Cycling but maintaining weight?

mrbez

Hi Guys,

I hope that this isn't a stupid question.

I am currently 210lbs, at around 11% BF. Weight lifting is my main hobby.

I am looking at taking up cycling, but I don't want to lose too much weight/size.

Now, I am under the impression that if I continue consuming 3,500-4,000 calories per day for my training routine, coupled in with a couple of 20-30 mile cycles per week, I shouldn't lose too much size should I?

Any advice on this topic would be great.

White Line

Keeping the intensity down so your heart rate doesn't get too high should help burn some fat. So, technically you'd lose a wee bit of weight, but it would reduce you're body fat percentage. Helps you show off every bit of muscle. 8)

pbt150

I don't think it's that simple. A few cardio sessions per week will make it much harder to gain weight/size, and you probably will lose a bit of muscle unless you eat a LOT. A 30 mile ride might burn ~1000 kcal, and replenishing this AND eating enough for any decent hypertrophy will be very hard.

mattward1979

If you are anything like most weight lifters, your legs will be in need of the workout :P

In seriousness, I dont think a few sessions of cardio on the bike will cause you to start devouring your own muscle as an energy source as long as you get your pre/mid/post nutrition right when cycling... and Im sure you wouldnt complain too much if that BF came down to 9-10%!

Are you just trying to maintain? or in a Bulk phase at the mo? 3500-4000 seems like a bulk diet to me.

Maintenance wouldnt be much of a problem to meet your intake needs, as you can just gorge on pasta as you would in a bulk, but trying to ADD lean muscle mass while riding a lot could be problematic.

jonny_trousers

Competitive weight lifting or body building?

mrbez

mattward1979 wrote:

If you are anything like most weight lifters, your legs will be in need of the workout :P

In seriousness, I dont think a few sessions of cardio on the bike will cause you to start devouring your own muscle as an energy source as long as you get your pre/mid/post nutrition right when cycling... and Im sure you wouldnt complain too much if that BF came down to 9-10%!

Are you just trying to maintain? or in a Bulk phase at the mo? 3500-4000 seems like a bulk diet to me.

Maintenance wouldnt be much of a problem to meet your intake needs, as you can just gorge on pasta as you would in a bulk, but trying to ADD lean muscle mass while riding a lot could be problematic.

Haha, fortunately I am unlike "most" weight lifters, and I do train my quads/hams/calves weekly!

At present I am bulking. Diet is a 40/40/20 split with carbs/pro/fats.

To be honest, if I could maintain my size and drop some BF I would be extremely happy. I am under the impression that if I started to cycle, whilst keeping diet the same, I shouldn't notice too much weight loss, as long as I continue to keep my protein around the 300g per day mark.

Jonny - Body Building. I haven't competed yet, I may in the future, but at the moment I train more as a hobby.

reacher

how tall are you ?

carl_p

What volume of weight training are you doing per week? If you have already obtained the muscle bulk then you might be okay, but you might find it difficult to get further weight gains. Be careful not to overtrain. 3 to 4 hours of cycling will eat into your "rest" time and might actually do you more harm than good. The muscle monsters at the gym I go to won't even consider an exercise than involves going faster than walking pace let alone getting on a bike.

If it's BF you want to reduce then cycling is a more healthier way of doing it than those rediculous diets bodybuilders subject themselves to. You never know you might enjoy cycling so much that you'll soon be racking up the miles and down to 75kg

mrbez

I am 6ft 1.

I train 4 times per week in the gym, about 50 minutes if I am alone, or 1hour 15 with a partner.

I'm currently on a push/pull/legs routine, so each week I train one them twice.

Squillinossett

Speaking from the point of an ex Bodybuilder, it will effect you in a number of ways.

How much will be dependent on a number of factors:

1) Are you natural or assisted? If assisted you can change certain parts of this to aid in recovery and mitigate the damage done from cycling

2) Goals? Bulking? maintaining what you have?

3) How much cycling do you want to do? more will = greater impact, as it will a: affect your recovery & b: depending on intensity of cycling, will use a certain % of energy stores. It is not quite as simple as eat more and you will be fine.

Also note, cycling will not simply reduce your BF%, different HR zone will use either fat, muscle or both.

For example, when I was cutting, I used to do 5 morning workouts of cardio on spin bike, keeping my heart rate between 100-110bpm. This is not the same for everyone.

Are you on any bodybuilding boards? these will be a better bet. I used to be a very active member on a few and these will be able to give you better pointers than on here.

Any more questions ask away!

mrbez

Thebigbee wrote:

20-30 miles per week is nothing at all.

Not entirely sure why you are worried about it. You won't lose any weight over 3-5 miles a day just by cycling - unless you do the full distance flat out!

You seem to know about fitness. Then again it also sounds like that is the only cardio you are planning to do.

So if you do know about fitness then you will know that cardio is at least 10 X better for you than pumping your posing muscles?

You seriously ain't gonna lose any of your 15 stone doing 20 - 30 miles a week unless you are doing your huge 4 miles a day flat out at over 20 MPH.

Some people....

I never said 3-5 miles per day. I said a couple of 20-30 mile rides per week...

I currently walk 60 minutes per day and do 30 minutes cardio after a weight training session.

And what is a posing muscle...

Some people....