Zero benefit to upper-body work?

barrybridges

I hope this hasn't been asked before, but I wanted to see what others think.

Basically, is there any benefit to doing upper-body strength training in the gym, for cycling?

I ask because once a week I'll go to the gym (on a recovery day) and do some non-leg exercises, which will include a few weights. Clearly, this isn't frequent enough to actually cause a significant change in upper-body mass.

However, it made me think: do I really need to bother?

Surely any development of the upper body is adding weight which doesn't really benefit your cycling? I've never heard of cyclists suffering because their arms have given up on them, so I'm assuming that most people's current upper-body fitness is more than enough.

In other words: is there any point or benefit in a cyclist going to the gym to do upper-body work?

imposter2.0

if you're on a hand-cycle, then maybe...

phreak

I think it has benefits to life in general, but not really for cycling. That said, it's very unlikely that if you're doing any kind of mileage per week that you'll gain significant bulk so it's not likely to harm your cycling much either.

I mean I'm sure a Michael Rasmussen physique is ideal for cycling, but given that all of us here do this for a hobby, do we really want to look so thin?

I've been going to the gym since my swimming days, yet can still ride ok. Did Alps d'Huez last year in under an hour so my climbing isn't bad and have completed several European granfondos.

There's a perception that we have to live like the pros. Cycling pretty much is their life. Chances are it's just a part of ours. Lets face it, even Greipel would thrash any of us up our local climb.

alihisgreat

phreak wrote:

I think it has benefits to life in general, but not really for cycling. That said, it's very unlikely that if you're doing any kind of mileage per week that you'll gain significant bulk so it's not likely to harm your cycling much either.

I mean I'm sure a Michael Rasmussen physique is ideal for cycling, but given that all of us here do this for a hobby, do we really want to look so thin?

I've been going to the gym since my swimming days, yet can still ride ok. Did Alps d'Huez last year in under an hour so my climbing isn't bad and have completed several European granfondos.

There's a perception that we have to live like the pros. Cycling pretty much is their life. Chances are it's just a part of ours. Lets face it, even Greipel would thrash any of us up our local climb.

You mean that I shouldn't be aiming to look like this?



madness!

barry_kellett99

Surely it depends on what type of cycling you are competing in?

And as phreak says, it has benefits for life in general.

majormantra

If you want your cycling to benefit from the gym, work on your core.

napoleond

I started doing upper body work again in the last few months. It has benefitted me greatly, but only in respect of living in general and especially work.
It's had no effect on my cycling at all. Except it's helped me get leaner. So I suppose in that respect it has...

glasgowbhoy

I've done a fair bit (3-4 times a week) of core, sit ups, plank and a fair amount of pulls ups/ press ups this winter. Its given me a bit of definition but I'm about 3-4kgs heavier than my race weight last summer of 65kg. I'm not too worried about this though (yet) as I feel strong, my cycle training is going well, I'm climbing ok and as the intensity starts to ramp up this month I'm hoping I'll be closer to 65kg again by mid March.

Tom Butcher

Just throwing this one out there - doesn't lifting weights have the potential to boost things like testosterone production - isn't testosterone a banned drug for cycling ?

There's also possible benefit in terms of posture and core strength and stability- which while they might not increase your power could make you less injury prone and so capable of sustaining a higher training load.

In other words the benefits would seem to be indirect and may not apply to everyone but it'd be rash to write gym work off as always being a complete irrelevance for cyclists. Of course if you put your back out squatting some huge stack of weights that's not going to help.

Tom Dean

Do you want to optimise your training to make you race your bike faster, or ride 'granfondos' and look at yourself in the mirror?

ShutUpLegs

WTF IS A GRAN FONDO :?:

RowCycle

I thought I read somewhere that a little upper body strength can be beneficial?
- If you ride in a low position with bent arms then it can make riding more comfortable/last longer/less sore
- You have a bit more muscle mass for glycogen storage

Not saying if I agree or disagree with these for cycling as I don't do enough cycling training to determine.

springtide9

ShutUpLegs wrote:

WTF IS A GRAN FONDO :?:

.. come on.... keep up.. ... get with the times.. :-)

I thought you were a local boy...

http://www.somersetgranfondo.co.uk/

Murr X

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

madness!

There are thinner distance runners and according to BMI he is a healthy weight. Not that BMI is perfect but neither are the skewed perceptions of what is healthy in the Western world. He would actually look a lot better if his tan covered his entire body, he could then even pass as a male model!

RowCycle wrote:

I thought I read somewhere that a little upper body strength can be beneficial?
- If you ride in a low position with bent arms then it can make riding more comfortable/last longer/less sore

Hi RowCycle,

Upper body muscle gained in the Gym is not usually useful for endurance and may lead to a higher bodyweight making it less comfortable to support yourself. If you are lighter then there is generally less of an issue with comfort and supporting bodyweight.

If there are lessons to be learned from the pros it is to weigh very little and make a concerted effort to do so if it does not come naturally. Being leaner and perhaps less muscular than the average man will not kill you and to give an idea Michael Rasmussen according to BMI was not underweight in the photograph posted above. If he was Vietnamese at that height and weight it would be considered quite normal but when you are surrounded by the majority which is overweight or obese it will greatly alter perceptions of what is healthy.

Murr X

ShutUpLegs

springtide9 wrote:

ShutUpLegs wrote:

WTF IS A GRAN FONDO :?:

.. come on.... keep up.. ... get with the times.. :-)

I thought you were a local boy...

http://www.somersetgranfondo.co.uk/

Yes, I made the mistake last year of riding when the Cipollini Gran Fondo was on, ended up nodding to 150 people riding the opposite way

springtide9

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Yes, I made the mistake last year of riding when the Cipollini Gran Fondo was on, ended up nodding to 150 people riding the opposite way

Everybody looks down at you when you mention Sportive, so it was obvious that all the organisers needed to do was rename them... "Grand Fondo" !!!

Froomes Edgar

MajorMantra wrote:

If you want your cycling to benefit from the gym, work on your core.

no

Froomes Edgar

Tom Dean wrote:

Do you want to optimise your training to make you race your bike faster, or ride 'granfondos' and look at yourself in the mirror?

I'm glad you asked. Latter please