Weights and cycling

LG1234 · 15-07-2014 1:22pm #1

I've been doing stronglifts now for the last 7 months and made good strength gains. My original goal was just to get big, and I did, but I never got rid of the small belly I have. As I was bulking this never really bothered me as I was making good strength gains.

I now have to cycle to work from now on. I'm talking 9 miles each way. There's no way I'll be able to cycle 18 miles a day five days a week and then do heavy squats and deadlifts when I get home (I've tried, my legs are just to tired after the cycle).

As I said at first my aim was to get big. Now I would like to lose the fat on my body and get ripped while keeping the muscles I've built.

Should I keep doing weights with my upper body and leave the legs for cycling only?

wolfeye · 15-07-2014 1:39pm

If the gym is open early in the morning ,go to it on leg days before you cycle to work or train your legs on the days you dont cycle.
Or if that's not still possible ,use the leg extension machine,leg curl machine ,add some lunges and calf raises.
That's what i'd do.
After a few weeks your legs will start to adapt to the cycling and they wont be as tierd.

atilladehun · 15-07-2014 1:53pm

don't cycle as fast as you can.

guile4582 · 15-07-2014 2:10pm

i am doing german body comp program and hit the gym early in the morning before work. cycle to and from work (about 10km in total a day) and throw a run in after the evening cycle too or 40mins on a stepper.

had a similar problem to you, but now with the right diet, i am adding and keeping some decent muscle but attaining some leanness in the areas i want, e.g. belly!

I must stress I have really taken my diet seriously for the first time since i started training 6 years ago and think it plays a massive part in these results.

LG1234 · 15-07-2014 2:29pm

I don't actually go the gym, I do all my weight work at home. I've to be in work for 8am and cant get up earlier to do weights.

I'll have to adjust my diet as well as my plan will be different now, but I want to figure out what I should do first

Doug Cartel · 15-07-2014 2:33pm

One option is that you could switch to a program that only has you squatting once a week.

A second is that you could take a week or two to work on squatting with really good form and not worry about going heavy. By then you might be more used to the cycling and it won't affect your training so much.

It could also be that it's just time for you to move on from starting strength.

conzy · 15-07-2014 3:36pm

I would also eat the cals you are "spending" on cycling. It could just mean an extra glass of milk / bowl of oats on weekdays

LG1234 · 15-07-2014 10:00pm

Im going to cycle and then concentrate on upper body only when I'm home. After a few weeks when my legs have adapted Ill try do the full starting strength again.

Zillah · 16-07-2014 4:50pm

atilladehun wrote: »

don't cycle as fast as you can.

Can we restrict ourselves to making realistic recommendations, please?

:pac:

BenEadir · 18-07-2014 9:12am

LG1234 wrote: »

I now have to cycle to work from now on. I'm talking 9 miles each way. There's no way I'll be able to cycle 18 miles a day five days a week

If 18 miles a day takes you 1.5 hours in total and you're 95KG you'll be burning 1140 calories a day which will help with losing the belly!!

Check out http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/cycling-calories-burned-calculator

Ben

guile4582 · 18-07-2014 9:19am

BenThere wrote: »

If 18 miles a day takes you 1.5 hours in total and you're 95KG you'll be burning 1140 calories a day which will help with losing the belly!!

Check out http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/cycling-calories-burned-calculator

Ben

don't you plateau though? as in you get so used to cycling that it is not as effective due to muscle memory etc? so you wouldnt burn that many calories every day?

BenEadir · 18-07-2014 9:55am

guile4582 wrote: »

don't you plateau though? as in you get so used to cycling that it is not as effective due to muscle memory etc? so you wouldnt burn that many calories every day?

Plateu'ing is beyond my pay grade I'm afraid. You may get fitter and feel like it takes less effort to go from A to B but ultimately it still takes X amount of energy to move 95KG 18 miles and you're the only engine so whether you are feeling the strain or not you're still producing that much energy and (if my amateur theory holds water) still burning that many calories.* The only reduction in calorie burn I'd anticipate would be if as a result of getting fitter you lose some weight then you are transporting (for example) 90KG the 18 miles in which case you'd only burn 1,080 calories.

* The above could be a complete load of tosh though!!

Ben

Weights and cycling

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