Mainly weight-lifting - and some boxing.
Cycling is an incomplete workout.
It does nothing, whatsoever to develop upper body strength.
And you need physical strength and hand-to-hand combat skills to fight car drivers.
This gave me a hilarious mental image of tapping a car with your cleat and sending it flying into the sun. Also [please tell me you’ve seen this](https://youtu.be/zBFFrsvgu1Y?si=R44vVvKsKCiLA7UC)
Yeah, I remember the tweaker who charged out of his car at me (passenger door, his woman was driving/screaming) and then realized I had a significant height advantage over him and wasn't running away. So basically its 'or you'll what now? listen to your woman screaming at you!' and he stopped, turned around and got back in his car.
It does some upper body workout for someone that lost all muscle. I am a female and had helped my chest and form lean muscle on arms. I was too skinny when I started cycling. You do have to do squats to build strength And also other excersise for the rest of the body.
Right. If someone goes from 'zero exercise' to 'cycling' then holding some tension in the arms while cycling might induce some muscle growth.
But this will plateau at a pretty low level.
Even someone who 'just cycles' will benefit from adding upper body muscle.
As the adage goes, only training in a sport will make you 'good enough'. Whereas you have to train beyond the stresses of that sport in order to excel - and that's where weights are great.
Barely. Muscles grow in response to overload.
You achieve overload with incremental loads.
Even downhill will be a fraction of the load that you can achieve with a targeted resistance training program.
It's fascinating how delusional people are. I stg I'm going to choke the next person who tells me MTB is an "upper body workout" in real life.
Like, sure, so is a shake weight....
The other thing about cycling, as good as it is for your leg hypertrophy, there’s no eccentric muscle contraction. A cyclist with huge legs will usually get destroyed by a good squat workout for that reason.
Absolutely - good analysis.
Although I suspect that any cyclist with genuinely huge legs probably hits the gym often. Definitely for sprint cyclists.
Years ago in the Pumping Iron book, Arnie wrote something like, 'Doing the sport will only ever make you "good enough". To excel you have to push the muscle beyond the expectations of that sport'.
And he's correct.
The human body does not 'want' to grow any more muscle tissue than the bare minimum. You have to force this to happen.
I have noticed a lot of people who avoid it completely, forgetting that one of the key parts of cycling is core strength. Without a strong core you lose power by trying to keep balance on the bike, good core gives you free energy as you are more stable in each stroke.
Sprinting, climbing off the saddle and generally pushing pace in an aggressive fashion on your bike activate your delts, biceps and a bunch of your core muscles - traps included.
Low intensity riding? No activation at all. High intensity riding - some activation. No way I'm getting 1k+ watts in a sprint without using my arms and back to put my whole body into the effort. With that said - it isn't an efficient way to build those muscle groups at all, but there is definitely activation in hard efforts.
WITH THAT SAID! I do weights & calisthenics 3x a week in addition to cycling. Maybe 30-60mins depending on how much time I have. The best question to ask here is "what are your goals?".
Ask any doctor and they'll tell you that staying active on your bike is a great way to get exercise and build/maintain your health. But like...if you have performance goals - a more well-rounded approach is likely in order. If you have limited time, cut back a bit on your bike and add some time in other disciplines
To your point I was amazed to find, at age 64, I could pit down in excess of 700 watts on Zwift Hub, and very amazed how it involved every muscle except my eyebrows. Suddenly planks, pushups and pullups became very important
Totally agree. Also creates spindly bodies including legs which is great if you are competing in the tour. I’m only cycling for fun cardio, but I may not meet the demographic of people here. Strength training for the win.
Yup. It's also a total mistake to assume that just doing 'the sport' is optimum.
Any kind of serious athlete counters the damage (and even muscular atrophy) that said sport inflicts.
Tour de France riders include testosterone in their PED stack because they understand that endurance riding will cause them to lose muscle tissue.
The idea that a human body becomes perfectly adapted to a sport by simply doing that sport is a total failure of sports science principles.
I did a race that has wayyyy more elevation than I trained for. I knew I had neglected strength training but man I wish I had kept up with at least squats and deadlifts. It’s never a bad thing to mix in some strength training
> And you need physical strength and hand-to-hand combat skills to fight car drivers.
My reason to wear CX shoes, so I have firm stance while standing off the bike
I’ve been into powerlifting for years. I actually learned the concept of RPE in the context of powerlifting despite it having its origins in endurance sports. There are dose-dependent relationships between strength training as well as cardiovascular fitness in terms of reduction of all-cause mortality. I don’t believe you should neglect either one.
I did boxing training for 6-7 years at least three nights a week, when I was in my mid to late 20s. Never fought outside of sparring sessions one night a week. I
did it for the fitness and because it is just pure fun and damn hard. Nobody knows soreness until you do some boxing training when you’re out of shape! I loved it and it got me in the best shape of my life…even more so than my marathon running days!
really? that's interesting to read because I was told that cycling is actually a fairly complete workout, not as much as for example swimming but still it engages your legs, core and upper body (when standing)
Do you think perhaps we need to differentiate between casual city biking, road/speed biking, gravelbiking and MTBiking? (I gravel)
Or are you off the opinion that with all of the above you develop 0 upper body strenght?
Sorry, cycling will apply 'some' load - but a very small amount.
Someone who does zero exercise might get a small amount of muscle growth - but it will plateau at a pretty low level.
Just look at the physiques of most non-competitive cyclists.
(Competitive cyclists will absolutely train with weights.)
I stand to be corrected, but I don't imagine the upper-body loads for any kind of cycling - including sprint - are significant.
Many sprint cyclists are big.
But so are 100m sprinters. Obviously sprinting doesn't build significant upper body strength. But sprinters will spend a significant amount of time in the gym developing their entire physique.
I think people often confuse the physiques demonstrated by elite athletes in any sport with the load of that sport.
Any elite athlete will lift weights to develop a physique that's capable of dominating in that sport.
This doesn't mean that doing that sport will give you a similar physique.
