[Closed] So, who does weights then?

Squatz & Oatz.

find yourself a local Crossfit or 'functional fitness' gym...

Lose the excess through healthy eating and cardio - then every time you do some weights you will see a difference, which will motivate you for the next session.

To be honest, I'm as lean as - I find the cardio a chore (half hour) and relish the weights (an hour).

Second Crossfit, whole different kind of hurt, in a good way 😀

I do weights on a Mon/Tue/Thus/Fri with 20 min inclined walking on the treadmill to finish with... Wednesday I do 50 mins of Cardio (20 min bike, 15 min crosstrainer, 15 max Inclined H.I.I.T on the treadmill)

Biking at weekend..

Sometimes with weights people benefit by having a training partner - bit of healthy (or unhealthy 😉 ) competition motivates some people.

i do weights to help maintain and improve the strength around my back and shoulders.... in the past i've done weights for vanity reasons but then i get caught up in the whole 'i could lift more than that chap over there' thing and it always lead to a bad mental relationship with the gym for me.

having a specific goal of trying to help past injuries and slow down the deterioration of my back problem stops me from taking it too far but keeps me focussed and motivated 🙂

mix it up. doing the same thing every time will not only leave you bored but your muscles will get used to it.

What exercises do you do for your back?

I do free weights every other day. If I go by myself I just listen to some interesting podcast. Works for me! I don't understand why gyms play awful music.

Been advised to go to a gym by a physio to help with a muscle imbalance i've got in my back that causes me grief so also be interested in what work outs you do philconsequence.

Any Arnies out there who might have some tips and tricks?

I do a circuit training class once a twice a week at a crossfit gym it's a great fun way to do some weights and other stuff. I really hate burpees though!

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squat, deadlift, press, pullups and bench. Do these and you will get stronger.

Being strong is fun. Being weak is not.

I agree with Kudos....we all wanna feel strong.
commit to a training plan for a month and after you'll see the positive changes and that should motivate you to continue

squat, deadlift, press, pullups and bench. Do these and you will get stronger.

Apparently kettlebells are where it's at. I did 50 swings on thursday and i'm now walking like a cripple.. man it hurts

Find a corner with no mirror.

Squats.
The amount of weight, sets and reps you do will totally depend on what you want to get from it and how you ride. BMX/Track riders will be doing low reps at very high weights. But if you're riding further than that you'll be wanting to lots of squats with smaller weights using something like a kettle bell or a plate.
Chris Hoy said if he could only do one exercise for track cycling it would be the squat.

Tom KP

squat, deadlift, press, pullups and bench. Do these and you will get stronger.

This and some rows. All with an olympic bar, no machines.

5 sets of 5 reps each. As heavy as I can manage

This with good technique and range for every last rep.

Being strong is fun. Being weak is not.

😀

Squats (4x50 75kg)couple times a week.
Makes me feel less guilty about riding less in these winter months.

I really like the weights machines- something about the perfect repeatability, it's the same sort of appeal as rowers I think. Every lift/press is the same.

Squats, hamstring curls, leg press, calf raise. 3 sets of each twice a week.

GB

I really like the weights machines- something about the perfect repeatability, it's the same sort of appeal as rowers I think. Every lift/press is the same.

And thats exactly why they are not as good as free weights. They eliminate the need to use many Stabilizing muslces.

Why do weights? What's the objective? Not critising, just wondering why you choose to supplement riding with weights rather than anything else...

I do 3 sessions of core strength a week. Has a massive impact on strength with riding and running - really allows you to get the power down...

birney29 - Member

And thats exactly why they are not as good as free weights. They eliminate the need to use many Stabilizing muslces.

Yup. But since I don't enjoy free weights much, machines are better than nothing.

Find the machines you enjoy using/ work the muscles that you want to work, then try to replicate that move with free weights. Go light until technique is perfect. The sentiment is questionable, but my old boxing coach was of the opinion that using machines only makes you better at using machines. I try to replicate physical activities that I do any way, for example, dead lift to biceps curl works same muscles as lifting an ambulance carry chair, weighted lunges (forward and back) similar to cycling through treacle on a fat bike with flat tyres.

