[Closed] Kettlebells, Slow carb/iDiet and turbo training!

You'd need to eat a lot more than that to match a protien shake.

You need to bear in mind everyone is different, but for me I ride 3 x per week in the summer (twice at high intensity unless tapering)/ enter events, no bodyweight exercises, but use a protien/creatine based recovery shake (Recovery XS)

Then in the winter, its 2 rides per week if the weather allows, and two 45 minute KB workouts p/w drinking an all-in -one (Hurricance XS) as a strength / conditioning workout over the winter.

Also, if you going for toning / strength, orientate your diet to higher protien (ie chicken, tuna steak intake should be higher) otherwise as you lose weight your muscle will go as well.

Personally I don't think it's worth using powders based on the amount of exercise you're doing. Peanut butter, banana and some milk.

I read a scientific study about improving both strength and endurance. In summary you need to do your cardio before your weights and then leave as much time as possible before doing cardio again.

The Southern Yeti - Member
Personally I don't think it's worth using powders based on the amount of exercise you're doing. Peanut butter, banana and some milk.

You're right but wrong - whether the powder is "worth it" is personal, but you won't replace what you can get in a decent product with what you are suggesting - unless you are eating / drinking shed loads of it.

Its worth remembering that muscle building is basically a break & repair cycle. Using the best / enough product to get them to a point where you can workout again is the key.

Cardio before weight is correct though.

Pint of milk = 1 serving of most protein powders.

I train enough to know I'm right on this one. But this topic has been done to death and people like wasting money on potions they don't really need.

1g of protein per kg of bodyweight will be all you need if you're not intent on becoming Arnie.

any chance of a video pose-off ?

Roughly speaking, 18g of protien per 1 pint of milk, 75g in my 400ml shake.

And I weigh 76kg. So, 4 pints of milk (£2 thereabouts) or my shake, at 75p for that 400ml shot?

Each to there own though.

Anyway back OT......

scaredypants - Member
any chance of a video pose-off ?

Only if I can show my Biceps/Triceps and exclude my belly.

I can't get my biceps AND triceps in a single shot 😐

I thought that the body was incapable of using that much protein in one dose?

Still to the OP - if you want to get lean then you probably want to control the amount of calories or you'll probably keep a bit of podge 😉

A normal sensible iDiet will help you achieve this without supplements. I'd suggest chucking something like Yoga into your routine too... you don't see fat Yogis.

Thanks for that chaps, i wondered for a minute if we were going down the " is protein powder a waste of money" route, but well swerved!
What about the trubo, intervals or grinding out in hardest gear for muscle gain?

HIIT. You could mix high RPM with hard gears?

you don't see fat Yogis.

Hardly slim:

[img] [/img]

Remember if you are doing mucle building On certain days you want to reduce the cardio to a minimum on them days and concentrate the energy on that. Then do the cardio on non weights days. This allows you to concentrate your efforts on the mucle building. If you do masses of cardio and try to eat a low calorie diet then weights you will gain nowt.

Pyramid sessions on the turbo are what you want, google is your friend on that one! Wont build up masses of muscle as such but will help you to leave ppl behind rather than the other way round! After i quit tt'ing i had big legs, just using the gym only made em bigger....not a lot o use on the bike and i look like a fat tadpole now 😯

So.. when on the turbo, what sort of sessions will increase muscle? Do i need to grind it out in top gear for as long as poss, or, will doing intervals to loose fat and increase endurance also decrease muscle?

If you want to increase your leg muscle, surely you want to be doing weights, not cycling?

If you want to get faster on the bike, just ride hard and do some intervals, dont worry about having massive legs.

Bardely Wiggins, he can do a fairly decent Time Trial. Look how massive his legs arent:

[img] [/img]

If you want to increase your leg muscle, surely you want to be doing weights, not cycling?

If you want to get faster on the bike, just ride hard and do some intervals, dont worry about having massive legs.

Won't that depend on whether you want to be more of a sprinter (ie big muscles, lower endurance) or a climber (smaller muscles, higher endurance)?

Either way I'd guess the OP would benefit for both intervals and weight training - I'm guessing the OP is just a keen amateur like the rest of us, and a combination of the two has made a massive difference to my riding.

Won't that depend on whether you want to be more of a sprinter (ie big muscles, lower endurance) or a climber (smaller muscles, higher endurance)?

Dunno, probably. But I dont know many amateur sprinters. I think most people just enjoy riding their bikes on bike rides, and perhaps doing a bit of racing. I think the best way to get quicker at this is to ride your bike lots.

I think the best way to get quicker at this is to ride your bike lots.

Perhaps if you've got unlimited time, unfortunately for most of us that's not the case - which means you need to make the most of the time you do have... I'd be doing intervals (the Sufferfest videos are excellent for this), maybe some kind of weight training (abs + lunges + squats + upper body), as well as the usual weekend long rides.

I'd be doing intervals (the Sufferfest videos are excellent for this), maybe some kind of weight training (abs + lunges + squats + upper body), as well as the usual weekend long rides.

It really is that simple. Off four bike sessions a week, and one weights session it is possible to compete at a quite a high level.

I'd look at getting your baseline fitness measured, heart rate levels, and power/kg. This will allow you to start training at the correct levels of intensity to avoid burning out on the turbo over winter. Then go back in Feb/March time and get the same tests done. Adjust your training, and repeat.

I've several points to address here.

First - apologies @ Southern Yeti - I didnt know the body's protien capability but after some research this morning its seems to be generally about 30g a sitting dependant on the individual. Secondly I mis represented my own intake - its 32g's per drink not 76g. Also to clarify - I'm not a 3 shakes a day guy - I just drink one post exercise as its a convienience to masses of milk/chicken/peanut butter etc, but as stated orientate my general diet toward a higher protien content anyway.

Second, re all the above, quite right - no better training for cycling / MTB'ing than cycling / MTB'ing. The weights (and kettlebells / core exercises particulalry) are good for core stability and strength on the bike.

For the OP, IMO get out on the bike as much as you can for the cardio at high intensity, and use the KB's when you can't to build your core strength - which is what I do personally over the winter period - also recommended by Joe Friel btw.

One of the other things that is very important is rest days - ensuring you rest between exercises lets your body repair itself.

Edit: Case Study - I was a pretty ordinary Sunday League rider but started training/racing this year since January. I've an 8th, 5th and 4th in the Southern Trail rides, a 33rd at Gorrick 50, and 120 of 240 in the on-one hundred (my first ever 100k), plus sub 50 minutes (daytime) laps at SITS. Thats not bad (IMO) for a late 30's beginner with a family and professional lifestyle. I lost a stone in the process - the imnportant point is that I used those events as targets/motivation to train for.

What I'm now finding much harder is any performance gain over the above. Traditional you get a large performance gain from sofa-surfing to amatuer athelete, then it gets much harder to chip away at the fitness percentages - mentally its important not to get despondant at this point.

I've also swapped to a roadie at high intensity (55k in 1h.40 currently) once p/w to try to increase my cardio/legs.