In Season Cycling Weight Training.

I have started a new in season weight training program for cycling. With help from the Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Cycling by Robert G. Price, I have developed a routine I can do two days a week while cycling 3 to 4 days a week.

The idea is to build and maintain muscular endurance instead of muscle mass. I have nothing against muscle mass. I have definitely noticed an increase in my own since I began seriously training a year ago. My goals are different with this program though.

My cycling tends to be 45-90min. Distances can range from 8-25mi at a time. Especially when you get to the 12+mi range endurance becomes an issue. I am working on diet to help with some of the energy issues, but that can only get you so far. I am also looking into ways to increase my VO2 max or oxygen maximization. That comes mostly on the bike. I will post more on that later.

The chart below details the routine that I will be following. The differences compared a normal weight training program is the weight used and the number of reps. A good rule of thumb in normal weightlifting is to start with 80% of your one rep max. Then complete three sets of 8 reps. If you cannot do at least 6 reps the weight is too heavy. If 8 reps seems easy then the weight is too light. This muscle endurance training focus' on reps rather than weight. This compliments the cycling training.

My target for endurance will be 50-60% of my one rep max in 3 sets of 20. I have modified the recommended areas because the book suggests only one exercise per week for upper body. I also do this routine in a circuit training mode, which allows little overall rest, but allows individual muscles to recover a little. For example, they recommend dumbell bench presses one week and barbell bench presses for chest. That's it. I want to stay well rounded. Posted below is the chart:

(You can click to enlarge)

















I will post back later on my progress.

Fitness Update

Progress
Weighed in this morning at 219. I was as low as 211 in October, but this month has been sporadic for training and diet. My favorite diet tracking website www.nutritiondata.com changed the way that you can enter food tracking. Now it takes 5min to enter one meal. Way too much clicking for a 5 item entry. That has hurt me a little because the tracking is so critical to keeping my mind focused on how much and what I need to eat or not eat on a daily basis.

Morning Workouts
I have come to a conclusion with my morning workouts. Just Do It. I have a theory about the morning mind and the evening mind. The eveing mind is very rational, but just as lazy as the morning mind. Your evening mind rationalizes so many things that seem so important for you to get up early for and get done in the morning. When morning rolls around those things do not seem so important anymore. I have evidence now that I can use against myself for my morning workouts. I try to wake up by 4:30am so that I can be to the gym by 5am. That way I can get in 20min of stationary bike and 30-35min of circuit training weightlifting. I feel so much better when I do get a chance to workout in the mornings. I stand taller, have more energy, sleep better, etc.

Circuit Training
One of the most effective things to help me get in an effective weightlifing session is circuit training. Circuit training involves mixing sets of different muscle group workouts and cardio in the same session. I do my cardo workout first to help increase my metabolism and my heart rate to get ready to lift. The cardio workout varies from 10 to 30min with a 15min average. I then break into the different weightlifting sessions for the muscle groups I am working on. The circuit part comes into play when I finish one set of one exercise I switch to a different muscle group without taking anymore rest than it takes to get to the other machine. The following is an example of this mornings workout:

• Bike 20mi
• Sit ups 20 reps
  
• Incline Bench - 8 reps - 90lbs
• Sit ups 20 reps
• Incline Bench - 8 reps - 110lbs
• Sit ups 15 reps
• Incline Bench - 8 reps - 130lbs
• Side Bends - 9 reps - 110lbs.
• Triceps pull downs - 10 reps 90lbs
• Side Bends - 9 reps - 130lbs
• Triceps pull downs - 8 reps 110lbs
• Side Bends - 9 reps - 140lbs
• Triceps pull downs - 8 reps 120lbs
• Etc...

I also alternated ab crunch machine, chest fly machine and then finished off with iso bench. All done within 60 minutes from the start of the biking.

Begining of June Update

I thought I would give another update.

