Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Weight Training

Hi Guys

Newer member here. Great to be apart of the forums! I was wondering if any of you guys incorporate weight training into your routine? I usally weight train 3 days a week. Following weight training i do cardio and on my days off from weight training im cycling. Just looking for some thoughts. If i should be concentrating more on cycling for fat loss or a bit of both. Thanks

I lift weights 4 days/week and do cardio about 5 times/week. I believe both are equally important for fat loss as long as your diet is also compliant. I love being so active. It allows me to eat nearly 3000 calories/day and still drop weight at 1-2 lbs/week.

I've been dealing with tendinitis in my hamstring and unfortunately cycling is about the worst thing I can do for it. I've had to cut back on my cardio and I'm going to start lifting 5 days/week (on a 5 day split) to help compensate while my hamstring heals.

Yes. I lift from 3-4 days a week and do some form of cardio 4-5 days a week. I think they are both crucuial elements to getting fit.
Although now that I have started cycling, I do less lower body work (i.e. Squats and Deadlifts) as they really tear my legs. Good luck on your training.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Rules-Lifting-Maximum-Muscle/dp/1583332383

In the summer, I usually go to the gym once a week, and alternate. One week I do arms and core, the following week is legs and back. I need a couple days off after a leg workout, like the other poster said, it rips you up.

The book also has a fat burning workout. I may try it this fall, it looks really hard.

I have found a key to recovery after a hard leg workout is lots of water, protein and some L-Glutamine. Not to mention a good quality Multi-Vitamin.

I gave up weights years ago after discovering kettlebells. Combined with clean diet and practitioner-grade supplements, they help me simultaneously build muscle, strengthen connective tissue, and improve cardiovascular fitness.

Another big kettlebell advantage is that I don't hurt after a workout like I used to when isolating muscles with dumbbells.

I think kettlebells are great; although I haven't has the chance to try them yet. Btw, I saw Lance using them in a vid recently.

But...if you are doing the classic weight exercises (squat,deadlift, bench, etc) they
are not isolation exercises. One of the many things I like about New Rules of Lifting is that the authors wonder why people do most single muscle exerices, and suggest they don't.

jpoaps,
Many large group muscle lifting routines (legs, back) will elevate your heart rate and burn a lot of calories. Additionally, you will build muscle mass (with adequate nutrition) which will help increase the amount of calories you burn. I use a heart rate monitor and end up burning more calories when lifting then when I'm on the bike. However, I can exercise much longer on the bike (more fat burning) while I'm pretty much dead after 30min of legs or circuit training.

For workout books, I recommend this one for weight training technique (http://www.amazon.com/Insiders-Tell-All-Handbook-Weight-Training-Technique/dp/9963616097/ref=cm_cr_pr_sims_t). There are plenty of books covering diet and exercise plans (eat less calories, eat more often, etc.).

Yes, weight training can burn a ton of calories ( I too burn more calories lifting than I do running or cycling).
And it is true, the traditional powerlifts (Dead, Squat and Bench) are very far from Isolation movements. And Squat and Dead are very good for building core strength along with legs, shoulders and bi & triceps. You could easily do those three exercises alone and build plenty of lean mass all over your body, although auxillary movements do help to speed up the process (if used properly and you don't overtrain them).

Wow great responses. Thanks for the tips! Its great to see what other people think. I just purchased a few of the books that were recommended here. I am going to switch up my routine. One questions, what do they mean by "isolation" exercises compared to the general classic weight lifting exercises? Right now im sitting at 228lbs as of last night. 28 more to go!

Nope, no weights, I'm already a bad MOFO!:roflmao2:.........I honestly can't see weights mixing with riding. Not if you are planning on riding long distance or climbing events. If I pump iron, I eat more and gain weight and the muscles get bigger.

If I do hit some weights, it's lite isolation stuff like tri extensions, preacher curl, side lateral or delt raises. No basic heavy movements like benchpress, squats or military presses.

When I did pump, I would do stuff like a pyramid program. Start bench weight at 220 lbs ( freeweights, no machines) pyramid up to 330 lbs, then back down. As I increased weight, I'd decrease the numer of reps. Couldn't do any more than 330 without a spotter and I always worked out alone.

After the basic movemetns, I'd lower the weight then do isolation exercises like inclined benching and or flies on a pec deck.

I rotated muscle groups, a body part every other night of the week.

