how best to combine bicycling and weights

[Bent_O_Bar]

I've managed to get some decent new size on me this winter but I want to begin slowly getting rid of the excess winter fat. I kept up cardio 4x per week consistently for a hour each time while doing heavy compound workouts 3x per week but did accumulate some extra BF along the way.

With the weather improving I want to get out and mountain and road bike again. But what happened last summer was I must have been burning off calories at a very high rate as I lost BF and bodyweight quickly and looked too thinned out and I looked small and flat, even while keeping my diet and training the same.

I was rotating carbs like I do now; high on workout days, low on other days. Any suggestions on the best way to combine the above outdoor cycling (3 or 4x per week for 1hr during the week, 2hrs on weekends) without losing such dramatic size and fullness? I also found I craved carbs big time with either road or mountain biking.

 

[maldorf]

I've managed to get some decent new size on me this winter but I want to begin slowly getting rid of the excess winter fat. I kept up cardio 4x per week consistently for a hour each time while doing heavy compound workouts 3x per week but did accumulate some extra BF along the way.

With the weather improving I want to get out and mountain and road bike again. But what happened last summer was I must have been burning off calories at a very high rate as I lost BF and bodyweight quickly and looked too thinned out and I looked small and flat, even while keeping my diet and training the same.

I was rotating carbs like I do now; high on workout days, low on other days. Any suggestions on the best way to combine the above outdoor cycling (3 or 4x per week for 1hr during the week, 2hrs on weekends) without losing such dramatic size and fullness? I also found I craved carbs big time with either road or mountain biking.

I used to cycle 200 miles or more per week when I first started bodybuilding, this was a long time ago. I think that if you are going to be cycling 6 hours or more per week there is noway that this isnt going to make it harder than hell to maintain your muscle, and even harder to gain any. For me, I stopped cycling completely and grew like a weed. You may not have to cut out cylcling all together, but I dont think youll be able to do the volume that you are talking about. Perhaps 3 hours a week tops. I think its something you will just have to try on your own and experiment.

 

[oldfella]

You will not be able to hang on to muscle size while trying to do marathon sessions on the bike. No amount of food or training will help. You are into big time enduramce events with this type of cycling. You can not build while doing endurance rides or training!

 

[Big Danny]

Indeed, any long aerobic session, will make you lose both fat and muscle. Three short intense ones early in the morning on empty stomack will do it.Bike is an good option. I usualy do them on the non working out days.

 

[Big_K]

I like to go on a 15-30 minute bike ride after my workouts. On the weekends i usually hit the road pretty hard, but like most people have said, long distance cycling and muscle mass arn't particularly comfortable bedmates.

 

[Bent_O_Bar]

Thanks for the responses guys. Here's a bit of history that may help:

I've been stuck at under 200lbs forever, and this year I decided I had enough of my ducks lined up that I could finally tackle my diet. I've eaten clean for years, but would always hit a wall with how much protein and calories I could actually injest. After reading the DC pennies stuff it was obvious if I was going to break the glass ceiling on size, strength and bodyweight I had to seriously increase my clean food intake.

So I did that, as uncomfortable as it was, and have kept it going for a few months now. I managed to keep my indoor cardio going 4x per week for 45 mins each session. I would cycle steady and every 5 mins I would increase the tension and do a high speed sprint for 30 secs. I would then use very light dumbells after the sprints for some upper body high rep exercises (flyes, curls, etc) while on the bike.

I figured between the high food intake and cardio I could keep my BF reasonable. My strength did climb and my overall size has increased along with adding new bodyweight (close to 200lbs @ 15% BF).

In the past, to get ready for summer, I would do some occasional outdoor biking but mostly reduced my calories to trim up. I usually would lose about 10-12lbs overall and look decent, but not great, with no fullness and very flat looking muscles.

This year I was thinking of not reducing the diet but doing much more outdoor cycling to try to keep my strength levels (climbing) and keeping some decent size while trimming off that BF to something like 12-10%.

 

[maldorf]

If youre doing the cycling mostly to keep your bodyfat low, then I would look more at diet. If youre wanting to cycle because of the enjoyment it gives you,then keep it up. Most people are able to lose bodyfat and stay lean doing little if any cardio, as long as your diet is on target. I was able to cut my bodyfat down from about 14% to 7% in 8 weeks doing nothing but diet. Youll find that the more cycling/cardio you do, then flatter your muscles will get. Youll end up thin, but be skinny fat. If youre already having trouble eating enough clean calories now, the last thing you want to do is increase your need by doing more cardio.

 

[Bent_O_Bar]

Then obviously my current diet is not working for me. I can outline the whole diet here if you like. My BF has not gone lower than what I posted, and this is with 4x per week cardio. I don't mind cycling outdoors as I enjoy it, but the indoor stuff is boring and I could live with less of it.

