Need help and advice to lose more weight and achieve a cyclist (climber) body.

makkimakki2018
makkimakki2018 Posts: 414 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am 146lbs (66kg), 5'9" (175cm), and am having a hard time dropping weight further. I've been watching my sodium intake so i don't retain too much water in my system. I've also been eating around 1000-1300 calories a day. I do 24 hour fasting and exercise 6 days a week. My workout routine for the week is 5 days a week on a stationary bike doing HIIT for a total of 50 minutes and use a abdominal roller twice a week doing 2 sets of 10 reps. I'm trying to get my body to 125lbs (56kg) and i'm afraid to pack on too much muscle because i don't want to gain weight because I feel it'll hinder my hill climbing speed. Does anyone have any good advice as to dropping down weight into the 120's or maybe someone can change my mind about packing on muscle?
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Replies

  • spatula69
    spatula69 Posts: 22 Member
    To get down to 125 is going to be very hard on your body! You'll loose muscle and energy to exercise. Only prof cyclists do that, with a lot of help!!
  • makkimakki2018
    makkimakki2018 Posts: 414 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    makkimakki2018 wrote: »
    I am 146lbs (66kg), 5'9" (175cm), and am having a hard time dropping weight further. I've been watching my sodium intake so i don't retain too much water in my system. I've also been eating around 1000-1300 calories a day. I do 24 hour fasting and exercise 6 days a week. My workout routine for the week is 5 days a week on a stationary bike doing HIIT for a total of 50 minutes and use a abdominal roller twice a week doing 2 sets of 10 reps. I'm trying to get my body to 125lbs (56kg) and i'm afraid to pack on too much muscle because i don't want to gain weight because I feel it'll hinder my hill climbing speed. Does anyone have any good advice as to dropping down weight into the 120's or maybe someone can change my mind about packing on muscle?

    are you a professional athlete? just trying to understand the drive behind wanting to become underweight?

    No I am not but I want that artificial body because i've been 180+lbs all my life and finally i've come within reach of the body i've always wanted.
  • Deviette
    Deviette Posts: 978 Member
    Are you on track or road? They have very different body structures (I'm assuming road)

    Are you riding professionally? If not, don't even bother. Even professional cyclists admit that their body weight isn't exactly healthy. On the tour de france it's well established that those who go too lean are more likely to get sick in the Northen stages of the tour. Sickness will effect your ride significantly more than 20lbs of muscle. Is that really worth it?

    For reference, your BMI is almost the same as Nairo Quintana. I'm pretty sure you're good.
  • onemanpeloton
    onemanpeloton Posts: 58 Member
    Nairo Quintana is 5"6 and 59kg. I think that would suggest that you're fine from a weight perspective (in terms of going as low as sensibly possible). What's your FTP?
  • makkimakki2018
    makkimakki2018 Posts: 414 Member
    mattrus1989 wrote: »
    Nairo Quintana is 5"6 and 59kg. I think that would suggest that you're fine from a weight perspective (in terms of going as low as sensibly possible). What's your FTP?

    220 watts
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    makkimakki2018 wrote: »
    mattrus1989 wrote: »
    Nairo Quintana is 5"6 and 59kg. I think that would suggest that you're fine from a weight perspective (in terms of going as low as sensibly possible). What's your FTP?

    220 watts

    is it a weight or composition issue that you have? or do you think you'll just be quicker if you're lighter?
  • makkimakki2018
    makkimakki2018 Posts: 414 Member
    220 watts up hills was my best. 140 watts on flats but i think i can do better. Just not interested in flat roads 😁
  • makkimakki2018
    makkimakki2018 Posts: 414 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    makkimakki2018 wrote: »
    mattrus1989 wrote: »
    Nairo Quintana is 5"6 and 59kg. I think that would suggest that you're fine from a weight perspective (in terms of going as low as sensibly possible). What's your FTP?

    220 watts

    is it a weight or composition issue that you have? or do you think you'll just be quicker if you're lighter?

    Both weight and composition are an issue. But ive also seen better results (quicker) since losing weight. So if i said i didn't think being lighter doesn't give me an edge I'd be lying to myself.
  • makkimakki2018
    makkimakki2018 Posts: 414 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    makkimakki2018 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    makkimakki2018 wrote: »
    mattrus1989 wrote: »
    Nairo Quintana is 5"6 and 59kg. I think that would suggest that you're fine from a weight perspective (in terms of going as low as sensibly possible). What's your FTP?

    220 watts

    is it a weight or composition issue that you have? or do you think you'll just be quicker if you're lighter?

    Both weight and composition are an issue. But ive also seen better results (quicker) since losing weight. So if i said i didn't think being lighter doesn't give me an edge I'd be lying to myself.

    but do you understand that the massive deficit you're running and the fact that it is causing you to burn muscle WILL affect your performance?

