How much cardio a week do you all do?

[Eman]

Lately, around 8-10 hours per week

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What kind of bike do you have?

 

[Millard]

What kind of bike do you have?

Trek Emonda SL6. I think Trek Madone would have been better suited for my style with aero and bigger chainring but I'm just a recreational rider.

 

[Eman]

Trek Emonda SL6. I think Trek Madone would have been better suited for my style with aero and bigger chainring but I'm just a recreational rider.

I have a trek as well, although the model alludes me at the moment... it's a rec rider as well. I love the madone... if I were a serious rider, I would have gone for that.

 

[sdstealth]

3-4 hours per week, mix of LISS and HIIT on the Peloton

 

[Millard]

I have a trek as well, although the model alludes me at the moment... it's a rec rider as well. I love the madone... if I were a serious rider, I would have gone for that.

I'd like to think of myself as a serious rider but how serious can a cyclist be at 210lbs? It's almost as absurd as a 165-pounder telling everyone they are a serious bodybuilder.

It would be cool to have a Madone for some more speed and bagging some more KOMs (probably something else a serious rider wouldn't say).

Yet I'm getting closer to rationalizing such an expense. Hopefully, I won't or maybe that I will - I don't know

 

[malfeasance]

I'd like to think of myself as a serious rider but how serious can a cyclist be at 210lbs? It's almost as absurd as a 165-pounder telling everyone they are a serious bodybuilder.

It would be cool to have a Madone for some more speed and bagging some more KOMs (probably something else a serious rider wouldn't say).

Yet I'm getting closer to rationalizing such an expense. Hopefully, I won't or maybe that I will - I don't know

Amazing that you can keep your weight while biking miles. I would have thought it would have just stripped weight right off of you.

I was always amazed at how skinny the arms, shoulder and torso of elite riders are. Efficiency. If it does not contribute to pedaling, they do not have it, as it is just extra weight to pedal up a hill.

 

[Millard]

Amazing that you can keep your weight while biking miles. I would have thought it would have just stripped weight right off of you.

You would think. I really worried about this at the beginning. And my weight did drop to some degree.

I was probably eating around 4000-5000 kcal as maintenance before I really started adding cycling to the mix at 220 to 230. (The kcal was about my max food intake to comfortably consume.)

Maintaining the same daily caloric intake, if not sometimes more, I dropped to a bit less than 210.

But eventually my body just reached a comfortable set point between 205 and 210 without any effort.

A couple of years ago, I finally conquered my fear of losing more muscle in the interest of improving my cycling performance and actually purposely tried to lo drop below 200.

It was a struggle. Even after a couple months of 250 to 300 miles per week, my weight only briefly touched 200 with further weight loss thwarted because of my newly discovered appetite.

It seems as long as I maintain consistent weight training sessions, I am able to keep a fair amount of muscle.

 

[malfeasance]

You would think. I really worried about this at the beginning. And my weight did drop to some degree.

I was probably eating around 4000-5000 kcal as maintenance before I really started adding cycling to the mix at 220 to 230. (The kcal was about my max food intake to comfortably consume.)

Maintaining the same daily caloric intake, if not sometimes more, I dropped to a bit less than 210.

But eventually my body just reached a comfortable set point between 205 and 210 without any effort.

A couple of years ago, I finally conquered my fear of losing more muscle in the interest of improving my cycling performance and actually purposely tried to lo drop below 200.

It was a struggle. Even after a couple months of 250 to 300 miles per week, my weight only briefly touched 200 with further weight loss thwarted because of my newly discovered appetite.

It seems as long as I maintain consistent weight training sessions, I am able to keep a fair amount of muscle.

Since this is a cardio thread, can you tell us the effects that biking has had on you outside of weight? Fitness, blood pressure, heart rate, or anything else that you think is worth noting.

 

[Millard]

Since this is a cardio thread, can you tell us the effects that biking has had on you outside of weight? Fitness, blood pressure, heart rate, or anything else that you think is worth noting.

Not surprisingly, the most obvious is probably resting heart rate which is often under 60 now. It was closer to 80 before serious cycling.

As far as fitness, the lower bw and better endurance capacity make participation in lots of other sports (like basketball for me) more enjoyable. I don't get winded like before. Also, I'm amazed at my recovery ability. I can go for a 50-mile intense ride one day and being fully recovered the next day for deadlifts for reps at 450-500 lbs (and vice versa).

Blood pressure and lipids are good too. Although they weren't bad before. The former managed with telmisartan before and currently.

 

[malfeasance]

Thanks. Under 60 is pretty amazing since you are still over 200 pounds.

Did you do cardio when it was closer to 80?

 

[AlexDavis43]

I run for about an hour outside every day. I'm not very fast so it's only around 8 miles.

Helps keep my BP in check. Not good for leg gainz.