 

[maldorf]

Then obviously my current diet is not working for me. I can outline the whole diet here if you like. My BF has not gone lower than what I posted, and this is with 4x per week cardio. I don't mind cycling outdoors as I enjoy it, but the indoor stuff is boring and I could live with less of it.

yeah, the indoor cycling sucks bad. I have one of those trainer stands you attach your bike, tried using that some but couldnt stand the boredom.
Im really not the best guy to ask about diets, much more knowledgeable people out there. Sure you can find some help on here, guys like Phil Hernon really know their stuff. I basically followed a high protein, moderate fat, and low carb diet. You have to totally cut out any simple carbs. the idea is to avoid insulin spikes, and keep those levels low. I used to think I ate clean unitl I started readin up on the net, and tried that diet 2 years back and got leaner than ever.

 

[Bent_O_Bar]

yeah, the indoor cycling sucks bad. I have one of those trainer stands you attach your bike, tried using that some but couldnt stand the boredom.
Im really not the best guy to ask about diets, much more knowledgeable people out there. Sure you can find some help on here, guys like Phil Hernon really know their stuff. I basically followed a high protein, moderate fat, and low carb diet. You have to totally cut out any simple carbs. the idea is to avoid insulin spikes, and keep those levels low. I used to think I ate clean unitl I started readin up on the net, and tried that diet 2 years back and got leaner than ever.

Actually my diet is pretty close to yours except that I do eat some fruit, but only in the early AM and on training days. I take in about 150g of carbs on off days, 300g on training days, mostly around pre-post workout. Protein is up around 400g/day, close to 500g/day on workout days. As happy as I am with the strength, size and BW increases, the extra bit of BF is annoying, especially with the cardio and the fact I almost never cheat on meals.

 

[maldorf]

Actually my diet is pretty close to yours except that I do eat some fruit, but only in the early AM and on training days. I take in about 150g of carbs on off days, 300g on training days, mostly around pre-post workout. Protein is up around 400g/day, close to 500g/day on workout days. As happy as I am with the strength, size and BW increases, the extra bit of BF is annoying, especially with the cardio and the fact I almost never cheat on meals.

When I did mine I was going just 40 g of carbs much of the week and would carb up once a week. I followed a keto diet, but did end up adding in a bit of extra protein becuase I felt like I was losing muscle. I lost 10 pounds the first week of the diet. I took off over 2 inches from my waist and was looking pretty tight.

 

[Bent_O_Bar]

As an experiment I tried super low carbs yesterday with more fats (protein the same each day). I had had a pretty hard workout Monday night so I was tired and sore and when I finished doing cardio after work I had zero energy the rest of the night. At least when I have some carbs on off days I can get by and have some energy to move around.

I've tried your setup before (carbing up once a week), but without some serious carbs in my body before a workout my training was terrible, I had zero energy to move any substantial weights and I recovered poorly between sets.

 

[maldorf]

As an experiment I tried super low carbs yesterday with more fats (protein the same each day). I had had a pretty hard workout Monday night so I was tired and sore and when I finished doing cardio after work I had zero energy the rest of the night. At least when I have some carbs on off days I can get by and have some energy to move around.

I've tried your setup before (carbing up once a week), but without some serious carbs in my body before a workout my training was terrible, I had zero energy to move any substantial weights and I recovered poorly between sets.

things are tough for about the first week and a half, but after that you have tons of energy and could care less about eating carbs. Main thing is that you take in enough fat.

 

[maldorf]

here is a link to how to set up the keto diet, as far as how many grams of the macros you need. **broken link removed**

 

[Big Danny]

Then obviously my current diet is not working for me. I can outline the whole diet here if you like. My BF has not gone lower than what I posted, and this is with 4x per week cardio. I don't mind cycling outdoors as I enjoy it, but the indoor stuff is boring and I could live with less of it.

Should try syntheselene synthetine combination parralel with your cardio. You will see better results.

 

[napaulm]

how old are you? do you do volume work in the summer or h.i.t.? i have the same thing happen. i'll go from 205 to 185, but i do get lean, around 8% from 10% at 200. my upper body takes a big hit and i'm a road biker at 50 miles a week only! 20 mph average. i think you'd be best doing high intensity training and lotsa carbs. that's how i keep my size now. the problem roadies have is muscle mass is burned before fat, it seems. i keep way more size doing sprint training and power intervals, but mountain biking, i don't know.
and muscle glycogen, from carbs, helps fill out your muscles so you don't have that flat look. bottom line, imo up the carbs as a % of total calories, drop the fat accordingly. it worked 4 me.