weightlifting and keeping cycling fitness

Paco Rodriguez

I have invested in a barbell and dumbell and bench as I want to put a bit of muscle on my upper body, my ideal goal would be to as muscular as a pro footballer.
Cycling is my best sport, and i have little visible muscles in my upper body. If i bulk up a bit can I expect it to hinder my cycling ability?

I have heard that is better to leave the strength training until winter, but im raring to get into it. Is it any benefit to do some weights, while also trying to improve my cycling/hiking/running?

Dubba

I'm not sure if lifting weights will benefit a cyclist but to put on a fair bit of muscle would take years of lifting heavy weights consistently while eating loads, so i wouldn't worry about it hindering you. Also its good to have a balance of strong upper and lower body imo.

thebouldwhacker

Someone here once said that arms are only to stop your chin hitting off the handlebar. For cycling lighter is better, the only muscles you 'need' are legs and lower back.

ie



sorry wrong one

This is a picture of the Danish bike rider Michael Rasmussen. For those of you that don't know Michael, he was the yellow jersey wearer/leader in the 2007 Tour de France

mfdc

Dubba wrote:

I'm not sure if lifting weights will benefit a cyclist but to put on a fair bit of muscle would take years of lifting heavy weights consistently while eating loads, so i wouldn't worry about it hindering you.

If you're training and eating right it doesn't take that long to get some good musculature going, definitely not a case of years.

Lower weight is preferable for cycling, but it's not critical and I'd say that goes double at amatuer level. If you're just doing sportives and stuff, a few extra kilo of muscle won't hurt. Also it depends on what you're going for - even among the pros they're not all super skinny. Rasmussen was like a twig yeah, but there's also dudes like Hushovd and Cancellara who don't look like they're straight out of Auschwitz and they have their niches...!

Having said all that though, I don't think weightlifting will help your cycling much. I do it cos I was doing it before I took up the bike, and it doesn't make me any faster than a mate who took up cycling at the same time who doesn't lift. I might have slightly quicker acceleration, but thats about it. I'll outsquat him any day of the week though

fat bloke

One big aesthetic advantage is that, if you're doing a lot of cycling your body fat percentage should be comparatively low, so any muscular gains you make will be easier to see in terms of definition etc.

Weights work is a fantastic addition to any sport. Always makes me chortle when I hear the line: "I don't want to end up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger". Like it was that easy to bulk up. :rolleyes:.

Paco Rodriguez

I should mention, what I mean by keeping up my cycling fitness, is by just doing long distance for touring. I dont race or anything.
If i do a 14 day cycle tour, with an average of 150km per day that would be my highest goal for cycling.

I want to get into rock climbing next year and want some upper body strength for that, and also for image purposes.

Lumen

"pride...is considered the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins"

That and slowness. Two birds with one stone!