 

[BNJOE12]

30 min. 4-5x/week

 

[Millard]

Thanks. Under 60 is pretty amazing since you are still over 200 pounds.

Did you do cardio when it was closer to 80?

Yes, but just minimal 30 minutes or so 3-4 times a week max.

I've become sort of a (bi)cycling evangelist for bodybuilders lately. I think it's really important for bodybuilders (especially AAS-users) to spend more time maintaining and improving cardiopumonary efficiency as they get older.

Exercise-induced LVH is a normal adaptive response that differs from unhealthy hypertensive LVH. But no matter what the cause of the LVH, efficiency is compromised to some degree.

This is somewhat that becomes problematic as bodybuilders get older. I think cycling is one of the better ways to counteract it while still maintaining a bodybuilding lifestyle focused of physique.

I, like many bodybuilders who struggled to gain LBM, was afraid that anything but the most minimal amounts of cardio would sabotage any efforts to gain or maintain muscle.

I think this is largely untrue - maybe not for the huge guys but for any sub 210 - 220 guys.

I've found that if you can adjust the caloric intake accordingly, you can maintain a fair amount of muscle.

 

[KrownedKingzLV]

Depends on the day and job I’m out Weds - Sun I get 18k-23k steps alone not including workout or cardiocardio that’s just steps. Mon and Tues is 12-15k steps those are the days I work for my own business im building. Cardio 2x a week is 3-4.5 miles and 2x a wk with weighted vest 2miles. That’s outside of the weightlifting. I have an insane regimen and standard I hold myself to. This has also got me to my goal weight and most shredded I’ve been ever despite not being 35yoa.

 

[Slowww]

7 hours a week, on cut currently, started at 140 minutes on cut and 10,000-15,000 steps while bulking

 

[KrownedKingzLV]

None, I have embraced all the lifts I dislike but have not embraced the cardio. It finally cooled down in Texas the past couple of days so I might attempt to, when it’s 103 outside it ain’t much fun running outside. I don’t like staring at a glass pane when I run either. I need to get it in the routine though for medical

Depends on the day and job I’m out Weds - Sun I get 18k-23k steps alone not including workout or cardiocardio that’s just steps. Mon and Tues is 12-15k steps those are the days I work for my own business im building. Cardio 2x a week is 3-4.5 miles and 2x a wk with weighted vest 2miles. That’s outside of the weightlifting. I have an insane regimen and standard I hold myself to. This has also got me to my goal weight and most shredded I’ve been ever despite not being 35yoa.

Wow my grammar and typing was rough on this one

 

[KrownedKingzLV]

You would think. I really worried about this at the beginning. And my weight did drop to some degree.

I was probably eating around 4000-5000 kcal as maintenance before I really started adding cycling to the mix at 220 to 230. (The kcal was about my max food intake to comfortably consume.)

Maintaining the same daily caloric intake, if not sometimes more, I dropped to a bit less than 210.

But eventually my body just reached a comfortable set point between 205 and 210 without any effort.

A couple of years ago, I finally conquered my fear of losing more muscle in the interest of improving my cycling performance and actually purposely tried to lo drop below 200.

It was a struggle. Even after a couple months of 250 to 300 miles per week, my weight only briefly touched 200 with further weight loss thwarted because of my newly discovered appetite.

It seems as long as I maintain consistent weight training sessions, I am able to keep a fair amount of muscle.

I use to do over 300 miles a month on my cycle bike but BAM hit by car shattered both wrists and wrecked the bike. I love cycling in the process of obtaining another bike. Drivers in my city are insane

 

[trtbuilder]

I use to do over 300 miles a month on my cycle bike but BAM hit by car shattered both wrists and wrecked the bike. I love cycling in the process of obtaining another bike. Drivers in my city are insane

Yeah, I don't know any experienced road cyclist who hasn't been at least swiped by a car before. I'm too much of a pussy to risk it.

 

[KrownedKingzLV]

Yeah, I don't know any experienced road cyclist who hasn't been at least swiped by a car before. I'm too much of a pussy to risk it.

Lol I use to race bmx when was younger (sponsored sent around country etc) actually Connor fields who won Olympic Gold in BMX racing was in the same class just few years younger and he use to suck unfortunately my life went sideways before I could go pro but then I changed that 14 yrs ago so I’m extremely comfortable on a bike but have some major injuries because of it can’t wait to get back out there but the drivers in my city are nuts so I’d be a lie to say I’m not fucking scares

 

[strangegenericguy]

The AHA standard is 150 min/week. Anaerobic exercise is also included in this standard (can’t remember exact number). Seeing that AAS use essentially negates any cardioprotectivity of lifting weights, how much cardio do you do a week?

To be honest, I have no clue where this standard came from. There is zero chance 80% of the US population even comes close to 150 min aerobic exercise/week

That depends a lot if you do hit or not...It depends!