Road Cyclist Needs to Lose 10-20 lbs

My experience as a fellow roadie: I've gained, lost, and maintained weight while cycling. CICO, blah blah blah. I'm switching back into a base period, no more hill repeats until next sring, no upcoming events, just a lot of Z2 miles.

When I'm doing a lot of intense riding, I'm hungrier. I can go out and ride for 3+ hours at a moderate power level and feel fine afterwards, or I can do 45 minutes above threshold and be ravenous the rest of the day and well into the next one. It makes sense; moderate miles burn fat, which we all have plenty of, but intense miles burn glycogen, which is limited, and we only get more of it by eating carbs. Runners know this as "runger."

Anyway doing lots and lots of zone 2 miles will (1) maintain your cardiovascular fitness, (2) burn loads of calories, and (3) improve your endurance. Win win win.

As the season approaches I'll start adding more intensity to my routine. I'm not going to race next year so I won't start on a formal training plan in the spring.

PS - More photos of the bike, please.
PPS - Use your lap button!

Not specifically weigh related but my tri coach is really pushing me to do at least 1x 3 or 4 hr really low intensity ride each week as , apparently, there's a strong correlation between time spent at low intensity and speed during race season.

Are you cross training at all?

Nice bikes! Do you do cross racing too?

A trainer can be a very good way to nail a workout, especially if your group rides get spirited or if you're tempted to chase segments. Personally, I have trouble not losing my mind indoors. So I ride outdoors, mostly solo, and I set my Garmin up to yell at me if my power or heart rate get too high. And it still happens; I don't try to never leave Z2, just spend the majority of my ride there.

I have a loop around town after work, and a lot of the time I'll drive my bike somewhere nice to do a long but moderate ride on the weekends. Scenery makes up for not hammering. That's probably easier to do here than in Boulder because we have a lot of really pretty rolling farmland at about sea level, where it doesn't snow.

BrianSharpe wrote: »

... apparently, there's a strong correlation between time spent at low intensity and speed during race season.

I've heard this too. Never heard a perfect explanation, I think it's a bunch of factors coming together.

jenna80302 wrote: »

BrianSharpe wrote: »

Not specifically weigh related but my tri coach is really pushing me to do at least 1x 3 or 4 hr really low intensity ride each week as , apparently, there's a strong correlation between time spent at low intensity and speed during race season.

Are you cross training at all?

Embarrassingly enough ... no. But I need to start. Currently I do some light ab work, yoga and hiking. I'll ski tour come winter and I need to actually get on a more formal cross training program. I'm thinking of doing some weight training to help with my sprinting. I am going to give track racing a go in the fall so I need to work on anything that gives me explosive power.

Any cross training recommendations?

Definitely thumbs up on a structured weight training program (strength rather than bodybuilding) I got more disciplined with my strength training this year (stronglifts 5 x 5 with a reduced frequency of squatting as I also run) and found I was improving on hills.

Other x-training ideas....swimming, running (add those 2 & you're a triathlete!), rowing .....anything that you enjoy.

Get enough protein and carry on training and I'm willing to bet atrophy will be nil.

Any cross training recommendations?

As a rower, I do a lot of Z2 cycling to build base fitness. (I am also reading Katherine Graingers autobiography at the moment - it sounds like the British Rowing squad do a lot of cycling) I don't see why it couldn't work the other way round. Maybe not getting out on the water, but you could use an indoor rowing machine. Check out the Concept2 website which has videos of proper form and posts a workout of the day

jenna80302 wrote: »

jjpptt2 wrote: »

I feel like there's a lot going on in this thread... weight loss, strength, atrophy, explosive power/speed, racing, endurance... It might benefit you to make a list of your goals in order of priority and stick it somewhere you'll see often so you don't get bogged down by lesser priorities. Then again, maybe I'm just projecting my tendencies on to you. TIFWIW.

... I agree with you, there is a lot going on in this thread; However, I am not surprised. There are so many nuances and intricacies when it comes to cycling and especially racing, regardless of discipline or level.

I believe it stems from the inherit need to be lighter, fitter (endurance) but also physically stronger than your competition (one could argue mentally too). The more I read and talk to my mentors and peers the clearer the paradigm has become, I keep coming back to a cyclist's power to weight ratio. The lighter you are and the more powerful you are the better able you are to overcome your competition on both an attack and after long sustained periods.

