Originally Posted by
Yumadons
Yup, as a gym newbie where the female instructors are all muscly (and one is even fat), those were my thoughts exactly. At 5'8" 115# I favor the long, lean look and would like to keep it that way. I had read what you just said about weight bearing exercises somewhere but had forgotten all about it til now. Guess I might turn this membership into a year round deal . . .
At 5'8" and 115# you have the long and lean down pat. Lifting will keep that while making you stronger and balance the muscles you use riding. I'm a believer in keeping your muscles balanced. Hiking develops your squads but not so much your hamstring's so its good to give them attention. For every pushing exercise do a pulling excerise to balance it. Use reasonably heavy weights meaning heavy for you. You have to challeng your muscles to makee them stronger. Finally, recovery is key. 3 workouts a week is plenty. Muuscles grow during rest, not during excerse. Warm up first and stretch after.