Balancing cycling with strength training

[RzSco]

To save money in 2025 I want to cycle to work. It’s 3 consecutive days, 20km each way of fairly hilly roads.

My main priority is trying to put on muscle mass (never gonna happen but I still try) so I’m wondering if there’s any tricks I can use to prevent all that cycling from being catabolic.

I’m thinking:
1. Fuel my cycling with carbs to replace ALL the calories burned.
2. Just train legs once a week on Saturday to keep it away from the cycling days because honestly the cycling is pretty brutal in itself. So weekly training something like 3-4 upper 1 lower.

I’m stuck in terms of schedule - 6am rise, cycle to work by 8, home at 6pm, 1 hour to strength train, dinner, bed at 8pm. I hate having strength training at the end but I can’t feasibly go to sleep any earlier.

Any tips or tricks? Don’t suggest e-bike please, I considered it but I want to build my fitness a bit.

 

[malfeasance]

Safe roads for biking commute?

 

[RzSco]

Safe roads for biking commute?

Good point: super safe single track country roads. I normally meet less than 5 cars the whole way and they’re always going slow. I intentionally take a longer route to completely stay off main roads.

I know injury is the worst thing possible so I’m very cautious and avoiding extremely wet, windy or ice days as well and taking my car on those.

 

[AlexDavis43]

To save money in 2025 I want to cycle to work.

I respect the hustle.

I want to build my fitness a bit.

Definitely a good thing!


Food, sleep, gear, and don't skip leg day.

 

[RzSco]

Well after two weeks of this it’s actually fine as long as I refeed carbs - if I don’t do that I’m literally dying.

Doesn’t seem to hurt my upper body strength at all but I literally can’t do legs, they just start wobbling and shaking. Hopefully they’ll get used to it in time but for now I’m definitely skipping leg day - muscles are getting plenty of stimulation with just the bike.

I’ve also gone from 90 minutes cycling commute down to close to 60 in just two weeks, I can really recommend anyone who feels a bit stuck in the gym just to have a go other things, it’s just so satisfying to make some progress for once,

 

[NewGuy756]

I'm no expert but you might just need some time for your legs to adjust to your current schedule making sure to get in enough protein and surplus calories to grow and wait a few months to add weighted squats back into your rotation once the commute no longer feels like it is challenging you.

 

[BabaJagga]

Well after two weeks of this it’s actually fine as long as I refeed carbs - if I don’t do that I’m literally dying.

Doesn’t seem to hurt my upper body strength at all but I literally can’t do legs, they just start wobbling and shaking. Hopefully they’ll get used to it in time but for now I’m definitely skipping leg day - muscles are getting plenty of stimulation with just the bike.

I’ve also gone from 90 minutes cycling commute down to close to 60 in just two weeks, I can really recommend anyone who feels a bit stuck in the gym just to have a go other things, it’s just so satisfying to make some progress for once,

your legs will get used to it. dont do heavy legday, more like pump and be done with it.

during spring and summer im on bike a lot and i hve to limit intensity of leg traning but upper body is unchanged.

it can be hard but its doable, just remember, legs are made for walking long distances for long time, they can take it and will get used to it. at least thats what i think.

 

[RzSco]

your legs will get used to it. dont do heavy legday, more like pump and be done with it.

during spring and summer im on bike a lot and i hve to limit intensity of leg traning but upper body is unchanged.

it can be hard but its doable, just remember, legs are made for walking long distances for long time, they can take it and will get used to it. at least thats what i think.

Leg day at the weekend is doable but hard. After cycling absolutely NO chance!

Time on the bike is what exhausts me because I’m not a strong cyclist and I’m very heavy for a cyclist so all that weight is just destroying my ass. So the quicker I get, the more I’m pushing on pedals, the less weight on the saddle, and the less time in the saddle, is all a win-win situation. Just need to keep at it.

 

[BabaJagga]

Leg day at the weekend is doable but hard. After cycling absolutely NO chance!

Time on the bike is what exhausts me because I’m not a strong cyclist and I’m very heavy for a cyclist so all that weight is just destroying my ass. So the quicker I get, the more I’m pushing on pedals, the less weight on the saddle, and the less time in the saddle, is all a win-win situation. Just need to keep at it.

interesting, ive found out that after heavy legday its best for me to jump on bike right after and then i dont have this cramping soreness after ussuall legday. works like charm. could be swimmimg also

 

[bossetti]

Leg day at the weekend is doable but hard. After cycling absolutely NO chance!