Weight:I really did not want to start tracking weight. I don't want to be one of those people that are obsessed with how much they weigh. I began to track it or at least check it just to see if i was making progress. I check this morning pre-workout and I was down to 224. Of course that can vary a couple of pounds either way based on food consumption, natural waste elimination, and attire. I am trying to keep it consistent on that part. I always weigh before I work out with t-shirt, shorts, sock and shoes on. Also I have 500ml water and have already urinated for the morning. So the bottom line is that should give me a pretty consistent number to go by. I am impressed with my progress considering I went on a trip to Dallas for work and ate filet mingon, steak etc on my trip. I guess keeping track of your diet and watching portion control 90% of the time pays off. You can still eat out as long as it is not a habit and as long as you don't really go nuts when you do.

Cycling:The weather has been sporatic around here lately so I have not been able to bike as frequently as I would like. I was able to hit the 20 mile mark the other day. I added a loop to my normal ride and neglected to check the route first. Boy did I pay for that one. The loop was quite hilly. Not a good add to a ride when you have not done that distance before. My average time suffered, but I was able to complete the ride and because of my recent conditioning I recovered pretty quickly. I also have been fighting a sinus infection so I was coughing and sneezing on the ride which I am sure did not help.

Streching:I cannot stress the importance of stretching enough. Before you workout at all you must stretch! I am still recovering from a muscle pull in my left latissimus dorsi. It is usually ok, but I did not strech it out enough this morning and tweaked it again while I was doing some lateral raises with dumbells. If you do not have time to stretch then do not bother even lifting or exercising. It's not worth it!

End of May update

Well,

I am really getting into the lifting and enjoying it.

I have started to take some supplements before and after my workouts. here is what I have used and the results so far:

• Pre-Workout - GNC version of L-Arginine 1000mg. I take 3 capsules as soon as I get up at 4:45am. I then have a half of a PowerBar Energize on the way to the gym. I also try to drink 500ml water before I get to the gym. I am on the stationary bike by 5:15-5:20am. the L-Arginine is a pre-coursor for Nitric Oxide. This helps promote blood flow and volume so that later in my workouts I do not feel as fatigued. The PowerBar helps me with just a little boost of carbs first thing so I am not hitting the wall after 45min of working out. The straight L-Arginine seems to be the cheapest way to get Nitric Oxide. There are many types of pre=workout nitric out there, but most contain caffeine, which I am trying to limit.
  


• Post-Workout - Pro-Nos by MRI. I drive home 10min and immediately make my protein shake with the Pro-Nos powder. I am very conscience of the fact that this needs to be consumed within 30min for optimum effect. I have been very pleased with the taste of the Pro-Nos so far. I have only been on it for a two weeks so I cannot tell if it is making any difference physically. I know that it does not give me as much gas as the other proteins I have used.

Tracking-I have also begun logging my workouts. This helps me in many ways. First I can keep track of what weight's are being used for which exercises. It is much easier to increase the weight when I am ready if I don't waste the first set hunting for the right weight to use. Second, I can use the total weight of my workout to gauge how hard I have worked out. I simply do the math and come up with a total lifted amount and compare that to previous days to judge how hard I am pushing myself.

Cycling- I am working my way up on biking. I got new tires for my mountain bike. They are kind of like a hybrid tire, smooth in the middle, but they still have some tread on the edges. They have much less rolling resistance. I was able to do 14.76 miles in 62min. I am going for 20 miles in one ride this weekend I still want to work up to a 50 and then a 100mile ride! I can really tell the difference in my bike tires and the workouts, I have improved my avg speed, distance and my recovery's are much easier when I bike.

Begining of May Update!

If anyone is really reading this here is an update.

Movies
Saw Iron Man over the weekend with my kid. Awesome movie. They nailed the Iron Man character and Robert Downey Jr IS Tony Stark! I highly recommend it to comic book and movie fans alike.

Health update.
I am down to 228. Sometimes it feels like more, but I did not put that weight on overnight, so I guess it will not come off that quickly from now on. I am starting to push the workouts a lot more and starting to feel the strains and aches more. If anyone is interested in my diet plan then leave a comment and I can show you exactly what I eat each day. I post it to nutiriondata.com and then to google docs.