Lars Beha asked by e-mail:
"I cycle 8,000 kilometres a year and go to the gym regularly. I've noticed that I lose the upper body muscles that I build up in the gym when I cycle, even though I only cycle or train in the gym on the same day. How can I combine endurance training on the bike and strength training in the gym to do both effectively?"
Answer from Erik Becker, professional trainer
You're combining two very different sports: biking is an endurance sport and your gym training is all about muscle growth. That is a contradiction in terms.
During long periods of endurance exercise, the body partially switches to protein metabolism and breaks down muscle mass in the process. It is therefore important for you to consume sufficient protein during long bike tours. You can cycle in or out for half an hour before strength training.
Plan to do strength training a maximum of four times a week, more is hardly worth it. Distinguish consistently between strength endurance and maximum strength training. Train the content specifically in blocks. Consume approx. 500 mg of protein per kilo of body weight during and shortly after strength training.
Also bear in mind that you will only have a short-lasting increase in muscle size immediately after strength training. However, this will go back relatively quickly even without cycling.
Professional bikers do targeted strength training in the winter months. They build up muscles that are largely lost again in the summer. This is also planned quite deliberately. The pros want to avoid any additional body weight that is not needed for biking during the competition season.
The most important strength training exercises for mountain bikers
For the legs (in the studio):
Leg press, squats, leg curls
In addition: Strength endurance on the roller (intervals)
For the upper body (also works in the living room):
Push-ups with wide and narrow shoulder position, sit-ups/crunches (for straight and oblique abdominal muscles), back lifts (straight back muscles), lateral forearm support (lateral trunk muscles)