Time on the bike is what exhausts me because I’m not a strong cyclist and I’m very heavy for a cyclist so all that weight is just destroying my ass. So the quicker I get, the more I’m pushing on pedals, the less weight on the saddle, and the less time in the saddle, is all a win-win situation. Just need to keep at it.

Late response but Seen it now, choose a saddle that its good for u and bibs to protect ur ass, and try to change saddle height
If ur legs feel tired just go slower u dont need to go too hard

 

[RzSco]

Late response but Seen it now, choose a saddle that its good for u and bibs to protect ur ass, and try to change saddle height
If ur legs feel tired just go slower u dont need to go too hard

Changing my saddle height and especially my saddle angle basically solved all the problems. As I slowly get better at cycling more and more of my weight is on my legs as well.

At this point it’s not too hard and the health benefits seem incredible (apart from my 57% HCT which maybe more related to my 1500ng/dl TRT)). My BP is down from 140/90 average to 120/70 average and my RHR is now down to 62 from 80 or so.

Dose-Response curve of cardio seems a lot longer than expected.

 

[bossetti]

Changing my saddle height and especially my saddle angle basically solved all the problems. As I slowly get better at cycling more and more of my weight is on my legs as well.

At this point it’s not too hard and the health benefits seem incredible (apart from my 57% HCT which maybe more related to my 1500ng/dl TRT)). My BP is down from 140/90 average to 120/70 average and my RHR is now down to 62 from 80 or so.

Dose-Response curve of cardio seems a lot longer than expected.

57%hct is for sure caused by your trt, with endurance training the hct should remain the same if not go lower

 

[malfeasance]

My BP is down from 140/90 average to 120/70 average and my RHR is now down to 62 from 80 or so.

Can you elaborate on what exactly you did and how long this took?

 

[malfeasance]

To save money in 2025 I want to cycle to work. It’s 3 consecutive days, 20km each way of fairly hilly roads.

This in February, March, April, May, and part of June?

Was the blood pressure and resting heart rate progressively lower over time? Did you record the changes?

The other four days a week no cardio?

Did you lose body weight?

 

[RzSco]

This in February, March, April, May, and part of June?

Was the blood pressure and resting heart rate progressively lower over time? Did you record the changes?

The other four days a week no cardio?

Did you lose body weight?

Yes, 4.5 months so far.

In January my worst BP was 151/88 and my best was 136/80 and i weighed 88kg

In April worst was 140/78, best was 125/77 and I weighed 90kg

Now in June worst was 127/74 best was 119/67 and I weigh 89kg.

Heart rate basically went down linearly. Strength is slightly higher, like 5-10%. Body fat is down maybe a % or two but still too high at 15-20%. Diet goal has just been maintenance.

I’ve not been consistent with other cardio, sometimes I would walk or run but it was not a lot of volume, just a couple hours a week compared to 6-7 cycling. I used to run more before I started the cycling but still probably not more than 3 hours a week.

 

[wp_375]

Alex Viada wrote a lot about this kind of stuff in his Hybrid Athlete book, it is probably worth checking out! He is a powerlifter who could simultaneously squat 700 and also run a 50 mile ultra marathon on the weekend or ride a hundred miles on his bike.

His thoughts on training were to keep lower body as one stimulus as much as practicable. So train legs with weights then try to immediately go to your run/bike whatever. If possible. He was also big on eating as many carbs as possible.

I think "Dr Squat" Fred Hatfield of squatting 1000lbs raw fame rode his bike a long way to the gym every time and felt it did not detract to his progress at all.

 

[malfeasance]

Yes, 4.5 months so far.

In January my worst BP was 151/88 and my best was 136/80 and i weighed 88kg

In April worst was 140/78, best was 125/77 and I weighed 90kg

Now in June worst was 127/74 best was 119/67 and I weigh 89kg.

Heart rate basically went down linearly. Strength is slightly higher, like 5-10%. Body fat is down maybe a % or two but still too high at 15-20%. Diet goal has just been maintenance.

I’ve not been consistent with other cardio, sometimes I would walk or run but it was not a lot of volume, just a couple hours a week compared to 6-7 cycling. I used to run more before I started the cycling but still probably not more than 3 hours a week.

Says a lot for cycling.

 

[bossetti]

6-7

View: https://youtube.com/shorts/_PS686F1G_c?si=xN1l05uU_nY_w06p

 

[RzSco]

Do not pin your ass with 2ml the night before cycling. Not so comfortable…