SBcycling

Hoping to get a bit of a discussion to help me make a decision here,

basically I do these 40 minute exercises a few days a week that are more focused on strength and muscle, they don't lose weight and I'm glad for that as I'm currently trying to gain weight - which for a year has been difficult. I started doing these last November as I do sit around a lot and, skinny or not, we all need exercise and to use the muscles we have, that much I'm aware of.

I got back into cycling a few weeks ago, and I love it. I just feel guilty in the sense I'm burning off any small gains in weight that I might have been making. I want to incorporate it more into my life, especially over the summer - more so for the joy of commuting, not using the car and spending on petrol than trying to lose weight as many of you may be. And for the benefits it makes to your mental health and dealing with stress. I'm starting university in September too, so I'd like to have my cycling and exercise all worked out and truly tried out by then.

The problem I find is that, these exercises I do tired me out, sometimes they'll leave me with that healthy muscle pain - you know, when you haven't used the muscle in a while and it burns / hurtle a little after using it for the first time in ages? That. Which I don't mind, but it puts me off cycling with the pain and the fact I've used a lot of energy doing them. They make me not want to cycle as such.

When I cycle instead of doing these, I find I often don't bother doing the strength exercises and I think, well, maybe that's a bad thing? Not doing the muscle exercises. I never aim to be a gym buff or a very muscley guy in life, so I don't mind not doing them but I don't want to waste / not use muscles. So I guess one of my main questions I'd like you guys to give your opinion on is this: Can I just focus on cycling, and hope that cycling will through time keep my muscles in good shape as I'm using them / flexing them on each ride and forget those other exercises?

You'll probably say, split some days to cycle and do them but I do enjoy a few days a week doing nothing - which I'm sure I can get away with until I meet my weight target. But then.. even the best of cyclists and athletes take rest days so again, just a few days of any exercise a week I think is enough to keep me in good health as much as I can control

I'd rather cycle than do muscle exercises, as you probably guessed. But I don't want to be missing out completely on the benefits of the muscle exercises. Some people say cycling and cardio actually seems to 'melt away' your muscles over time.. but surely that's not true? Constant turning of the neck to check for traffic, forcing your legs down on the pedals, isn't this enduring your muscles?!

I'm 20, 54kgs (need to be 60kgs) and currently unemployed until university begins for a bit of background.

ypsetihw

if you want to gain muscle mass you will have to perform strength training, period. cardio fitness and strength are different and develop in different ways. you also have to eat a lot of protein and carbs to fuel those workouts and build mass. if you only want to gain that mass in your legs, then a structured training plan on the bike can accomplish this, but you will lose or limit your upper body strength. if you want to change the composition of your body overall, you will have to do both. remember, you can't just watch the scale when you are gaining muscle, weight will lie to you in terrible ways.

are you male or female? you also don't list your height. if you're a male, 54kg is crazy tiny if you want to appear muscular. for example, a lean and muscular male of 6' in your age range would be 180+ lbs. even a lean and muscular female at 5'6" would be at least 120 lbs.

tell us more, m or f? height? what is your current diet? what are your overall goals? what are these "exercises" that you're doing? plyo? weights?

Carbonfiberboy 

Firstly, you're young. It's common to weigh less then. I ride with 6' folks who weigh 145 when they're in top shape and they're muscular, just not big muscles. They are also very fast! So I wouldn't worry about your weight or the size of your muscles or any of that. Sex partners care a lot less about that than many young people think. Fat is OTOH another issue. I don't recommend fat. I recommend focusing on having fun with athletic endeavors, whatever they are. Your time will be a bit more limited in university, but not so much that you can't get in an hour a day. I don't think there's any reason not to work out almost every day. Split it up between cycling and strength however it feels good. I wouldn't abandon one for the other. A mix works best with at least 2 strength workouts per week.

You have to eat protein to gain muscle. A little protein both before and after a workout is helpful.

GovernorSilver

My schedule last year was 3 days strength training, 2 days bike commuting (the days between strength training days), with weekends off. Worked out ok for me.

To gain muscle mass, you have to train at an appropriate volume. Volume = Reps x Sets. The reps have to to be done with enough intensity (weight if you're training with weights, difficulty level if you're training w/ bodyweight) to achieve the desired response, but the intensity should not be so high that you can't work with decent volume. You will know when you have reached the appropriate volume because your appetite will increase. Your body will demand more food so that it can build that muscle.

It will be harder for you to put on the muscle mass you desire if cycling is your only form of exercise. When I look at photos of competitive cyclists, they tend to have a lot of lower body muscle (thighs, butts, etc.). But young men like you tend to obsess over biceps and chest - don't see a lot of big guns and chests on those cyclists.

deapee

Exercises don't cause one to lose or gain weight...a caloric surplus or deficit does.

caloso

My advice as a former 20 year old and current middle aged man: Ride your bike, go to the gym, eat well, and really enjoy this opportunity to read and think and argue about interesting things.

wolfchild

No, cycling alone will not be enough to maintain your strength and muscle. Keep doing your strength training. There is no good reason to stop either one, you should keep doing both.

ypsetihw

I know what you're getting at but this is so grossly oversimplified it could actually be counterproductive. If the kid wants to gain weight AND mass, he has to lift lots of heavy things. Period. If he wants to ride faster, he has to ride faster, more often. Period. Coincidentally, working on the former will improve the latter. But saying "eat more" is totally useless.

