# Cycling and weight



## lovetranquillity

I have read that certain weights can be beneficial, like the lighter you are the easier climbing is.I pretty much have two questions pertaining to weight. 

1. Does weighing less help with climbing and cycling in general?

2. I am 5'9.5" have about a 29" waist and weight around 145. I want to drop my weight to 130 or 135. What would be a good way to do this by mostly just cycling, or would I have to hit the gym as well? 

Any help is appreciated.


Thanks, Jon


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## shaochieh

No good idea. Keep your weight and you work out at the gym sometimes. I wish I was your weight because we have the same height and I weight 176lbs. You are fine.


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## Retro Grouch

I'm 5'8" and currently at 145lbs, I've gone down to around 130lbs and my climbing actually suffered and I sucked on the flats. I've found my ideal climbing weight is around 140-145lbs. This gives me the balance of being able to do well in climbs and take my turn doing long, hards pulls in front when riding with a group.


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## Andrea138

Ideal weight is a very individual thing. Work out a plan to lose weight slowly- no more than 1-1.5 pounds per week. When you start feeling as if you are getting slower, then go back up just as slowly until you feel strong again. 

Done properly, it could take you a year to figure out. Just avoid attempts to lose or gain weight quickly.


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## seanyboy501

From the sounds of it being 6"0' and 12.5 stone is too big to be a competitive road cyclist? I obviously plan on loosing weight, but if I'm too tall then surely that could be a problem?


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## vertex112

seanyboy501 said:


> From the sounds of it being 6"0' and 12.5 stone is too big to be a competitive road cyclist? I obviously plan on loosing weight, but if I'm too tall then surely that could be a problem?


There are some 6'2 guys that I ride with that are incredibly fast. Ignore the stereotypes. Just keep your BF% down, get the legs, and don't bulk up.


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## function

I'm 6'0" and 176lbs (about 12.5stone) and do perfectly fine, in fact i can climb with a lot of people who call themselves "climbers". Weight isn't the problem when it comes to climbing, it's power to weight ratio. Also the power comes in handy on the flats because most small guys don't turn out much absolute power. Big guy + power = competitive, you'll do fine if you work at it.


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## DirtTurtle

Keep your training up, eat relatively healthy and your body will find the natural balance. Im 5"11 62kg with average diet and thats where my body sits, would probably be able to drop into the high 50's but that extra few % power to weight would be uterly useless.
Being super light will only help on very steep grades or acceleration on climbs, which i find at least in the racing ive done will not be decisive enough to win a race.
Like previously said by others keep that extra bit of weight to help with power accross other diciplines.


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## heathb

145lbs/69.5inches= 2.086

Your weight to height ratio matches the standard climber weight for a lot of pro cyclists. Your job isn't to lose weight at this point, it's to gain power and that ain't going to happen if you're cutting calories.

Your .5 inches taller than Alberto Contador and your 5lbs heavier than the best stage racer in the world. 

Most pros have a height/weight ratio that is anywhere from 2 to 2.35lbs per inch.

Everyone is right, but I'll add if you lose weight you'll lose muscle and you'll lose power and you'll suck on the flats.


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## seanyboy501

Cheers guys. Yeah I'm cofident that with the right training and diet that I can improve. It was just a kind of aesthetic thing, I've not met many serious cyclists yet apart from my old Maths tutor who was in the Olympics cycling years ago. He's like 5ft 7 and weighs hardly anything. 

Practice makes perfect (or at least improves haha)


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## IAmCosmo

lovetranquillity said:


> I have read that certain weights can be beneficial, like the lighter you are the easier climbing is.I pretty much have two questions pertaining to weight.
> 
> 1. Does weighing less help with climbing and cycling in general?
> 
> 2. I am 5'9.5" have about a 29" waist and weight around 145. I want to drop my weight to 130 or 135. What would be a good way to do this by mostly just cycling, or would I have to hit the gym as well?
> 
> Any help is appreciated.
> 
> 
> Thanks, Jon


Just keep in mind that there are a lot of people who would pay to switch places with you. I'm currently 97 pounds heavier than you. If I could just get under 200 I'd be thrilled.

If I were in your situation (not that I ever will be) I'd just focus on being a stronger rider and not worry about my weight. Not that I'm saying you aren't a strong rider or anything. I'd work on the areas I thought I needed to improve.


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## jsedlak

vertex112 said:


> There are some 6'2 guys that I ride with that are incredibly fast. Ignore the stereotypes. Just keep your BF% down, get the legs, and don't bulk up.


Why hello there!  

Ok, I am not incredibly fast but my buddies love my "diesel" engine. I am 6' 2" and 210 lbs with a goal weight of 185.


