Weights in the gym or just ride the bike?

[PK99]

This topic regularly raises it's head here, with entrenched opinions on each side - but precious little evidence

Well, I have just quite unintentionally done a real time experiment.

Last year was my 60th and I set and achieved a numbers of stretching targets:
6000 miles
6 centuries
60 60 mile rides.

Included were a number of sportives and long tough multi-day tours.

When I completed the challeges around early December I took it very easy till the end of the year, hardly touching the bike. But I was as fit as the proverbial butcher's dog. I had never cycled stronger.

Then in January, a series of chest infections and a nasty flu like virus laid me low for the whole month.

First 3 weeks of Feb, I spent time in the gym preparing for a ski holiday.

On the ski holiday I snapped my ACL.

March and April I devoted to intensive rehab in the gym. 10 hours work each week. Initially relatively simple mobilisation exercises as the knee was pretty comprehensively strained in addition to the ACL rupture. Then, working with a personal trainer on a proper rehab programme, I moved on to intensive leg strengthening work intended to get the muscles doing the job of the absent ligament. Calves, quads and glutes were the man focus, but lots of micro muscle work too. Also, lots of core and upper body strengthening work. I did not lose any weight but gained two notches on my belt as flab turned to muscle.

I climbed back on the bike a day or so before the end of April - by then I had essentially not ridden for 5 months and fully expected the usual tough few weeks getting back to riding fitness after a layoff. After a couple of short tentative test rides to see how the knee coped, I reuturned to normal riding, but in limited volumes as I was still doing 10 hours a week I the gym.

What did I find? Much to my surprise, I had lost none of my cycling fitness. But more than that, I was actually stronger on the bike than when I climbed off in early December. My routine 3 circuits of Richmond Park were faster and felt significantly easier - Dark Hill was a breeze. Heart rate was lower effort for effort. After a couple of weeks and 3 rides I tried Box Hill and found it easier than ever. Today's 45 miler taking in Cheam, Stoke D'Abernon, over the lump to Fetcham then Ranmore and Box Hill and home over Epsom Downs was a breeze. Heart rate on the hills maxed at 150 and I was riding strong all the way home.

ACL replacement op is scheduled for October after September's tour in Provence including Ventoux and 6000 feet days in the Gorges. I'm confident that by the spring I will be back riding again stronger than ever after a second full rehab programme - in the gym.

 

[stephec]

I can't believe that this has been here for twelve hours and no one's pointed out to you that you can't turn fat into muscle.

 

[Jimidh]

I can't believe that this has been here for twelve hours and no one's pointed out to you that you can't turn fat into muscle.

It's quite a common phrase I think he means swapped flab for muscle.

I do also believe that a bit of gym work is good for your all round fitness and stability.

I use of set of bar weights at home 3-4 times a week with some core strenghtening exercises too just to keep my upper body toned and back in good nick.

 

[Jimidh]

Oh and well done on the rehab

 

[PK99]

I can't believe that this has been here for twelve hours and no one's pointed out to you that you can't turn fat into muscle.

It's a useful shorthand....... waist reduced, legs, core and upper body toned and bulked out......

 

[stephec]

It's quite a common phrase I think he means swapped flab for muscle.

I do also believe that a bit of gym work is good for your all round fitness and stability.

I use of set of bar weights at home 3-4 times a week with some core strenghtening exercises too just to keep my upper body toned and back in good nick.

It's a useful shorthand....... waist reduced, legs, core and upper body toned and bulked out......

I know what's implied by it, but you're usually guaranteed that someone has to be pedantic.

I'm doing something similar myself at the moment after nearly three months off with a knee injury caused by running.

My muscle's turned to flab though.

 

[midliferider]

I still don't know what is the point you are trying to make.
What I got from your post is that even at the age of 60, one can still do the kinds of miles you are doing or had done.
If you have a good will and services, you can have good rehabilitation and get back to healthy life.
As to comparison of Gym to cycling, I am lost

 

[adamangler]

I dont think weight training does anything for cycling performance per say, maybe core work.

