does cycling kill upper body muscle?

[captainhastings]

I just do few sets of press ups 3 times a week the reason being when I ran a lot I was getting very skinny but now I bike instead of run I just continue with the press ups just habit really

 

[Roadrider48]

Just turn up then leave again? That'll do!

If you like.

 

[thebigcountry]

hello guys i have a question and hope more experience cyclist here wuld help.. its been a month now since i started cycling and im enjoying it everyday i jus wanna get on the saddle and ride though we all have defferent reasons why we get into cycling mine is the fun and to keep fit as i get bored going to the gym so quick.. before i started cycling i have a nice upper body build from previous weight lifting,big arms and chest no 6pack though lol so i thought with cycling i can work on my belly,tigh/leg after a month now i can see improvement on my legs and tighs also my belly is no longer big as it use to be but i notice that my arms are getting thin and muscles are going which i dont like..some of my friends who havent seen me for some weeks saw me few days ago and the first thing they said to me was boi you have lost alot of weight...my question is how do i cycle and still retain my upper body muscle or even get them bigger..thanks

If you lose weight, then it will appear you have lost muscle size, but it's maybe just fat you've lost (presuming your still lifting weights). I keep a balance between my fitness activities. I have a swimming pool at home and i know if i overdo my swims, the weight falls of me.

 

[michaelcycle]

my question is how do i cycle and still retain my upper body muscle or even get them bigger..thanks

If you want to retain what you have: weights 2 times a week using an upper body split with a relatively heavy rep range (up to 12 reps). 2-3 sets, calorie level at maintenance.

To grow (presumably the appearance of size) 3 sessions a week at least, rep range which favours sacroplasmic hypertrophy (so 8-12 reps), 3 sets at least, calorie surplus.

You should know that there are different types of hypertrophy (muscle growth.) The type that bodybuilders / fitness models favour is sacroplasmic - in essence an increase in the fluid around muscle fibres which give the appearance of large muscles (although they may not be in fact that strong which depends on myofibrillar hypertrophy).

The problem is you lose size quite quickly when you stop training because the fluid quickly dissipates (as opposed to the actual muscle fibres). This is what I believe has happened to you. It wasn't really the cycling at all (although some people may tell you that...)

 

[madpensioner]

hello guys i have a question and hope more experience cyclist here wuld help.. its been a month now since i started cycling and im enjoying it everyday i jus wanna get on the saddle and ride though we all have defferent reasons why we get into cycling mine is the fun and to keep fit as i get bored going to the gym so quick.. before i started cycling i have a nice upper body build from previous weight lifting,big arms and chest no 6pack though lol so i thought with cycling i can work on my belly,tigh/leg after a month now i can see improvement on my legs and tighs also my belly is no longer big as it use to be but i notice that my arms are getting thin and muscles are going which i dont like..some of my friends who havent seen me for some weeks saw me few days ago and the first thing they said to me was boi you have lost alot of weight...my question is how do i cycle and still retain my upper body muscle or even get them bigger..thanks

Ive been weight training for 40 years - marathon running - long distance walking - and for the last 5yrs long distance cycling.
Allthough all the sports quoted involve the legs - it is important to strengthen the upper body especially the lower back muscles - you only need to use light
weights. With respect to the legs - squats using heavy weights. Believe me it works - Iam 73yrs of age and cycling 5000 miles a year which includes a few 100s
Cheers - Leigh ( mad pensioner )

 

[Dusty Bin]

Ive been weight training for 40 years - marathon running - long distance walking - and for the last 5yrs long distance cycling.
Allthough all the sports quoted involve the legs - it is important to strengthen the upper body especially the lower back muscles - you only need to use light
weights. With respect to the legs - squats using heavy weights. Believe me it works - Iam 73yrs of age and cycling 5000 miles a year which includes a few 100s
Cheers - Leigh ( mad pensioner )

That's a good mileage for your age, but it's wrong to recommend weights to everyone simply because they work for you at 73. In general, it is not necessary to use weights of any type in order to improve as a cyclist.

 

[Irish_Marty]

Cardio burns muscle. It's as simple as that really.

 

[madpensioner]

That's a good mileage for your age, but it's wrong to recommend weights to everyone simply because they work for you at 73. In general, it is not necessary to use weights of any type in order to improve as a cyclist.

That's a good mileage for your age, but it's wrong to recommend weights to everyone simply because they work for you at 73. In general, it is not necessary to use weights of any type in order to improve as a cyclist.

Thankyou for your comments - it is niether right or wrong to recommend anything - if i was forcing someone to do what i do - that would be wrong.
Could you please tell me why it is wrong - I would like to know what your alternative recommendation would be.
Cheers - Leigh

 

[uclown2002]

Cardio burns muscle. It's as simple as that really.

It does? It is? Thanks for enlightening me.

 

[ColinJ]

Cardio burns muscle. It's as simple as that really.

So what we want is to develop some muscles so we can use them for doing interesting and strenuous activities, such as cycling, but then we had better avoid actually using them because they would be burned up and then we wouldn't be able to use them in the future?

Doesn't look like Cancellara does much cardio ...

 

[Irish_Marty]

So what we want is to develop some muscles so we can use them for doing interesting and strenuous activities, such as cycling, but then we had better avoid actually using them because they would be burned up and then we wouldn't be able to use them in the future?

Doesn't look like Cancellara does much cardio ...

View attachment 33517

He clearly lifts weights. It's a fact that cardio burns fat and muscle and i'm not even going to get into an argument about it. Google it if you want to, not that you should have to.

 

[Irish_Marty]

It does? It is? Thanks for enlightening me.

You're welcome.

 

[Dusty Bin]

Thankyou for your comments - it is niether right or wrong to recommend anything - if i was forcing someone to do what i do - that would be wrong.
Could you please tell me why it is wrong - I would like to know what your alternative recommendation would be.
Cheers - Leigh

It may well be right for you at 73 to push some weights - but in general terms, weight training offers no benefit to someone's ability to ride a bike.

 

[VamP]

He clearly lifts weights. It's a fact that cardio burns fat and muscle and i'm not even going to get into an argument about it. Google it if you want to, not that you should have to.

Maybe you should google it.

This is the first hit


by Scooby Werkstatt - in 1,255 Google+ circles
Cardio does not burn muscle, this stupid myth will just not die. Crash diets and bad nutrition burn muscle, not cardio. Cardio can help you gain muscle


Cardio does not burn muscle, there is no metabolic pathway for it to do so. If Cancellara does weights, he will do some corrective stuff in the off-season. Road cyclists don't do weights as a rule, it's pointless.

Maybe you were being ironic and I missed it.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Oh dear