Training & Nutrition - How to get lean

I want to have lean, vein showing muscular legs, How do i make my legs lean? What diet do i need to go on? What things do i need to eat? thanks

is it really that complicated? ride your bike.


I want to have lean, vein showing muscular legs, How do i make my legs lean? What diet do i need to go on? What things do i need to eat? thanks

'Veininess' or vascularity is something of a genetic cointoss... even at my most muscular and lowest bodyfat percentages I was not particularly veiny. Having said that, diet and exercise are the keys... as your body burns fat from its stores, slowly it will 'move around' your body seeking fat deposits to consume. Other than 'brown fat' around your organs, I think one of the last areas to burn is subcutaneous fat.

is it really that complicated? ride your bike.


oviously but also you have to eat a certain way.

AchiLLe..s,

how much are you riding these days?


almost every day

Less bodyfat helps. Eat less crap. Eat clean food in proper portions.

AchiLLe..s,

how much are you riding these days?


almost every day


For how long, and a what intensity?

What's your diet like?

Do you race?

What kind of terrain do you train on?

What's the weather there like?

Ride lots, eat right. Only way I know of. I've got over 1,800 miles in so far this year and I weigh 170 pounds (5' 10") and I am still a long way from having all of the veins showing. The only thing I can blame is my own will power when it comes to my diet, that and the chinese buffet. :rolleyes:

For how long, and a what intensity?

What's your diet like? Not bad, Could be better i eat my veggies but eat bad food quite alot and drink soda as well

Do you race? Going to soon

What kind of terrain do you train on? No flat ground at all, Very hilly tough terrain


What's the weather there like? Hot all the time ,its georgia, hot,humid weather

Ride lots, eat right. Only way I know of. I've got over 1,800 miles in so far this year and I weigh 170 pounds (5' 10") and I am still a long way from having all of the veins showing. The only thing I can blame is my own will power when it comes to my diet, that and the chinese buffet. :rolleyes:


i hear ya that chinese buffet gets me everytime

then my advice is - drop the coke and corn dogs, make sure you get plenty of protein and veg, and RIDE YOUR BIKE :D

oh, and don't put off racing or group rides. do them ASAP


Hot all the time ,its georgia, hot,humid weather

In slight contrast to the other, my advise is to not worry about it. Durring a work out or a ride, my arms look like a road map marking out highways going every which way, and slightly on my legs. While we all know this to be a sign of good fitness and a low body fat, the rest of the world thinks it just looks wrong.

On a side note, when body builders want their veins to "pop" as much as possible, then drink as little water as they can for days leading up to an event and eat a ton of sugar right before going on stage. Not the ideal diet for endurance events.

Vascularity is primarily a function of low body fat in that specific area--but everyone stores fat slightly differently. You cannot control where your body stores fat. In other words, there's no special diet or exercise that causes you to lose fat in a specific place. Doing situps does NOT remove fat from your abdomen.

The only thing you can do is continue to exercise, eat lots of small meals rather than 2-3 big meals, and--most importantly--eat fewer calories than you burn, preferrably with a deficit of no more than about 500 calories per day. As your body gets more and more lean those veins will start to show.

The other obvious "cheat" things are to shave your legs and get a tan.

--Steve

Do long rides at low to moderate heart rate. That will put you in the 'fat burning zone.' Do fewer high intensity rides which tend to burn more sugar.

Other than 'brown fat' around your organs, I think one of the last areas to burn is subcutaneous fat.

I thought humans didn't have 'brown fat', which is why many rodent studies regarding fat lose may not apply to humans.

Ok... all of this is helpful... if you have lots of time.

I know the flamethrowers will come out after this, but...

If you want fast results, try an EC or ECA stack (Google it), increase your protein intake (consume quality protein only), and decrease your carbohydrate intake. (read:high protein, low fat--concentrate on Omega-3 & 6, low carb)

Toggle every 'x' number of weeks the EC/ECA protocol with a Yohimbe/caffeine stack (Google it). Yohimbe has a reputation for increasing vasularity.

Keep the intensity level of your rides no higher than lactate theshold (for 45-60 minutes) or lower (but, as intensity drops, length of workout session must increase).

Do long rides at low to moderate heart rate. That will put you in the 'fat burning zone.' Do fewer high intensity rides which tend to burn more sugar.

This comes down to time management.
Low intensity rides burn a higher pecentage of fat to sugar, but burn less of both in a set period of time.

If you have 1 hour a day to devote to cycling, doing that one hour at low intensity will burn less fat than if it was done at medium intensity.

To me low intensity rides are for people looking to burn the most calories with the least effort. Highly fat calorie efficient. But need hours and hours to burn off a significant amount.
Myself i could care less about the efficiency, and am looking to burn the most calories in the time I can spare which is only 2 hours a day plus 3x that on weekends. Highly time efficient.

So are you looking to do the most effect for least effort, or looking to do the most in a set time.

My legs aren't "veiny", but my arms and hands really show them, especially right after I work out. Freaks out my wife. I don't think the legs will ever get that way, as they are already pretty lean and ripped, especially my calves. Somebody said genetics, and I think that's the ticket.

Commute by bicycle. I lost 30 pounds in a few months... and I still eat 8 meals a day.

Commute by bicycle. I lost 30 pounds in a few months... and I still eat 8 meals a day.


8 meals! Of how muhc food in each meal?

Getting lean is just losing fat plain and simple, the more muscle you have when you lose the fat the leaner you will look. You can't really do anything to get veins but losing weight could help a little

Well this is my way, and actually lean muscled legs wasn't my goal at all. I eat a lot of pasta, rice, bread combined with meat and vegetables. But yea, pasta is the most important, because it helps to burn fat faster as you work out.

It is also the type of riding you do. You should concentrate on maintaining the same pace all the time. First you may think that riding is easy, but wait, keep the same tempo for 30 - 45 minutes and even longer if you can. You will feel the pain and eventually riding will become very hard. Do this exercise every day and in about one month you'll see the result.

Also you can go to gym, your goal is endurance, light weight and 30 -40 repetitions.