VNA

"The real world body" is overweight.
Because it is one thing to be out of shape for lack of exercise but it is another to be overweight. It is more of an "american" phenomenon unfortunately and little to do with genes! Although it is somewhat changing in other part of the world with the introduction of very cheap calories such as "fast food" or "prepared food" such as TV diners etc.

trainsktg

Calculate Your BMI - Standard BMI Calculator

According to this calculator, at 6'1" and 205# I have a fat index of 27%. The problem with this bureaucratic one-size-fits-all approach, is that it is based on averages, and IMO doesn't really apply to active people. I am a natural ectomorph with about 40 lbs more muscle now at 50yo than I had when I joined the military at 18yo weighting 165 lbs. That 27% is mostly muscle; I am hardly on the verge of being obese. (I still can't climb worth a crap compared to my lighter counterparts .)

Keith

79pmooney

When I hear that I look good, I know it's time to lose 5 pounds or more. I have a 6'1/2' body (well I used to be that tall!) and feel best at 150 pounds or a little less. Used to race at 145. Never hear that I look good till I hit 155.

This thread reminds me of the insight I had as a freshman a long time ago; that this body was not meant to handle weighing more than 160, ever. I've touched 165 several times. I don't stay there long. It is not fun.

Ben

downtube42

To my co-workers, I'm a fanatic, perhaps a lunatic. To my normal recreational cycling friends, I'm some kind of superman. To my racing cycling friends, I'm a fred. What I am is a randonneur. But the mirror, the BMI calculator, and the hills all say I'm fat.

I'll go with fitter than most and not (nearly) as fit as I could be.

Treker

Great topic. As the book "Younger Next Year" points out, by following 7 simple rules, you can be functionally younger next year. If I can share a small nugget from the book: when you exercise you call up the production of a hormone call Cytokine 6 (C6). its function is to go where you've created inflammation from exercising and clear away the damaged/old material. Then magic happens. Lots of C6 then calls up C10 which goes to the areas cleared by C6 and makes the area stronger. Sort of a decay/growth model. But there's a catch! There's a trickle amount of C6 i.e. decay, being produced all the time but it's not enough to generate the callup of C10. So in effect, without exercise, we start decaying around 35. Fortunately, a 1 hour brisk walk a day (or equivalent) is enough. I'm 54, have averaged 6,000kms/year over the last 10, started doing weights a couple times a week two years ago, eat pretty well and feel 35.

StanSeven

Yup, this one size fits all approach doesn't work for evyone. The best thing to do is measure body fat using one of the electronic scales or skin calipers. You also might find that percent muscle is less than you realize with age and time. It's tough to maintain with age.

Biker395 

Wow ... I just realized that calculator makes no allowance for gender. I dunno much about this stuff, but that strikes me as a glaring omission. No way the average male should weigh the same as the average female of the same height.

curlyque

What I know is that at organized bike or running events, there are only a few people in the 65-69 age group..... and I'm one of them.

osco53

Use it or loose it,, so very true OP..

Those 20-30 pound fatter than you 10 years younger than you people hanging out at the local watering hole have not yet figured out what you have..

..And that Is, 'Death stalks us all' , Many of Us over fifty people have started listening to the doctors warning or have had a close encounter with the reaper.

They don't yet know the extra 20 -30 pounds of fat in the middle is a 1st class ticket to a shorter life....

bruce19

I go to my favorite tavern every Tuesday for Happy Hour. One day I brought in a couple newspaper clippings of when I was playing football in college. One of the guys there also played for one year in college (he's about 15 yrs. younger than me) and he wanted to see them. Anyway, the bartender is a good friend and a rather attractive 40+ yr old woman. She asked me to bring in some pics of me from back in the '60's. So, I did a little search and found a couple from over the years. It was a hoot. We all got a good laugh out of it. But, one kind of struck me. And, it wasn't one I expected to be significant. It was a pic of me in a Speedo with my 2 yr old son at a beach in ME about 30 yrs ago. What struck me was that although I clearly looked younger and taller the basic shape of my body was the same. I can only think cycling had something to do with it.

BigAura

ectomorph? 40lbs more muscle? Does not compute.

doctor j

You're all too fat for this sport.

trainsktg

Rereading my previous post, I can see how that could be misinterpreted...I'm naturally thin with a small bone structure, so I've had to work my rear end off to build and maintain what strength and size I have.

Keith

Carbonfiberboy 

When I "work my rear end off" it goes away. At 10+ hrs./wk., I might gain a little muscle, lose a little fat, but my weight stays about the same because I use a scale and a tape. If I eat more, the weight goes on as fat. Probably some muscle, but the fat gain that goes with it is intolerable. When I cut back on the weight lifting, I'll start losing again, both muscle and fat, hopefully more fat. My BMI's about 24 now. I'm squatting more now at 69 than I did when I climbed or skied almost every day at 21, though I'm about 5 lbs. heavier. The object of the game is watts/kg.

gabedad

my Old body and my 50+ body. Granted I had Gastric Bypass surgery but have maintained and improved it through cycling. I'll take my 50+ body any day!

az_cyclist

my BMI is higher that that! I dont consistenly get enough sleep, and I have a sweet tooth. I could really stand to lose 15 lbs, but will settle for 5 to start. That would be 5 lbs less to haul around on the doubles coming up

BlazingPedals

Interestingly, there's evidence of people, particular Europeans, who are 'obese' in the sense of high % of body fat, who don't look fat because they have no muscle mass. They look skinny. For those people, their BMI (which is based solely on height and weight) is in the normal range. I think it's unfair to label overweight people as under-active. I know quite a few people who are overweight in spite of being VERY active.