Why do weights? What's the objective? Not critising, just wondering why you choose to supplement riding with weights rather than anything else...

I do 3 sessions of core strength a week. Has a massive impact on strength with riding and running - really allows you to get the power down...

See a decent PT to get some good technique before trying the Olympic lifts; you'll get better results and less likely to do yourself an injury - form is important! Learn to squat, dead-lift, press and bench - then start on complexes, getting stuff overhead and upping the weights!

I'd say dead-lifts can be up there with squats for core strength for what it's worth.

(Machines; god's way of keeping the idiots off the barbells according to my PT. Aside from cables and TRX there's not a machine to be seen in my local gym...)

Why do weights? What's the objective? Not critising, just wondering why you choose to supplement riding with weights rather than anything else...

I do 3 sessions of core strength a week. Has a massive impact on strength with riding and running - really allows you to get the power down...

Lift big weights, get core strength. Its as simple as that.

I'd love to join the gym n get massive, but cba. Cant see it benefitting my cycling much either. I do the odd press up though!

Just bought You are Your Own Gym- Mark Lauren, on the first week of bodyweight exercises. Will see what happens if i make the 10 week program.
Have always done core work, and squats/press ups and concentrated on form rather than weight, more to keep the back ok after years of running abuse, has definitely strengthened my glutes which has helped my climbing abilities.
Would probably improve more if i didn't have a cake weakness!

Question for those who know their way around a gym.

I am struggling to put together a decent leg routine because for various reasons I find it impossible to squat. What alternative exercises are there ( other than leg presses and weighted lunges) that hit the same muscles but are not squats? I do dead lifts already.

Have you tried the leg press machine?

Edit - sorry, didn't read your post properly

Piggyback squats with your training partner?

When you say you can't squat - is that, full-stop can't, even body-weight, or just with a bar & weights across your back?

Bulgarian splits? There are endless variations on lunges, there's the TRX and what about pylometric / explosive stuff like jump sequences?

I struggled with squat form due to really short hamstrings - lots of stretching and practice has helped no end...

It's the bar across the back that is the problem. I cannot hold it due to a knackered/inflexible shoulder, and I can't keep good form due to a bit of a curved spine.

Piggy back square would work but I tend to train on my own.

Front squats? Use the smith machine?

Pistol squat

Ahh - well you can try a heap of stuff - I'd take a DB or KB and goblet squat. Or try front squats (you can rest bars across shoulders if you can't bend your arms back that far). Or try sumo deadlifts. Grab a bench or box when you're squatting to check you're getting down far enough - stick it behind you, your backside touching the bench on the way down. If you can be bothered send me an email and I can send you 5 or 6 sets of 4 different exercises for legs - body weight and weighted and TRX etc...

You can also try the Sting-ray squat aid; helps more than a plain pad to keep the bar in the right place on your back. Recommended.

Used to, and still enjoy a session from time to time but in general I can't see the point. If I rode more DH then perhaps, but otherwise why bother? To stay fit? Fit for what?

I struggle with a bar over my shoulders, so tend to use heavy dumbells

I've been doing weights in the gym for about 20 years, quite enjoy it. Until recently I just did upper body stuff, but have now started doing squats, dead lifts etc at a new gym, which specializes in Core Stability and strength. They run everything through classes with set routines rather than just let you do your own thing. The classes are only up to 6 people with an instructor coaching you for the whole session.

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Cant stand gyms if theres something nice covered in lycra on the cross trainer infront then can get lost in the metronome (sp) but have stopped going, driving to the gym just seems wrong.
Currently do 45 min of intervals in the garage. 2min skipping, lean quick with a leather skipping rope they hurt the back of yourhead. 2min on the punch bag. 2min arm curl shoulder press,15-20 reps each. Repeat untill puddle of sweat. Looking into making a box for some squat jumps?

It's a fair assumption that if I looked on the [url= http://www.t-nation.com/ ]T-Nation forum [/url]for advice on what tyres/flats or spds/tyres/coffee machines/tyres to get then I'd be looking in the wrong place.