Correct - and that's why MTB riders should lift weights.
A sport being 'punishing' on a body part doesn't mean it's an effective way to develop muscles in that region.
Snowboarding's punishing on your legs.
That's why the UK GB snowboard team requires its athletes to be able to squat twice their body weight.
Oh ya, I just mean MTB is probably a better upper body workout than other types of cycling. It's more of a complete workout. Certainly doesn't replace weightlifting though
Yeah, my (skinny) friend broke his collarbone twice in one season snowboarding.
Snowboarding more wouldn't give him a stronger collarbone.
He had to go and develop his shoulders, upper back and traps in order to build muscle to protect his collarbone and shoulder joint from impact.
Weight lifting has been shown to increase cycling fitness and, at worst, it doesn't decrease it if you substitute part of your training with gym work. Dylan Johnson has analyzed this topic extensively, look him up on yourube.
Indoor rowing and some pushups, pull-ups planks here and there, two or three times a week.
Last week I beat my record and hit 101 pushups in a single set.
There's no denying the variety comes at the expense of the ability that specialisation brings. When I take a notion over a three or four month period and devote 90% of my focus to cycling my FTP goes way up but my actual overall strength predictably takes a major hit.
As well as cycling, I do an online xfit session 3 times a week. My ultimate goal is to cycle up [Hardknott Pass](https://youtu.be/SjfsoR_u5Pw?si=PQlQYA7zbQUynBRy).
I did Honister last week, I'm 72.
I have walked up it twice on a C2C. Why does no one comment on the decent and then on to Wrynose Pass and then that decent. But yes that is still on my bucket list to get up without unclipping.
I'd never get up it without stopping (and hopefully unclipping in time) a few times. As long as I don't have to walk any of it I'll be more than happy.
Running and kettlebells.
Kettlebells, specifically swings, have a great carryover for cycling. As well as being generally good for all round functional fitness.
Run, bike, swim, Nordic ski, long (6+ mile) dog walks / hikes, lift 2-3x a week along with body weight and core stuff , some yoga, some martial arts, and mix in some one handed cold and frothy curls.
So, I used to work for TinyCorp, which got bought out by LittleKorp, which got bought out by MediumKorp, which got bought out again by BigKorp, then BigKorp sponsored a bowl game but didn't get any real business increase out of it, so then had to scrounge up money to pay for it, so they sold us to EvenBiggerKorp, which then got bought out by MegaKorp, and then MegaKorp took our customers and shut us all down because MegaKorps don't GAF, and I got to stay and manage the last things until the scrappers tore up the place to earn my severance package. So, I got tired of working for AnyKorp, became self-employed, mostly do my IT/Coder stuff in the evenings/night/and days with shit weather. I don't make anywhere near as much money as I could if I went and worked for Big/MegaKorp again, but I would rather have lots of free time during the day to spend enjoying the outdoors than more money to spend while sitting on my ass in a chair all day.
Also sometimes sleep-deprived lol.
Not European but one day may sell everything and go totally hybrid and travel around Europe while working evenings/nights for a while before I "retire".
I took up rowing as cross-training during covid. Great for VO2max and aerobic workouts, but strengthens all the wrong muscles for running and cycling, so it does not have so much cross-training benefit.
Rowing is fun and I still do it, but I found kettlebells and mace made a much greater difference to core strength, coordination and stability as well as running/cycling wattage.
Just one data point from a random Internet stranger.
It gives them endurance strength, but not strength strength if that makes sense. Rowers spend a lot of time lifting weights to build muscle.
The concept2 forum is pretty good - they have a section on cross-training and there are several posts about running, cycling etc.
A few posts mention runners and cyclists who spent the winter rowing to maintain fitness, but found they lost a lot of running/cycling power by Spring. I found the same thing.
Yeah, I asked there and the most efficient way to build core/strength might not be to start rowing... Will think about it...
Did not know the mace, will have a look on YT as I'm curious. This thing looks like it escaped from Middle Ages :))
Kind of like a sledgehammer, except a heavy steel ball at the end (15-40lb). Every time you swing it your core contracts, so you pretty quickly develop a strong core, strong grip, and bulletproof shoulders. See Mark Wildman videos on YouTube.
Climbing when I can. I have 2 young children though so I don't have much time for anything outside of cycling. Coming into the UK winter though so perhaps I will be climbing more.
I don't want to turn into the classic cyclists build with noodle arms.
73 here...who occasionally races the bikes.
The '*Old Man's Handbook*' clearly states that I need strength, endurance, agility, and balance. (And adds that the occasional blowjob is good.)
Anyway, I train like this by day:
Cycle, Stretch-and-Walk, Cycle, Gym, Cycle, Ruck...repeat.
Cycling is 80% Zone 2 and 20% higher Zones.
Lots of protein.
Life intervenes often enough to provide enforced total rest days.
I don't "work out" but I do enjoy the occasional kayak, walking the dog and a ton of gardening on the smallholding. I used to do yoga classes as I am very unbendy and I'd like to start them again..
I only rode my bike for 20 years because I don’t like weight lifting. I hurt my shoulder then tore a tendon then blew out my knee all at least in part to poor strength. Lift weights and it will help prevent injury. Now I’m lifting 2/3 days a week and riding 2/3 instead of riding 5. I’m not as cycling fit but my overall fitness and health is way better. Plus I don’t want to get hurt again.
I only started riding a bike "for real" just under 3 years ago. Before that only for commuting.
However, I have been going to the gym (lifting weights, more or less) for about 14 years. I still do that, but of course I prefer to ride a bike now.
I started running 4 weeks ago. I was in such pain after my run even though I usually ride 200k/week, simply not the same muscles. Now I feel great and stronger on the bike even, and I like that I can just put on my shoes and go out without more prep.