However for us mere mortals who are not racing at the highest levels, a good full body workout a couple of times a week will do wonders for asthetics.

 

[Travs]

I dont think weight training does anything for cycling performance per say, maybe core work.

If the only thing that the OP did was the gym programme, does that mean if someone takes 2/3/4/5 (take your pick) months off the bike, he would be able to return feeling stronger and better than before? On the basis that it appears as though performance has even improved even, at least not reduce, what could be the reason for it?

 

[adamangler]

I do not know.

I think the important point is the gym work was done in the absence of cycling not alongside it. so recovering isnt a factor.
It is also known that once at a level of aerobic fitness a relatively low amount of cardio is required to simply maintain a fitness level.
Mayber there was enough aerobic work in the gym to maintain fitness? or maybe the anerobic nature of weights simulated a similar effect to HIT trainig on the bike?

Maybe the anerobic gym work strengthened the muscles makin up for some loss in aerobic fitness? possibly increasing lactate threshold on the legs from the anerobic nature of it? in the same way a runner or swimmer taking up cycling would have a cardio advantage over a sedatary person taking up the sport. Im sure theres some crossover from the weights to cycling but i think the best way to improve at cycling is cycling not lifting weights apart from specific strengthening and flexibility work.


A more usefull test would be to incorporate a weight training routine into an already cycling fit cyclist to see if it makes improvements.

Bottom line is i have no clue, its certainly an area of interest.

 

[Travs]

I agree that in order to get a solid conclusion so many factors would need to be eliminated or controlled etc.
There's no doubt that you can't replace cycling with weights, there are technique issues that won't be targeted for a start, but there is cardio pressure as well as muscular through weights, so on that basis there can't not be a beneficial effect on fitness.

 

[PK99]

I do not know.

I think the important point is the gym work was done in the absence of cycling not alongside it. so recovering isnt a factor.

Snip

A more usefull test would be to incorporate a weight training routine into an already cycling fit cyclist to see if it makes improvements.

Bottom line is i have no clue, its certainly an area of interest.

Agree with all your post.

The interesting/astonishing thing from my point of view, was climbing back on the bike after several months off doing no cycling but lots of gym weights/conditioning and finding I was STRONGER on the bike than when I climbed off. Standard known routes were immediately easier despite the fact that cycling fitness/strength when i climed off the bike had been the best I had ever had.

I agree that in order to get a solid conclusion so many factors would need to be eliminated or controlled etc.
There's no doubt that you can't replace cycling with weights, there are technique issues that won't be targeted for a start, but there is cardio pressure as well as muscular through weights, so on that basis there can't not be a beneficial effect on fitness.

Agree. My OP was prompted by the numerous threads I have seen here with some folks denying ANY benefit from weights work in the gym.

My experience seemed to counter that (theoretical) argument.

 

[2IT]

My OP was prompted by the numerous threads I have seen here with some folks denying ANY benefit from weights work in the gym.

My experience seemed to counter that (theoretical) argument.

Glad you had that result. Many of us get nervous about losing fitness.

I ride, run and swim every other day. Swim and lift weights the following day.

If I overdue the weights I can hurt myself OR the legs don't recover by the next day or adapt long term. So I tend to hit legs hard on the hills while riding and running and go light in the gym.

Do you want to go hard on the bike and heavy in the gym and let us know? Enquiring minds would like to know.

 

[PK99]

Do you want to go hard on the bike and heavy in the gym and let us know? Enquiring minds would like to know.

Given I am I ACL rehab, it will be a while before I am able to try that, but in a month or so I will start hill work in preparation for Ventoux in September and will still be working in the gym on Prehab for ACL reconstruction in October. I'll let you know what happens!

 

[adamangler]

I too am interested in cross training. Mainly upper body for asthetics but leaving the lower body to cycling for the simple reason of recovery.