Retaining/growing muscle, protein, strength using treadmill/bike

alwaysbloated
alwaysbloated Posts: 458 Member
in Getting Started
I am going to quit the gym. I have a treadmill in my garage and am thinking of getting a stand for my bike. Is there anything I can do to grow muscle while I use this equipment? I hate most strength training stuff (pushups, weights, lunges etc), but I don't want to look like a blob of loose skin when I get to my goal weight.

How much protein should I be consuming a day? I am female, 174.5cms tall and 118.6kg. My goal is to have between 17-20% body fat (I think). I want lean arms, a muscular stomach without a massive six back but decent definition, defined thighs and calves but not too defined and a firm butt.

My idea was to get my 10,000+ steps a day and to either do half an hour on the bike or treadmill on an incline 3-6x a week.

If I have 3 main meals a day, and 3 snacks a day, how much protein should I be consuming each time I eat (I've heard your body can only absorb so many grams an hour) and what should the rough number of calories should each meal and each snack have? does it change if my eating window for that day is shorter? (like 2pm-10pm instead of 7am-11pm). Or does amount of calories each time not matter?

Thanks x
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Sorry but you'll need to learn to put up with strength training to get to your goal.

    I never enjoyed it, but I do it now because it makes me a better runner.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    alwaysbloated wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Sorry but you'll need to learn to put up with strength training to get to your goal.

    I never enjoyed it, but I do it now because it makes me a better runner.

    Part of the question was asking if there is anyway to involve strength training with a treadmill or bike, like by increasing the incline on the bike.

    do you mean increasing the resistance on the bike?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    alwaysbloated wrote: »
    I'm laughing at myself because I forgot I posted this, and I've come back 3 hours later and there's only one response besides me. Its funny because I opened the page and was like "oh no, there's gonna be like 30 angry replies".

    Wish I had more responses on some of my other threads, basically talking to myself on them.

    why would you think there would be angry replies?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    alwaysbloated wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    alwaysbloated wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Sorry but you'll need to learn to put up with strength training to get to your goal.

    I never enjoyed it, but I do it now because it makes me a better runner.

    Part of the question was asking if there is anyway to involve strength training with a treadmill or bike, like by increasing the incline on the bike.

    do you mean increasing the resistance on the bike?

    No, I meant increasing the incline on the treadmill, and maybe adding some kind of workout to the bike or treadmill to change the activity slightly, like I remember seeing a bike mentioned on the forums a few weeks (months?) ago that was really expensive, but had a live tv plugged into it that was connected to fitness studios all over the country, with soul cycle type programs and different workouts you could do from the bike.

    Maybe you could swing weights or something?

    Swinging weights doesn't sound like a good idea....

    Do whatever cardio you want, but if you want more definition you'll need some actual strength training.
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,253 Member
    alwaysbloated wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Sorry but you'll need to learn to put up with strength training to get to your goal.

    I never enjoyed it, but I do it now because it makes me a better runner.

    Part of the question was asking if there is anyway to involve strength training with a treadmill or bike, like by increasing the incline on the bike.

    And the answer is still 'no'.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    alwaysbloated wrote: »
    Ok, so no-one thinks the adding strength to cardio is possible. Does anyone have anything to say about the calorie/protein question?

    0.6-0.8g protein per lb of bodyweight

    Split your calories however you like between however many meals and snacks works for you.
  • moogie_fit
    moogie_fit Posts: 279 Member
    I would try to do some more interval based training. Like HIIT. Still cardio, but better for retaining muscle.

    Protein is generally around .8 to 1 gram per pound of body weight
  • h1udd
    h1udd Posts: 623 Member
    It depends how untrained you are.

    cycling and running both apply a tiny amount of resistance to your legs compared to squatting a big arsed barbell .... its why you can run for 4 hours but you cant squat your body weight for 4 hours !

    going on this you are in the realms of endurance slow twitch fiber training.

    you can improve matters by running and cycling up hills to increase the resistance, but its still pretty minimal.

    All this said though, my calf muscles gained noticeable size when I started running .... but that was months ago, they haven grown since.

    So, if you are a noob to cycling and running, then you will probably add a bit of size, but nothing that will shout BOOM when you walk in the room

    if you want big muscles ... .lift big
  • h1udd
    h1udd Posts: 623 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »

    Swinging weights doesn't sound like a good idea....


    *cough* Kettlebell *cough*
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    h1udd wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »

    Swinging weights doesn't sound like a good idea....


    *cough* Kettlebell *cough*

    While on a bike or treadmill? :huh:
  • h1udd
    h1udd Posts: 623 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »

    While on a bike or treadmill? :huh:

    :smiley: I thought the OP might get of the bike 1st to swing the weights .. but maybe I was just assuming that no one would be dumb enough to do that whilst cycling/running

    that said though I do go through a few yoga poses in the last 5 mins of the bike trainer as I cool down .. perhaps I should try one of the smaller bells :wink:

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