# Arms and Upper body



## User76022 (17 Nov 2018)

Cycling, whether done as training or as just for leisure, has a very rapid positive effect on the muscles of the legs, butt, and lower back. Not to mention everything cardio respiratory.

But what about arms and upper body? I guess the more extreme end of mountain biking does all that, I'd guess. But for those of us that spend most time on tarmac or easy to moderate trails, I don't think there's that much going on in the arms or upper body. 

Do any folks here do anything to balance this up? 

I really can't be bothered with the gym. I like riding my bike because it's fun and I don't see it as training. I'd love to find other activities that are also fun but that work other muscles.


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## Freelanderuk (17 Nov 2018)

I do barbell weights dumb bell weights and rows with weights to try and keep my upper body toned


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## CXRAndy (17 Nov 2018)

User76022 said:


> Cycling, whether done as training or as just for leisure, has a very rapid positive effect on the muscles of the legs, butt, and lower back. Not to mention everything cardio respiratory.
> 
> But what about arms and upper body? I guess the more extreme end of mountain biking does all that, I'd guess. But for those of us that spend most time on tarmac or easy to moderate trails, I don't think there's that much going on in the arms or upper body.
> 
> ...



If you're an older rider, its wise to do all over body workouts with weights or body weight. The reason being it keeps bone density levels high. Also muscle and tendon strength. Its not going to vastly improve your cycling speed but will make riding easier


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## User76022 (17 Nov 2018)

CXRAndy said:


> If you're an older rider, its wise to do all over body workouts with weights or body weight. The reason being it keeps bone density levels high. Also muscle and tendon strength. Its not going to vastly improve your cycling speed but will make riding easier


Indeed. There are loads of good reasons to train every part. It's just a matter of finding ways to do so that one enjoys enough to keep doing it.


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## screenman (17 Nov 2018)

I swim 6 miles a week and weights in the gym twice a week, cut me in half and I have cyclist written through me. I am of course only 62 so may need to cut back a bit if I get old, whatever that is. I feel cycling may get you fit for cycling and little else.


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## ColinJ (17 Nov 2018)

My upper body is a bit weedy, especially for a man of my height (6' 1" tall) so I have bought a couple of 7.5 kg kettlebells which I have started to wave about in a vaguely strenuous fashion. 

I also have a chin/dip station like this, which I used to enjoy using... Unfortunately, I damaged both shoulders in silly mishaps a few years ago (rotator cuff injuries) and it became too painful to use. The shoulders are not as bad now so I may be able to do some of the exercises but I'll have to be careful not to injure myself again.


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## User76022 (17 Nov 2018)

screenman said:


> I feel cycling may get you fit for cycling and little else.


I think that's probably true of any activity. I think that's why it's important to have a good mix of activities.


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## Julia9054 (17 Nov 2018)

ColinJ said:


> My upper body is a bit weedy, especially for a man of my height (6' 1" tall) so I have bought a couple of 7.5 kg kettlebells which I have started to wave about in a vaguely strenuous fashion.
> 
> I also have a chin/dip station like this, which I used to enjoy using... Unfortunately, I damaged both shoulders in silly mishaps a few years ago (rotator cuff injuries) and it became too painful to use. The shoulders are not as bad now so I may be able to do some of the exercises but I'll have to be careful not to injure myself again.


I too have an upper body made of marshmallows. I plank when I remember but that is no hardship as I have always had a naturally strong core. I worry that I don't do any arm exercises and have thought about kettle bells. I have one shoulder joint full of scar tissue from an old rotator cuff tear. Do you find swinging kettle bells ok with the knackered shoulders?


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## ColinJ (17 Nov 2018)

Julia9054 said:


> I too have an upper body made of marshmallows. I plank when I remember but that is no hardship as I have always had a naturally strong core. I worry that I don't do any arm exercises and have thought about kettle bells. I have one shoulder joint full of scar tissue from an old rotator cuff tear. Do you find swinging kettle bells ok with the knackered shoulders?


I'm not _really _swinging them about much! I mainly do a kind of bicep curl with mine.

Ha ha - I said I was weak ... I find my 7.5 kg kettlebells quite heavy but I was just searching for exercises and found one site suggesting that it was a good idea to start with 'light' kettlebells while getting used to them - maybe as low as *12* kgs!


