How do you lose 10kg or so in under a year...

frenchfighter

...as a pro cyclist when you have practically no fat to lose?

I have a very low fat % and find it incredibly difficult to lose any more enough to become ripped like the bodybuilders or some pro cyclists.

Would the pros have to use some products?

Or is most of it muscle? I have read how Cummings went on a crazy diet to lose muscle.

I read an srticle in the French press (I know, I know) saying that they believe in the Tour there were two drugs in use - one was 3rd gen EPO, another was a product aimed at losing fat. Both are on the list of banned products but are still in 'development' phase.

They also mentionned how badly some riders performed compared to previous years.

iainf72

http://www.53x12.com/do/show?page=forum.thread&id=266

avalon

Bit underhanded there frenchie.
Say what you mean eh?
Or don't say it at all.

ride_whenever

According to a friend who has done some weight capped rowing events last year, losing muscle is really easy, you just do a lot of cardio work based around your discipline, any muscle you're not using just melts off.

frenchfighter

It is a genuine question for info on the pros - the only place I have previously read about it in detail was on the Cumming's article.

But also for my own benefit - I am 68kg, hardly any fat and want to lose muscle so I can climb faster. I can climb well enough (I am my club's hill climb champion) yet the hills I work on are relatively short so the extra muscle doesn't matter much.

Thanks for the link Iain.

rockmount

frenchfighter wrote:

...as a pro cyclist when you have practically no fat to lose?

I think when the fat is in your head, it's there to stay

grantus

Starvation rations for a few weeks. Your body will burn muscle first if you starve yourself and try to store fat, no?

You'll get up the hill faster, that is, on the odd occasion you can get out on your bike when you're not suffering from a cold due to weakening your immune system

bikerZA

Ride on an empty stomach with only water.

You'll lose weight, for sure. *


* - but you may die.

frenchfighter

Ah, rocky what would I do for entertainment if I didn't have your comments to smile at.

You remind me of a stegosaurus.

madeincumbria

crystal meth, apparently!

I lost weight by cutting down on carbs, anything with loads of sugar and just riding more. Good luck

Coriander

I've absolutely no idea.

But if anyone wants any advice on putting on 10kg in a year, I'm your gal!

carlstone

Loosing 10kg of muscle is not difficult for a professional sportsman, it is loosing the muscle without loosing the power and endurance. Bradley is doing a very delicate balancing act at the moment and will continue to loose weight until the balance tips towards the time when he starts to loose performance, then it will stop and he will be at his optimum weight (everything else being equal). Fast and slow twitch muscle fibres come into the equation as well as a myriad of other considerations.

Carl.

Ps if Bradley Wiggins is taking drugs I will never ever watch professional sport again, he epitomises a clean sportsman for me.

boz64

Apparently, going for a regular ride before eating breakfast will do the trick. The body will burn fat during this scenario to fuel the muscles.

But as already mentioned, if you already have very little body fat i would think this could be quite dangerous if you are not extremely careful.

Brad will have top pro medical team looking after his weight loss programme.

Captain Fagor

carlstone wrote:

Loosing 10kg of muscle is not difficult for a professional sportsman, it is loosing the muscle without loosing the power and endurance. Bradley is doing a very delicate balancing act at the moment and will continue to loose weight until the balance tips towards the time when he starts to loose performance, then it will stop and he will be at his optimum weight (everything else being equal). Fast and slow twitch muscle fibres come into the equation as well as a myriad of other considerations.

Carl.

Ps if Bradley Wiggins is taking drugs I will never ever watch professional sport again, he epitomises a clean sportsman for me.

:roll:

geoff_ss

boz64 wrote:

Apparently, going for a regular ride before eating breakfast will do the trick. The body will burn fat during this scenario to fuel the muscles.

But as already mentioned, if you already have very little body fat i would think this could be quite dangerous if you are not extremely careful.

Brad will have top pro medical team looking after his weight loss programme.

Not sure about that. I cycled 13 miles to work on a very little breakfast for years and didn't really lose any weight. My minimal breakfast was because I rode quite hard and didn't really want to use it to surface the road.

Geoff

cougie

boz64 wrote:

Apparently, going for a regular ride before eating breakfast will do the trick. The body will burn fat during this scenario to fuel the muscles.

But as already mentioned, if you already have very little body fat i would think this could be quite dangerous if you are not extremely careful.

Brad will have top pro medical team looking after his weight loss programme.

I'm doing something wrong then - I hardly ever have breakfast before riding on a sunday. My BMI is borderline obese ! (clearly its flawed though....)

jamlala

iainf72 wrote:

http://www.53x12.com/do/show?page=forum.thread&id=266

To me as a newbie, that is scary and obsessive. And wrong, but hey, thats only my opinion.
But then I'm an ex-rugby player, more in the Thor Hushovd mould and anyway my missus likes my upper body so they stay lol! I'll just have to accept being slower.

Oh and currently I'm 6ft (won't change) and 195lbs (going down!!).

Harry182

Has anyone mentioned Theo Bos yet? He's lost a ton of muscle mass since switching from track to road. I reckon way more than Wiggins. But, having said that, he also started a lot heavier.

rockmount

Harry182 wrote:

Has anyone mentioned Theo Bos yet? He's lost a ton of muscle mass since switching from track to road. I reckon way more than Wiggins. But, having said that, he also started a lot heavier.

Different kettle of fish ..

ms_tree

Coriander wrote:

I've absolutely no idea.

But if anyone wants any advice on putting on 10kg in a year, I'm your gal!

Chocolate??????????????? Icecream??????????????A combination of both?????????

However, to lose weight I can recommend Rosemary Conley's GI Jeans diet. Remember - you HAVE TO EAT TO LOSE WEIGHT but you have to do it sensibly. And ALWAYS eat breakfast.