Originally Posted by
DreamRider85
Throughout the last several months, I've been pumping some iron. Typically in the 8-15 rep range to failure. Now I noticed lately, I do look more muscular and a bit leaner. It's a pretty good look that's hard to achieve through just bike riding. But I have noticed that longer rides have been tougher lately. However, I can't figure out if it's just because doing so much weight training makes it harder to have time or energy to ride as much or if it is the increase in muscles that is slowing me down a bit.
On one hand, I want to keep the look. But I want to keep progressing in my endurance as well. Do you recommend higher reps? The more I work out and the harder I work out, the less energy and time I have to devote to long-distance biking. So I want to balance it out and it seems a bit tricky. I don't want to have an offseason type routine, then an in-season routine. I'm just all around, all season. But I don't want to do too much biking but have no muscles. But I don't want to have such bulky muscles that I can't bike.
If long-distance biking is your main priority, then you need to do more biking and less lifting. Most strength training routines I see aimed at biking are pretty lightweight - usually 2x 20-30 min sessions of mostly body weight exercises like squats, lunges, planks etc and maybe a few kettlebell lifts and curls. The rest of the week is spent training on the bike. For example I do maybe on average 10 hours per week on the bike and less than an hour on strength training. I even cut out strength training altogether on heavy biking weeks, but do a bit more strength work during the winter when I'm not out riding so much. Guys who do a lot of serious pumping iron are not usually very good at endurance cycling. Especially if they are really bulked up with muscle. The two things are incompatible. But a sensible amount of complimentary strength work should make you a stronger cyclist.