The Hitting the Weights Thread

[SBL]

Has anyone been able to develop size while riding a lot?

As far as size vs. strength goes, my thought has been that you'd ideally want to develop size, and train that additional muscle for aerobic work. This would be different than strength-focused work (e.g. upping your max deadlift) that would probaby involve plyo, low reps with long breaks, etc.

[Brandon White]

Has anyone been able to develop size while riding a lot?

As far as size vs. strength goes, my thought has been that you'd ideally want to develop size, and train that additional muscle for aerobic work. This would be different than strength-focused work (e.g. upping your max deadlift) that would probaby involve plyo, low reps with long breaks, etc.

Depends on what you consider "a lot" and how much size are you talking. When I hit the gym a few times a week, my back, shoulders, arms, and legs all get bigger and it takes a good 2 months off to lose that size (staying out of the gym).

[fortyfour]

Has anyone been able to develop size while riding a lot?

I have not or at least it hasn't been as obvious vs where more size acquired was from focused time in the gym. I then was training with specific goals in mind be it aerobic or anaerobic focused work or a combination of both. I have noticed that I can't take off as much time and any rest period must be briefer than it previously has been due to just getting older (I am now 40) and I'd say I started noticing a definitive change in recovery / time off and where I picked back up in the gym around 34-35 years of age. (I began lifting regularly in the gym around the age of 15 or 16).

[Matthew Strongin]

Has anyone been able to develop size while riding a lot?

I haven't. The more I ride the harder time I have keeping mass even if I'm still in the gym regularly. I've actually lost about 25lbs of muscle over the last 5 years since a dramatic increase in mileage.

[SBL]

Thanks for the replies. I was forced to stay off the bike for awhile and made my way back to the weight room for the first time in a few years. I made some gains and wouldn't mind getting bigger...but I also figured it would be hard to continue the trend as I get back on the bike.

[boots2000]

I had been lifting 2x per week from Dec 2012-July 2015.
In August 2015 I changed my routine around and now lift 6x per week.
For a while I was eating really big and had gained some weight, but I realized it was fat instead of muscle.
I switched my eating around to a pretty performance based eating program and my weight dropped all the way to what is a low racing weight for me. Even came out of the holidays at this weight.
I take two things away from this.
1.) My body does not gain muscle mass easily
2.) I would need to seriously curtail my riding to make any significant muscle gains in the gym.
Probably cutting riding volume at least in half- maybe more.

[joosttx]

This how you do it.

[Matthew Strongin]

This how you do it.

That's pretty much exactly what I used to look like before I started riding my bike. I was a little bigger, but you get the idea.

[dgaddis]

That's pretty much exactly what I used to look like before I started riding my bike. I was a little bigger, but you get the idea.

Your ink made the transition remarkably well.

[Tamu8104]

Thanks for the replies. I was forced to stay off the bike for awhile and made my way back to the weight room for the first time in a few years. I made some gains and wouldn't mind getting bigger...but I also figured it would be hard to continue the trend as I get back on the bike.

A lot of this depends on your genetics and how easily your body takes or loses mass. I have to work really hard to put on mass, it was a huge effort in college to get up to 185-190. As soon as I stopped, even without throwing in a lot of cardio, I dropped 10 lbs. Although that also helps because when I was racing I could lose mass and get down to 160 fairly easily and I have to really focus on getting enough calories that I don't start depleting my body. How that works for you will depend on your body's reaction to building muscle and how it burns to fulfill energy needs on the bike.

Good genetics for an endurance athlete, not so good for a football player or body builder. Everyone is different though.

[swt]

I'm working my DL up to 400, which will be the end of it for me at my current temporal limitations. I've been using ideas from this and related lately:

All About Autoregulation | PowerliftingToWin.


But the real deal is incorporating things like SSST and leg blaster and other atrocities from:
Horseman Workout Program | the Pinnacle Self

[Northern9]

I think the big question is can we get stronger without getting "bigger"? In my experience the answer is yes, but not indefinitely. Of course there is some weight gain with strength gain and we all differ genetically, but bigger isn't better. Better is better. I have changed my viewpoint after decades of lifting to focus on time under load, not sets and reps.

[lumpy]

I can't decide if little Franco is lifting for size or strength.

Pumping Iron is streaming on Netflix right now. Well worth a watch.

[false_aesthetic]

I think the big question is can we get stronger without getting "bigger"? In my experience the answer is yes, but not indefinitely. Of course there is some weight gain with strength gain and we all differ genetically, but bigger isn't better. Better is better. I have changed my viewpoint after decades of lifting to focus on time under load, not sets and reps.

Northern, are you referring to slowing down your movements - e.g. Super Slow 10sec/10sec type of deal or something else? How has that translated into riding a bike?

[Northern9]

I personally like to keep the rep pace on the more explosive side, say 2 second eccentric and 1second concentric if possible and the rep range low enough so I spend say 20 seconds or less under load. I think when you start getting into 30 seconds or more it starts dipping into the hypertrophy area. As far as this all translates to the bike, weight room strength is great for the weight room but only helps minimally on the road.