petalmasher

Muscle mass burns more calories than fat. We tend to lose muscle mass as we age, so i'm sure the presumption is that an older person will burn fewer calories. A shorter person who is the same mass as a taller person is also likely to be carrying more muscle mass and burning more calories

I'm Also a mountain biker. I'm a little more into road racing lately but I started riding mountain, and still do a few trail rides per week

The MTBtips videos are a pretty good place to start.

Unfortunately, harassment from motorists is part of cycling regardless of gender, but I can see why it’s scarier for a woman. Although you obviously don’t want to try and get a good workout riding through the downtown parts a major city, it might be less intimidating to stay on roads that have some traffic, but also a nice wide shoulder or a bike lane. This way, when people are hanging out of windows and yelling things or honking their horn it’s just annoying; they aren't likely to do any more than that when they know there are other people driving by. The thing about cycling is that it is a very specific type of fitness, so even if you’re a marathon runner, you can’t necessarily expect to jump in with a group of cyclists and keep up. In addition to building cycling specific fitness, there is also a sizable advantage to knowing how to draft effectively. I find it hard to get the necessary intensity for on a trainer. Even when I feel like I’m pushing it really hard, my heart rate never gets nearly as high on the trainer as it does when I’m actually riding. You might try some spin classes to help inspire you to push harder than you otherwise would. There is no substitute for getting out and riding so that you can at least get the bike handling skills needed to hold a line well enough to stay in the draft. It also helps to get comfortable with riding in close proximity to other riders. You might consider taking a group riding skills course, such as this one: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/TXHBikeEvents?sid=6706&type=fr_informational&pg=informational&fr_id=22598 (I know it’s sold out, and probably not in your area… it’s just an example)

If you’re in OK shape, it shouldn't be a problem. You won’t be setting any record times after lifting weights, but 10-miles on road (assuming you don’t work on a mountain top) doesn't have to be that taxing if you aren't pushing the speed too hard.

If you want to improve, you have to push your limits by trying to do things you’re not sure you’re capable of. If you try to push yourself by setting a treadmill to a speed that bumps right up against the edge of what you are capable of, here’s what you will do: a. decrease the speed as soon as you start to feel stressed, and never know if you might have been able to push yourself faster b. drop off the pace to which you set the speed to and get throw on the back of the treadmill and possibly injure yourself If you try to push yourself (outside on a trail or road) running a certain distance as fast as you can, here’s what will happen: a. You do the best you can and might not quite go as fast as you wanted. At least you know what you’re capable of and have a base-line by which to gauge improvement. b. You surprise yourself by running faster than you thought you could, and next time you can set the bar a little higher and continue to improve. The treadmill is fine for doing the workouts you already knew you could, and maintaining your ability through periods of bad weather. It isn't the place to try and make any drastic improvements.

I hate cardio too Well, at least I hate mind numbing hours of sitting on stationary bike, rowing machine, treadmill or swimming laps. I like mountain bike rides, road bike racing, taking my dog out for a quick run on the trail near my house, I like cross country skiing, soccer, ultimate Frisbee, and racquetball. There are so many enjoyable outdoor and sporting activities that can have the same or better VO2 max boosting effects. I have no idea why people waste time spinning their wheels for endless hours on gym “Cardio†equipment.