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## ColinJ (17 Nov 2018)

Thinking about it - I am using one in each hand. One 12 kg kettlebell might be okay, but I wouldn't fancy using two at a time!


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## Ming the Merciless (17 Nov 2018)

I find lifting the bike over Sustrans barriers keeps the arms toned. That is why the barriers are there, is it not?


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## ColinJ (17 Nov 2018)

YukonBoy said:


> I find lifting the bike over Sustrans barriers keeps the arms toned. That is why the barriers are there, is it not?


That's a good example actually! I have struggled to get a fairly light bike onto a car roof-rack.


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## Pumpkin the robot (17 Nov 2018)

I had an accident a few years back and damaged my back and neck. I was told the damage would be permanent. But I thought I knew better and so when I got back on my bike I rode as I did before the accident and got lots of neck pain. It took me a few years to work out that when you climb hills, or try and ride fast, you unknowingly tense your upper body. As soon as I slowed down and did not ride as fast as I could up hills all the time, the pain was nowhere near as bad. So although you think you are not getting an upper body workout, you are doing more than you think.


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## ColinJ (17 Nov 2018)

I found 5 KB exercises here ... 4 of them look okay but I'm fairly sure that the 'power curl' would knacker my shoulders again so I wouldn't try that one!


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## Drago (17 Nov 2018)

I do a split routine. Arms and shoulders, back and chest, legs and midsection, hitting each twice a week. A lot of dead lifts and presses as well as drag curls (my favourite, can move big weight and it targets the outer bicep head which gives greater volume), preachers, barbell curls, skull crushers, dips, dumbbell kickbacks. Don't forget the back - imdomt, barbell rows, pyramid and occasional reverse pyramid sets up to 110kg. I used to body build then drifted a bit into powerlifting, then moved away from it. I quit running earlier in the year because i wasnt enjoying it, but then moved back onto the Brother iron and Sister steel, which I do enjoy.

I got a full weight set up at home, standard and Olympic bars, cable rowing machine, and cross trainer, so can hit the iron the moment I feel like getting a pump.


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## ColinJ (17 Nov 2018)

I just remembered that I have been having problems with a stiff neck. It has got so bad that I am struggling to look over my right shoulder, which isn't great when cycling and turning right in traffic!

I've just been looking up neck exercises and trying a few of them. I'll give these a go for the rest of the year and see how much difference they make.


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## Julia9054 (18 Nov 2018)

YukonBoy said:


> I find lifting the bike over Sustrans barriers keeps the arms toned. That is why the barriers are there, is it not?


Actually, I live up a set of 15 concrete steps so I have to lift my bike up those every day so that is my upper body work out! Maybe I don't need kettle bells after all!


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## DCBassman (18 Nov 2018)

ColinJ said:


> That's a good example actually! I have struggled to get a fairly light bike onto a car roof-rack.


Me too, because my right shoulder more or less doesn't work above the horizontal. New joint next year...


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## CXRAndy (18 Nov 2018)

December will be my starting month for weights again. I have some dumb-bells and bar bell weights. I also have a squat cage, so I can do exercises solely and not worry about getting trapped.


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## screenman (18 Nov 2018)

CXRAndy said:


> December will be my starting month for weights again. I have some dumb-bells and bar bell weights. I also have a squat cage, so I can do exercises solely and not worry about getting trapped.



Never put off till tomorrow that which you can do today.


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## Heltor Chasca (18 Nov 2018)

I can highly recommend gardening. I lift everybody else’s bikes over the Sustrans barriers. 

With luggage and kids still on the bikes.


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## pawl (18 Nov 2018)

Heltor Chasca said:


> I can highly recommend gardening. I lift everybody else’s bikes over the Sustrans barriers.
> 
> With luggage and kids still on the bikes.




Does pruning my Bonzai count?


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## Heltor Chasca (18 Nov 2018)

pawl said:


> Does pruning my Bonzai count?



Definitely. Bonsai gardeners are particularly adept at unwrapping gels. And their gear changing coordination is a skill to behold.


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## Drago (18 Nov 2018)

Heltor Chasca said:


> Definitely. Bonsai gardeners are particularly adept at unwrapping gels. And their gear changing coordination is a skill to behold.



