Cycling/ Weight training/ Leg growth.

ianianian

Morning all,

I need some advice about cycling/ weight training/ leg growth.

For those who only have a second to read…..

I'm 25 now and i've been lifting wieghts/ body building/ powerlifting for nearly 10 years now; i don't compete, i just love it. I basically want to know if and how anyone combines cycling with weight training because at the moment my legs are pretty much useless for 4 days after I squat!

For those who have time to read a bit of background….

I bought a mountain bike about two months ago.
The day I bought it I’d just done squats and tried to cycle home from the shop….. I couldn’t! Obviously I was unfit in terms of cycling (I hadn’t cycled for years), but also the fact my legs were exhausted meant I got cramp pretty much straight away.

I had two weeks of rest from my weights during which time I started cycling to work.
I recommend this to everyone! I’ve got a lot fitter (I rarely do cardio these days), it’s twice a fast as a car in a congested area like mine and there’s no fuel costs/ tax etc so I’m desperate to keep it up!
I could really feel this work my legs as I was new to it and its pretty uphill on the way home so I decided to leave legs out of my routine for a while.

I did legs on Saturday, I was quite impressed that after 2 months off squatting, the weight I used only just went down;without the cycling I would normally struggle to lift anything! However, the muscle pain now ….it’s Monday and I’m pretty sure I’ll be unable to walk for the next two days never mind cycle uphill! My legs are pretty much always like this after squatting.

So does anyone have any idea how I’m going to still get decent legs growth and be able to cycle to work? Can I stop squatting? Should I only cycle for half of the week and keep up the weights?

Thanks!

Surf-Matt

Also a life long weightlifter (although not bodybuilder) and cyclist - the two aren't the most compatible of things - unless you want to do Chris Hoy style sprint cycling! I'd say you are lining up for an injury.
Do you need bigger legs?! I found getting too bulky made certain sports harder - surfing became more of a struggle, martial arts got more difficult (just couldn't maintain the speed needed) and running was harder too. I think there's a balance - yes muscle is great but not if it hinders you.

I put on three stone in muscle quite a few years ago and have maintained pretty much all of it - I do it more for fitness and other sports than simply to look "ripped" or "massive." Just find it very handy and of course it looks better than being a weedy git!

linsen

I am a girl so as such I'm not terribly interested in large legs. But I have them anyway and do go to the gym regularly. The last program I had was fairly heavy on the squats and lunges. I was the same and cycling was severely impeded for days afterwards,

So I stopped the squats.

I find that getting myself up a good deal of hills in a fairly high gear keeps my legs as strong as I want them to be.

Bodhbh

I did also do squats etc when I first started cycling this year and found them to bork riding the bike for several days after. As was only doing weights to maintain a bit of bulk while dieting, I just dropped the lower body stuff from the routine and give the legs a good hammering on the bike instead where the gains are of practical use.

ianianian

Thanks guys,

Think you've got a point Matt, maybe the two aren't too compatible but the gym thing is just something i do. I know that it pretty much ruins you for other sports... i used to play football a lot until i started hitting the weights and my hamstrings kept going, but it's just something i love doing so i'm stuck with it!

I might take all of your advice though and drop the squats which is the main problem causer for something a bit less painful so i can keep the two up

Surf-Matt

Ian - I do lighter weights with higher reps now (having done high weights low reps when gaining) - just seems to put less stress on your joints, helps keep well toned but maintains power and strength.

The troube with straight bodybuilding is that once you stop, you'll suffer - but if you get a good balance (of cardio/weights) you'll be fit and healthy well into old age.

I used to be "scared" of cardio thinking it would hinder muscle growth - now I'm a lot more sensible and find it really handy for all sorts of stuff - sprints (when trail running), swimming, surfing, MTBing, etc, etc.

pst88

Well I do legs at the gym on Fridays so I have the weekend to recover until my commute on Monday. Which is fine unless of course you ride on the weekends too... And it's always the first time back after a long break that hurts the most, maybe after a few more weeks your recovery time will improve.

il_principe

NOt sure squats are really gonna help you with cycling. Remember the key is power to weight ratio here - and cardio fitness is very very important. You could try posting the question in the Training section for the road forum. The best advice I ever got was to train on the bike, miles in the saddle will do you more good than exercise in the gym. I took my bro out for his first ride on sunday. He's very fit and plays a lot of Rugby and he still struggled. You need to give your body time to adapt to cycling.

