Hey all. I'm after some advice re my gym prog…

I'm a novice MTBer (one year in the saddle, getting out amongst it every two weeks on average, but stepping up to every week for the last couple of months – loving it!). I used to be right old couchy, but now my overall stamina is getting better, climbing too, but still a very long way from where I'd like it to be, and that's what I want to fix over the winter.

I have a gym at work and I've been going for an hour every lunchtime but have only very recently started spending long period on the exercise bike and really pushing myself. The other thing to say is that my legs are dead skinny and I'm sure that doesn't help with long climbs. I've started necking a couple of protein shakes each day after the gym/riding in order to build some muscle size/strength. This was on advice of someone who I trust, but I'm on the fence about whether it's done anything yet..

But the main question is what I should be doing in the gym to help these skinny pins of mine. Should I just stick on the bike the whole time? I've been doing 30 min hard hill climb progs which are really pushing my thighs, followed by 20mins light weights and a stretch. Should I aim for more? Every day, or should I have a day off? Any other good things to do? Should I be doing squats (I read somewhere not, but I can't think why that would be a bad idea), or using the thigh machine? Should I do calf raises? Should I just do cardio and forget weights? I can't have another summer being last up the hill, it's killing me 🙄

Any thoughts much appreciated.

Cheers
Evade

Try and get a couple of sessions with a personal trainer. Endurance is built mainly by doing long sessions of exercise which an hour in the gym won't let you do. But you can do exercises to build the strength in your legs which will allow you to ride for longer when you do go out. In time your endurance will then improve…

e.g squats, calf raises. Also worth doing core strength exercises which will help balance and moving around the bike

As broess says the way to develop proper "all day" endurance is with long steady rides, though short hard sessions will help your cardio "top end". But you're doing the right sort of things in the gym to build that plus some leg strength as a starting point.

Squats / leg presses etc might be beneficial but also a good way to injure yourself as you sound quite keen. Be careful and progress steadily – don't do too much too soon.

Daily sessions might be a bit much – if you're getting out riding at the weekends then I'd take Mondays off at least. Don't overdo it, you have all winter to build fitness steadily – rest and recovery are an essential part of the training process, it's when the adaptations actually take place. Be patient and the benefits will come!

Don't worry about skinny legs, that means nothing really. The Schlecks have skinny legs and they climb pretty well.
Best way for building endurance is to do long rides. If I did use the gym, I'd just be working on overall building of upper body as that doesn't get too much use cycling so it's really just to make sure I don't lose strength there. No bulking up though, leave that to posers.
I cannot say I'm a huge fan of gyms though I suppose the best thing to do might be intervals on the bikes. I always hated the bikes in our local gym though and ended up using the rowing machine which gave me a really tough workout.

yeah you'll never get great stamina from gym sessions unless you're spendning 6 hours in there.

you might benefit from doing high intensity workout sessions and see if you can build these up in terms of duration (ie how long can you absolutely hammer it for?). might also be worth hitting the spinning classes.

but the main thing is to get out and do big rides. if you ride mainly with a group which stops often you might want to start heading out alone or with a couple of mates fully in the knowledge that you will be aiming to stop for mechanical issues only. no getting to the top of climbs and having a 20 minute break, you don't deserve it 🙂

That's the trouble with gym culture, it's confused aesthetics and functionality to the point where people think that big muscles and function are the same thing. They're not. Particularly when it comes to an endurance-based activity like cycling.

Oh, and drinking protein shakes doesn't build muscle.

Spinning classes DO help, IME. However, if you want to be better at hill climbing, you can't beat doing a few hill intervals, if you have a local and relatively traffic-free hill to hand. Spin classes are a second best, but obvioulsy convenience and safety are factors too. They are flagged in my gym as a 'weight loss' class, but they help me to go a little faster at the end of a long ride, I find.

I agree wholeheartedly with BWD and his assessment of gym culture: don't feel inferior to 'built' or 'ripped' blokes down the gym. They look like that because that's what they do. Mountainbikers are endurance athletes,so being bulky is generally a disadvantage.
The fittest biker I know is tiny, skinny and never visits the gym. He's also a top Iron Man triathlete. Go figure.

protien shakes will help your muscles recover and to a small extent help them grow bigger. protien should be consumed throughout the day though not only after the gym. base your meals around protien ie fish mainly…loads of tuna. cottage cheese before bed etc.
dont worry about big legs though focus more on strong legs. more muscle means more weight, i was once 15st of muscle and as strong and fit as i was it was hard pulling my frame up tough hills.
you want to aim for endurance stregnth so rather than doing what most do in the gym of 12 reps 3 sets as hard as you can with 1 min rest inbetween. i would drop to 50% of your maximum and try and excersise with as little rest as possible squats are by far the best but make sure you do them properly, they hit all your legs and ass aswell as your core. you should also definatly be taking a day off, if not more. tired legs are weak legs and they need total rest if they are ever going to grow. break the muscle in the gym then it grows/rebuilds when rested. when you are able to hardcore it for the totall 1 hour i would only do this 3 times a week with a day off inbetween. sorry if ive waffled hope this helps.

oh yeah thats the best way to get endurance happy strong legs in the gym while at work….as others have said there aint no substitute for getting on your bike and hitting some hills hard. not likely in a hour lunch break though, i know 🙂

Long rides are not the best way to build endurance, interval training is.

have a look at some of the gym jones endurance exercises, cross fit exercises and if possible look at the spinning classes and boxing, done correctly boxing is a incredible exercise.
I would strongly stay away from the exercise bike and look at the nordic skier and rowing machines, the rower is the best exercise machine there is, done correctly with good form, even the stair climber can be of benefit.
Squats when done properly are an excellent exercise but most people do them incorrectly and have too much weight on the bar with bad form, as with all weights slow and controlled movements through the full range is what you are looking for. Use dumbells as well for good all round strength, get the instructors to guide you, as BWD says think about what you want, tailor the exercises according but i would suggets a basic set of routines then develop. Aviod protien shakes and eat a good balanced diet, genetics play a huge part in muscle growth and shape. I would suggest you need to look at lean effective muscle, see Marvin Hagler from the boxing world 1984 period rather than bulk, remember enjoy, and be patient. 😀

Well thanks everyone for advice.

So taking what most of you have said, I've managed to work out a way of cycling the 17 miles into work and getting a lift a home, twice a week. Weather permitting. If that goes well, I might try and up that to cycling in and back (once I've got some good lights). Surely that's going to help. Shame it's a completely flat route (never thought I'd ever say that!) but it's all along toepath, so should be fun.

The rest of the time in the gym I'm cutting down the amount of weights I'm lifting, increasing the reps and intensity. We'll see how that goes.

Once I'm feeling a bit more confident, I might even give that interval training a crack. But not just yet -> sounds way to hard core for me..

Cheers again.

Evade