Saying that, some good advice above. Some less so.

Cheers all

No Smith machine unfortunately.
Front squats are equally problematic.

Will try the goblet squats again, I tried these but sort of got put off bothering by the lower weights that I end up using.

Do sumo dead lifts isolate the quads more than normal dead lifts?

Pistol squats look like a proper nightmare 😥

Woffle, if you could mail me those workouts it would be wicked annetandianv @ Btinternet . com

Cheers
Ian

Right, you've convinced me.

I'll admit that some of you have used words and phrases that I don't quite know what they mean, but I think I get the jist of it. In the past I have gone for the smaller weights, lots of reps, but generally speaking most of you seem to be recommending bigger/fewer/slower, and focus on technique. Is that right? Given that, I would like to get the upper body strength improved and maybe have arms that don't look like wet spaghetti.

Will report back later....

my mate does weights, right down to a teenth if you are lucky.

Long time weight addict here. Love the precision and repeatability of it, its the ying to MTB's yang.

Squat, bench press, rows, deadlift, overhead press, pullup - is 99% of everything you need for strength training.

Barbell (or dumbbell for upper body) - but no machines. Do for 5 sets of 5, or 3 sets of 10, or similar scheme. Each lift once or twice a week, arrange it however you want.

Routines may need to get more complex when you're squatting double bodyweight - until then the simple stuff is best, done heavy for low(ish) sets & reps.

Learn good form, keep the form tight, and don't worry about what anyone else does

Anything else is window dressing.

Anyone had good luck sourcing a second hand weight bench? Quite enjoy the old powerlifting but not done it for a few years, and now have the space in a new house to accommodate it.

Seems like the type of thing that would be gathering dust in a lot of garages, so could be had pretty cheaply.

I'm still following [url= http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dumbbell-only-home-or-gym-fullbody-workout.html ]this[/url] training schedule and it seems to be getting good results. Definitely getting a more defined chest and arms. I used to do stronglifts 5x5 but as I don't have a weights rack at home I found it harder to stick to it, plus 80kg+ squats mess my knees up. I can fit this in whenever I want so I've actually stuck to the 3 days a week.

I do miss doing proper deadlifts though. If there's one thing that makes you feel like a beast it's doing heavy deadlifts 😆

It's a fair assumption that if I looked on the T-Nation forum for advice on what tyres/flats or spds/tyres/coffee machines/tyres to get then I'd be looking in the wrong place.

If you looked on the T-Nation forum for advice on weights you'd be looking in the wrong place.

My housemate was into his bodybuidling, complete with half cow sized steaks for breakfast, the entire catch of the spannish fishing fleet for lunch, most of a turkey for dinner, and lesser animals for snacks, rarely drinking anything except protein shakes or water.

His routine was 6 x 20min sessions a week, doing 1/3rd of the muscles each session and resting one day. He did point out though that you'd have to start at more like 40-60min doing more reps and lower weights and more of the body each session then cutting down to a shorter/harder session over 4 months or so, going straight in at that end would just lead to injury.

Not dissing bodybuilding as a sport/hobby, but it actually has completely different goals than weight training for strength so I really wouldn't worry about what those guys do!

Anyone had good luck sourcing a second hand weight bench? Quite enjoy the old powerlifting but not done it for a few years, and now have the space in a new house to accommodate it.

Seems like the type of thing that would be gathering dust in a lot of garages, so could be had pretty cheaply.

If you're doing barbells you really need at minimum some squat stands or ideally a power rack. I found a couple of racks locally on eBay but decent ones hold their value very well which combined with the logistical problems (you will need a van, plus you will need to disassemble it when you pick it up) meant I ended up getting a new one. Managed to get everything (weights, bench & rack) for approx. the cost of 2 yrs gym membership which I thought was a pretty good investment!

Kettlebells... most gyms will have a class @ 45mins, alternatively you could ask one of the gymstaff to go through a few kettlbell moves with you. A short session gives increased strength / toning but also provides a cardio workout and strengthens core stability too. a winner all round.

I also reccomend kettlebells, most gyms have them, a couple of training sessions should help you with form etc, then just keep adding new routines, there's loads of vids online.

