Work-out priorities

[pyxichick]

Hey Jen,

I can show you some yoga stuff that will build core strength. But I highly recommend going to Core Power Yoga (there's one Uptown and one in SLP) and doing the free week of unlimited yoga. Most yoga builds core strength, but at CP they really focus on abs and back strengthening. Then once you know the poses, you can recreate it at home.

[Dogmama]

If I don't lift weights, I'll gain fat no matter how much I ride. Muscle burns calories at rest. The leg muscles we get are endurance muscles (type 1, slow twitch) and the fiber itself is not as big as weight lifting muscles (type 2 fast twitch). If I don't lift weights & just ride, my body becomes very efficient at riding and unless I adjust my calories downward, I'll notice that my arms aren't as defined, etc.

The problem with that is - I'm usually hungrier when I'm doing a lot of riding. I crave carbs to replace the muscle glucose that I've lost riding & often overshoot the mark . Why is it so easy to allow yourself that bowl of ice cream, figuring that you'll work it off tomorrow on the road?

Also, pilates & yoga are great, but I'm sure you know that you cannot spot reduce. If you've actually put on a little body fat, you need to look at your diet. We cannot out-exercise a bad diet.

[aicabsolut]

I haven't had gym access since the fall. I have done a fair amount of cycling this year and racing. I'm starting to get burned out, so I've hit a bit of a plateau as far as my body composition goes. Since I started cycling about 2 years ago (and I was very active before that), I have lost 5-10lbs (allowing for some fluctuation). I have lost about about 2.5" on my waist, and most of that has been this season, at least 1" since I stopped going to the gym. I've lost some of my back, shoulder, and bicep muscles, but I used to be pretty bulky there. My core is still pretty strong, though I'm not in show jumping shape in the upper body by any means. In general, though, I like my stomach a lot more these days than I have in the past 5 years. My legs are also a LOT leaner. I have the envious problem of struggling to fit in enough calories when I'm doing a lot of training. I just am so hungry, but I get so sick of eating all the time. I guess I could eat less, but then I'd probably drop too much weight and hinder my recovery. It took a long time to get my body to behave like that, so give it some time on the weight loss. In the meantime, go by the rule of thumb of eating plenty on the bike and before training, and then cut some calories later in the day from your regular meals. That will optimize performance (and calorie and fat burn, plus feed your growing muscles).