SOrry to do another one of these i'm __ and need to __ help! but i need to so here:

I am 21, 6 feet tall, weigh 142lbs (most i have weighed ever), waist 29-30 inches, I don't drink or smoke. My eating habits are pretty normal, lactose intolerant, sleep disorder (no matter what i do 8 hours of my sleep is like 4-5 hours of normal sleep) I have been road biking for about 6 months now at about 20 miles a week on main roads slowly moved up to an average of 40 a week unless i am on the silver comet trail i can ride 60 miles at once but that is flatter and smoother than the roads i usually ride on those weeks i usually total about 80-100 miles with warm down rides the following day

I want to be able to ride more than that, but my muscles can't handle anymore, i want more stamina, and i want more butt and leg muscle mass i am skinnier than anyone that i know, i also have to rest after bad hills, not completely stop just take it easy after bad hills
any suggestions on things to make sure i eat or things i can do to help

oh and i work at starbucks and i am standing or walking around for 40 hours a week

oh yeah i have never enjoyed anything or been more interested in anything than i am with biking now. and want to be able to ride farther and enjoy it even more


i have a trek 5700 full carbon road bike

Congrats Sallad on you ride and in to the world of cycling.

Building muscle is harder for some people than other, but they all have to use the same approach. The first thing is your diet, you can ride and lift like a mad man, but if you don’t give your body the fuel it needs it can’t build the muscle. You should also break your meals out to 6 times a day, or be eating every 2 to 3 hrs.
Breakfast should look something like this.
4 egg whites and 2 whole eggs, 1 cup of oatmeal
Mid morning snack
6oz chicken breast 2 cups salad or veggies or a quality protein drink
Lunch
6 oz Chicken Lean meat or Fish ( Tuna ) ½ cup brown rice or baked yam 2 cups salad / Veggies
Mid day snack
6oz chicken breast 2 cups salad or veggies or a quality protein drink
Dinner
Same as lunch
Bedtime
A quality protein drink ( 100% whey or equivalent )
Also drink about 1 gal of water a day, very important

That is a example you have foods you can substitute, but my nephew is about your age and size and is trying to bulk up to the next weight class in wrestling for his Sr. year. And that is what he is on. If you can afford it schedule a session with a registered dietitian. For about 50 bucks they will give you a hr of time and work you up a diet with lots of options.


2nd you need to hit the weights. A good start is 3 days ( Monday Wednesday and Friday )a week for 45min or a hr and try to ride you bike of do at least 1 hr of cardio on the other days and take one day off. I prefer to focus on certain muscles every day (ie Back and tricep on Monday, chest and biceps Wednesday’s and legs on Friday) but you can do a full body every other day, I just like to break it up that way. Don’t plan on setting the world on fire good lean muscle the natural way takes time. Especially if you do not currently have a workout regiment, it will take you body 3 weeks just to figure out what is going on and go from a starve mode to the mode where it starts to process food and not store it. If it get used to food coming in every 3 hrs, it starts to rely on it, and you’re your metabolism will kick into overdrive. I could take you a year of hard work to add 10 lbs but even without the added muscle, you will get much stronger and your endurance will increase as you raise your Vo2 max and what muscles you have start to firm up, you will get noticeably stronger over the next 90 days.

Good Luck!!

NO! With a weight like that you'd be an outstanding climber! Eat healthfully, keep riding (hills, lots of hills!), and things will come naturally.

I'm kinda in the same boat as the OP except 24 and not lactose intolerant.... but pretty much identical weight and height. Get that same feeling after certain hills.... I'll go up without stopping but once I'm done it takes sometime for me to catch my breath again and get going at normal speed. Personally I dont think I've ridden enough so I'm trying to ride more on a weekly basis and hopefully see improvements that way. Not too concerned about bulking up on muscle, I jsut want some more definition and better endurance.

GRADUALLY up your mileage - around 10% a week until you get to the distance you want. If you want to bulk up, lift some weights and eat appropriately. However, you don't need huge muscles to be a strong rider.

thanks guys, i will try to work on your suggestions mjohn, it will be hard, but i will try especially when some days i spend 10 hours at work, and 9 hours at school. I will definately work hard on eating habits, just moved into a new apartment with a 24 hour gym a short walk away, and there is a half mile up hill right outside my apartment complex i will start training on. i also live a mile from my work, so i can probably come home on my lunch breaks to eat healthier.

i will go see a dietician soon as well