No way would doing my old routines mix with riding a century.:D

An isolation exercise is where you are working one specific muscle, or possible group. An example would be a forearm curl. You sit on a bench and place your forearm on your leg, palm up. put a light dumbell in the hand resting on your leg. Curl your wrist, leaving your arm resting on your leg. This restricts the curling motion the the muscle that runs from your elbow down to your hand. A typical compound exercise would be a squat, with the bar running across the shoulders. The exercise, when done correctly, works the glutes, quads, hamstrings, calfs, lower back, and the shoulders.

No way would doing my old routines mix with riding a century.

Sure you can. For the next few weeks I'll go to the gym once a week. Lower half one week, upper the next. A week or two before the tour I won't go at all.

In the Fall, I'll head back to the gym, no set time. I need a strong core to shovel snow
being an old fart. But the only way I'll do the core is if I have some fun doing the other stuff.

Anyway, you can go once a week, even take a month off, no biggie. When the season starts winding down... it's a way to get some exercise. I don't even try to go heavy. I'm only doing a hundred pounds on most exercises. In the Fall or Winter I have gone higher, but I don't really care. I just like the feeling. You know the one, it's an animal thing I only get from hard, muscle building exercise. Only other time I got it was from backpacking.

Anyway, just a thought.

petflunky nailed it. IMHO some of the best Isolation or Auxillary lifts would be: Barbell Curl (bicep), Skullcrushers (triceps), Hanging leg raises (abs), Weighted Dips (triceps), upright row (deltoids), bench press (focus on chest with a few arm/shoulder synergists)
Those are basically the only other lifts I do along with Squats and Dead. And also IMHO those are plenty to build a nice body, if done propery and in the right amount of moderation.
I have lifted and ate me way from 270 pounds (Sept. 2008) to 220 pounds now. Am shooting for the 190-200 lb range by the end of the year.
I also run a bit and now I have started cyling, to I think my pounds will start melting off again.
Good luck with your lifting and cycling man.

I have been doing light kettlebell workouts and walking stairs. I'm taking it slow. I ruptured my bicep last December and ruptured a disc in my back last fall. I hope to increase the intensity as time goes on.

My current program:

Resistance(weight) training 3 times a week. Preceed each session with 45-75 minutes of cardio. Workout at this point is almost all free weights and dumb-bell work followed by some sports/swiss ball time and additional core strengthening exercises and finished with a good streching and flexibilty routine. Try to find time for 3-4 rides per week outside of the above mentioned cardio.

As I rode more, and lost a lot of weight, I developed a physique from the waist down that started looking pretty impressive. Then I started to get a bit paranoid that when the rest of the weight came off I would have a puny upper body and didn't want that to happen.

I don't do extensive weight training, but I do a lot of pushups. After doing those for a couple of months the paranoia set in again. I was getting really nice shoulders, chest and triceps, but my arms looked funny because my biceps were too small compared to everything else. So I started doing some curls just to bring those into line. That has only been a few weeks, but it is making a big difference.

I am thinking of adding some crunch type routine to my repertoire now. Within a couple more months I should have the last of the belly fat zapped and it would be nice if whatever was revealed was something that at least resembled a toned stomach.

I may be obsessing a bit. I tend to do that at times.

Do you of you people incorporate swimming into your routines? Its a great workout!

I hate swimming. Although I am thinking about trying a triathlon next year, so I am gonna have to start liking it.

Do you of you people incorporate swimming into your routines? Its a great workout!

I have done 3 triathlons, and while I'm terrible at it, I love swimming. I was really a good swimmer as a kid. The added weight makes me slow and uneven.

I dont lift any weights at all right now. Im building muscle through my current regimen, I dont want to build too much more I dont think. Any unneccesary bulk will only slow my triathlete goals down I would think.

Oh yes, weight lifting is pretty important for cyclists, IMHO. Cycling is a low impact sport, so you can't increase bone density with it (general thing people should be doing to help avoid bone related problems later on in life). Weight training will solve this problem. I lift 3 times a week, and do cardio whenever I can (typically tuesdays and thursday, but if it rains, then the weekends take over). I'm also pretty built up; guess it doesn't help my cycling with the extra muscle mass, but in the end, I do it to get / be healthy.

Just want to add my endorsement for swimming and kettlebell training for clydes. Us big guys need to find activities that build endurance and muscle without tearing apart our bodies. My goal is to lose enough weight to begin running. Kettlebells are awesome muscle builders yet simple and accessable for the home lifter.