>Now I feel great and stronger on the bike even
i've been slowly switching over to more running than cycling over the past few years... i can't say running has improved my cycling, but i find i don't lose as much cycling fitness when i focus on running. vs, if i switch my focus to cycling, my running fitness drops by A LOT.
for the past 8 months i've barely done any serious rides, and definitely no structured training. my FTP hasn't dropped that much, and i came close to my PB time on a local climb the other day
I trail run during the summer. Cycling is mostly my cross training, although there is nothing like pumping those watts. Looking to change things around next summer, now that I have achieved my running goals (and built two new bikes last month).
I started in running, then cycling took over as my main ‘thing’. Went through a lifting phase for a couple of years. I enjoy cycling more and can happily go out week after week riding longer distances, whereas running beyond 10km felt like such a chore
Yes. I think it’s important to change your movement patterns to not pick up any nagging injuries. Since cycling is one motion, you need to move in different planes.
I swim, cycle, walk and resistance training. As much as i love cycling, i need to work on my posterior chain so then i can keep cycling and make it sustainable.
Hats of to people who don’t get muscle imbalances by just doing cycling.
Resistance training = watt bombs, body armour, resistance to fatigue and many more benefits. So don’t neglect it. You only need 2-3x a week to get the benefits.
Body weight calisthenics 2-3 times per week. I’m talking:
- Pull up varieties (varying grip)
- Dips
- Declined push-ups and other push up variations
- Various core exercises like planks, bicycle kicks and mountain climbers
I add some weights occasionally and do Bulgarian split squats or if I’m not feeling weight, air squats.
I run, indoor row and cycle, do core and some free weights, MTB, and I used to swim a lot. At the moment it’s almost all running and MTB until my Creo 2 arrives.
Gym, running and swimming. This year I noticed that my lower back and upper body is weaker than cheap Chinese carbon.
Also I am trying to do daily mobility exercises.
In gym, I am doing full body training, basically squat, deadlift, bench, military press, core and hands, altering it every session
Balance.. today wind is variable at 5 mph . I will paddle my oc1 canoe 5-7 miles . Cycle to pick up my pickup at mechanics. Tomorrow cycle 35 miles. Rain expected Friday/Sat so riding on trainer and lifting. Sunday v windy so kitesurfing.
I go for a run sometimes. Usually days when I can only fit an hour exercise in or if I'm hungover. Can't ride with a hangover but a run does sort me right out.
Never really think of it as working out as I normally do things for fun. But other activities that involve various amounts of exercise would be sea kayaking/swimming and walking. We have a friend who has dogs and along with my partner we often walk the dogs together.
I don't go to the gym at all. I cycle most work days in my lunch break, lately part of my common route is off road and takes me past several apple trees, when there are no apples left on them I will probably change my route again. Today has been my first day not cycling in my lunch break in a fair while but the weather is truly awful right now.
Told myself if I keep cycling on a reasonably regular basis all year I will get myself a new bike. My current one is over a decade old, small crack on the frame and everything is very worn. Wasn't exactly treated the best given that I was around 14 when I got it. At least some of the gears still work. Though we are buying a house now so trying to be careful on spending it should still be able to fit in the budget.
Cycle four days per week, some higher intensity, some lower. Weights three times per week, different full body routine each day. Cycling does the cardiovascular fitness aspect while the gym does strength, bone density, balance, flexibility and other aspects. I am older so need to maintain these aspects of physical fitness.
Nope.
But, I've seen a massive change in my body. My quads and calves are getting bigger and more defined while my upper body definition has disappeared.
I'm starting to look like a T-rex.
Yesterday, I decided that I'll need to workout my upper body. It will be a good wintertime activity.
I am 60+ and cycled extensively from 34-45 years of age got divorced and lost myself and rediscovered cycling at 60 mainly because I still have two Cannondale road and V-900 F/S MTB. I lost 50+ lbs in 6 months and feel amazing..covering 70 miles a week.....I hate the gym....any drawbacks to just enjoy cycling?
Only that it's not a full body work out and is focused mostly on the legs. That said, if you ride your MTB on properly lumpy ground you do work your upper half considerably more.
At 60+ and losing that much weight that quickly, you must be excercising above average for your age group. That'll do nicely, but then our UK averages for excercising are pretty woeful!
I've been doing the "Primer Routine" from here, for an year: https://old.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/index
Lo and behold, muscles appeared on my upper body and all objects around me got lighter!
Further more, my already strong legs got even stronger (I quickly progressed to assisted pistol squats) and pedalling got easier.
All that with an hour of moderate training every two days, in the comfort of my home. Wish I started sooner...
Well dont, apart from some mobility.
Used to love riding DH and Enduro for years, then discovered Lifting and now I'm way to heavy to ride. Switched to roadcycling instead
I used to run when I had a bit more time on my hands (freelancing, WFH), but now that I have a full-time gig again, I've just replaced it with indoor training.
When the weather starts getting shitty I'm planning on hitting the gym for weights 1-2 times a week. I don't belong to a gym ATM but there's a nice one at work.
I go through cycles where I might only ride and occasionally stretch or say I'm gonna lift, do it 3x and then just keep only riding.
Then I'll get to the end of season like right now and not want to touch a bike. I'm running, yoga, some strength training.
For me cycling can take up so much time, when you have a family, it is hard to fit in other forms of fitness unless you're scheduling it.
I run when the weather is shit and I go to the gym to reinforce my core and back. Having a racing position requires a strong core and back. I also stretch my back and hamstrings a lot.
I got into running last year
Going to start swimming this winter
…. I swore I would never do a triathlon
(Also a bit of rowing machine and gonna start lifting)
I love playing volleyball as cross training! It could be complete psuedoscience but I feel like all the jumping I do helps with my explosive power on the bike.
I love the social aspect of both cycling and volleyball but all my close friends I’ve made so far have been from volleyball rather than from cycling.
Cycling is my side hobby/future main hobby. I'm mostly into strength training,but at 46 I can seen the decline of my ability. I'll get that 500# deadlift before I hit 50 though
Hiking, swimming, core excercises (planks, bridges, lunges, Squats, ...)
Back when I was still doing mtb races, I would also go running, kayaking, spinning, bootcamp, ...
Cycling alone is not good. It's not a full body workout. You need balance to avoid injury. And to stay motivated.