Gerryattrick

These days both my cycling body and "real world body" are nothing to write home about.

I'm 5'8'' and 152lb so would not fit many people's ideas of fat. But I know that this hides a multitude of sins and to be as fit as I could I should lose about another 10-14 lbs.

My problem is I will never be as fit as I potentially could be because that would be more effort than I am prepared to put in. I see all aspects of my work and leisure life as a balance of what I want out compared to what I am prepared to put in and I'm very happy with my balance of life at present.

If becoming a faster/stronger cyclist or runner, or lifting heavier weights was important to me or would add enough to my enjoyment of life I would put in the effort. While, in theory, I would quite like to have the ability to ride a fast, hilly century once or twice a year, the reality is that the thought of frequently sitting in the saddle for 6/7 hours a day holds no appeal at all, in fact the opposite. I'm very happy with my regular 2/3 hour rides with the occasional long ride thrown in. Others quite obviously take the opposite view and good for them, this freedom of choice is what makes cycling such a great activity.

As has been said a few times already, there is no one-size-fits-all approach and we must all decide the balance of input/outcome that best suits us when it comes to our bodies.

bruised

Losing weight at our age is a two edged sword.

I married in my mid 30's and was 209. That was a good weight for me. I wasn't carrying much fat on my 6' 4" frame.

When I hit 280 in my early 50's I set myself the target of getting back to 209, thinking it would still be ideal. WRONG!

I'm now around 185 and I still feel I should drop another 10. What happened to me? I didn't look after my muscles and torso when I started riding and dropping weight, that's what happened.

Broad shoulders and powerful arms are now pieces of chewed string. I can't face the thought of adding weights to my cycling regimen. I hate lifting weights, I like being outdoors and riding around!

Be careful what you wish for.

Biker395 

Ho-ly crap. You're 5'8" and you think your ideal weight is 138-142 pounds?

I'm not much taller than that and I don't view that as even in the realm of possibility. I got down to 152 before a trip to NZ and the holidays wiped me out, and I thought I was doing pretty good!


That's an interesting point about the upper body development. My upper body is a bit more developed than average ... something I have always attributed to spending a lot of my growing years paddling around the Southern California surf. Appearance wise, it's fine, but from the standpoint of a cyclist that likes climbing in mountains, I've always thought of it as useless weight that I can never lose.

People joke about the ideal cyclists body as being a "lung on a stick," but I think this may be the ideal:

Mr IGH

I'm newly single, 54 and in pretty good cycling shape but not anywhere close to 5% body fat. When I go to singles functions I'm amazed at the attention I get from women. Then I look at the competition, most men our age have let themselves go and are couch slugs.

Gerryattrick

[QUOTE=Biker395;17586780]Ho-ly crap. You're 5'8" and you think your ideal weight is 138-142 pounds?

I'm not much taller than that and I don't view that as even in the realm of possibility. I got down to 152 before a trip to NZ and the holidays wiped me out, and I thought I was doing pretty good.

[QUOTE]


A long period of of immobility following a leg injury plus a weakness for does me no favours.
Man boobs and love handles will not look good in a cycling jersey.

OldTryGuy

I will be 65 in July, 5' 8.5" at 140lb this AM. Was 144lb 2 weeks ago but starting to prepare for IM70.3FL. on April 12th and plan to be an event ready 136lb. by then. In photo above if you remove hair, replace the handsome face by a homely one, , chop off thunder thighs and replace them with tooth picks, that's me. Never had upper body strength or sprinting legs but thanks to walking, bicycling and swimming I have a torso that is Speedo compliant.

curlyque

If you don't do any impact exercises, doesn't that contribute to bone loss? I can run, so I do...mostly in the winter..even brisk walking helps and also lengthens leg muscles.

Oldguyonoldbike

I'm 53 and weigh just under 160 lbs., down from a high of 190 lbs. during a seven-year hiatus from cycling. I hope to get down to 150-155 when the weather starts cooperating with the cycling habit. Most of my friends and riding buddies are fifteen or twenty years younger than I am and in better shape than I am. That's okay with me, because I have to work to keep up.
I teach at a local university and it amazes me that I'm much thinner and in better shape than nearly all of my students, even though I've never considered myself much of an athlete. The other day before class some of the students were talking about ways to lose weight when an older student (68 years old) who is not overweight mentioned that he had lost over one hundred pounds. The younger students were amazed and asked how he had done it. Cycling.