...and they're so smartly turned out!


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## User76022 (18 Nov 2018)

Heltor Chasca said:


> I can highly recommend gardening.



I like about 10% of gardening. I like the big bits. I like digging, I like pruning my trees, building stuff, that kind of thing. That would be great for the muscles except that once done, it doesn't need doing again for quite a long time. The fiddly aspect of gardening, like weeding or deadheading flowers or anything like that doesn't float my boat I'm afraid. 

What I've started doing in the last few days is, with no routine in mind, and when there's nothing else I'd rather be doing, I get the sledgehammer out and do slow exercises with it until my wrists and arms are burning. I'm aware of the risks of repetitive strain injury and such, so I think I'm being safe. We'll see how it goes.


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## ColinJ (18 Nov 2018)

screenman said:


> Never put off till tomorrow that which you can do today.


Falling off a cliff? Kissing a cobra? Running across a busy motorway while wearing a blindfold? 

I _could_ do those today but I would rather put them off to a very distant tomorrow!


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## pawl (18 Nov 2018)

Heltor Chasca said:


> Definitely. Bonsai gardeners are particularly adept at unwrapping gels. And their gear changing coordination is a skill to behold.




I will agree with the gear changing If i tried to unwrap A gel on the bike I would more than likely end up in a ditch.


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## screenman (18 Nov 2018)

ColinJ said:


> Falling off a cliff? Kissing a cobra? Running across a busy motorway while wearing a blindfold?
> 
> I _could_ do those today but I would rather put them off to a very distant tomorrow!



I think the saying is for things you are going to do.


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## Dave Davenport (18 Nov 2018)

I find riding fixed on hilly routes gives me a fair bit of core/upper body exercise, I also try and do 15 minutes or so on a heavy bag a couple of times a week for the bone density benefit.


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## CXRAndy (18 Nov 2018)

screenman said:


> Never put off till tomorrow that which you can do today.



I would agree, but I got out of the habit in the summer. Im away cycling in Tenerife next week so dont want to suffer 'doms' or risk minor pull just before a paid trip. 

December will be fine, with a 8-12 week weight training session to build strength and muscle


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## adamangler (18 Nov 2018)

Easiest way is just to add 15 mins of Calisthenics into your daliy routine.

Sit ups, press ups, dips, chin ups should be enough to keep "toned' along with cycling and a good diet.

A simple set off dumbbells needed take up much space and 30mins 3 times a week upper body would be a good way to stay "toned" .

Anything more and you are getting into bodybuilding which obviously becomes detrimental to cycling.

I use to bodybuild years ago, I don't do squatting or deadlift anymore as my lower back is a bit dodgy.


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## Slow But Determined (18 Nov 2018)

Like above I do sit ups, press ups on a daily basis.

For weights I use house bricks, which can easily be transformed into a kettle excersise by putting them in a strong bag for life.


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## Drago (18 Nov 2018)

The late, great Jan Pall Sigmarsson famously said, "There is no reason to be alive if you can't do deadlift." Wise words indeed.


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## ColinJ (18 Nov 2018)

Drago said:


> The late, great Jan Pall Sigmarsson famously said, "There is no reason to be alive if you can't do deadlift." Wise words indeed.


Given that it was doing a deadlift that finished him off at the age of 32?


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## Drago (18 Nov 2018)

Congenital heart defect that he didnt realise he suffered with. But died doing what he loved.


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## ColinJ (18 Nov 2018)

Drago said:


> Congenital heart defect that he didnt realise he suffered with. *But died doing what he loved.*


That's the way to go, but ideally at three times that age!


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## SkipdiverJohn (19 Nov 2018)

adamangler said:


> Easiest way is just to add 15 mins of Calisthenics into your daliy routine.
> 
> Sit ups, press ups, dips, chin ups should be enough to keep "toned' along with cycling and a good diet..