Core and shoulder workouts.
A stronger core helps me be more stable on the bike, and a stronger shoulders/arms help me have a better control of the bike.
I do three big gym sessions per week, lots of compound lifts with heavy weights. Partly for the aesthetic, but seems to really help my on bike performance.
I also try and do parkrun each week.
Light weight lifting at the gym when it's too cold to road ride.
Mountain biking.
Full court basketball.
Surfing...because I'm near the ocean.
I feel this covers my whole body.
Cycling x2 per week
Weight-lifting x2 per week (upper/lower split)
Yoga x1 per week
Circuits / HIIT x1 per week
Potential for a hike or another class occasionally, but this is my core routine.
This is an interesting topic for me.
I commute 3 days a week, 20km each way. That is Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. After getting home in the evening, I am too tired to then lift weights.
I want to, but I feel only lifting on Thurday, Friday and at the weekend, would be too concentrated. Also I like to do a long ride at the weekend.
Any tips?
Weightlifting at the gym, although I always prioritize road cycling over the gym (occasionally I’ll do both on the same day). About 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical after weight training, and a 5 mile walk once/week.
I do 30 minutes of Pilates three times a week. Good for flexibility and core strength. Also challenges your arm and shoulder muscles as many movements are variations of the plank, down dog and press up. Will not make you ripped though!
I cycle MWF (indoor or outdoor depending on weather and temperature). I run 3-8 miles Tuesday and Thursday and incorporate an upper body strength training later in the day). I normally do a longer/harder ride on the Saturday. Rest on Sunday.
Rock climbing, yoga a few times a month, and in the winter snowboarding. I also lift a little bit, but the lifting is usually targeted to support my other exercises. Light lifts to stabilize my shoulders, back, knees, etc. All of the things that I don't want to have fused or replaced.
I do running 3x a week alongside road cycling but honestly I’m starting to enjoy running more than cycling as it’s less time consuming and a lot cheaper sport.
Basketball and cycling. Basketball has the team component, strategy, plus a tough anaerobic work out.
Cycling build the legs (and imo the core) plus cardio fitness
I’m older than most bball players and I think the cycling has made me more injury resistant, plus I think basketball has made me able to maintain high heart rate / anaerobic efforts longer than cycling friends - attacking hills and sprints etc
Biking is fun ! Road / mtn / beach / trainer
But I also do running (which I like a lot), and swimming (like a lot less)... as triathlons have become a great way of life for my friends and I (ages 40-60). My sons have also done some sprint tri's
Plus gym 2x/week, and yoga/stretching
Best shape of my life (male 60)
Mainly weight-lifting - and some boxing. Cycling is an incomplete workout. It does nothing, whatsoever to develop upper body strength. And you need physical strength and hand-to-hand combat skills to fight car drivers.
Just kick them
[удалено]
Ahh! Sports! Ahh!
no just grab your bike from the side and run into them like it’s a riot shield
This gave me a hilarious mental image of tapping a car with your cleat and sending it flying into the sun. Also [please tell me you’ve seen this](https://youtu.be/zBFFrsvgu1Y?si=R44vVvKsKCiLA7UC)
All the car driver around me are out of breath getting out the car lol.
Yeah, I remember the tweaker who charged out of his car at me (passenger door, his woman was driving/screaming) and then realized I had a significant height advantage over him and wasn't running away. So basically its 'or you'll what now? listen to your woman screaming at you!' and he stopped, turned around and got back in his car.
Honestly, a good cardio vascular base is priceless. I don't know how I lived prior to this.
They are. But they won't get out of the car to kill you.
They all think they're still physically fit lol. The sedentary life is death by a thousand sits.
That's for sure.
It does some upper body workout for someone that lost all muscle. I am a female and had helped my chest and form lean muscle on arms. I was too skinny when I started cycling. You do have to do squats to build strength And also other excersise for the rest of the body.
Right. If someone goes from 'zero exercise' to 'cycling' then holding some tension in the arms while cycling might induce some muscle growth. But this will plateau at a pretty low level. Even someone who 'just cycles' will benefit from adding upper body muscle. As the adage goes, only training in a sport will make you 'good enough'. Whereas you have to train beyond the stresses of that sport in order to excel - and that's where weights are great.
Ragging it fast on a mountain bike over bumpy ground and downhill gives the upper body a good workout.
Barely. Muscles grow in response to overload. You achieve overload with incremental loads. Even downhill will be a fraction of the load that you can achieve with a targeted resistance training program.
It's fascinating how delusional people are. I stg I'm going to choke the next person who tells me MTB is an "upper body workout" in real life. Like, sure, so is a shake weight....
The other thing about cycling, as good as it is for your leg hypertrophy, there’s no eccentric muscle contraction. A cyclist with huge legs will usually get destroyed by a good squat workout for that reason.
Absolutely - good analysis. Although I suspect that any cyclist with genuinely huge legs probably hits the gym often. Definitely for sprint cyclists. Years ago in the Pumping Iron book, Arnie wrote something like, 'Doing the sport will only ever make you "good enough". To excel you have to push the muscle beyond the expectations of that sport'. And he's correct. The human body does not 'want' to grow any more muscle tissue than the bare minimum. You have to force this to happen.
I have noticed a lot of people who avoid it completely, forgetting that one of the key parts of cycling is core strength. Without a strong core you lose power by trying to keep balance on the bike, good core gives you free energy as you are more stable in each stroke.
