Skinny but flabby

[confusedcyclist]

I was wondering about the Stronglifts program, how does it affect your cycling? I can't imagine getting on the bike the day after heavy squatting. The program has you squatting 3 times a week, do your legs hurt all the time as a result?

I was doing my sessions Mon/Wed/Fri at lunch time, cycle commuting 20 miles a day, 5 days. Well, I've put stronglifts on hold after 3 months, not because of cycling, I have an unrelated should/neck injury that flared up which needs physio, but to answer your question...

Hurt, no. Definitely feeling fatigued in the quads to start with, then it becomes more bearable as you progress and your legs start to feel normal again as you get accustomed to it. I could often 'feel' I had a work out on the cycle home, sometimes into work the next morning was a little lethargic, nothing too bad though. It just means taking it a bit easier on the bike between sessions, the rest days are important. I wouldn't combine stronglifts with efforts to beat your personal bests cycling, as your going to hinder your cycling performance, not to mention the muscle weight gains. But its great for improving general fitness if road racing isn't your bag. I couldn't care less about my FTP to weight ratios. On the flip side, stronger legs, core and back means better endurance in the saddle.

 

[T4tomo]

Rapid weight loss of 8st - lost a lot of muscle also. After years of fighting to be something I am not (a lean cyclist) I've quit cycling in order to concentrate on re-building the lean muscle lost by visiting a gymnasium and lifting heavy things then putting them down.

I look better in the mirror(and feel better) now at 16st and 6-8months post quitting cycling than I ever did at 13.5st at my leanest. Obviously by lifting and eating more over time weight will increase, but that's a necessity to gain muscle, fat can be lost later on down the line while maintaining gym gains.

So not really got much to add to a cycling forum any longer . Advice on how to bulk upto 16st is no good to us lean chaps who like riding up hills.

is there a quitcyclingnowobsessivelypumpingironchat.net. You could join.

 

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

I was wondering about the Stronglifts program, how does it affect your cycling? I can't imagine getting on the bike the day after heavy squatting. The program has you squatting 3 times a week, do your legs hurt all the time as a result?

They're tender! Can minimise that by limiting riding to the first and last stronglifts days.

Ultimately to get anywhere you have to prioritise the activity.

 

[Drago]

Us strong types power up hills instead of merely riding up them. Compared to leg pressing 260kg a steep hill is quite restful.

And when we get to the pub at the top of the hill we look manly and pumped, not scrawny like undeveloped teenagers.

 

[ColinJ]

... when we get to the pub at the top of the hill we look manly and pumped, not scrawny like undeveloped teenagers.

I aspire to looking (moderately) scrawny!