A few years ago I got into a routine of doing press ups and chin-ups for upper body strength. I'd do a set of press-ups, then move my arms around whilst having a quick breather, then do a set of chin-ups - however many I could manage. Usually I get to 9 or so reps before failing on the first set. Then I'll have another quick breather and do another set of press-ups and repeat until I've done 3 sets of each exercise. I use a different hand grip position on each set of chin-ups for variety. Sometimes I'll also do some shoulder raises using some dumbells I picked up on special offer from the Decathlon shop in Surrey Docks some time ago. I just do exercises as and when I fancy it, and I don't ever do chin-ups more regularly than twice a week as they are demanding and need proper recovery time from. Overdoing those too frequently is asking for an injury.


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## screenman (19 Nov 2018)

I am shortly off for a 2 mile swim using a pull bouy, that will certainly take care of the upper body workout for today.


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## Littgull (19 Nov 2018)

screenman said:


> I am shortly off for a 2 mile swim using a pull bouy, that will certainly take care of the upper body workout for today.


If my calculations are correct a 2 mile swim in a standard 25 metre pool involves 128 lengths! Hats off to you for doing that 3 times a week but I would find that mind numbingly boring! Even though I have a regular weekly swim of 40 lengths.


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## ColinJ (19 Nov 2018)

Littgull said:


> If my calculations are correct a 2 mile swim in a standard 25 metre pool involves 128 lengths! Hats off to you for doing that 3 times a week but I would find that mind numbingly boring! Even though I have a regular weekly swim of 40 lengths.


Damn tiring too!

When I lived in Coventry I used to swim in the 50 metre pool there*** three times a week after work - 32 lengths on Mondays and Wednesdays, 40 lengths on Fridays. That was enough for me! Mind you, I was doing a labouring job then which involved a LOT of upper body effort anyway - I would easily be shifting 10 to 20 TONS of materials about per day on a hand pallet truck and lifting them on and off my work bench.

*** The swimming baths were built back in the 1960s, when I was a boy. I watched the development with interest and became a regular swimmer. I read a couple of years ago that the pool was falling apart and too expensive to maintain so it was going to be pulled down and replaced by a smaller pool elsewhere.


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## screenman (19 Nov 2018)

Littgull said:


> If my calculations are correct a 2 mile swim in a standard 25 metre pool involves 128 lengths! Hats off to you for doing that 3 times a week but I would find that mind numbingly boring! Even though I have a regular weekly swim of 40 lengths.



You sure have to have your head in the right place, only takes an hour so not that bad.


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## ColinJ (19 Nov 2018)

screenman said:


> You sure have to have your head in the right place, only takes an hour so not that bad.


I was a slow** swimmer (breaststroke) so my 2,000m swim took me about an hour and the 1,600 m swims took me about 45 minutes.

** A small girl was often swimming on the same evenings as me and she used to do close to 2 lengths for every 1 that I managed. It was quite humbling and shows how important swimming style is. I was pretty fit and obviously much stronger but I swam like a giant demented frog. Her style was superb.


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## Drago (19 Nov 2018)

Hydrodynamically an adult probably presents 6 or 8 times as much water resistance. Inverse square function of area, so you can console yourslf that you're really the man from Atlantis, but physics is against you


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## dave r (19 Nov 2018)

ColinJ said:


> Damn tiring too!
> 
> When I lived in Coventry I used to swim in the 50 metre pool there*** three times a week after work - 32 lengths on Mondays and Wednesdays, 40 lengths on Fridays. That was enough for me! Mind you, I was doing a labouring job then which involved a LOT of upper body effort anyway - I would easily be shifting 10 to 20 TONS of materials about per day on a hand pallet truck and lifting them on and off my work bench.
> 
> *** The swimming baths were built back in the 1960s, when I was a boy. I watched the development with interest and became a regular swimmer. I read a couple of years ago that the pool was falling apart and too expensive to maintain so it was going to be pulled down and replaced by a smaller pool elsewhere.



They're building the new water park in New Union street.

https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventrys-new-water-park-really-14559096


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## uphillstruggler (19 Nov 2018)

Both of my daughters are very good club swimmers - county and regional level.

to swim next to them is an eye opener. compared to them, I am the proverbial lolling log.

but swimming does help with toning if done right.


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## ColinJ (19 Nov 2018)

dave r said:


> They're building the new water park in New Union street.
> 
> https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventrys-new-water-park-really-14559096


I used to like the old 50m pool, but I suppose a £2,000 a day loss couldn't go on forever...

