Originally Posted by
KraneXL
One word: climbing. When you think of lifting that's the one clear advantage.
Muscles adds strength, but it also adds weight. Since general cycling is mostly about endurance, only a modicum of weight training is sufficient.
Nothing helps my climbing like climbing. If I don't climb a lot the next time I try to do a long climb my back starts hurting bad. If I do lots of climbing it doesn't hurt so much. Stretching the back helps for everyday stuff, too.
I was knocked off of my motorcycle in 1982 and bounced on my lower back. Kinda lumpy back there ever since.
When I used to lift a lot I gained weight rapidly and got up to 235-240. I should try to do some light lifting again, always enjoyed it but I gave away my bench and weights when I moved 3 years ago.
Another advantage of lifting is adding muscle makes burning calories easier. This could help me as I have no control over my diet.