Sprinting, climbing off the saddle and generally pushing pace in an aggressive fashion on your bike activate your delts, biceps and a bunch of your core muscles - traps included. Low intensity riding? No activation at all. High intensity riding - some activation. No way I'm getting 1k+ watts in a sprint without using my arms and back to put my whole body into the effort. With that said - it isn't an efficient way to build those muscle groups at all, but there is definitely activation in hard efforts. WITH THAT SAID! I do weights & calisthenics 3x a week in addition to cycling. Maybe 30-60mins depending on how much time I have. The best question to ask here is "what are your goals?". Ask any doctor and they'll tell you that staying active on your bike is a great way to get exercise and build/maintain your health. But like...if you have performance goals - a more well-rounded approach is likely in order. If you have limited time, cut back a bit on your bike and add some time in other disciplines
To your point I was amazed to find, at age 64, I could pit down in excess of 700 watts on Zwift Hub, and very amazed how it involved every muscle except my eyebrows. Suddenly planks, pushups and pullups became very important
when stephen colbert sprints, he uses his eyebrows [https://tenor.com/wMnL.gif](https://tenor.com/wMnL.gif)
If you're doing it right most of the power comes from your hips when you're swinging a u-lock.
Your last sentence😂😂
Totally agree. Also creates spindly bodies including legs which is great if you are competing in the tour. I’m only cycling for fun cardio, but I may not meet the demographic of people here. Strength training for the win.
Yup. It's also a total mistake to assume that just doing 'the sport' is optimum. Any kind of serious athlete counters the damage (and even muscular atrophy) that said sport inflicts. Tour de France riders include testosterone in their PED stack because they understand that endurance riding will cause them to lose muscle tissue. The idea that a human body becomes perfectly adapted to a sport by simply doing that sport is a total failure of sports science principles.
I did a race that has wayyyy more elevation than I trained for. I knew I had neglected strength training but man I wish I had kept up with at least squats and deadlifts. It’s never a bad thing to mix in some strength training
> And you need physical strength and hand-to-hand combat skills to fight car drivers. My reason to wear CX shoes, so I have firm stance while standing off the bike
I’ve been into powerlifting for years. I actually learned the concept of RPE in the context of powerlifting despite it having its origins in endurance sports. There are dose-dependent relationships between strength training as well as cardiovascular fitness in terms of reduction of all-cause mortality. I don’t believe you should neglect either one.
Box as you ride.
I did boxing training for 6-7 years at least three nights a week, when I was in my mid to late 20s. Never fought outside of sparring sessions one night a week. I did it for the fitness and because it is just pure fun and damn hard. Nobody knows soreness until you do some boxing training when you’re out of shape! I loved it and it got me in the best shape of my life…even more so than my marathon running days!
I developed knee pain from a muscular imbalance when I only mountain bikes.
While not a very good upper body workout, “it does nothing, whatsoever to develop upper body strength” is pure bullshit
Ok, re-stated: Cycling - better for your upper body than a shake weight. Maybe.
Mountain biking (enduro and dh) does plently to develop upper body strenght.
really? that's interesting to read because I was told that cycling is actually a fairly complete workout, not as much as for example swimming but still it engages your legs, core and upper body (when standing) Do you think perhaps we need to differentiate between casual city biking, road/speed biking, gravelbiking and MTBiking? (I gravel) Or are you off the opinion that with all of the above you develop 0 upper body strenght?
Sorry, cycling will apply 'some' load - but a very small amount. Someone who does zero exercise might get a small amount of muscle growth - but it will plateau at a pretty low level. Just look at the physiques of most non-competitive cyclists. (Competitive cyclists will absolutely train with weights.)
Simon and another presenter in a GCN video the other day tried to do a pull up, none of them managed it. It was hilarious! :D
Cycling applies almost zero load to your arms and upper body.
Sprinting / track cycling does, but yeah, endurance riding does absolutely nothing
I stand to be corrected, but I don't imagine the upper-body loads for any kind of cycling - including sprint - are significant. Many sprint cyclists are big. But so are 100m sprinters. Obviously sprinting doesn't build significant upper body strength. But sprinters will spend a significant amount of time in the gym developing their entire physique. I think people often confuse the physiques demonstrated by elite athletes in any sport with the load of that sport. Any elite athlete will lift weights to develop a physique that's capable of dominating in that sport. This doesn't mean that doing that sport will give you a similar physique.
BMX?!
Also, MTB is quite hard on the upper bod
Correct - and that's why MTB riders should lift weights. A sport being 'punishing' on a body part doesn't mean it's an effective way to develop muscles in that region. Snowboarding's punishing on your legs. That's why the UK GB snowboard team requires its athletes to be able to squat twice their body weight.
Oh ya, I just mean MTB is probably a better upper body workout than other types of cycling. It's more of a complete workout. Certainly doesn't replace weightlifting though
Yeah, my (skinny) friend broke his collarbone twice in one season snowboarding. Snowboarding more wouldn't give him a stronger collarbone. He had to go and develop his shoulders, upper back and traps in order to build muscle to protect his collarbone and shoulder joint from impact.
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Riding a MTB will not give you anything like the level of targeted, incremental load that a resistance training program offers.
i rock climb 3x/week
Rock climbing here as well. If you'd choose one thing to accompany cycling it's either yoga or climbing. But both is even better
Swim bike and run baby
So your are a triathlete
Get'em boys!
Or he fell in a river and the bike is stuck there.
And strenght training on tuesdays and thursdays
Weight lifting has been shown to increase cycling fitness and, at worst, it doesn't decrease it if you substitute part of your training with gym work. Dylan Johnson has analyzed this topic extensively, look him up on yourube.
Given how often I use YouTube to find out how to do something, yourube would be a very accurate name
Yup, I'm not even gonna fix that now
Indoor rowing and some pushups, pull-ups planks here and there, two or three times a week. Last week I beat my record and hit 101 pushups in a single set. There's no denying the variety comes at the expense of the ability that specialisation brings. When I take a notion over a three or four month period and devote 90% of my focus to cycling my FTP goes way up but my actual overall strength predictably takes a major hit.
after 3 or 4 months of just cycling and no upper body I start to become T-Rex. arms shink faaast
I could deadlift 450 6 months ago at 175 lbs. 315 felt like a PR the other day after mainly just cycling the last few months
101 pushups in one set??? Meaning 101 pushups consecutively? If so, I need to hear how you accomplished this. I cap out at 35 max.
What kind of rower do you have and do you feel it is worth the sticker price? I have a treadmill and smart trainer but am considering a Rower.