Blimey, the Telegraph website is an example of advertising and tracking gone mad - It took my laptop nearly a minute to process all the links and start playing that video!


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## uphillstruggler (19 Nov 2018)

ColinJ said:


> I used to like the old 50m pool, but I suppose a £2,000 a day loss couldn't go on forever...
> 
> Blimey, the Telegraph website is an example of advertising and tracking gone mad - It took my laptop nearly a minute to process all the links and start playing that video!



that's a shame - my daughters used it for long course training as we don't have a 50m pool in MK.

I can understand why they are going to knock it down if it is losing that amount of money - but i'm sure the council can console themselves once there will be a lovely sparkly new shopping centre there soon


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## ColinJ (19 Nov 2018)

uphillstruggler said:


> that's a shame - my daughters used it for long course training as we don't have a 50m pool in MK.
> 
> I can understand why they are going to knock it down if it is losing that amount of money - but i'm sure the council can console themselves once there will be a lovely sparkly new shopping centre there soon


I think it is going to become more student accommodation?


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## dave r (19 Nov 2018)

uphillstruggler said:


> that's a shame - my daughters used it for long course training as we don't have a 50m pool in MK.
> 
> I can understand why they are going to knock it down if it is losing that amount of money - but i'm sure the council can console themselves once there will be a lovely sparkly new shopping centre there soon





ColinJ said:


> I think it is going to become more student accommodation?



The building is grade two listed. No word yet on its future.


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## ColinJ (19 Nov 2018)

dave r said:


> The building is grade two listed. No word yet on its future.


Is that because of the 'elephant' part? I think that was added later. I don't remember it being there when I used to go swimming in the building's early days.

Oh, I just did a search and it is the original building that is listed - how strange...

Some talk of making it a concert venue etc. TBH that Telegraph website is so clunky that I don't want to search there any more!


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## dave r (19 Nov 2018)

ColinJ said:


> Is that because of the 'elephant' part? I think that was added later. I don't remember it being there when I used to go swimming in the building's early days.
> 
> Oh, I just did a search and it is the original building that is listed - how strange...
> 
> Some talk of making it a concert venue etc. TBH that Telegraph website is so clunky that I don't want to search there any more!



I came to Coventry 1973 and I remember the elephant being built so its later. Yes, that Telegraph website aint great.


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## User76022 (19 Nov 2018)

ColinJ said:


> That's the way to go, but ideally at three times that age!


Everyone seems to think that it's best to die doing what you love.

I disagree. I can't imagine anything more annoying. Imagine being half way through a nice curry that you're thoroughly enjoying. There's loads left. And boom, your gone. Or hurtling along down some trail, eyes streaming from the wind in your face, everything functioning perfect, still a mile or so of fast freewheeling to go and boom. Gone. Wouldn't it be better to die during the bad bits? Like when you've finished your lovely curry and now they want you to pay the bill, or when you've got to the bottom of the trail and now you have a 10 mile drag to get home.


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## Drago (19 Nov 2018)

User76022 said:


> Everyone seems to think that it's best to die doing what you love.
> 
> I disagree. I can't imagine anything more annoying. Imagine being half way through a nice curry that you're thoroughly enjoying. There's loads left. And boom, your gone. Or hurtling along down some trail, eyes streaming from the wind in your face, everything functioning perfect, still a mile or so of fast freewheeling to go and boom. Gone. Wouldn't it be better to die during the bad bits? Like when you've finished your lovely curry and now they want you to pay the bill, or when you've got to the bottom of the trail and now you have a 10 mile drag to get home.



@User76022 You are the winner of today's coveted "Post of the Day" award. Well done, Sir.


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## Globalti (21 Nov 2018)

When I used to go climbing I had strong arms, shoulders and back but in the last 30 years cycling has taken over and my legs seeom to have robbed my upper body of muscle. Like ColinJ I used to do labouring jobs, filling 20' containers with 25 kg bags of enamel, stacking pallets, filling a warehouse with bales of rock wool, even mixing and barrowing ten tons of concrete in a day for a pal who built his own house. Couldn't do any of that nowadays, once the collar bone is mended I will need to do some upper body work though to get my strength back.


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