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## Gatorback

You have to be careful with weight loss. If you lose too much it is not healthy and will end up hampering your performance. You'll get sick and not be able to train. I learned the hard way as a runner. I took my running to another level with a loss of another 3-4 pounds, but it didn't last. I ended up getting very sick and lost a lot of fitness. If I was a pro athlete, it might have made sense for a huge race like the Olympics, World Championships, or a goal race, but it was not sustainable over any length of time.


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## Alex_Simmons/RST

focus on raising power to body weight ratio for climbing prowess, and
raising power to aerodynamic drag ratio for flatland / TT speed

a focus on body mass alone is not helpful.

better to work on improving sustainable aerobic power, eat well and weight should look after itself.


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## spade2you

I'm a 130lb climber. Being light is certainly an advantage, but this advantage can be eliminated in flat courses. Thus, adequate power is necessary. 

Trying to lose weight via cycling is possible, but the high end cardio isn't quite conducive to burn fat as well as other workouts. If trying to lose weight, just be sure you're not cutting calories to the point where you might bonk.


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## lovetranquillity

Thank you for your help! I have read from many people here that gaining strength and power is the most important thing. How would I gain power without gaining weight? I have a little bit of fat that I can burn off on my butt and stomach. I have also read that I am almost the same size as Alberto Contador. I guess being around his weight would be good since we are about the same size and both cyclists (except he is a 1000 better cyclist.) I am 20 and want to work up to be a decent racer. I want to turn my body into a racing machine. I come from casual riding and some mountain biking and I am relatively new to road biking, but I have become addicted with speed.


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## spade2you

If you train, you're going to gain some muscle mass in your legs. Hopefully any unwanted fat can be concurrently burned as you gain muscle mass. For the most part, it's hard to gain muscle mass to the point it slows you down as long as you're training properly. So, basically you don't need to do stuff in the gym that a weight lifter or linebacker would o.


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## iliveonnitro

Don't ever worry about gaining cycling-specific weight (like some leg muscle).

Worry about the fat, not the muscle.


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## andrew9223

I reading a lot of people that say weight training is not important for cycling. I think this is completely untrue. I'm not saying pump up body builder style. Doing a few hours a week of core work and some shoulder, arms, chest and back is going to make you a stronger rider and lean you out.


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## jsedlak

spade2you said:


> If you train, you're going to gain some muscle mass in your legs. Hopefully any unwanted fat can be concurrently burned as you gain muscle mass. For the most part, it's hard to gain muscle mass to the point it slows you down as long as you're training properly. *So, basically you don't need to do stuff in the gym that a weight lifter or linebacker would [d]o.*


It depends on what discipline you want to take up. If you want endurance, you train for it. If you want to be Cavendish you need to produce massive amounts of power in a very short time. The way to do this is to work on your explosive power which is commonly done in the weight room and weight training outside.


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## spastook

I think power vs. weight is critical for climbing. I've seen some pretty large 200+ pound guys who are decent climbers and some under 150 pound guys who are not. Weight is not the ultimate determining factor. Your mental state when you approach a climb is important too. A defeatist attitude " I suck at climbing" or " Oh no not another hill" isn't going to get you up that hill. You've already announced to yourself that you suck at it and your body will respond accordingly.


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## spade2you

Yes, obviously depends on discipline. Cavendish and the Schleck bros are built entirely differently and function entirely differently. I've been designated a climber, which is alright. It's easy to specialize in an area where others dislike. 

I guess my main thought on weight lifting is how it's used in the training. My earlier comments were mostly based on the idea that you don't need to spend a lot of time benching. Although, you have less of an advantage when someone asks, "how much ya bench?" I fall in the not quite a spring chicken and has a #[email protected] job category. I wouldn't mind incorporating some weight lifting into my routine, but I have other objectives and inconveniences. I also need my recovery days, which has seemed to improve my overall strength than unfocused hammering.


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## heathb

I started back up on my weight lifting regimin. I was going to put some pounds back on and did put a few on, but I'm going to stay skinny. I was focused mostly on leg work, squats and deadlifts, and some upper body work. I've always done core work every 3rd day.

I feel slower and more sluggish with a few extra pounds, I will continue to lift weights, but I won't increase my calories or protein. Strength without bulk is finally starting to make sense to me, even though I've riden with 200lb riders that are really fast. 

I breath better, I feel better and have more energy throughout the day when I'm skinny.


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## Zachariah

OP- your weight is perfectly fine. Don't go looking like Michael Rasmussen and be fragile like a Balsa Wood stick.


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## irishstuey

Zachariah said:


> OP- your weight is perfectly fine. Don't go looking like Michael Rasmussen and be fragile like a Balsa Wood stick.