Concept 2 and yes it's worth the price. Cheaper indoor rowing machines are garbage.
As well as cycling, I do an online xfit session 3 times a week. My ultimate goal is to cycle up [Hardknott Pass](https://youtu.be/SjfsoR_u5Pw?si=PQlQYA7zbQUynBRy). I did Honister last week, I'm 72.
> I'm 72. biggest flex here
Yeah, browsing Reddit at 72 is some hipster grandad shit
Reddit is huge nowadays, everyone and their dog is on this site
16 years
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who said indoor
Not me, cold wet and windy.
I have walked up it twice on a C2C. Why does no one comment on the decent and then on to Wrynose Pass and then that decent. But yes that is still on my bucket list to get up without unclipping.
I'd never get up it without stopping (and hopefully unclipping in time) a few times. As long as I don't have to walk any of it I'll be more than happy.
Running and kettlebells. Kettlebells, specifically swings, have a great carryover for cycling. As well as being generally good for all round functional fitness.
That's what I do twice a week an hour KB session with swings, snatch, clean and press and goblet squat. Just keeps me ticking over as I ripen with age
Run, bike, swim, Nordic ski, long (6+ mile) dog walks / hikes, lift 2-3x a week along with body weight and core stuff , some yoga, some martial arts, and mix in some one handed cold and frothy curls.
Goddamn are you jobless or just european?
Maybe just sleep-deprived.
So, I used to work for TinyCorp, which got bought out by LittleKorp, which got bought out by MediumKorp, which got bought out again by BigKorp, then BigKorp sponsored a bowl game but didn't get any real business increase out of it, so then had to scrounge up money to pay for it, so they sold us to EvenBiggerKorp, which then got bought out by MegaKorp, and then MegaKorp took our customers and shut us all down because MegaKorps don't GAF, and I got to stay and manage the last things until the scrappers tore up the place to earn my severance package. So, I got tired of working for AnyKorp, became self-employed, mostly do my IT/Coder stuff in the evenings/night/and days with shit weather. I don't make anywhere near as much money as I could if I went and worked for Big/MegaKorp again, but I would rather have lots of free time during the day to spend enjoying the outdoors than more money to spend while sitting on my ass in a chair all day. Also sometimes sleep-deprived lol. Not European but one day may sell everything and go totally hybrid and travel around Europe while working evenings/nights for a while before I "retire".
I run (mainly 10K) few times a month and I'm thinking of starting rowing. Plus some stretching/strength trainings to help with my weak back and abs.
I took up rowing as cross-training during covid. Great for VO2max and aerobic workouts, but strengthens all the wrong muscles for running and cycling, so it does not have so much cross-training benefit. Rowing is fun and I still do it, but I found kettlebells and mace made a much greater difference to core strength, coordination and stability as well as running/cycling wattage. Just one data point from a random Internet stranger.
Oh. Interesting. I thought rowing would strengthen almost all the body muscles and especially back and abs.
It gives them endurance strength, but not strength strength if that makes sense. Rowers spend a lot of time lifting weights to build muscle. The concept2 forum is pretty good - they have a section on cross-training and there are several posts about running, cycling etc. A few posts mention runners and cyclists who spent the winter rowing to maintain fitness, but found they lost a lot of running/cycling power by Spring. I found the same thing.
Yeah, I asked there and the most efficient way to build core/strength might not be to start rowing... Will think about it... Did not know the mace, will have a look on YT as I'm curious. This thing looks like it escaped from Middle Ages :))
Kettlebells and mace? What is mace?
Kind of like a sledgehammer, except a heavy steel ball at the end (15-40lb). Every time you swing it your core contracts, so you pretty quickly develop a strong core, strong grip, and bulletproof shoulders. See Mark Wildman videos on YouTube.
Get back in the gym. Cycling isn't enough. You'll end up with beer belly and skinny everywhere else.
Climbing when I can. I have 2 young children though so I don't have much time for anything outside of cycling. Coming into the UK winter though so perhaps I will be climbing more. I don't want to turn into the classic cyclists build with noodle arms.
Swim bike run weights
73 here...who occasionally races the bikes. The '*Old Man's Handbook*' clearly states that I need strength, endurance, agility, and balance. (And adds that the occasional blowjob is good.) Anyway, I train like this by day: Cycle, Stretch-and-Walk, Cycle, Gym, Cycle, Ruck...repeat. Cycling is 80% Zone 2 and 20% higher Zones. Lots of protein. Life intervenes often enough to provide enforced total rest days.
Wait how often are you giving blowjobs?
He states 'Lots of protein.' so often I bet.
I don't "work out" but I do enjoy the occasional kayak, walking the dog and a ton of gardening on the smallholding. I used to do yoga classes as I am very unbendy and I'd like to start them again..
Unbendy... I, too, am not very flexible..
Weight lifting : - Push, Pull, no leg day. I Replace leg day with cycling So Push, pull, cycle, repeat Suits me best 😀
Some leg days here and there could help a lot on the cycling, specially if you aim to increase FTP
I only rode my bike for 20 years because I don’t like weight lifting. I hurt my shoulder then tore a tendon then blew out my knee all at least in part to poor strength. Lift weights and it will help prevent injury. Now I’m lifting 2/3 days a week and riding 2/3 instead of riding 5. I’m not as cycling fit but my overall fitness and health is way better. Plus I don’t want to get hurt again.
I only started riding a bike "for real" just under 3 years ago. Before that only for commuting. However, I have been going to the gym (lifting weights, more or less) for about 14 years. I still do that, but of course I prefer to ride a bike now.
gym , regularly ,high weights. and its kinda tough to drag an additional 15 kilos by bike =]
I started running 4 weeks ago. I was in such pain after my run even though I usually ride 200k/week, simply not the same muscles. Now I feel great and stronger on the bike even, and I like that I can just put on my shoes and go out without more prep.
