Just interested to see how many of you go to the gym as well as your mountain biking?

I have just started as a new council one has opened very near work, so its convenient. My intention is to do it over the winter to keep some fitness up, and to help strengthen legs for a ski trip.

Cant see me going too much when its sunny though so may bin it in the spring

i kinda enjoy the spinning classes, they are a real sweat fest though!

Gyms provide a valuable public service. In helping to keep self-obsessed, yet terminally insecure, narcissists, if only temporarily, off the streets

Which is a good way to stop the rest of us banging into them as they stop suddenly in the street to admire their reflections in shop windows.

Set foot inside one? Are you serious?

Gyms provide a valuable public service. In helping to keep self-obsessed, yet terminally insecure, narcissists, if only temporarily, off the streets

Sadly it’s pretty spot on, I see no end of people admiring their Pecs in my gym’s floor to ceiling mirrors rather than doing any actual exercise…..

But is that a valid reason for not going?

Yes. Most definitely. Well… that and the possibility of dying of boredom, as well

Oh… and its also where the very worst possible type of cheesy europop/house music goes to die

I do basic weights to keep toned ,work on core which I think is important for biking.After previously not using weights for legs exercizes I have just started doing squats and leg press to increase strength , am monitoring this to see if it has a positve or negative effect on riding as I’m not sure.

I do basic weights to keep toned ,work on core which I think is important for biking.After previously not using weights for legs exercizes I have just started doing squats and leg press to increase strength , am monitoring this to see if it has a positve or negative effect on riding as I’m not sure.

i just got an email asking why i hadnt attended a gym induction at our new office gym adn that its corporate policy that we all take x amount of exercise a week….

simply replied with “did you drive to work this morning?”

waiting for the reply to that one.

its corporate policy that we all take x amount of exercise a week..

😯

Do you work in North Korea?

Used to until recently when there was one opposite work. Now I work from home I have The Outside available. There was never any shortage of people necking protein shakes in lieu of doing some proper exercise. Or sitting about, that’s a popular one too. Lots of reps. I know, smugness isn’t attractive 🙂

Me. Twice a week during winter but only for weights. Occassionally go spinning but mostly ride outside or on the rollers. Can’t fit in weights in the summer on top of racing and training but have a year long membership so really should use it even if just for the steam room/sauna!

I like it, it helps keep me stronger for racing, no matter what my coach thinks about it.

policy might not be the right word .. i was paraphrasing 😉 maybe corporate reccomend is a better description.

Terry do you get paid for going then why not?

Remember when you were a kid, you’d run, jump, climb, cycle etc wherever and whenever, just because you could.

Suddenly when you get old you need a special air-conditioned building dripping with energy drinks in order to do all these things, and we have to call them ‘exercise’ …

😀

i get paid to go to the induction that is all. but if i want to go to a gym ill go to one with a different view than the one i see out my office window every day.

I had an induction last night to a new gym that has opened locally. I’d always been put off for the very reasons above but as I get better at racing it has highlighted that my core strength is rubbish and it needs work. The program devised for me is purely for core, quads and some upper body so it’s a mixture of weights, free weights and stretches. All cv work will still be on the bike.

The gym I’ve joined is a limited membership and comes across as very friendly. I’ve only sighed for 6 months so I’ll see how it goes.

Suddenly when you get old you need a special air-conditioned building dripping with energy drinks in order to do all these things, and we have to call them ‘exercise’ …

I use a very basic and slightly grubby boxing gym. They don’t sell energy drinks.

Yeah but my thinking is that i’m more likely to go for a swim, do a bit at the gym when its lashing down than get the bike out i am older now though so you may be right

*cough* I do….
Tend to just stick to the cardio machines, can’t be arsed with weights

Yes. Most definitely. Well… that and the possibility of dying of boredom, as well

Oh… and its also where the very worst possible type of cheesy europop/house music goes to die

yep its boring.. I have my MP3 with my awful 90’s rock but I at least have the good grace to sweat a lot. The lass on the static bike next to me the other day was conducting an animated phone conversation.. thats not really trying….

its a quick way of doing an hour of something, I tend to ride outside a bit more in summer..!

I was impressed to see that my gym sells Ginsters!

Hotel gyms (or a nearby one that lets me pay per session) when staying away for work, especially when it’s grim weather outside. Tend to just use rowing machines, elliptical cross trainer things and the treadmill though.

Have been doing BMF though as I’ve got sessions near home and current work, which is hitting muscles I never use otherwise.

As an ex-Personal Trainer I should disagree with the majority of the comments here… BUT you are all correct… they are horrific places, completely unnatural environments for getting fitter… most of the exercises you do in the gym can be replicated at home with just your bodyweight or some simple weights!

most of the exercises you do in the gym can be replicated at home with just your bodyweight or some simple weights!

Very true, but for me it’s easier to motivate myself to do it when I’m paying for it. Tried the home method but I tend to always find excuses to do something else.

Ok, so for the majority of you, is biking your only sorce of fitness or do you combine it with some running?

After previously not using weights for legs exercizes I have just started doing squats and leg press to increase strength , am monitoring this to see if it has a positve or negative effect on riding as I’m not sure.