I do like your idea of prioritizing what I want to accomplish, but i somehow have to manage to balance them all. I need to get leaner, while maintaining the current power I have already gained so I am primed for March, without having to start back at my base.

IDK... I'm going to give this Z2 thing a real shot and lay off hill repeats for awhile.

Best,
Jenna

I'm kinda speaking beyond my knowledge level at this point, so take this for what it's worth... but not all training will have the same payoff. i.e. some things might require a great deal of time and effort for relatively little benefit, while others will have greater payoff for less time spent. Explosive power is crucial to a sprinter, but less important (not unimportant) to a climber.

As a triathlete, I need to be a good swimmer, biker and runner, so I train in all 3 disciplines. But given the how much of a race is made up by each discipline, being a great swimmer will benefit you a lot less than being a great biker or runner. Similarly, being an average swimmer will hurt you a lot less than being an average runner.

So even though it's important to train in all 3 areas, it's more important to be good at certain things. I would encourage you to think about that as it pertains to your riding/racing. Very few people can be exceptional at everything (sprinting, climbing, distance). Figure out where the most bang for your training buck will come from, and make that the focus of your training. Then supplement that with some of the other stuff you've talked about wanting/needing to do as well.

IMO. Maybe I'm just an old fart with no real drive or discipline and shouldn't be talking about the path to excellence anymore.

jenna80302 wrote: »

Over the past year I have decided to become a competitive road cyclist.

During this season I have been able to maintain my weight but I am unable to lose. My post ride binges are gone and I try to watch my gluten/dairy/sugar intake.

I understand weight loss is calories in vs. calories out but I'm wondering if my intensity is just far to high. Additionally I notice gigantic +5-8 lb fluctuations before long sustained periods of exercise or a hard week. (Muscles retaining water to account for recovery)...

I digress... I need to lose 10-20 lbs, I would like to continue riding while doing so, and I do not want to atrophy. How do I do this? Any advice.

Over the past year I haven't lost any weight while biking but I have noticed small changes in my body composition.

My current training plan is:
• 3-5 rides per week
• 110 miles or +5,000 ft climbing
• I track my heart rate
• Incorporate intervals and climbing
• I train at altitude
• I shoot for 1,340-1,700 kcals a day
• pre / during ride nutrition varies

Stats
• 155.2 lbs
• 36 c bra / medium shirt
• size 6 pants
• medium to large frame

Long story short, in order to be competitive I need to drop weight. So how to a lean up and stop 'bulking' while not suffering from atrophy.

Curious to see what works / worked for you... training camp is in March/April I would love to be 135-140 while still being able to push 210+ watts.

Thanks!

Bike performance will not improve during the weight loss period (nice study cited on this in the excellent book "Racing Weight" by Matt Fitzgerald), but at least it will hold where it is now and you can build a big aerobic base. Once the weight is shed and you switch back to maintenance weight eating, the on the bike performance improvement will begin at the lighter weight through targeting back to your higher intensity intervals, and this combined with your new and improved power to weight ratio will be a big benefit on the climbs. You could easily target losing your 10 - 20 pounds by shooting for a goal of 1 pound per week. So allow yourself 10 - 20 weeks to reach your weight goal. Going for a loss of 20 pounds would take you from now right into March which is perfect as it fits with your timeline of the training camp in March/April.

You will lose fat, muscle, water, and glycogen stores during the weight loss. To mitigate the amount lost in muscle, doing some weight training while losing will help preserve as much muscle as possible, but if you are riding during the loss your legs will be fine as the cycling specific muscles will be getting worked throughout the loss period. You will get "lean and mean" during the process (and need new clothes to fit the smaller you).

To lose, you are going to have to cut your calories to maintain a daily deficit. 12 pounds on 12 weeks is a typical "off season" training plan (in fact, there are several of these training plans available at Training Peaks and other coaches sites). I'd suggest at least a 300 calorie to 500 calorie daily deficit to shed the weight.

I pretty much do this every off season for mountain bike racing as I enjoy my Fall eating through the holidays, and then start the weight cut in January. I try not and gain more than 8% in the Fall so I can shed it easily in the Jan - March time frame.