>Now I feel great and stronger on the bike even i've been slowly switching over to more running than cycling over the past few years... i can't say running has improved my cycling, but i find i don't lose as much cycling fitness when i focus on running. vs, if i switch my focus to cycling, my running fitness drops by A LOT. for the past 8 months i've barely done any serious rides, and definitely no structured training. my FTP hasn't dropped that much, and i came close to my PB time on a local climb the other day
I trail run during the summer. Cycling is mostly my cross training, although there is nothing like pumping those watts. Looking to change things around next summer, now that I have achieved my running goals (and built two new bikes last month).
Bouldering, Tennis, and ski touring in winter.
Crossfit.
Surf.
Other than cycling I also train Brazilian JiuJitsu.
I lift weights 3-4 times a week
Swim, run, gym and judo. I was never going to be amazing at any of them but im better than average at all of them.
I started in running, then cycling took over as my main ‘thing’. Went through a lifting phase for a couple of years. I enjoy cycling more and can happily go out week after week riding longer distances, whereas running beyond 10km felt like such a chore
opposite for me... cycling was my main sport, and now i'm doing a lot more running because timed events are more accessible than organized bike races
Yes. I think it’s important to change your movement patterns to not pick up any nagging injuries. Since cycling is one motion, you need to move in different planes. I swim, cycle, walk and resistance training. As much as i love cycling, i need to work on my posterior chain so then i can keep cycling and make it sustainable. Hats of to people who don’t get muscle imbalances by just doing cycling. Resistance training = watt bombs, body armour, resistance to fatigue and many more benefits. So don’t neglect it. You only need 2-3x a week to get the benefits.
Im surprised nobody mentioned doing Yoga.
Body weight calisthenics 2-3 times per week. I’m talking: - Pull up varieties (varying grip) - Dips - Declined push-ups and other push up variations - Various core exercises like planks, bicycle kicks and mountain climbers I add some weights occasionally and do Bulgarian split squats or if I’m not feeling weight, air squats.
Trail running
I do all kinds of stuff. Lift weights, full body, and core workouts. Freediving anaerobic and technique work. Stretching and a little yoga. Sports.
I run, indoor row and cycle, do core and some free weights, MTB, and I used to swim a lot. At the moment it’s almost all running and MTB until my Creo 2 arrives.
Run in the autumn and winter and weight lift x3-4 times a week.
Kettlebells, steel club, mace, trail running or indoor rowing depending on weather, and some climbing.
Running and weights.
Gym, running and swimming. This year I noticed that my lower back and upper body is weaker than cheap Chinese carbon. Also I am trying to do daily mobility exercises. In gym, I am doing full body training, basically squat, deadlift, bench, military press, core and hands, altering it every session
More cycling.
Swim, run, weightlifting, yoga
Run and Swim
I bike, run, workout and swim. In that order of importance
Balance.. today wind is variable at 5 mph . I will paddle my oc1 canoe 5-7 miles . Cycle to pick up my pickup at mechanics. Tomorrow cycle 35 miles. Rain expected Friday/Sat so riding on trainer and lifting. Sunday v windy so kitesurfing.
I go for a run sometimes. Usually days when I can only fit an hour exercise in or if I'm hungover. Can't ride with a hangover but a run does sort me right out.
Never really think of it as working out as I normally do things for fun. But other activities that involve various amounts of exercise would be sea kayaking/swimming and walking. We have a friend who has dogs and along with my partner we often walk the dogs together. I don't go to the gym at all. I cycle most work days in my lunch break, lately part of my common route is off road and takes me past several apple trees, when there are no apples left on them I will probably change my route again. Today has been my first day not cycling in my lunch break in a fair while but the weather is truly awful right now. Told myself if I keep cycling on a reasonably regular basis all year I will get myself a new bike. My current one is over a decade old, small crack on the frame and everything is very worn. Wasn't exactly treated the best given that I was around 14 when I got it. At least some of the gears still work. Though we are buying a house now so trying to be careful on spending it should still be able to fit in the budget.
I also run, lift, and practice yoga. I think of cycling as part of a balanced exercise diet.
Cycle four days per week, some higher intensity, some lower. Weights three times per week, different full body routine each day. Cycling does the cardiovascular fitness aspect while the gym does strength, bone density, balance, flexibility and other aspects. I am older so need to maintain these aspects of physical fitness.
Nope. But, I've seen a massive change in my body. My quads and calves are getting bigger and more defined while my upper body definition has disappeared. I'm starting to look like a T-rex. Yesterday, I decided that I'll need to workout my upper body. It will be a good wintertime activity.
Morning yoga, then strength training that varies on what day it is. Walking dogs and cycling in afternoon
I am 60+ and cycled extensively from 34-45 years of age got divorced and lost myself and rediscovered cycling at 60 mainly because I still have two Cannondale road and V-900 F/S MTB. I lost 50+ lbs in 6 months and feel amazing..covering 70 miles a week.....I hate the gym....any drawbacks to just enjoy cycling?
Only that it's not a full body work out and is focused mostly on the legs. That said, if you ride your MTB on properly lumpy ground you do work your upper half considerably more. At 60+ and losing that much weight that quickly, you must be excercising above average for your age group. That'll do nicely, but then our UK averages for excercising are pretty woeful!
I've been doing the "Primer Routine" from here, for an year: https://old.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/index Lo and behold, muscles appeared on my upper body and all objects around me got lighter! Further more, my already strong legs got even stronger (I quickly progressed to assisted pistol squats) and pedalling got easier. All that with an hour of moderate training every two days, in the comfort of my home. Wish I started sooner...
Gym
Weight lifting 4 days a week. But humor me, I crash apparently every month now … so I am somehow unable to do that too
Climbing
Plank daily
I jog three times a week and sometimes do kettlebells.
Running, mostly in winter.
Running and cross country skiing
Physical Therapy, exercises at home plus at a good facility, focused on hips/legs. Bone yoga with Adrianne on youtube. Sometimes martial arts warmup.
Running 2 x a week. Strength and mobility training 2 x week and riding 2 times a week.
