Heavy cardio and maintaining strength
 

So, the question is how to maintain upper body muscles while doing really heavy cardio.

The specifics : I've started doing some semi-serious cycling, about 200 miles a week, and I'm not really doing heavy upper body work to balance it and I'm worried that I'm going to be burning upper body muscle. I'm okay with not adding any upper body muscle but I'd like to not lose it.

I have been doing some decent pullup and pushup work every few days, but dunno if that is enough. I'm also curious about the ideal training methods to let me build up my cycling without hurting my physique too much. Like, should I try to alternate cycling and weightlifting days, or is it enough to just do a little bit of weights. Is there any merit to doing something like dropping and doing pushups right before or after or during a ride?

ps. I know that a serious cyclist would muscle up in the off season, and then burn it off during race season

Re: Heavy cardio and maintaining strength
 

diet my man. eat more than usual, with heavy carbs before a long bike, lift heavy for your upperbody.

Re: Heavy cardio and maintaining strength
 

You could probably (definitely?) use a simple sugars / protein mix during and post-bike ride. And don't go on 'em empty-stomached ever.

Re: Heavy cardio and maintaining strength
 

Push-ups are not good for strength. Do a search either on 2+2 or on the forums of dragondoor.com for descriptions of the "grease the groove" (GTG) protocol. You can still stay quite strong without having much mass. What your cycling will likely take away from you is mass, but not strength, if you really want to keep it.

Re: Heavy cardio and maintaining strength
 

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You could probably (definitely?) use a simple sugars / protein mix during and post-bike ride. And don't go on 'em empty-stomached ever.

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Yeah, it's hard to eat enough during a ride cuz it makes you nauseous, same thing with eating really big right before, it's like trying to sprint on a full stomach. I guess I can make sure I take a big protein shake right after. (of course I do drink a carb drink while I ride, it's impossible to do a good ride without one)

I've read a few places that eating a big meal the night before is actually a myth, that's too far ahead and it will just be turned into fat overnight.

Also dunno what the science is on the protein-added energy drinks; I've read some places say it's bogus.

I guess I don't know when the actual muscle burning occurs; is it more about the calorie deficit during the ride, or is the overall daily calorie deficit. I could definitely eat enough after riding to have plenty of daily calories & protein, but not sure if that's good enough.

Re: Heavy cardio and maintaining strength
 

This is all pretty fixable, figure out how many cals you should be eating to maintain bodyweight, subtract 500 (there are formulas at t-nation), figure out how many calories are expended during a ride, added that to the figure you have. this is how many calories you need at that activity level to lose 1 pound of fat per week. If you dont want to lose any fat (and in this case I would, becuase you arent really going to gain much muscle w/ that regime) than you dont subtract 500. I would eat like normal, but before, during adn after your ride, sip on what is basically a post workout shake of 2:1 carbs to protien. Lift extremely heavy with low reps, and have this be one of the bigger meals of the day.

Re: Heavy cardio and maintaining strength
 

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ps. I know that a serious cyclist would muscle up in the off season, and then burn it off during race season

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Endurance training is going to take some strength with it. Your mileage isn't crazy yet-- but I suspect we need only give it time!

Re: Heavy cardio and maintaining strength
 

Why have you started riding so much? If you are going to race you prolly want to really lean out. All bikers are tiny fellers.

You shouldnt lose too much strength if you are still going to lift.

I do around 7 hours of cardio a week and I dont really lose any strength. It really is all diet.