Weight Training?

phreak wrote:

Apart from stress probably the biggest cause of time off work is a bad back. I'd imagine having a strong core would help with that quite considerably.

I say again though, I'm not talking about having Arnie style muscles here, but surely anyone can see there's a big difference between a Greipel or a Boonen and Schleck? Those big roulers must be carrying a fair bit of muscle as they certainly aren't carrying much fat.

Also, as I said previous, most UK races seem to be criteriums or time trials. Hardly the domain of the whippet thin mountain goat. I've done weights since my swimming days. Lighter now than I've ever been and seem to pass most people going uphill on my training rides *shrug*

Sure I could probably lose even more weight by stopping the gym work, but are the bragging rights at your local 10 that important, really?

Lars Boom did quite well racing in Britain last year, and I would say he looks more like Schleck than Boonen (in upper body terms)

Rob.M wrote:

Tom Dean wrote:

CyclingObsession wrote:

Well the last few races ive done the guys that have won it have much more muscle than me, I would be quite light, I have come in the top 60 out of 300 of my last race in the cycling element, That is why I am considering the muscle gain.

You should concentrate on training to get faster, rather than training to look like the fast guys.

He is, maybe that muscle gain will give him a bit more power.....

People seem to be conveniently forgetting that hypertrophy of Type I muscle fibers is also physiological response to hard aerobic endurance (cycling) training. And such training has a far more beneficial impact of other key physiological adaptations than other forms of training.

If weight training gives you the psychological frame of mind to be a faster rider, then maybe. The guy may be thinking "I am a machine, I am bigger and more powerful and there is no way that scrawny little man/woman is going to beat me". Many other advantages to weight training other than just being bigger and stronger, so try not to be so blinkered. Another massive bonus is most women, even the ones that say they don't like muscle. Secretly do ( i don't mean arnie/ Flex wheeler can't get through the door size) they just don't tell their skinny partners.

T.M.H.N.E.T wrote:

Why not do ride your bike?

Shhhh. It couldn't possibly be that simple.

Ok. Here is my point of view. Occasionally cycling isn't an option due to work commitments. Mountain biking in Afghanistan can be slightly more hazardous due to I.E.d's and land mines. However, weight training is an option and certainly improves fitness as well as strength. I do count off riders as I pass them, especially those clad in Lycra and riding carbon hard tails. It's a psychological thing and makes me ride harder. That said, when some 10 stone racing whippet passes me like I'm sat still, I don't get wound up or frustrated, I just appreciate that he's quicker and spend the next 5 minutes trying to keep up. I've had sOme pretty nasty crashes trying to keep up as well, but it was fun
Let's face it, most of us are never going to be good enough riders to make a living out of it, so if you want to hit the weights and still enjoy riding, what's the problem?