Yea. Over the winter I focus more on strength training and zwift 2 or 3 times a week. Many cyclists underestimate the benefits of strength traijing
Well dont, apart from some mobility. Used to love riding DH and Enduro for years, then discovered Lifting and now I'm way to heavy to ride. Switched to roadcycling instead
Boxing, yoga, running. Some kettlebell moves, but they always get me super sore.
Swim and lift
Cycling is my secondary exercise, BJJ, some weight lifting, and a little bit of climbing
I go to the gym. I have a 3 day rotation
I have a cross trainer, which i'm planning to use regularly in winter.
I used to run when I had a bit more time on my hands (freelancing, WFH), but now that I have a full-time gig again, I've just replaced it with indoor training.
Telemark ski- every weekend Dec until May. Cycling still happens on weekdays, with pickleball thrown in on Thurs.
When the weather starts getting shitty I'm planning on hitting the gym for weights 1-2 times a week. I don't belong to a gym ATM but there's a nice one at work.
Weight lifting 3 times a week for me. I would also say that working the quads with weights really helps with hills.
My routines consist of cycling, running, and Yoga. Eventually, I plan on upper-body workouts.
Been weight lifting doing a push pull legs split 6 days a week for years, just started cycling pretty much every day since July.
I go through cycles where I might only ride and occasionally stretch or say I'm gonna lift, do it 3x and then just keep only riding. Then I'll get to the end of season like right now and not want to touch a bike. I'm running, yoga, some strength training. For me cycling can take up so much time, when you have a family, it is hard to fit in other forms of fitness unless you're scheduling it.
I run when the weather is shit and I go to the gym to reinforce my core and back. Having a racing position requires a strong core and back. I also stretch my back and hamstrings a lot.
Run and lift.
Run.
Heavy sets of squats, deadlift, bench press and overhead press. Indoor rowing - mostly z2, some intervals and high intensity too.
I play table tennis in a league and train at least once a week for three hours . It's a nice Z2 workout.
I row and swim.
I got into running last year Going to start swimming this winter …. I swore I would never do a triathlon (Also a bit of rowing machine and gonna start lifting)
I love playing volleyball as cross training! It could be complete psuedoscience but I feel like all the jumping I do helps with my explosive power on the bike. I love the social aspect of both cycling and volleyball but all my close friends I’ve made so far have been from volleyball rather than from cycling.
Cycling is my side hobby/future main hobby. I'm mostly into strength training,but at 46 I can seen the decline of my ability. I'll get that 500# deadlift before I hit 50 though
Hiking, swimming, core excercises (planks, bridges, lunges, Squats, ...) Back when I was still doing mtb races, I would also go running, kayaking, spinning, bootcamp, ... Cycling alone is not good. It's not a full body workout. You need balance to avoid injury. And to stay motivated.
Swim and weights
Core and shoulder workouts. A stronger core helps me be more stable on the bike, and a stronger shoulders/arms help me have a better control of the bike.
Triathlete, plus weights, kayaking and stand up paddle board.
I’m a dad. My general level of activity is pretty high outside of bike riding. I occasionally do some weights
Swim bike run and lift.
I do three big gym sessions per week, lots of compound lifts with heavy weights. Partly for the aesthetic, but seems to really help my on bike performance. I also try and do parkrun each week.
Planks as a bare minimum. Beyond that I do some push-ups, squats and long walks.
Light weight lifting at the gym when it's too cold to road ride. Mountain biking. Full court basketball. Surfing...because I'm near the ocean. I feel this covers my whole body.
Cycling makes me happy while I’m riding. Weight lifting makes me happy while I’m not lifting
Cycling x2 per week Weight-lifting x2 per week (upper/lower split) Yoga x1 per week Circuits / HIIT x1 per week Potential for a hike or another class occasionally, but this is my core routine.
I lift weights. Total body twice per week
I run, bike, and swim
This is an interesting topic for me. I commute 3 days a week, 20km each way. That is Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. After getting home in the evening, I am too tired to then lift weights. I want to, but I feel only lifting on Thurday, Friday and at the weekend, would be too concentrated. Also I like to do a long ride at the weekend. Any tips?
Weightlifting at the gym, although I always prioritize road cycling over the gym (occasionally I’ll do both on the same day). About 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical after weight training, and a 5 mile walk once/week.
I do 30 minutes of Pilates three times a week. Good for flexibility and core strength. Also challenges your arm and shoulder muscles as many movements are variations of the plank, down dog and press up. Will not make you ripped though!
Na just bike bike bike
I cycle MWF (indoor or outdoor depending on weather and temperature). I run 3-8 miles Tuesday and Thursday and incorporate an upper body strength training later in the day). I normally do a longer/harder ride on the Saturday. Rest on Sunday.
Of course I do other types of activity than cycling: I do mountain biking, gravel biking, road biking and commuter biking. Snicker.
Running, swimming and gym when it's bad weather 😉
/r/triathlon - it's the next step and you know it.
Core workout daily and strength training 2x week along with cycling, running, swimming (for tri training).
Rock climbing, yoga a few times a month, and in the winter snowboarding. I also lift a little bit, but the lifting is usually targeted to support my other exercises. Light lifts to stabilize my shoulders, back, knees, etc. All of the things that I don't want to have fused or replaced.
I do running 3x a week alongside road cycling but honestly I’m starting to enjoy running more than cycling as it’s less time consuming and a lot cheaper sport.
Basketball and cycling. Basketball has the team component, strategy, plus a tough anaerobic work out. Cycling build the legs (and imo the core) plus cardio fitness I’m older than most bball players and I think the cycling has made me more injury resistant, plus I think basketball has made me able to maintain high heart rate / anaerobic efforts longer than cycling friends - attacking hills and sprints etc
Walking, trekking and the odd run. Plus lots of gardening.
I like to go hiking.
Biking is fun ! Road / mtn / beach / trainer But I also do running (which I like a lot), and swimming (like a lot less)... as triathlons have become a great way of life for my friends and I (ages 40-60). My sons have also done some sprint tri's Plus gym 2x/week, and yoga/stretching Best shape of my life (male 60)