Profileclimb

I am into being fit and the bike os cardio and the gym is for weight training.

Roody

Makes sense to me.

AST236

I ride my bike to the gym all the time. It's only about 2 miles away, so my bike ride provides a good warm up.

CharlyAlfaRomeo

Yup. You're the first person to ever think of doing this, should probably write a book about it or something.

Machka 

Several of us cycle outside and go to the gym. We have a really nice fitness centre here.

kookaburra1701

For me, the 20 minute ride to the gym and the 40 minute ride to the pool is my warmup. I don't have to waste time farting around once I get there, I just plunge in to my work out.

Astrozombie

Don't get jacked!

Machka 

Walking stats this week ...

Monday = 3.1 km
Tuesday = 8.4 km
Wednesday = 4.1 km
Thursday = 9.4 km
Sub-total: 25 km for the week so far

Of that, 11.9 km were inside on the treadmill and 13.1 km were outside in the morning or at lunch. We also cycled outside on Sunday. We're just building up again after taking a bit of a break in the early part of the winter (I was quite ill for a long time), and will start including other gym activities in our routine soon. Rowan has started with that ... he swam 1 km today.

enigmaT120

I use my Soloflex, but not on days I bike commute. Nor on days I split firewood or haul logs out of the woods. I also do taekwon do forms for cardio on days I don't ride or run.

Walter S

Apparently there are other crazy people like you too! I don't go to the gym. Every morning I do several different exercises and yoga practice that takes an hour or more before I leave the house. Then I ride 40 miles RT on my bicycle. I have a very busy life and can't see the value of going to a gym.

At least there's _some_ sanity on this thread!

I-Like-To-Bike

Who wudda thunk it, eh?
Could be a fascinating best seller.

Nightshade

Well.......you could spend time eating greasy foods or doing illegal drugs,but, it wouldn't be nearly as much fun as what you're doing now!

Ride on, mate. Ride on..........

mconlonx

I know a guy who rides his bike to the gym to shower, but he's homeless...

BobbyG

"Crazy" like a cross-training fox!

jade408

Yup. Considering my gym doesn't have parking and is in downtown which requires meters, and the most efficient bus only runs every 30 minutes on the weekdays, and hourly on the weekend, it is the best way to travel the 1.5 miles.

I just don't like to go crazy on the deadlifts and squats because my ride home is uphill for most of the way, and gets steeper the closer I get to home.

wolfchild

You don't even need gym membership to workout. You can get strong, fit and jacked up without ever stepping inside a gym.

Walter S

+1! Gyms are a waste of time for me personally. I think some people enjoy the social experience, the sauna, etc. But for fitness, not necessary.

Machka 

Yes of course, but gyms can offer more variety and motivation ... especially if you get into a really nice fitness centre. We've been to several good ones and are currently going to a really good fitness centre with lots to offer ... swimming, lots of different cardio equipment, weights, fitness classes ...

It gets us out of the house and active in an evening in a bright, cheerful, climate controlled environment ... especially good when it is dark, cold, windy and rainy outside.

Roody

Having a lot of uphill seems like a good reason to do those squats and deadlifts. Even doing them one day a week would be helpful, and maybe on that one day put your bike on the bus's bike rack for the trip home. Or jeeze, 1.5 miles...are you really too tired to walk such a short distance after a lower body workout? I always thought walking was a good way to cool down after a workout!

Roody

Yes, you can do fantastic exercises with your own body weight and a few dumbbells.

This might be a good solution for @jade408. She could work her legs at home. I do squats, lunges, and deadlifts while simply holding a couple heavy dumbbells in my hands. I do them while dinner's cooking, eat a big recovery meal right after the workout, then rest and relax at home for the rest of the evening. Once a week is fine, twice is even better.

jade408

Ive got a goal of dead lifting my body weight. So I gotta hit the gym for some. Body weight dead lifts are too easy. I had some ankle and knee issues over the past few weeks, so body weight squats were out.

i have been low energy for a the past few months and lost all my strength. But hopefully I can step up my exercise game and do both. I just can't read how my body will handle things at the moment. Last weekend I worked out, did hardly any leg work at all, some wood chops and an upper body circuit. My legs were a little tired on my way home. More tired when I biked to dinner. And dead the next day. Totally bizarro. This week I did kettlebell swings with no issues! I wouldn't worry if my ride home was flatter. I need to quad strength! We will see what happens this weekend.

if I think my legs will be tired, I don't bike to the gym.

Roody

My unprofessional advice is to work at it until you can do squats, etc with just your body weight, then gradually hold heavier weights as you develop strength. People can have enormous lower body strength--especially women. Do fairly low reps (6-8) with heavy weights if your joints can handle it. Some muscle fatigue is normal even a couple days after an intense workout. I find fatigue is minimized if I eat a good high carb, high protein meal right after working out (replacing glycogen in the liver and muscle cells). For a day or two, I just spin on the bike and avoid steep hills if possible. (Or I walk up the hills.)

wolfchild

I have a barbell set and dumbbells at home, a total of almost 400 pounds of weight plates.. I also have gymnastic rings and a TRX suspension trainer....I don't like machines at the gyms. I prefer free weights and bodyweight exercises... I am not against gyms, It's just that it's a lot easier and more convenient for me to work out at home or take my gym rings outside and workout outside, then it is to stop at one of my local gyms.

capejohn

I also do it all the time. Much more so in the winter. It's only a mile ride on the MUP.

Mark Stone

I have a friend named Jim, and I occasionally ride to his home for a visit. But that doesn't make me crazy.