Here's my typical off season base training "cut" where hours on the bike go up and what I eat in terms of calories goes down....



Yes, I get a little grumpy during that time frame, but am always surprised how easy it is to do by staying disciplined. Coffee for an afternoon snack, accurate counting of my intake - and just giving it the time. Jump on the scale every morning, track the progress, maintain the daily calorie deficit - and presto, the age old CICO works.

My favorite brutal primer about it is HERE. Three years ago I was sort of stuck in February at a plateau and somebody here on the boards pointed me out to that link. It was an eye opener and turned me around quickly. As you lose weight, you will have to adjust your daily calorie goal down. I prefer to use this calculator compared to MFP's: http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html

I then manually type in that number here at MFP.

Best of luck with your cut, but it all boils down to eating less calories and the off season is the perfect time to do this. Fire up the higher intensity again once the weight cut has been completed.

jenna80302 wrote: »

Over the past year I have decided to become a competitive road cyclist.

During this season I have been able to maintain my weight but I am unable to lose. My post ride binges are gone and I try to watch my gluten/dairy/sugar intake.

I understand weight loss is calories in vs. calories out but I'm wondering if my intensity is just far to high. Additionally I notice gigantic +5-8 lb fluctuations before long sustained periods of exercise or a hard week. (Muscles retaining water to account for recovery)...

I digress... I need to lose 10-20 lbs, I would like to continue riding while doing so, and I do not want to atrophy. How do I do this? Any advice.

Over the past year I haven't lost any weight while biking but I have noticed small changes in my body composition.

Long story short, in order to be competitive I need to drop weight. So how to a lean up and stop 'bulking' while not suffering from atrophy.

Curious to see what works / worked for you... training camp is in March/April I would love to be 135-140 while still being able to push 210+ watts.

Bike performance will not improve during the weight loss period (nice study cited on this in the excellent book "Racing Weight" by Matt Fitzgerald), but at least it will hold where it is now and you can build a big aerobic base. Once the weight is shed and you switch back to maintenance weight eating, the on the bike performance improvement will begin at the lighter weight through targeting back to your higher intensity intervals, and this combined with your new and improved power to weight ratio will be a big benefit on the climbs. You could easily target losing your 10 - 20 pounds by shooting for a goal of 1 pound per week. So allow yourself 10 - 20 weeks to reach your weight goal. Going for a loss of 20 pounds would take you from now right into March which is perfect as it fits with your timeline of the training camp in March/April.

You will lose fat, muscle, water, and glycogen stores during the weight loss. To mitigate the amount lost in muscle, doing some weight training while losing will help preserve as much muscle as possible, but if you are riding during the loss your legs will be fine as the cycling specific muscles will be getting worked throughout the loss period. You will get "lean and mean" during the process (and need new clothes to fit the smaller you).

To lose, you are going to have to cut your calories to maintain a daily deficit. 12 pounds on 12 weeks is a typical "off season" training plan (in fact, there are several of these training plans available at Training Peaks and other coaches sites). I'd suggest at least a 300 calorie to 500 calorie daily deficit to shed the weight.

I pretty much do this every off season for mountain bike racing as I enjoy my Fall eating through the holidays, and then start the weight cut in January. I try not and gain more than 8% in the Fall so I can shed it easily in the Jan - March time frame.

Here's my typical off season base training "cut" where hours on the bike go up and what I eat in terms of calories goes down....



Yes, I get a little grumpy during that time frame, but am always surprised how easy it is to do by staying disciplined. Coffee for an afternoon snack, accurate counting of my intake - and just giving it the time. Jump on the scale every morning, track the progress, maintain the daily calorie deficit - and presto, the age old CICO works.

My favorite brutal primer about it is HERE. Three years ago I was sort of stuck in February at a plateau and somebody here on the boards pointed me out to that link. It was an eye opener and turned me around quickly. As you lose weight, you will have to adjust your daily calorie goal down. You can enhance your calculations with this calculator: http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html

I then manually type in that number here at MFP.

Best of luck with your cut, but it all boils down to eating less calories and the off season is the perfect time to do this. Fire up the higher intensity again once the weight cut has been completed.