    Yes and when i hit that bump in the road ill stop but for now id like to try and reach my goal of 125.
  • onemanpeloton
    onemanpeloton Posts: 58 Member
    makkimakki2018 wrote: »
    mattrus1989 wrote: »
    Nairo Quintana is 5"6 and 59kg. I think that would suggest that you're fine from a weight perspective (in terms of going as low as sensibly possible). What's your FTP?

    220 watts

    I think the key to your future success will be unlocked with good structured training now. Your weight is fine, aim for a higher FTP. Your w/kg is lower than mine and I am not a competetive racer. I'm 80kg with an FTP of 280w.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    edited July 2018
    jmf286 wrote: »
    Here is a discussion about leanness and cycling and the perils of going too lean. Apparently there aren't any professional male riders who weigh less than 60 kg. Maybe you should check if your goals are realistic?

    https://cyclingtips.com/2011/11/the-pursuit-of-leanness/

    That's simply not true as of now (or even of a few years ago) and I'm not sure where you got that stat from (it doesn't appear to be in the article you linked). A very quick google search, aided by my following professional cycling, showed that a number of current professional cyclists are 60kg (132lbs) or lighter. Some of them are currently on their way to climbing up alpe d'huez (at the Tour de France) as I type this. Mind you most of the people I found in my five minute search are shorter than the OP, but not all of them are.

    That doesn't mean that I think that the OP should strive to be that light. I think the logical thing would be to train specifically for climbing and probably to get a coach to aid in that depending on what his non-weight specific goals are. As others have noted, the OP isn't a professional athlete. He (likely) doesn't have a series of coaches, riding isn't his literal job, he doesn't have a series of soigneurs, he doesn't have a nutritionist and/or chef who specializes in feeding professional cyclists, etc.

    edit: there are also other things professional cyclists do that I don't think are smart - riding with freshly broken bones being one of those things. Yes I'm specifically thinking of Lawson Craddock. While I'm rather impressed and I'm glad he's managed to raise quite a lot of money for the velodrome that he first started riding at, riding hard (or in many cases, at all) with broken bones, especially when you are potentially going to get caught up in a crash, is not a good idea.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    aokoye wrote: »
    jmf286 wrote: »
    Here is a discussion about leanness and cycling and the perils of going too lean. Apparently there aren't any professional male riders who weigh less than 60 kg. Maybe you should check if your goals are realistic?

    https://cyclingtips.com/2011/11/the-pursuit-of-leanness/

    That's simply not true as of now (or even of a few years ago) and I'm not sure where you got that stat from (it doesn't appear to be in the article you linked). A very quick google search, aided by my following professional cycling, showed that a number of current professional cyclists are 60kg (132lbs) or lighter. Some of them are currently on their way to climbing up alpe d'huez (at the Tour de France) as I type this. Mind you most of the people I found in my five minute search are shorter than the OP, but not all of them are.

    That doesn't mean that I think that the OP should strive to be that light. I think the logical thing would be to train specifically for climbing and probably to get a coach to aid in that depending on what his non-weight specific goals are. As others have noted, the OP isn't a professional athlete. He (likely) doesn't have a series of coaches, riding isn't his literal job, he doesn't have a series of soigneurs, he doesn't have a nutritionist and/or chef who specializes in feeding professional cyclists, etc.

    Most of the current big-name riders (Cavendish, Froome, Sagan) weigh more than 60 kg--but that's because most of them are taller than 5'9" (longer levers/physics/and all of that). Most of them are in the 20-ish BMI range.

    But I don't doubt that there are other riders on the tour who are shorter or have different body composition... It's kind of like track and field--sprinters have denser bodies with massive thighs, and the distance competitors tend to be longer and leaner.
  • Silentpadna
    Silentpadna Posts: 1,306 Member
    makkimakki2018 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    makkimakki2018 wrote: »
    mattrus1989 wrote: »
    Nairo Quintana is 5"6 and 59kg. I think that would suggest that you're fine from a weight perspective (in terms of going as low as sensibly possible). What's your FTP?

    220 watts

    is it a weight or composition issue that you have? or do you think you'll just be quicker if you're lighter?

    Both weight and composition are an issue. But ive also seen better results (quicker) since losing weight. So if i said i didn't think being lighter doesn't give me an edge I'd be lying to myself.

    You know what else may be lying to yourself? Thinking that just getting lighter is what you need and that what you are doing is going to fuel your desired performance to the level you think it will.

    Think about it. If 125 is quicker, why not 115? Why not 105?

    I readily admit to not being an expert on the cycling thing, but I am knowledgeable enough to know potentially dangerous behavior when I see it. There has to be some point on the leg (and related parts) strength versus optimal mass for efficiency without sabotaging your body's energy....

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