JorgeGortex
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@krazygl00 27706 wrote:
Great post. I come from the opposite end of the spectrum — it is a constant battle to keep the weight *off* of me. Realize that in a cycling forum there are a whole lot of fatguys reading your post, grumbling with envy about you needing to bulk up
I’ve never been good at calisthenics, but then I’ve never followed a regimen, so I may have to check out that hundred-pushup plan. Also, that Navy Seal workout…I remember seeing a book on that and it was all gravity-based, body-weight type exercises. No equipment required…is that the same plan you’re talking about? Please do share!
As I’ve hit mumble-mumble-*cough* years old I’ve definitely seen a decline in upper body strength (fortunately the legs are as strong as ever). I even have some elbow and shoulder pain when doing strenuous tasks, so I think I definitely need to improve the strength and flexibility there.
Gloo, the Navy SEAL workout I mention, for push-ups is from here: http://perfectonline.com/downloads/PUSHup_Getting_Started_Poster.pdf
I’ve found it works pretty well with or without the Perfect Push-up handles. I have them, but have been doing them the old fashioned way.
So, yeah, I don’t know that it is a true SEAL workout at any level. Agreed that body weight exercises, of which there are plenty of variants, are great. You can build good strength because they engage all the support and core muscles at the same time. Add a balance ball or similar devices to the mix and you can really get a good workout. I think a combo of true weight training and body weight exercises is the way to go.Everyone can use to get a bit a stronger and more flexible. Go for it!
Yeah, I understand that I am coming from the lucky side, but believe me that being the skinniest guy around has its draw backs when you are younger too.
@PotomacCyclist 27331 wrote:
If you do your strength workout immediately after a bike ride or other aerobic workout, you don’t need to do a separate warm-up. The bike ride will serve as the warm-up for the strength session. That’s a good way to save time.
The only problem with doing a longer ride first is that you can’t get maximum benefit from your lifts because you are already fatigued. You’ve burned a fair amount of muscle glycogen. I’ve always read and practiced doing your weight workout first and then an aerobic one. Now, if you ride from work to the gym (be it at home or otherwise) you have less of a choice.
I to am a former “small” guy who started lifting weights after high school to try to move away from 98lbs size (at 5’8″, yes, I was that thin). Now many years later, with many starts and stops I found I was missing lifting and in need of it once again. My routine has been fairly simple and to keep things fresh I have mainly rotated through exercises as I see fit each session… although I seem to stick to a specific few. The first thing I decided as a way to get back into it and avoid injury was to initially stick to mostly body weight exercises. I focused on push-ups because they are a great all around body exercise hit chest, shoulders, arms, and core. I started with the “100 Push-up” system (google it), and found it worked really well for getting me back into shape. I hit a plateau recently and switched to a “Navy Seal” system that I can share if someone was interested. Anyway, I feel the overall conditioning and strength I’ve built from push-ups has really helped me build an overall body strength allowing me to segue into my other lifts.
I am also a fan of pull-ups. I’ve always been pretty good at them, but not so much recently. My current system has me doing a max set, followed by lat pull-downs using half my body weight to make a total of 10 reps. Three sets interspersed with my only special clean and presses done circuit style. Mind you this series is done after my push-up series so I am already worked. All in all I think there is a reason that almost every military organization uses push-ups and pull-ups for a reason: they work.
Otherwise my general rules have been:
– I warm up by doing some light jogging, jumping jacks, body squats, and dynamic stretching and shadow boxing. Sometimes I’ll spin on my erg for 500m, then do the dynamic stretching. The nice thing about doing push-ups is I’ve found they warm me up without being too intense… so I don’t need as long a warm-up. Were I to drop them for some other bar/dumbbell exercise to start, I’d do more of a regular warm-up first.– build into it easy and slowly increase weight, and number of exercises. On top of that, any time spent in the gym beyond 90min and you aren’t doing anything. I’d say 45min is about my norm.
– I stick to higher reps, say 10-12 to start, and then I work my way down into the 5-8 range once I’ve established my workouts again.– compound/Olympic exercises only. So pull-ups, push-ups, deadlifts, cleans, squats, bench press, upright rows, bent over rows, and my “George Press-cleans.” The break in this is to do some tricep specific work to allow me to better do some of the pressing exercises.
– I listen to my body. If I am feeling tired, losing form, or any part of my body is feeling “iffy” I stop and call it a day. I’ve injured myself enough to know that it sucks to be sidelined. Better to regroup and come back another day. Muscle fatigue is fine, “ouch” pain is not.
– I try to keep moving through exercises, circuit style, while still allowing enough overall rest to get through my workouts. That said, when you are doing things heavy you are going to be puffing. I’ve finished a circuit set and felt like throwing up. It goes away.
Ultimately its about getting in there and doing it, no matter how long you spend in the gym. Maybe its three sets of push-ups and gone. Its cool. The one thing I am sure of though is that the weight lifting and muscle mass I put on in the past has helped me keep my weight in check naturally over the years. Muscle burns more calories. So more muscle mass, the more calories you burn just sitting still. I also find that after time away my body tunes right back into lifting and it takes about a month to see results again. Very gratifying for the ego!
JG
I find that it is very comfortable for me. Absorbs shock well, and I never feel beat up after a ride, even if I go longer than I should before my fitness catches up. I’m pretty light at about 150+-, so its harder for me to flex any bike… so its stiff enough when I need to jam too. Its not super light @ 26 pounds, but good enough for my rides.
Sweet wood frame! Mahogany no less. Yeah, that is art.
JG
@SteveTheTech 25763 wrote:
That’s awesome. Does it ride mostly like a traditional bike?
If headed down the wooden road (with unlimited funds) I think I would have to go with this.
http://www.coolhunting.com/design/sanomagic-wooden.php
Handmade by a Japanese shipbuilder from hollow mahogany. (the most recent model weighs about 17lbs)You mean like mine:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]1368[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]1369[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]1370[/ATTACH]
Meet the affectionately named “Boocicle.” I fell in love with the bikes when I saw an article about them somewhere. About a year later I had her tooling along the WO&D. I ride her mostly to commute to work in Old Town from Arlington and just bopping around, although I admit I can’t work up the nerve to lock her up in front of the grocery store or something. I’ve had people shadow me along the trail trying to figure out what I was riding, and one guy who recognized the brand as he was from Ghana where my frame was made. So you can say I used to covet a bamboo bike.
I’m lucky enough to have a Cannondale CAAD9 frame and an old ’96 or ’97 hard tail StumpJumper too. None are seeing the use they should!Now, I focus my coveting on: http://fireflybicycles.com/ Absolutely gorgeous… and out of my price range for now.
JorgeGortex
@PotomacCyclist 25593 wrote:
I’d like to get a quality bamboo-frame bike someday. Partly because of the novelty and partly because it almost sounds like a better set-up than carbon fiber.
I wouldn’t mind getting a nice high-end tri bike, but I don’t think about gear as much as I did when I first started out. Some of the prices are ridiculous, such as the carbon-fiber pedals. I guess it can help a pro cyclist or triathlete save a few seconds, but I’m never going to be in that category.
I would like to get race wheels at some point. My current wheels are basic, heavy ones with lots of spokes. I’m not that heavy so I could get away with a light wheel with fewer spokes without wearing down the wheels.
Of course, if someone wanted to donate a brand new, size-appropriate Felt DA, Trek Speed Concept, Cervelo P5 or similar bike, I wouldn’t turn it down…