My climbing & sprinting has improved massively since doing squats properly & regularly for the last 4 months. Can’t see the point of leg press though, if you are also confidant enough to do free weights?

its a quick way of doing an hour of something,

If you’re doing “cardio” machines for an hour on a regular basis, you have too much time/money! Interval training and/or resistance training (weights/bodyweight) will get you fitter in less time. And it won’t be boring because your body will be in too much pain. 😆 Seriously, if you want to get your activity level up for an hour, just go for a walk or ride your bike.

i use the works gym, and enjoy it so much i bought squat rack, bench etc for my garage when im not at work. always seem to be trying something, different routines, intermittent fasting etc.
right now i thought id try and bulk up a bit and enjoyed the eating whatever i liked bit, but i think too much went round the waist, so gonna carry on training and cut the cals a bit 😳

Ok, so for the majority of you, is biking your only sorce of fitness or do you combine it with some running?

Thought about running but was advised by a few coaches that unless I need to for a reason then it won’t really help with any extra fitness that I can’t get form cycling. Everyone’s different though and that’s just me.

Similar said here. Clicky

Yeah, I try and get a couple of sessions in a week in addition to running two/three times a week just to break up my exercise routine.

It’s been tricky for the last month or so, but I think that I’ll be going more often as the nights draw in. Running in the dark, even with a head torch, is no fun round my way. Not with the number of lazy dog owners that forget to pick up their little doggy landmines.

I do, I sign up for 5-6 months every year around this time as despite my best intentions i never ride as much in the Winter as I do in the Summer so use the gym to make up the difference.

Already noticed the general buffoonery in the changing room, one fella spent an age checking his arse out in the mirror and a couple of chubby twenty somethings necking protein shakes after their workout that they managed without breaking a sweat.

Ok, so for the majority of you, is biking your only sorce of fitness or do you combine it with some running?

Just riding for me. Not properly started my winter training yet, so sitting at around 150miles per week just now / 3 rides a week. When I start training it’ll go up for around 5-6 days per week again.

I like running, used to do a lot over winter time but thinking i’ll mostly just ride this winter.

Depends what you are trying to achieve, time etc.

Oh and Mulletus Maximus, how did your racing go this year, did you ever manage to do any road/crit stuff?

I started 6 months ago i now go and do squats , deadlifts , rows , presses etc it was great for riding being a rake on the bike but my manual job was near on impossible and i was weak. I now for the first time in my life never wake up with a bad back like i used to and being on the bike for 4-5 hours is now pretty easy and i get off without feeling wrecked. Tbh everyone should squat its fantastic 🙂

A new gym has opened in the same building as our office, its about 150m walk and £110 for 15 months membership.
I use it about 2-3 times a week to do core strength work and non weight stuff such press ups’ situps etc.
Given that I am getting on a bit and still want to compete it allows me to do stength training on my legs which will help avoid injury. Then I do some streching after about 20 mins on the treadmill.

When I go home I then do a proper session or another run.

They may be full of posers etc but I wouldnt know as I concentrate on what I am doing, i dont think they are bad per se.

DGOAB,

Just the one race sadly, but enjoyed it enough to want to do a full season next year. Will start in a winter series in January and try and get my 3rd cat before the season proper which will open up more races for me.

Currently in a cyclocross season and getting regular top 10 finishes in my class so, along with core work and racing a large part of winter I should be in good shape next season.

My club have had a couple of cat4’s go to cat 2 this season so it would be good if I could achieve that too. 🙂

At the end of the day I think everyone would accept that gyms are boring , but as surfer says if youre getting on a bit you have to work at staying toned. in my case there is a degree of vanity in wanting to look ok but mainly its keeping toned so I can enjoy riding .

When my kids were younger we used to go to the valley centretainment centre in bolton there was a hufge gym with exercize bikes next to the cinema. I amanged to persuade them that the hapless souls on the bikes were powering the scree and if the film juddered someone hasd stopped pedalling .

i use the works gym, and enjoy it so much i bought squat rack, bench etc for my garage when im not at work. always seem to be trying something, different routines, intermittent fasting etc.
right now i thought id try and bulk up a bit and enjoyed the eating whatever i liked bit, but i think too much went round the waist, so gonna carry on training and cut the cals a bit

You probably know about it already (since you mentioned IF) but if you don’t LeanGains is well worth checking out. The author favours a one-off cut followed by a slow bulk (as opposed to traditional constant cycle of cut/fast bulk)

Will start in a winter series in January

winter crit series, or track do you mean?

I have gym membership, but whether I “use” it is another question! I tend to use the showers most days after a run/cycle to work, and I swim twice a week usually. But I don’t venture into the actual gym bit very often. It’s not too expensive so I get my moneys worth at least.

This week they tried to get me to sign up for a challenge to log how many miles you’ve done on the treadmill/exercise bike etc. I said that if it didn’t count the 10 mile run I’d done outside the previous evening or my 13 mile cycle to work that day there wasn’t really much point…

winter crit series, or track do you mean?

Crit. There’s a winter series just down the road from me. I’m doing my track accreditation in two weeks time though so that opens up even more possibilities and maybe another excuse for a new bike. 😀