Winter weight gain challenge

tommy_tommy

I have taken part in sport most of my life and my weight has changed over the years depending on the sport. My history is something like this:

17 years old 10 st 5lb (starting work medical) (no sport)
20 years old - Rugby/Bodybuilding 13st 2lb
30 years quit rugby - triathlon 11 st 5lb
42 years cycling road racing 10st 4lb

Despite eating as much as I want I am now below the weight I was at 17. in the last 2 years, I trained around around 14 hours a week on the bike at varying intensities. This year,I have received so many negative comments about my low weight from family and friends and I have succumbed to the pressure and have decided to bulk up over the winter. I wanted to make use of of my bike and turbo so I have abandoned my normal road racing training and replaced it with a track sprinters type of schedule. Will this routine get some weight back on.

Mon: Dead lift x 5 Chest press X 5 Shoulder press
Tue: REST
Wed: Turbo 30 minute V easy with 5 x 30 sec absolute flat out sprint
Thurs: Dead lift x 5 Chest press X 5
Fri: REST
Sat: 5 x Squats 5 x Bent rows 5 x pull ups
Sun: Turbo 30 minute V easy with 5 x 30 sec absolute flat out sprint

I looking to take in about 3500 cals / day
at 50% carbs 40% protein 10% fat

I want to put the weight on with out too much fat gain. Any advice appreciated.

rickhotrod

Tell your family/friends that you need to get down to 9st 9lbs so that you can keep up with Bertie!

smithy1.0

Nutella is your friend 8)

inseine

Yep, you'll be a heavier, worse cyclist in no time. If that's what you want.

softlad

if you are currently road racing, what kind of level and what kind of results are you getting..?

Most racers train to improve their ability. I'm just a bit confused why you would want to change your regime to alter your appearance, as opposed to your physical performance..?

phreak

It's always worth remembering that the pros have a reason for being beanpoles. The rest of us don't really. Sure it's nice to be able to ride well and climb nicely but overall health is always going to be more important. I don't really suppose many doctors would recommend a Wiggins like physique.

sportbilly1976

tommy,

out of interest can I ask what height you are?

I am 6'2" and currently just under 15st ( i know I need to loose about 1-1.5st to make going uphill more comfortable!)

If I came in at anywhere near the weights you mention in your post I would be writing this from a hospital bed :shock:

inseine

I wasn' t just talking about weight. The regime you mention looks more like a body builders than a cyclists or at best a track sprinters. You'll be flying in a few weeks but you can forget it for next year.
40% protein seems way too much BTW.

Escargot

Is that 5 sets of each exercise and how long are you planning on spending on your weights sessions ?

Personally I would add in some more variation and then swap round some of the exercises (it doesn't currently look like a balanced workout). If you are looking to bulk then 5 sets may not be entirely necessary but trying to hit the muscle groups more than twice a week will bring gains (as opposed to just once/twice a week).

Re swaping the exercises doing bench will tire your triceps so you probably won't be able to max out on your shoulders after. In this case I'd put the row in after the bench and then follow up with some flyes as flyes don't require such heavy weights to bulk up.

Re variation add in some dips to compliment the pull ups and then supplement with curls and cable pull downs to work the arms.

As you are already working the back a fair bit with the squats and deads then you may find it preferable to do dumbbell rows on a bench so you don't over do it. May it would be advisable to add in some hanging leg raises to work the abs a bit more too.

Hope this helps.

ut_och_cykla

If you want a bit more bulk use higher reps 8-12. think doing 5 will mean big fibre recruitment (more strength) but not much real growth. You'll only get growth if you eat for it. Go steady on the cardio stuff for a while so you dont 'eat up' the muscles you are trying to build. then when you reach a weight/size your familly think is ok increase cardio and decrease weights to fins a happy balance.
or change your familly! If you feel and function well at your current weight why change?

tommy_tommy

My height is 5ft 10" and at 10 st 2" I feel no ill affects and my performance on the bike is significantly better than when I was at around 11 stone as a triathlete. I understand therefore, that any weight gain even in the form of lean muscle would slow me down as a cyclist.

My issue is more psychological than physiological, in other words, the constant comments regarding my thinness have affected my self esteem and has lead me to question why I continue to push myself to improve my performance further. Strangely, the people I know in the cycling community actually compliment my leanness, a thin appearance is a kind of strange aspiration in the cycling world but it is something I achieve just as a by product of the training without the need for any kind of dieting.

As mentioned by an earlier poster, I am not a professional and this is not my job, indeed, I am only a lowly 4th cat who once held ambitions of earning a 3rd cat license in 2010. My personality is such that i tend to adopt an all or nothing approach. I cannot imagine
trundling around the country side at a snails pace with no tangible goal. In this case, if I choose to bulk up to improve my appearance then cycling will stop.

This leaves me with a dilemma, do I use my experience from the past and bulk up to achieve a more acceptable appearance and satisfy the majority? Should i adopt a different sport where increased muscle mass is not an hindrance whilst still satisfying my competitive instinct? I am considering masters swimming as one option. Do I change my training patch from the mountain passes and country lanes for the local gym with its steroid fueled narcissists. I have not ridden my bike for ten days but on the next crisp morning will i be able to resist a tempo ride in the local hills. Today,I completed a 30 minute weights routine but in truth, I would have preferred a 3 hour tempo ride, even if it was raining.

Pokerface

Don't see why you can't do both - bulk up a bit AND stay competitive as a cyclist. In fact, I don't see why you can't bulk up a bit and become a BETTER cyclist.


And f you can't - I would stay thin and try and be the best cyclist you can be NOW. You can always gain weight later.

softlad

tommy - I'm 5' 9" and at my lightest racing weight I was around 10st 4lb, going up to about 10st 7lb in winter. However, having packed in racing about 10 years ago, I am now 2 stone heavier....partly through a lack of riding over the last few years and partly through diet.

Having said that, the intention is to lose at least a stone of that over this winter, so I can go racing again next year...

I was going to say if you are happy at that weight, just ignore the comments - but it doesn't sound like you are. But that weight/height does not sound unusual from my point of view.....some of my old club members were thinner than me - and they went better too...

Escargot

I'm really sorry to hear it as loved ones/friends shouldn't be making you feel like this. Do they know the effect their negativity is having ? Having said that they probably think you're going too far down a particularly unhealthy route.

I'm 5'10" and 11st 10lbs and personally I wouldn't want to get any thinner as I think I'm pretty lean already. However I'm no way near the level of cyclist you are so maybe I'd have a different opinion if I were a half decent rider. I've a feeling you may be on the limit though of what is *typically* regarded as being healthy. Apologies if this is not what you want to hear but I would have thought it inadvisable to get too much below 10st.

I'm sure you will know this from past experience but if your heart is not into doing weights then don't bother. I love doing weights myself but can imagine how dull it must be if you're not into it.

If you just want to put a bit of weight on the eat progessively more but sensibly so and you should be able to gain lean weight. Done gradually there's no reason why you still can't be a competitive cyclist as your body/fitness should adapt to any gradual gains in weight.

All the best