It's Tough Exercise to Look Tough on a Bike

[R Doug]

Here's a link to a neat article in today's Wall Street Journal.  It's about a man's experience of riding along side most of the Dakar Rally with Rawhyde Adventures (check out Rayhyde's website, cool stuff) and the work out routine he adopted to help with the demands of riding.

http://online.wsj.com/article/whats_your_workout.html

[Rogue]

That is a bad picture and looks gay.

[R Doug]

The two interesting tokens I got out of this is 1)  How cool would be to do that group ride!?  That's a bucket list item for me now.  And 2) the article is mostly about the fitness required and how the rider got in shape for the ride.  If I add up his regimen correctly, he does tai chi for 40 min incorporating some core strength exercises from his trainer 2 x a week and takes spin classes twice a week for cardio.  

My work outs during the week consists of 30 min. cardio on an elliptical trainer 3x a week and core exercises at 20 min. each 2x a week.  I can say that my time spent on core exercises has been a big help for long day rides on road and controlling the bike off road.  

Like the rider from the article, I too find it difficult to eat healthy with the hours put in at the office.  I typically start the morning with water followed by coffee and either a granola bar or a bowl of oatmeal.  At lunch, I typically eat out and try to make health choices (avoid fried food and incorporate veggies) and keep the calories between 400 and 500.

For dinner, I'll either pick up a sub from Subway loaded with veggies or stick to a bowl of cereal and skim milk and a multi vitamin.  On weekdays, I limit my daily calorie intake to 1600-1800.  One weekends, I let it go a bit and eat like a king (breakfast, snack for lunch, and go out to dinner with wife).  

How do you stay fit for riding or does it come into play for you in your life?

[mxvet57]

How do you stay fit for riding or does it come into play for you in your life?

They built pyramids faster than it took to build my stomach.

My body is a temple.

[atadaskew]

2) the article is mostly about the fitness required and how the rider got in shape for the ride.  If I add up his regimen correctly, he does tai chi for 40 min incorporating some core strength exercises from his trainer 2 x a week and takes spin classes twice a week for cardio.  


How do you stay fit for riding or does it come into play for you in your life?

I don't get the big deal about doing cardio only twice a week.  How's that worthy of a fitness regimen?  That does not seem enough for regular living, let alone training to ride a bike.

[black hills]

How do you stay fit for riding or does it come into play for you in your life?

been carbo loading for about 20 years now, I think I'm ready to race

[stew71]

About the only training I do specifically for riding is sampling coffee and bacon around town. I work out for the more strenuous activities like snowboarding and back country hunts.

[Meemuh]

They built pyramids faster than it took to build my stomach.

My body is a temple.

A temple to coffee?

[FJR1300]

Here's how you look tough on a bike.  



I wish he was still around to get pissed at me for posting this picture.

[R Doug]

I don't get the big deal about doing cardio only twice a week.  How's that worthy of a fitness regimen?  That does not seem enough for regular living, let alone training to ride a bike.

Agreed.  I believe what I do (cardio 3x week and strength 2x a week) is minimum.

[Rogue]

How do you stay fit for riding or does it come into play for you in your life?

I do bicycle rides about four times a week, two days of moderate riding, two days of moderate/hard riding for an hour--lots of hillclimbing.  Then five times a week I do core exercises for no more than 15 minutes.  That's all I have time for with work and all.  I can do more but then I would have to sacrifice something, which I don't want to.  In the summer time I ride bicycles harder and longer because there is more daylight available to me and the weather is warmer.

During the week, I watch what I eat very carefully.  No carbs except the muffins for breakfast.  I never go out for lunch.  I have a health shake, then ride my motorcycle with the time I save not eating hard foods.  Dinner, no carbs but lots of protein.  On weekends, I do what you do.  I let it go a bit, but still no carbs except for the occasional desert and foo-foo coffee.

This is enough for me to stay fit to ride my motorcycle.  I also want to stay fit to ride my road bicycle, which I enjoy quite a bit.  Finally, it's very nice to fit in normal clothes (not plus sizes) and look good in front of the mirror.  My wife loves it too.  

It was hard work to get where I am now.  But it's just maintaining my fitness not just for the sake of riding, but for a good lifestyle.  I hate the feeling of being unhealthy and looking at the mirror and getting depressed.  

[R Doug]

It was hard work to get where I am now.  But it's just maintaining my fitness not just for the sake of riding, but for a good lifestyle.  I hate the feeling of being unhealthy and looking at the mirror and getting depressed.  

Plus, there's the whole "These pants feel tight" thing.  

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Here's how you look tough on a bike.  



I wish he was still around to get pissed at me for posting this picture.

So sadly missed....

[GTS_Rider]

Still, admitted mostly couch-potato here, ehh, just to balance out the conversation...

I'm 'thinking' about about getting more healthy. It's the thought that counts, right?...    

 

[black hills]

Still, admitted mostly couch-potato here, ehh, just to balance out the conversation...

I'm 'thinking' about about getting more healthy. It's the thought that counts, right?...    

 

yea, I do one situp everytday , when I get out of bed. seems to be working..

[Rogue]

Plus, there's the whole "These pants feel tight" thing.  

 

I started reading GQ Magazine again just to see the latest styles.  The In-Thing now are "skinny pants", or generally snug fitting pants for men.  Remember when "Relaxed Fit" or "Loose Fit" was in?  Now it's the opposite.  They also cut them so they sit below the waist.  Oh man!  You really need to be in good shape to wear those!

The nice thing about being able to wear normal sizes is that when you buy riding pants, you can get the right waist that matches the length.  Before, finding a par of riding pants that fit my gut was difficult to impossible.  

[TuffguyF4i]

I started reading GQ Magazine again just to see the latest styles.  The In-Thing now are "skinny pants", or generally snug fitting pants for men.  Remember when "Relaxed Fit" or "Loose Fit" was in?  Now it's the opposite.  They also cut them so they sit below the waist.  Oh man!  You really need to be in good shape to wear those!

No.. you just have to be a skinny little rut with a womans body.  They look terrible and super eurotrash.  I wouldn't be able to get the waistline of those jeans over my thighs.

My workout program is cardio once per week, lifting using the HITT method about 3-4 times per week.  Plus of course, a healthy/active lifestyle.  

[Croak]

HIIT is where it's at for me.  Short, sweet, and to the point, get on with living your life, not endlessly preparing for it.  

Oh, and skinny jeans are an abomination, and I dread the day in the near future when they perfect the skinny bell-bottom.

[ConPilot1]

Want tough? Want Jeans?

Here ya go.

(pre-STN and ATGATT days + a few pounds heavier and a foot long ponytail  )

I miss this bike SOOOO much. This thing was a hoot, all around. I rode the piss out of this Kwak.

[atadaskew]

Want tough? Want Jeans?

... I rode the piss out of this Kwak.

No.

And who puts piss in a bike?