Surf-Matt

Hmm - I wouldn't say only cycle though - cross training helps keep joints stable and muscles fired up for anything.

Run, do light weights, circuits, etc - just not heavy stuff to MMF (momentary muscular failure - what you need to achieve on each set if possible when putting on muscle bulk).

il_principe

Surf-Matt wrote:

Hmm - I wouldn't say only cycle though - cross training helps keep joints stable and muscles fired up for anything.

Run, do light weights, circuits, etc - just not heavy stuff to MMF (momentary muscular failure - what you need to achieve on each set if possible when putting on muscle bulk).

Well I only cycle for exercise so yeah that's a good point. I also do pilates as well as I'm a strong believer in core strength helping cycling.

Surf-Matt

I do a bit of pilates too - our friend is an instructor.
Ideal for ladies too...

linsen

Tell me surf matt what do you do when you are told to raise your pelvic floor to the top level? Do men have one?

Pilates is great to support any sport as it keeps the core strong.

Surf-Matt

Men do have a pelvic floor - blokes that constantly have to go to the loo usually have a weak one.

Can't say I concentrate on it much (!) but basically do the same action as stopping a wee...

Did I just write that? Oh bu66er - I did!

BoydJ

Weight-lifting uses the 'fast twitch' muscles for power. For cycling, other than for short sprints or steep climbs, you should be should be using the endurance or 'slow twitch' muscles. The way to build the endurance into your muscles for cycling is to use a relatively low gear and spin a bit faster. This is probably equivalent to the 'less weight, higher reps' advice above.

If you try to mash a big gear for any length of time you will very soon run out of gas. In my exerience, cycling with a lower gear and higher reps should actually help your legs recover from a heavy squats session. I think what you need is good strength/endurance and a search for bulk is not compatible with achieving that.

UnworthyPapaLazaru

...but will your legs grow with high rep/low weight/low gear/fast spin training?

BoydJ

If you want legs like Chris Hoy and you confine your cycling to high speed bursts, then by all means carry on with heavy weights and high gears. For strength AND endurance, then you need to do the lighter weights and more/faster reps - which will definitely limit any bulking up that might be achieved. For regular, consistent commuting, and better overall, aerobic fitness, then lower gears and higher revs is the way to go.

Depending on what your goals are, then you can mix and match the training to suit.

bodybuilder68

ianianian wrote:

So does anyone have any idea how I’m going to still get decent legs growth and be able to cycle to work? Can I stop squatting? Should I only cycle for half of the week and keep up the weights?


DO NOT STOP SQUATTING!!

You just need to keep at it until your body has adapted.
I have been bodybuilding/powerlifting for 25 years now, cycling for the last 10 and I have never had any problems (even with 31 inch thighs).
You just need to give it time.......

ianianian

bodybuilder68, thats the advice i want to hear!

I appreciate all of the advice, but it's not a case of being able to stop weight training or even going light, it just ruins the point for me... it's just something i love doing.

It might just be a case of spreading the leg workout over a week and then keeping up the cycling until i get used to it!

I think my main fault is i'm too competative! I can lift heavy in the gym as i've trained for years, but at the same time i try to race people up hills that have been cycling for years while i've got two months experience!

As someone said, the time off legs in the gym has probably made this recovery period slightly more painful than usual!

dennisn

ianianian wrote:

bodybuilder68, thats the advice i want to hear!

I appreciate all of the advice, but it's not a case of being able to stop weight training or even going light, it just ruins the point for me... it's just something i love doing.

It might just be a case of spreading the leg workout over a week and then keeping up the cycling until i get used to it!

I think my main fault is i'm too competative! I can lift heavy in the gym as i've trained for years, but at the same time i try to race people up hills that have been cycling for years while i've got two months experience!

As someone said, the time off legs in the gym has probably made this recovery period slightly more painful than usual!

I think that you should do what you want to do. If you like the weights - pump them. If you like riding - then ride. Just don't expect to be "competitive" at both. As in most sports, you
can't be good at all of them. Can you do both? Sure, if you have the time and your body
stays somewhat injury free. I lift during the winter. Lots of high rep stuff. I do it because I
like it(used to be a wanna be bodybuilder in my teens and still like it). And I ride during the warmer months. Works great and I stay motivated although I'm not concerned with being
competitive at 60 years old. I just like riding and pumping and together they keep me in pretty good shape.

Dennis Noward