It sounds like the OP is looking for a basic, easy to follow, introductory training plan, which I, or several other BF regulars can provide, if some basic questions are answered.

Like I said before: what are you eating? what are your workouts now? weight/reps/sets, total time spent, how many times per week? what is your goal weight? do you have one? start with this question, name someone who has a body you are shooting for? chris froome or dwayne johnson?

SBcycling

Example of the kind of workouts I do;-
10-minute home toning workout - NHS Choices

That's one in the series that I follow. Again, I don't want to look ripped, I just want to keep my muscles from rotting away from not being used as my work time routine is very sedentary! I also don't have any specific goals to become fast or a 6 hour cyclist, but a commuter doing maybe 20 miles and back at peak.

I eat normal food, nothing special or in the service of exercise. I just know I need to eat or have eaten before exercising as I reckon it's ridiculous to partake in anything physical with no energy source.

deapee

Explain how gaining weight isn't the exact same thing as gaining mass...

And I disagree that it's oversimplified. It's basic bodybuilding 101 fact. A caloric deficit will cause a person to lose weight. I caloric surplus will cause a person to gain weight. Period.

If during the course of this caloric surplus, a person is actively taking part in physical activity where the muscles are breaking down and being rebuilt, and the caloric surplus is not too great, most of the weight that person puts on will be muscle. The greater the caloric surplus, the greater the chance is that the person will also gain fat.

--

To the OP -- I'd just recommend riding at the level you currently are. Incorporate some type of full body workout twice a week. This can be as simple as a press (chest), a pull (back), an overhead press (shoulders), and a leg movement, twice a week. You're not going to accidentally get huge.

Also, if you're serious about results, calculate your daily caloric requirements. To gain weight eat about 300 more calories per day. To lose weight, eat about 300 calories less. 300 is the starting point at which most people will see results and can be fine tuned, normally in increments of 100 calories at a time in either direction.

PS...Only a nutritionist is 'qualified' to give nutritional advice -- I've been a certified personal trainer for over 10 years now (hobby), and even personal trainers are not 'allowed' to give nutritional advice.

ypsetihw

as a clyde I can easily explain how to gain weight without gaining muscle mass in one word . . . cheetos. seriously though, I was trying to establish some baseline understanding of the OPs current body composition. for example, when I started working out seriously last year, I lost weight and gained muscle at the same time. holy grail, I know, and it was only because I was experiencing newbie gains, but I was able to lose weight and gain muscle at the same time. to a certain extent, if you are over say 20-25% body fat, this is possible for anyone if they follow a structured plan and choose their calorie composition wisely.

deapee

I gotcha. I agree with you 100% -- the body is an amazing thing. Despite just about every article I've ever read or seen on the subject, I absolutely believe a person can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time -- it's all dependent on the body's ability (or willingness) to tap into fat stores for energy, and keeping your body in that state during your cardio training. Too high of intensity and the body's going to go for an easier fuel store as opposed to tapping into that fat. I think under very strict exercise and dietary monitoring this feat can be achieved even in some of the more fit athletes. The problem is that it's just so simple to create a caloric deficit or surplus, and under even somewhat non-reliable monitoring methods of caloric expenditure and caloric intake, it's pretty simple to create a slight deficit or surplus and achieve the desired results. Even if you're missing your mark a couple of days, it's the long-term that matters...chances are, if you're being strict in your methods, and you're shooting for a goal, whether you miss it by 200 calories in either direction in a day, at the end of the week, it's pretty likely that you've come close. Even still, in the end, whether you can lose fat/gain muscle at the same time, I still believe that (other factors excluded such as one's ability to properly metabolize those calories, etc), a surplus will result in weight gained and a deficit will result in weight lost -- what the body's doing or how the composition is changing at the end of the day is irrelevant in that specific argument.

GovernorSilver

You said in your first post you want to gain weight. Now you said you don't want to add muscle and just maintain your current muscle mass. Did you change your mind or did I misread something you posted?

I doubt you will lose muscle mass by cycling. Does your commute include a hill climb? I notice my upper body, particularly pulling muscles, tends to get involved when I climb.

How often do you commute by bike? 5 days a week?

Your workout looks ok, except I am not a fan of the crunches - just my preference. I prefer to do hollow body holds and hanging knee raises or tuck sit hold for time. Do you do this workout 5 days a week too?

SBcycling

I want to gain bodyweight, not weight as in the way an obsessive gym buff might want to gain weight.

My commute, mostly the return journey has a very long sustained climb right at the end - it is cruel.

I plan to do it 5 days a week, it's once a week at the minute out of fun, not necessity.

What are hollow body holds? I do the workout 3 days a week.

GovernorSilver

You can gain bodyweight by just getting fat, but I'm guessing that's not what you meant.

Yes, it is possible to add muscle weight without blowing up your muscles like a balloon. The muscles get more dense instead of swelling in size. This is usually the result of training primarily for strength rather than bulk.

Based on what you said about your return commute, you are highly unlikely to lose muscle mass if you just bike commute 5 days a week and do no other exercise. You probably won't gain much either, except perhaps in your lower body.

The hollow body hold exercise: