Weight gain from weight lifting?
#1
Peloton Shelter Dog
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Weight gain from weight lifting?
I've been lifting in the gym since early November. I continue to ride, averaging 150-200 miles weekly during this mild winter. I always gain weight in the off season, and this year is no different. I went from a low of 162lbs or so in October to 170-172 lbs now (5'11"). Those weight numbers are fairly close to those of L. Armstrong. I have a medium to large frame (my racing weight of 160-165 is much heavier than some 5'11" pros who can be as light as 140 or so). But I doubt I could ever ride competitively below 160. When I was younger whenever I tried to get below 165 I actually seemed to get slower.
Over the past month or so I've been focusing on eating less and trying to lose those pounds. But while I appear to be trimmer and fitter, my body weight has plateaued pretty hard @ 170 or so. A fair bit of this does appear to be muscle gain. I'm not working my upper body much (pushups and some curls) - and hitting the legs as hard as I dare with my chronic low back pelvic issues.
I'm sure once the weather warms up and my riding hits that 200-300 miles per week level the 5-8lbs I want to shed will slowly melt away. Has anyone else experienced this apparent increase in body weight from muscle build up during off season gym sessions? I'm actually climbing BETTER @ 170 now than I was @ 162 in October - same hills, bigger gears. Feeling pretty good too. Which makes me hopeful that once I get down to fighting weight (hopefully under 165) I'll be good to go.
Over the past month or so I've been focusing on eating less and trying to lose those pounds. But while I appear to be trimmer and fitter, my body weight has plateaued pretty hard @ 170 or so. A fair bit of this does appear to be muscle gain. I'm not working my upper body much (pushups and some curls) - and hitting the legs as hard as I dare with my chronic low back pelvic issues.
I'm sure once the weather warms up and my riding hits that 200-300 miles per week level the 5-8lbs I want to shed will slowly melt away. Has anyone else experienced this apparent increase in body weight from muscle build up during off season gym sessions? I'm actually climbing BETTER @ 170 now than I was @ 162 in October - same hills, bigger gears. Feeling pretty good too. Which makes me hopeful that once I get down to fighting weight (hopefully under 165) I'll be good to go.
#2
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It probably would be best if you had a bodyfat analysis done. Get a body fat comp with calipers or with a bioimpedence device. If you belong to a gym, they should be able to offer these options up for you... usually for free too. Then just have it done again every 6 weeks or so to make sure you're still on track.
Koffee
Koffee
#3
Peloton Shelter Dog
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I have a body fat scale that reads 14-16% and when I'm down to my lightest weight it's more like 12-13% (and I LOOK leaner than that in my estimation). I'm 48 years old - so these body fat content numbers would tend to be higher than they would be for somebody 10-20 years younger I suppose.
How accurate is that? Doesn't matter. I'm training as hard as I can. And I'll get as lean as I possibly can. You work with what nature gives you. Hoping to get down to 10% or so on that scale by summer. I understand that these Tanita scales tend to give you readings that are 2% higher than a full-bore pro body fat content analysis. But it is what it is I suppose.
I am a believer in the mirror/belt indicator theory, i.e. if you look leaner in the mirror and your belt closes another notch tighter - you're getting there. Not scientific but it does seem to work : ).
In the meantime, I wonder how many of my non-cycling buddies my age are under 15% body fat? That's more what it's about for me. The racing/fitness is sort of a path to the larger goal of physical/mental health.
How accurate is that? Doesn't matter. I'm training as hard as I can. And I'll get as lean as I possibly can. You work with what nature gives you. Hoping to get down to 10% or so on that scale by summer. I understand that these Tanita scales tend to give you readings that are 2% higher than a full-bore pro body fat content analysis. But it is what it is I suppose.
I am a believer in the mirror/belt indicator theory, i.e. if you look leaner in the mirror and your belt closes another notch tighter - you're getting there. Not scientific but it does seem to work : ).
In the meantime, I wonder how many of my non-cycling buddies my age are under 15% body fat? That's more what it's about for me. The racing/fitness is sort of a path to the larger goal of physical/mental health.
#4
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Originally Posted by patentcad
I understand that these Tanita scales tend to give you readings that are 2% higher than a full-bore pro body fat content analysis.
I'll let you know, I'll be going in for a pinch soon -- my Tanita is reading 24% but the mirror tells me I have the same padding as I did when my bf hit about 20% last year.
Koffee's point was that the only way to know if your weight gain is muscle/lean mass or fat is to compare apples to apples.
Assuming that the Tanita is consistent if not accurate, 12% bf at 162 vs. 15% at 170 indicates a gain of about a pound of LBM, so yeah, you could be gaining muscle.
(In general, a body puts on fat and muscle at the same time (in a condition of excess calories), and takes off fat and muscle at the same time (in a condition of deficient calories). This is why body builders do bulk and cut cycles instead of trying to gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously, which is impossible after a short period of "newbie gains".)
#5
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Muscle is really heavy. If you're gaining muscle, you can expect to gain some weight with it. I think it's like 3 x heavier then fat.
If you're "looking" right to yourself, if you're healthy, if you're feeling good, ditch the scale.
If you're "looking" right to yourself, if you're healthy, if you're feeling good, ditch the scale.
#6
Peloton Shelter Dog
Thread Starter
The bottom line for me isn't how I look in the mirror. It's how I feel on the bike. In training I regularly do 2-3 mile climbs. But NOT in competitive riding. The longest climbs in those rides/races tend to be a mile in length - and the racing studs go up them HARD. VERY hard. So it's more about being a power climber than a pure climber. In which case being 5 lbs heavier - with greater strength - is probably going to work better. We'll see I suppose. Last year I did get thin @ 160 or so - but the snot level was never quite there. But I was coming back after a 5 year layoff from riding at all and I lost 48 lbs. to get down to 160. This year I only need to lose 10 lbs to get there - and I have 8000+ base miles under my belt. HUGE difference of course.
The last couple of fast group rides I did (not frequent in mid winter) I felt fine. Like my old racing self. No problems hanging tough with the racing dudes. And I seem to be doing my regular training climbs on some days comfortably in slightly higher gears. I FEEL good on the bike, particularly climbing, particularly for February. But the real test will come in Spring when the Cat 2/3 boys are out driving the train @ 30-35mph. Then we'll see.
God help me -I do love this ****.
The last couple of fast group rides I did (not frequent in mid winter) I felt fine. Like my old racing self. No problems hanging tough with the racing dudes. And I seem to be doing my regular training climbs on some days comfortably in slightly higher gears. I FEEL good on the bike, particularly climbing, particularly for February. But the real test will come in Spring when the Cat 2/3 boys are out driving the train @ 30-35mph. Then we'll see.
God help me -I do love this ****.
#7
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i suppose that the weight curve is a bell-shaped one. i always want to get as light as possible, but wonder if i would gain some more power if i added a few pounds.
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I've had the experience of strength training, having my clothes fit looser, and staying the same weight or going up.
I read this great little fact in Prevention magazine a month or so ago:
a pound of muscle is the size of a tangerine while a pound of fat is the size of a grapefruit.
I read this great little fact in Prevention magazine a month or so ago:
a pound of muscle is the size of a tangerine while a pound of fat is the size of a grapefruit.
#9
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Also keep in mind your body tends to store a little bit more fat in the wintertime as a "survival" mechanism.....if your bodyfat percentage is the same as last fall, then obviously you've been very religious with the diet and you've packed on some muscle .