Hi galacticgoose, I'm also a pretty comparative cat3 road racer and endurance mountain biker. I don't know that I would say that my diet is primal, but my general rule of thumb is that I don't bring anything home from the store that had more than one ingredient. I started this halfway through the race season this year and replaced the energy drinks and bars full of pseudo-scientific compounds with unpronounceable names with high nitrate vegetable and fruit juices made in my own juicer, and started stuffing my jersey pockets with bananas and small baked sweat potatoes. When I'm not on the bike my meals usually consist of a pile of veggies and a big hunk of meat. I add in more high nitrate vegetables and fruits during my building and race training phases, and particularly in the days leading up to an important event. The main difference I've noticed is that I tend not to put as much fat back on when I lay off the cycling a little. There is a lot to be said about training for bike racing and libraries full of books on that very topic. If you are planing on doing a lot of shorter races, like participating in a local xc race series with 10 15-mile races throughout the spring and summer, the way you train will need to be different than if you are training for a specific endurance event, like a 100 mile or 24-hour mountain bike race. Generally, if you plan on doing lots of shorter (less than 3-hour) races throughout the season, you will want to spend the last half of your "off" season spending lots of time on the bike pedaling and a low to moderate intensity and decrease the duration of your workouts while increasing the intensity leading up to race season (more short interval workouts and spring drills). Also as you approach a race, tailor your workouts more specifically to whichever race you have cumming up. If you are doing a hilly race, do lots of climbing workouts, and the longest workout of the week should match fairly closely to the length of the race you plan to do. If you are training for an endurance event, do a few intense interval workouts and one medium-length ride at a fast but steady pace. On the weekends, do a long ride at around the speed you plan on maintaining during the event and bump up the length of your weekend ride by about 10% each week until you get just less than the event length. Don't forget to take rest days and taper at least a week prior to the event.

Ever considered endurance sports? There's definitely something to be said for the self control required to force one's self to keep running the 26th mile of a marathon, or pedal through the 23rd hour of a 24 hour mountain bike race.

Numb, tingly hands generally have to do with too much weight on the hands. The handlebars are for steering, not leaning. Your elbows should be relaxed and slightly bent. It will cost a few hundred dollars, but you may consider taking your bike to a shop and getting it fitted. (they measure you and adjust things to fit properly, replace the stem and seat post, or even tell you that you have the wrong sized bike altogether.

Hey guys, Thanks for replying, I was on a wine-tasting road trip through Germany, France and Switzerland with some friends, which was awesome, but not too beneficial to my fitness plan. I didn’t have much computer access so I couldn’t reply back. Incidentally, I was reading that humans first started fermenting grapes during the Paleolithic era http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07/0721_040721_ancientwine.html. Anyway, the thing about amateur bicycle racing is that there are many levels to be advanced through as you improve to keep the skill levels relatively equal within the fields as it makes racing a lot more fun when you have a group of people with similar abilities. Anyway, once you have been moved up, it takes an act of congress to move back down. Although it isn’t as if I’m about to go pro or anything, I’ve moved up enough that if I stop riding altogether and loose too much of the 4-years of cumulative base cycling fitness I’ve built, I would never be able to be fit enough to be competitive by next season. I live in a hilly area and do a lot of climbing work in my cycling. I do also do body weight strength training a time or two per week in addition to the two gym workouts

Like one of the posters above, I too am anti-cardio. I'm not against any particular kind of exercise, I'm against the term "cardio" because it doesn't mean anything. If it is the opposite of resistance training, meaning not pushing against any resistance to speak of, then pedaling a bicycle up a hill is not cardio. Is it exercise that uses the cardiovascular system? I don't think anyone would say squats and dead lifts are cardio, but I would dare them to do a set without using their lungs and heart. If Cardio refers to aerobic exercise, then sprints of any kind or HIIT intervals are not cardio, and high repetition circuit training is. I also can't help noticing that the spell checker keeps putting red lines underneath "cardio" because it isn't actually a word at all.

