headliner

I have recently started doing a 3 day split instead of a 4 day and have seen awesome improvement in gains. I do 1 day of chest and back another day of arms and shoulders and another day of just legs. This workout has been awesome for me but I have recently taken up a new hobby of cycling. My question is this. Since I cycle just about everyday should I leave out the legs day and just work my upper body on the other 2 days?

RWTD

I am currently using that exact same split and cycling and I keep the leg workout.It really depends on your goals(I think many cyclist focusing on maximum performance cut back on legs when they up the cycling) but what I personally find even more challenging is combining any serious weight training program designed to gain muscle with a cycling program designed to burn fat .As I recall you were trying to lose fat so what I suggest you do is keep the workout but when you are cycling every day and focusing on losing fat I would focus the cycling on distance at a moderate intensity and combine this with fast paced higher rep but less heavy weights.This would be a combined weight/cycle routine for maximum fat loss .If you have problem with doing too much cut back on the volume of the weight training while you are in this phase.Your goal here is to lose fat while maintaining muscle.If you want to focus on (prioritize) gaining muscle you will have to cut back on the number of days you cycle and up the weight used while lowering the reps and pace.In this phase if you have a problem doing too much you cut back on the cycling.It sounds like you may have been in a muscle gain phase and are now looking to start a fat loss/muscle maintenence phase.

Guest

Agreed.... I cut back on the heavier leg lifting, as my goal is really to drop some bodyfat. Lighter weights with more reps and sets would be the goal.

Once you finish the cycling season, consider boosting your weights and getting on a training program in the fall where you increase the weights throughout the fall and winter for the legs, and start tapering off in the springtime as you begin the cycling again.

Koff

headliner

Thanks for the tips guys. I will take your advice. I think you guys have a point.

TriDevil

Im on a 3 day split, back/biceps, chest/triceps, legs/shoulders. I run and bike on alternating days, one day I dont run or bike, I just swim and lift hard on legs. My other leg day I go a little bit easier. Unless you are turning pro or really looking to start winning races I would say continue with the leg lifting, it can only help. Plus, everything RWTD said sounds good too.

Guest

Perhaps... but even then, lifting heavy compromises your riding routine. We're not saying cut it all out- just cut it back.

As someone who is also determined to take off a good deal of bodyfat by fall, when I was lifting heavy, my riding suffered. By cutting back, I was able to pick up my riding speed signficantly.

Not only that, every periodization program involving cycling also suggests cutting back the weights as the cycling increases for optimal peformance with your cycling, regardless of what day you cycle on vs. what day you lift on. At the end of the day, you need to allow the leg muscles time to recover from the exercise, and when you're constantly running, cycling, lifting, etc., you are not going to have as sufficient of a recovery period for the muscles. Remember, it's the recovery time where you see the most gains.