Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Pre-ride Workout

Earlier this week I started doing push-ups, sit-ups, and chest dips before my rides. I do 30 full sit ups with a twist to each side, 20 crunches (when my abs won't pull me to a full sit up), 60 inclined pushups (not strong enough to do more than 15 real ones so I do them against a wall), and 30 or so dips on the edge of a couch.

I'm waiting for wheels to come in for my allez so I've been riding my old schwinn commuter/cyclocross tank and wanted to supplement with some calisthenics. I've considered doing plyometrics/calisthenics to get my heart rate up before I get on the bike. My thinking is that by working out before I ride I will start using fat for energy earlier in the ride. Does that sound right?

Does anyone else do this? Do you see any negative consequences (expending too many simple carbs before riding, etc.)? Any suggestions for other exercises to add?

I try to do Yoga before, or after every ride. Simple stretches and lengthen the muscles to avoid injury.

I can't imagine any negative consequences for what your doing before you roll out.

Ive been run/walking (training for a 5k) for 30 minutes before riding....every time

Its a good "warmup"

Earlier this week I started doing push-ups, sit-ups, and chest dips before my rides. I do 30 full sit ups with a twist to each side, 20 crunches (when my abs won't pull me to a full sit up), 60 inclined pushups (not strong enough to do more than 15 real ones so I do them against a wall), and 30 or so dips on the edge of a couch.

I'm waiting for wheels to come in for my allez so I've been riding my old schwinn commuter/cyclocross tank and wanted to supplement with some calisthenics. I've considered doing plyometrics/calisthenics to get my heart rate up before I get on the bike. My thinking is that by working out before I ride I will start using fat for energy earlier in the ride. Does that sound right?

Does anyone else do this? Do you see any negative consequences (expending too many simple carbs before riding, etc.)? Any suggestions for other exercises to add?

Waste of time. Just get on the bike and ride 85 miles, 4 times each week.

its called crosss training....
And onr of the best things you can do.

Waste of time. Just get on the bike and ride 85 miles, 4 times each week.

I'm not solely doing this to get ready for a ride. I also need to get my upper body stronger and much leaner and I don't really want to go to the gym. I heard Herschel Walker used only his body weight as resistance, supposedly he did 1500 pushups and 2500 situps every day :twitchy:. BS or not i've got a long way to go.

Does anyone else do this? Do you see any negative consequences (expending too many simple carbs before riding, etc.)? Any suggestions for other exercises to add?

The exercises you're describing are strength training exercises rather than aerobic exercises. I'm not sure why you want to "get your heart rate up" before biking, rather than just getting on the bike and going, but if so, there are better ways than strength training exercises. There's plenty of benefit to strength training, but in general it's considered better to do it after an aerobic warmup, not before.

Well lbb, several circumstances lead to me doing push ups/sit ups before rides. I want to do some upper body work. I don't want to go to the gym. I ride basically every day. I don't want to do push ups after riding 35 miles. Thus, I do push ups/sit ups before rides. I want to get my heart rate up while doing push ups and sit ups to use some glycogen so I start using fat stores for energy sooner on a ride. Part of my question is: is this last part is right?

Carbs/sugars will be providing the energy until you restrict those long enough for your body to "flip the switch" and start using fat.

Really not certain how long that takes, but within one workout session...my guess is no.

I'd imagine its more of a daily commitment to reduce sugars and eventually your body wont rely on it anymore.

my .02

Well lbb, several circumstances lead to me doing push ups/sit ups before rides. I want to do some upper body work. I don't want to go to the gym. I ride basically every day. I don't want to do push ups after riding 35 miles. Thus, I do push ups/sit ups before rides. I want to get my heart rate up while doing push ups and sit ups to use some glycogen so I start using fat stores for energy sooner on a ride. Part of my question is: is this last part is right?

It's right, but it won't happen with your workout. The body uses glycogen first during exercise, then glycogen plus fat. To get to that second stage, you need to be exercising for a while. The strength training exercises you're describing just aren't going to burn that much. If fat-burning is what you're after, you'd do better to just get on the bike and spend a long time there.

Anecdotal, but we only used body weight resistance, calorie reduction, and some pack road marches in Basic and I dropped from 206 to 180 in 8 weeks. I wish I could lose that fast now. There are some sites that are really good for body weight resistance (and some not so-they try to sell you stuff).

Cross training is always a good thing and it is something I am just starting to add my routine. Just cycling is good for general health, but it has its limits. Core strenght is realy important for riding longer. Pylates is great, but I dropped my gym membership this year so I don't go it regularly any more. I know that is a copyout as I could easily affort to spend $12 for a dvd and do it at home... sometimes it is hard to get motivated.

From everything I've been reading in various cycling and other magazines and books lately here is what seems to be a universal:
- Cycling is a great aerobic workout if you push your self a bit. You gain losts of strength in your legs, and improve your over all cadio vascular system, but there are limits.
- You should perform additional strength training, especially working the core. This will help you with longer rides, but is good in general.
- Cyclists has been shown to have much weaker bones than runners. Cycling is a wonderful low impact sport. Therefore your body is not getting pounded. For many large amounts of running is bad is it pounds the knees too much. I know I should add a little running into my workout... but I just don't like running. I should probably find someone who knows how to run and get a little coaching on how to run properly. Maybe then I would not dislike it so much.
- As others pointed out it takes time before your body starts to tap into fat reserves. Various articles seem to say this happens around 45 minutes into a workout (this is a VERY rough estimate). Simply put my twice daily 20 minute commutes are great for my heart, but don't end up burning much fat. There I now regularly add longer rides where I am out riding for at least 1.5 hours at a time.
- I have read that strength training after an aerobic workout gives better results with weight loss as the aerobic activity raises your metabolism. When you then switch over the weight training helps to keep your metabolism at a higher rate for an extended time.
- I just read the other day that recent research shows that streaching before cycling actually reduces cyclist performance. Streaching AFTER the cycling however was very good. A good deep tissue massage after a long ride was also shown to be very benneficial... too bad I don't have a live in massuse;)


Happy riding,
André

DON'T DO SITUPS - THEY WILL HURT YOUR BACK. Do crunches - but do ssllooww crunches. Hold your body upright as you can, and release slowly. Do this to the left and right, also.

DO NOT STRETCH COLD MUSCLES. Instead, warm up slowly on your bike, get your muscles warm with blood flowing and THEN stretch.

I do a lot of weight lifting. It is necessary as one grows older. Bicycling can be a factor in osteoporosis development. Weight lifting off sets this. Also, you tend to lose about 1% strength each year, which is completely avoidable.