I don't have any advice, but one thing I do notice is the cut legs and scrawny upper body of the riders in the TDF. I guess it makes a lot of sense. I guess my guess would be work on beefing up the legs and losing weight at a health rate. Remember by adding some muscle your body will burn more calories and I guess would make you faster.


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## ping771

bikeradar.com just posted an article about obesity and weight, and additionally put up a photo of former Argentinian soccer player Diego Maradona, which is simply horrifying. Below that photo is one of him from days gone by. I heard he's gotten or was thinking of getting his stomach stapled:


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## DirtTurtle

No1 tip i now recommend is stop looking at the pros and worry about your own racing. They are the best few 100 riders in the world, the weight or height has little to do with our requirements. I see this similar to the huge dramas these days about girls/women trying to conform to the ultra skinny models, a girl who is physically bigger is simply not going to get that skinny. Im a little bit taller than contador and the same about the same weight, as of yet havnt seen myself on tv winning grand tours.


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## schmalts

I am 6'1 198lbs. Yea I like food and beer. My last power test I did a 26 minuteTT and averaged 321 (mean) 324 (norm) watts. I am slow, the course was rolling and did 21.7MPH on a road bike, no TT gear staying in the hoods. So, what do you think I could do if I lost say 10 pounds?
I am not a die hard biker, just like staying in shape and biking is fun. But I just wonder what if...


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## heathb

Schmalts what's your body fat percentage?

If you're solid muscle you might not gain anything, but if you're carrying around 10-30 pounds of extra fat you'd be better off dumping it. 

I'm 6'2" 163 at the momement. I tried gaining weight, but it actually slowed me down. I was spending more time doing squats and deadlifts, really trying to pack on more muscle. I felt like **** at my last crit after bumping my weight up only 5 pounds. 

When I look at guys like Contador and his TT ability I'm in awe that such a skinny guy has that much power. Most of the guys around are thicker and have more muscle, they seem to do just fine.


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## kef3844

jsedlak said:


> It depends on what discipline you want to take up. If you want endurance, you train for it. If you want to be Cavendish you need to produce massive amounts of power in a very short time. The way to do this is to work on your explosive power which is commonly done in the weight room and weight training outside.



Lifting weight in the gym does not give you the ability to sprint all out for 300 m, after doing a final lap at or above your threshold. Specific training on the bike does.


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## schmalts

Not sure of my body fat. i do work out the upper body a little, mostly the guns as the wife likes them. I could lose 10-15 pounds of fat is my guess. any more would be tapping into other things, and my wife already says she does not want me getting any thinner.


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## heathb

Yeah women don't typically like the skinny cyclists body type. 

Just last night I was told I look like Michael Jackson, of course I'm not that skinny and my legs have muscle, but my midsection is pretty much stripped of any fat and I still lift weights upper and lower body.

I'm guessing women like the idea of someone around big and strong to protect them, but I say screw it, the most important muscle is the heart and a trim body with low fat seems to be easier on the heart and other things. I feel better when I'm skinny, I'm more flexible and I feel more agile.


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## carlosflanders

schmalts said:


> I am 6'1 198lbs. Yea I like food and beer. My last power test I did a 26 minuteTT and averaged 321 (mean) 324 (norm) watts. I am slow, the course was rolling and did 21.7MPH on a road bike, no TT gear staying in the hoods. So, what do you think I could do if I lost say 10 pounds?
> I am not a die hard biker, just like staying in shape and biking is fun. But I just wonder what if...



320 W for 26 minutes is pretty respectable. You'd do fine in a cat 4 race here in the midwest. If you lost 15 lbs or more you would be competing for a top placing in a race. As it is, a buddy of mine weighs about the same and puts out similar power numbers. He gets slaughtered on the hills but did win a State TT championship last year.


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## grayson

psh, forget what girls want. we're cyclists here...

I'm about the same weight radio to the OP. 143lbs/69.5in

Genetically I'm not sure if I can drop into sub 7% bodyfat, even with cutting glycogen stores. But I am carrying around I'd say a few (4?) lbs of bodyfat. I'm probably 8-10% bodyfat.

What should I do? 
Should I try to lose the last couple fat lbs and then eat at maintenance to slowly build?
Or skip the fatloss?
Or maybe even stay where I am; perhaps going up or down has no benefit.


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## shibaman

The bottom line is to listen to your body. I have been a gym rat first, a runner, or a cyclist 2nd. At 180 lbs i am very strong and muscular. Now I am around 163 because I decided to put the bike first before the gym. At 52 I only have the energy to really do well at one. I have found that I am much better on the bike than I was at the gym. My goal for the coming year is to do the Death ride. 
Last year I lost too much weight, and found my self weaker on the bike.This year I am eating to feed the time and calories on the bike.You need to find the right balance for you.


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## heathb

If you want to lose weight without losing muscle you need to up your protein intake, keep your calories at their current level and slightly increase the workouts.

