cyclezealot

I hear others talk about the rewards of spending hours at the gym.. My wife has a membership also. Once I get back from spending half the day cycling, I have no inclination to spend a couple hours at the gym. In spite of fact,( of which I am glad) my wife spends 3-4 days a week at the gym.. She likes it for the pool.
I fiugure I spend at least 3, if not 5 hours on the bike and my heart has been at least 60 percent max. for 95 percent of the time.. I have had my aerobic workout, in the way I love.
So what else need we add to our regimen.. Part of the reason I have had enough exercise, is that I have a Total Gym 100. I spend at least two days for maybe 30 minutes on it. If not each morrning or after a Ride I religiously do 100 sit up and 50 push ups. I figure that is enough to keep the rest of me toned. Being 'toned' is really all I expect for the rest of me. My main goal is wet loss, being toned, and aerobic health.
I could do better on the weight loss front. Do any of you feel we must do considerably more.? I am not that hot on gyms.. I feel I do enough. On top of what I do, really all I need is to watch food intake.. Don't think often cyclists goals' are to look like Hercules? Are you motivated to do much more than cycle?

mrfix

Nothing else for me, I ride everyday for a minimum of 2 hours, 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening on my commutes, on weekends I ride for fun, usually a century on Saturday and half a century on Sunday. When the weather is bad or I don't get to ride for whatever reason, I ride a Cyclops hydraulic trainer in the basement for 1 hour at various output. That's been it for me for years, my weight stays the same and I'm trim and fit and as strong as I need to be at the ripe old age of 47. Most of the time I ride a pretty heavy, loaded bike, I feel like I get an upper body workout when I climb the hills on my way to work. I probably should do other kinds of excercise, but I don't really have the time or desire. I am interested in reading what others do and their reasons for doing it.

RWTD

I think your bodytype has a lot to do with it.Even to be "toned" you have to have some muscle to "tone".Many hardgainers have to spend considerable time in the gym to see any results on the muscle front but always look "toned" in fact "ripped skelatons "are often used to describe them .Others have a good natural muscle base but have trouble with the "toning".Here I agree more focus on aerobics and diet is warrented and weights do not have to be as intense and the total gym may be more than adequate .I'm surprised with all the cycling you say you do you still have problems on the weight loss front. Something must be off on the diet .By the way I'm not crazy about commercial gyms either and so have my weights set up in my garage which is much more convenient anyway.

DnvrFox

I do weight lifting (at home, I do not like gyms), because:

1. I really enjoy it.

2. There are some really great researched benefits regarding prevention of osteoarthritis, and almost total prevention of muscle loss by lifting heavy weights as you grow older.

3. I power walk because I enjoy the walking as another kind of aerobic exercise, and here it frequently is not good bicycling weather, but I have to get outside.

4. I ride the trainer for cardiovascular, and to keep my biking up.

BUt, if you are riding daily and putting in about 10,000 miles per year (as you recently stated), I would think that you are in excellent shape (better than 99.9% of the world), and I should would not worry about it. Especially if you do not enjoy it.

velocipedio

I run.

I like running. It has poetry, though not quite the same as cycling, and you can't freewheel, so every step is effort. Most of my runs are a little more than an hour long, and I can usually get a 90-minute to two-hour run every weekend, so I'm running something in the neighbourhood of 50-60 km/week.

MoonBear

I too have started weight lifting (at home also) just to help with upper body strength, etc. Mostly free weights, no fancy machines at home. I tend to lift after my rides.

As the saying goes "You don't want ripped legs under a wimpy body."

oxologic

Running, cycling from Monday to Saturday. Swimming on Sundays.
Well, of course there is rest, depending on where i put them.

sistinas

I go to the gym 3-4 times a week, mostly to take classes like yoga (for flexibility) or pilates (for core strength). Twice a week I'll use the weight machines or free weights - my apartment is so cluttered as it is I really don't have room for my own set of free weights or a machine.

toolfreak

running: just to relax from work, takes about half hour

climbing: three times a week, in a nice indoor climbing hall, takes about 2.5/3 hours.

And my job off course

Phatman

running, baby! I run indoor track at school, so I'm running at least 6 days per week, around 8 miles per day. Some of it is distance, some just pure unmitigated speed. lol...I'm pretty slow

Chris L

Used to go to the gym when I was at university (stopped when I finished and would have to pay for it), I have also been known to spend some time running along some of the 42km of golden beaches we have around here.

bikebrat

Weights . . . free weights and machines at the gym, so I don't have all that paraphenalia cluttering up the house. (No, the bike in my family room does not qualify as "paraphenalia.") I work on core and upper body strength, as well as leg strength . . . Friel's book recommends off-season for all racers and all year for women and older racers. (Query: I fit into both of those categories . . . Should I be lifting weights twice as often?) -- Also, when there's too much ice and snow on the roads, I do spinning classes too.

SamDaBikinMan

I transition to almost a pure weightlifter during the winter and I also do rowing on a concept 2 rower.

bentrox!

I've been practicing kendo (Japanese fencing) twice a week for the past ten years. Kendo is physically rigorous (ex-marines have dropped out of our group) but I do it as much for the mental/psychological discipline as I do the workout. I imagine many martial arts are like this. Seems to complement my cycling endurance anyway. I believe I tire less easily, focus better and enjoy my rides more than otherwise.

greywolf

i sit on a swiss ball while useing the computer, dont laugh its spost to be good for core strength ???

juciluci

i used to go to the gym weights twice a week
run 3 times a week minimun 5 miles up to 15
cycle 5 times a week at least 150 miles
row indoors(cold out now) 3 times a week.
i am now upping that to
gym 3 times a week
running 3-5 times a week/crosstrain with eliptical 2x
cycling 5 times a week at least 150 miles indoors half the time because of weather
rowing 5 times a week.. training for national race in feb.

by spring the rowing will taper down to 3 times
cycling 5-7
running 5 x mileage has to increase to 50 miles a week min. for epic run in august of 125kms.
gym 2x

with stretching and pilates thrown in as much as possible.
oh i work for myself min 10 hour day.
my trainer also advocates swiss ball exercises at the end of the weight work out or mixes some in with resistance.. its very tough.
p.s. i have just had to learn time management

ngateguy

I used to do free weights at home until a co worker introduced me to resistance bands. They are safer on your back and joints than free weights and they tone you up pretty quick. and they don't take up the space. I also have a very physical job so it is like doing free weights all the time.