Kettlebells are great, however for them to properly replace barbells as a means of getting strong you will need a progressive program whereas I'm guessing the classes at most gyms are probably more like circuit training. For working out on your own though they could be ideal (once you've learnt/be shown the ropes).

I think theres a distinction to be made between bodybuilding - building muscle mass for its owns sake and bulking up, and weight training - doing specific exercizes to improve your ability in a given sport / discipline. I will do the latter but I can't see any use [ as a cyclist - ] in the former as all you do is make yourself heavier when for our discipline you need a good strength to weight ratio .better to do high reps of low weight and strengthen the muscles you need , including, as said earlier your core and balance which are vital

I think theres a distinction to be made between bodybuilding - building muscle mass for its owns sake and bulking up, and weight training - doing specific exercizes to improve your ability in a given sport / discipline. I will do the latter but I can't see any use [ as a cyclist - ] in the former as all you do is make yourself heavier when for our discipline you need a good strength to weight ratio

.better to do high reps of low weight and strengthen the muscles you need

Do some people just not really put muscle on ? When I do cardio I can quite often see my fitness improve from run to run or ride to ride. I've never really seen anything like this with gym/lifting weights and I do now try to lift heavier weights not just do lots of reps.

I can put on some muscle on my legs and occasionally if I do enough push ups I can put a bit of muscle on my chest.

I've never been able to put any much muscle on my arms and any small amounts I put on will just go with in say 2 weeks if I stop.

Its not like Im totally skinny naturally and Im quite fast sprinting in footy but my arms just dont like muscle and I return to my natual shape straight away.

Do some people just not really put muscle on ? When I do cardio I can quite often see my fitness improve from run to run or ride to ride. I've never really seen anything like this with gym/lifting weights and I do now try to lift heavier weights not just do lots of reps.

To build muscle you need to eat a lot. Lots of protein to stimulate new muscle growth, and lots of calories (starchy food like (sweet) potatoes, rice, veg, etc) to actually build the muscle. You need to be eating above your maintenance level of calories. Of course you also need to be lifting heavy enough to shock your system into building new muscle but it sounds like you're doing that already.

Don't just 'Do' weights. If you are a competitive rider or w/e warrior you’ll compliment your cycling efficiency by training the antagonistic groups that your body needs/uses as a ‘platform’ from which to ‘fire’ those legs. Additionally, and prob more so with MTB I would say, is flexibility and core strength. With core, I’m not talking about the ability to pick up a biro with you sphincter muscle but the type of system/chain needed to say, perform a ‘clean & press’ in standing (which incidentally is a fab core exercise btw).
If anyone would like professional advice re this subject, pm or email me.

LT

PS: Yes,of course your performance will improve by training the agonists, but it's not as simple as banging out the squats...it takes time to transfer 'bulk-gains' into 'on-tap' sport-specific power/endurance/etc etc...............................

Found gyms incredibly boring so started going to the local indoor climbing wall a few years back. Not great for building up leg strength but you probably won't find anything better for core strength and i can't half death grip those bars these days 😀 Oh and its fun as well, particularly the bouldering stuff. Might be worth a try if there is one local.

To build muscle you need to eat a lot. Lots of protein to stimulate new muscle growth, and lots of calories (starchy food like (sweet) potatoes, rice, veg, etc) to actually build the muscle. You need to be eating above your maintenance level of calories. Of course you also need to be lifting heavy enough to shock your system into building new muscle but it sounds like you're doing that already.

This is probably where I go wrong. Although I go through periods where I eat quite alot I also tend to go through periods where I really cut back. I often find my fitness/energy often seems to improve if I almost fast some times, I seem to use the food/calories more effectively if I only have small amounts. If I eat alot I often feel less energetic.

Found gyms incredibly boring so started going to the local indoor climbing wall a few years back.

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This is probably where I go wrong. Although I go through periods where I eat quite alot I also tend to go through periods where I really cut back. I often find my fitness/energy often seems to improve if I almost fast some times, I seem to use the food/calories more effectively if I only have small amounts. If I eat alot I often feel less energetic.