So, I’m fully aware that the bigger and stronger you want to get, the more you have to be willing to eat big and put on some fat in the process. I do think, however, that relatively modest muscle gains and fat loss can happen simultaneously… kind of. I’m a bicycle racer, and I’ve been pretty devoted to training and racing for several years, but this year I fell off my game, stopped racing mid-season, and gained some unneeded fat.. Although I’ve never been super big and/or strong, prior bike racing most of my exercise routine was strength training. I’m noticing lately that some life activities that require a little bruit strength are becoming more and more difficult the longer I neglect strength training in favor or on-bike training. The last of my races for this year are over, and next year’s first races aren’t until May. I will have to start training about 4-months before race season starts to be competitive assuming I don’t let myself get too far out of cycling shape before then. I’d really like to get a lot of my strength back before I have to shift back into cycling gear again. I can’t stop cycling altogether or gain too much weight if I want to be able to get back into race condition before next season. So my goal, just to give myself something quantifiable to strive for, will be to Bench press >215 lbs., squat >250 and deadlift >300 while still riding a couple times per week and not getting any heavier than 180 lbs. I wouldn’t mind getting my 6-pack back to, I’ve always had one until a few months ago. My plan is to do this using mini-phases; Two-days bulking/strength, and two days of cutting/endurance. Day 1: Strength (borrowed from Stronglifts 5x5) Squat, bench, bent-over rows, or squat, OHP and Deadlifts. Day 2: Recovery (just resting, maybe I’ll stretch an walk the dogs) ^ During days 1&2 I’ll be eating big, not junk food, but I’ll be adding oatmeal to breakfast, brown rice to dinner and a cup of whole milk with each meal in addition to my normal Paleo-based meals of meat and vegies. Day 3: Interval trail run for about 20 minutes through rolling hills, sprinting the up hills and jogging easy the rest of the time followed by body weight exercises at the park where my run starts and ends. Day 4: 60-90 minute bike ride. ^ Strict paleo-diet on days 3 and 4. Meats fruits and vegies, no dairy or grains. Rinse, lather, repeat until Feb 1. I’m currently 6 feet tall, 173lbs, and two weeks into my current 5x5 weights are Squats 165, bench 145, OHP 85, and 2 sets of 7 dead lifts at 215lbs. I’m just wondering what people think about my strategy and if my goals attainable.

So, I’m fully aware that the bigger and stronger you want to get, the more you have to be willing to eat big and put on some fat in the process. I do think, however, that relatively modest muscle gains and fat loss can happen simultaneously… kind of. I’m a bicycle racer, and I’ve been pretty devoted to training and racing for several years, but this year I fell off my game, stopped racing mid-season, and gained some unneeded fat.. Although I’ve never been super big and/or strong, prior bike racing most of my exercise routine was strength training. I’m noticing lately that some life activities that require a little bruit strength are becoming more and more difficult the longer I neglect strength training in favor or on-bike training. The last of my races for this year are over, and next year’s first races aren’t until May. I will have to start training about 4-months before race season starts to be competitive assuming I don’t let myself get too far out of cycling shape before then. I’d really like to get a lot of my strength back before I have to shift back into cycling gear again. I can’t stop cycling altogether or gain too much weight if I want to be able to get back into race condition before next season. So my goal, just to give myself something quantifiable to strive for, will be to Bench press >215 lbs., squat >250 and deadlift >300 while still riding a couple times per week and not getting any heavier than 180 lbs. I wouldn’t mind getting my 6-pack back to, I’ve always had one until a few months ago. My plan is to do this using mini-phases; Two-days bulking/strength, and two days of cutting/endurance. Day 1: Strength (borrowed from Stronglifts 5x5) Squat, bench, bent-over rows, or squat, OHP and Deadlifts. Day 2: Recovery (just resting, maybe I’ll stretch an walk the dogs) ^ During days 1&2 I’ll be eating big, not junk food, but I’ll be adding oatmeal to breakfast, brown rice to dinner and a cup of whole milk with each meal in addition to my normal Paleo-based meals of meat and vegies. Day 3: Interval trail run for about 20 minutes through rolling hills, sprinting the up hills and jogging easy the rest of the time followed by body weight exercises at the park where my run starts and ends. Day 4: 60-90 minute bike ride. ^ Strict paleo-diet on days 3 and 4. Meats fruits and vegies, no dairy or grains. Rinse, lather, repeat until Feb 1. I’m currently 6 feet tall, 173lbs, and two weeks into my current 5x5 weights are Squats 165, bench 145, OHP 85, and 2 sets of 7 dead lifts at 215lbs. I’m just wondering what people think about my strategy and if my goals attainable.

I go through a lot of glove, and I generally find that the differences between one kind of glove and another are fairly inconsequential. Also, if your hands are going numb, your bike probably doesn’t fit properly. They shouldn’t be going numb regardless of what gloves you are wearing.