It's been shown that eating a high carb diet while trying to lose weight will cause you to lose your muscle at a faster rate than if you bump up the protein intake. You'll also recover faster, fight off illness better, and have less chance of overtraining if you keep the quality proteins coming.


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## Fltplan

Everyone is different. I believe that I read Miguel Inderain was 6'1" and 180#s. That's pretty big and as we all know he could climb pretty well. I checked out that 2 - 2.35 ratio for height to weight and I came up with 174# for 6'2" (my height). I currently am 189#, down from 235+ a year ago and climb with the lighter guys in the group ride every week here in socal. I'm not sure how much more weight I can lose and retain my power. As a side note, my 10k rowing time has gotten much slower once I went under 200#. I used to be able to row a 10k at 37:10, now 10 pounds lighter I can't get into the 38 minute range. At the same time my bicycling fitness has skyrocketed and I can sprint and climb better than when I was rowing faster. Everyone has different body constitution, so keep in tune with your progress and how you feel and your body will let you know.


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## heathb

Miguel Inderain 6'2 176lbs puts his ratio at 2.37lbs per inch of height. 

More importantly he had a freakish physiology in regards to cardiac output, lung capacity and a high VO2 max. 

We are now at an age though were the science has taken off. You won't see guys like "Big Mig" winning grand tours anymore. Calorie restriction has been shown to improve practically every perimeter in regards to ones health.

The Grand Tour masters of today analyze their diets with a computer and gram scale. Densly nutrient packed foods with the least amount of calories.

People call these very thin men unhealthy, but the numbers suggest otherwise.


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## RadRabt

I used to weigh 235 and then started mountain biking 2 years ago. Without trying i have dropped to 206-209ish. I drink beer and eat beef jerkey while riding and after. I got a little more serious, stopped drinking befor/while/after riding and started drinking recovery drinks post ride. I started dropping guys i ride with on the trail and was riding with an "expert" group once a week and they said they have noticed how fast i have gotten. 

About a month ago i started riding a road bike for the first time in my life. I rode with a group for the first time this past sat morning after drinking too much friday night and sleeping only 3 hours, and no breakfast befor the ride. I started at the back of about 25 and ended up number one without killing myself too bad. Sunday, the next morning, i did a group ride of about 50, a faster paced group and came in a little after half of the group, again only 3 hours of sleep and no breakfast. There were 2 small short climbs and this is where i dropped most of the people. I was pleased with where i stand as a beginner and have hope of losing some more pounds and getting faster on the flats. 

I have a beer gut and a little bit of butt fat. I played football for a few years and am built like a a defensive end who has lost some muscle mass and gained some fat. Im shooting for 195 right now. Bottom line, your skinny as hell, put some mass on and i bet you climb like a goat.

then again, i have no idea what im talking about when it comes to cycling and fitness. All i know is that i started road biking and all my mtb friends got slow. And im drunk right now. then end.


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## heathb

RadRabt climbing is a light mans game. 

Lance improved his climbing when he lost 20 pounds due to cancer. 

Pantani, very small and very fast up mountains. 

Alberto Contador 140lbs and he's laying waste to just about everything in front of him. 

I've never heard any of the big guys I ride with that are very fast on the flats ever say they enjoy climbs, most of them complain about it. And considering climbs are a great place to attack it's an advantage to drop people or at least put them in their red zone so they can't recover.


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## RadRabt

I see what your saying. Wouldn't power to weight ratio have a lot to do with it? Of course after you add some good endurance you end up with skinny guys. But, I can pass some skinny guys on the climbs that can drop me on the flats with no problem. I am by no means impressive or good by a real riders standards, I was just suprised how weak of a climber one can be while still being good in the flats. Again, I'm an newb to road biking.


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## takl23

I rode a more last year than this year due to a move and such. I rode with the same 5 guys every tuesday night, when I started I was about 215lbs. I couldn't hang on at all on hills. By August, I was down to 205ish and was able to beat 3 of the guys, who weighed upwards of 50lbs less than me, and who could beat me in a sprint. Weight is factor, but it's also about power.

I too played football and my body is like a running back, huge legs, smaller torso.


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## RadRabt

One day TDF will be full of ex football players lol.

I plan on losing as much weight as i can without loosing alot of muscle mass. Im 5'9" but i will never be 140, i mean never. I too have big legs and a small torso, wide shoulders and a thick neck which is actually proving to be a pain in the ass.


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## tommyrhodes

Ok..... Where are the tips? lol


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## Pasta Cervelo

climbing is about the ratio of power to weight. being rail thin like TDF riders is not needed for weekend rides or one day races, focus on training and staying fueled and recovering well - that will drive weight down over time.

eat to win


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