ride, with high gears and slow cadence, it substitutes for the leg workout many times.

No problems with losing muscle mass, as stated above, just make sure you have something in the tank before and after each ride. One of my greatest pleasures is showing up for organized bike events (centuries, 100 k's) and picking up people's attitudes and overhearing some of their comments that I am too bulky to be any good at riding. But then, they are surprised that I can keep up with them, and don't like it if I pass them. However, my style is different than theirs. I am slower uphill, but faster downhill and on flats just slightly faster. So many rides it is a seesaw. They get ahead of me going steep uphill, but then we trade places if there's a good downhill or long flat.

[Minotaur]

Originally Posted by thepainter5

Or, ride more. LOL

We all have different goals and the people looking at us are usually the first to tell us what to do, even if they themselves do nothing.

Of course I keed. I'm not a roadie. Mountain biker, whether single track and semi-technical and hair-raising, or cinder trail with some ups and downs. I like the cinder trails for the nightly rides. The single-track for the weekends.

[thepainter5]

Originally Posted by Minotaur

Of course I keed. I'm not a roadie. Mountain biker, whether single track and semi-technical and hair-raising, or cinder trail with some ups and downs. I like the cinder trails for the nightly rides. The single-track for the weekends.

I am the opposite as I fell in love with the speed of road riding and racing traffic.
I tried mountain biking once only to discover that I am a bit too crazy to try flying down a mountain trail at breakneck speed. I have already had 1 broken neck, so to be safe now I just weave in and out of traffic.

[MtnBikeMike]

Originally Posted by thepainter5

I am the opposite as I fell in love with the speed of road riding and racing traffic.
I tried mountain biking once only to discover that I am a bit too crazy to try flying down a mountain trail at breakneck speed. I have already had 1 broken neck, so to be safe now I just weave in and out of traffic.

LOL......I just got a road bike last year. The roadies all make fun of how I ride. Road riding is all about pace and control you don't just hammer until you have to stop. On a side note I got hit twice on the road bike both hit and runs both women in minivans.

I tell people I am only afraid of two things when I ride, Pit Bulls and women in minivans I've been attacked by both.

[The_Warhammer]

Originally Posted by LyingSac

damn Hamma how far do you cycle?....I have a goal of competing and finishing a (mini) triathlon.I just want to finish.They usually run 4 miles,bike 18 miles,swim 1/2-mile.I've been training after lifting but i probably don't ride as far as you do.I've been averaging 7miles a day and lifting no problem for my crippled ass.

Thanks man!!! Good to be back!!!! It's amazing how much support there is on these boards.

As for riding distances. My typical ride is 30-40 mile at a time. I'll do an occassional 50-60 and at least one 100mi a season. My goal each year is a charity ride for Children's Hospital where it's 157mi in 3 days over 4 mountain passes over 10K feet each. Last year, I did an optional loop that took me to almost 180mi over the 3 days.

Typically I'll do the Gatorade route, but I'm thinking I need to add more protein mid ride. At the beginning of the season, I'll get DOMS mid ride. I think that's from improper nutrition and just being out of the saddle. I don't want to do that again this year.

[Minotaur]

Originally Posted by thepainter5

so to be safe now I just weave in and out of traffic.

I take the mtb on the road sometimes. Now that's hair-raising, since it's slow and heavy and everyone is in a hurry. I used to ride a roadie.

I think we all have our own versions of a death-wish.

[Whiskeyjack]

I lose weight fairly dramatically when I ride, which is most of the summer. I love it, too. Like some of the other posters, I suggest that you eat bigger during the cycling season. Also clarify your goals; if you're trying to gain muscle mass, then a triathalon may not be the best route, but moderate biking should be fine.

[fulgoreXC]

Cycling and bodybuilding are definitely polar opposites, you can't really make gains in one without compromising the other. Though cycling is a great way to get your HIIT cardio in if your trying to get ripped. On the other hand, lifting is great for putting on muscle mass and preventing fat gain during the winter.

I use the winter off/pre season to put on the muscle mass I lose throughout the race season.

As for "on the bike fueling"... Try adding protein when you're going to be out for longer than 90 mins. My training rides last between 2 to 6 hours, after the first hour I start taking in protein. Generally a 7:1 ratio (carb grams to protein grams). You may have to experiment to find what works. Your carb intake should be at least 50 grams per hour. That will keep your engine firing. Then when you get off the bike replace 70% of the expended calories within the first 90 mins, with a 3:1 (c to p) meal.

Also, try to avoid "convenience store" energy drinks, i.e. Gatorade, Powerade, bag-of-sugar-ade, etc... They're pretty much just colored sugar water with sodium added. Stop by your local bike shop for a better choice. I use Hammer Nutrition products exclusively and rarely have any problems. After 7 hours 30mins in a 70 mile mountain bike race I was able to sprint for a 5th place finish. It all comes down to proper fueling.

can't wait till spring...