Diet and gym ideas??

[speccy1]

Was just wondering if anybody who cycles a lot had a tried and tested upper body workout which compliments the two-wheeled fun. I keep asking for plans at my local gym but just get given muscle building routines which are not what I need for obvious reasons!!

Also (sorry I have lots of questions today!!), has anybody got any diet do`s and don`ts?? I think I do most things right (with some bad habits thrown in here and there!!), but was just wondering what other ideas people have on this, such as having several small meals a day rather than the normal 3 etc??

Many thanks

 

[mr Mag00]

on the diet i try to avoid processed foods as much as possible, and i do try to eat smaller meals throughout the day

 

[Big John]

Never tried upper body exercises so can't advise. On the dieting front I'd say of you train hard then eat what you like, within reason. I'm not one for junk food anyway, or take aways or convenience foods but I'm not a saint either. Eat sensibly, don't overdo the saturated fats, loads of fruit and veg and plenty of it. Works for me. Keep it simple - if you exercise then you've got to eat.

 

[oscar]

£1.27 turkey leg Tesco avoid pop and other suger drinks and cakes etc avoid rice and sweet corn (there fattening) avoid loading on bread mix and match as much as you like. just make sure it's healthy and low fat. I have a bench and some waits at home, that way i can work on upper body with out the gym fees the dog and the bike take care of the rest.

 

[DanRVV2006]

I dont have a tried and tested plan as such but this winter i joined the forces and had physical education lessons 4 or 5 times a week, this consisted of circuits working upperbody and cardio lessons. i gained a little bit of muscle on my upper body and strenghthed my abs alot. This was from doing just core strengthning exercises such as sit ups, crunches and planks, and upperbody exercises like press ups and lifts etc, that was for bout 9 weeks or so, after the 9 weeks i was able to get out on my bike. im pretty good at going up hills being quite light but struggle into the wind and sprinting. After doing all this exercise i can tell im carrying more weight on the hills (although some of that may be me over indulging haha) but my sprinting ability and ability into the wind has improved, i feel more comfortable and in control of the bike, i personaly feel its from my upperbody being stronger especialy my abs and back.
As for diet it depends on what your aiming to achieve and the amount you get out on the bike and your personal goals. Try to cut alot of the c**p out your diet such as fast foods and sugary drinks etc etc. Also an idea may be to take whey protein to increase protein intake and help muscles grow and recover. Try to eat as much fresh food as possible and possibly supliment with vitamin tablets and omega 3 tablets to keep the joints supple and heart healthy. Also i read a study somewhere that says omega 3 can help weight loss by making the body colestral drop or something dont know the truth behind it but cant be all bad!
sorry my answer is so long winded, i just have to much time on my hands haha

 

[RabbitFood]

If you are looking to lose weight then it is all about Diet Diet Diet, dose not really matter how much exersise you do how many weights you can lift if you dont diet you wount lose weight, simply as.

As the other post says core training is very good for cycling and also circuit trainging, can you join a gym and do some spinning classes very very good.

Weights are also good for the upper body and dont for get the legs but you need a set plan and dont lift heavey weights, lift light weights with lots of reps which will give you endurance that you need for cycling.

if you want PM me your email and I will send you a work out plan and diet tips that I have got, its a good guide that will tell you about good foods and bad foods and when to eat them, ect ect

 

[jayce]

I used to weight train for years if you want to be lean go light and more reps ,you can use food supps ie, protein drink instead of lunch it all depends what you want out of training ,dont do a set training plan as your body will get used to the same thing change it round swap different muscles groups .

 

[jimboalee]

If you ride, you have to eat.
If you ride a lot, you have to eat a little bit more.

To lose fat weight without becoming depleted, aim for 500g ( or about 0.25% bodyfat ) loss per week. That's 4000 kCals more expended than eaten in one week.

Not much.

You MUST eat proteins, or you won't build muscle. I'm on 1g per kg lean bodymass. PER DAY.
Eat carbs to satisfy the exercise, but not the sitting or sleeping. 10% fats MAX.

 

[RabbitFood]

when i put set training plan i ment as in knowing what you are going to be doing in the gym before you go, dont jsut turn and and haev a go as that wount work belive me.

like the other post said change about ever couple of weeks and use different mussle groups, also recovery is very important dont use or do the same mussle 2 days in a row.

you need rest for the mussle to get bigger, working the same mussles 2 days in a row is actully bad

 

[montage]

You want to be hitting high reps, low weights...building muscle endurance is far more beneficial towards cycling than building muscle strength, as being about to bench 100kg and having biceps like footballs will just slow you down.

Alot of very serious cyclists refuse to do any arm workouts at all..as they say it just slows them down...but I assume hitting the core muscles is vital.

 

[speccy1]

Hi thanks everybody for the tips and ideas so-far, it`s good to hear other people`s ideas just so that I can "tweek" my own lifestyle. The high reps and lo weights at the gym sounds good (I did 4/5 years of weight training to try to get strong, and found it very, very boring). Do any of you who go to the gym do any cv work while you or there?? I thought that maybe some work on the rower maybe beneficial?? Just an idea!!

 

[ChrisCrc]

Smple............Eat Less Exercise More

 

[puddleglum]

I think cycling does improve your upper body to a degree, particularly the core area. I find going to the gym counting reps and stuff like that a bit dull and recently took up speed badminton, which seems a good complement to the cycling. Any racket sport, especially badminton is good for stretching your upper body, without building muscle particularly and all that bouncing around on foot uses different leg muscles and can't do bone density any harm. (Unless something snaps, obviously!)

 

[cheadle hulme]

Press Up = works all "push" muscles
Pull Up = works all "pull" muscles
Squat = works all leg muscles
Crunch = works core muscles
Cycling = works heart.

Anything else is just a variation to keep things interesting.

 

[montage]

Cycling = works heart

because you fall in love