Originally Posted by canklecat

I've never done serious free weight training. It was seriously frowned upon by boxing coaches years ago, and that was my main sport. Back then boxers were taught to avoid free weights and much swimming. Being musclebound didn't help boxing and swimming was believed to make muscles floppy, too flexible and hindered speed. There was some superstition but also some logic in those perspectives. I knew a local boxer who became a world champ, but he overdid it with free weight training and permanently hindered his flexibility and punching style. He couldn't throw a right hand properly anymore -- he was pushing instead of snapping punches, and appeared to have lost shoulder flexibility. He ended up losing his title by stoppage against a fighter he should have beaten. Classic example of how muscle development that's suitable for one sport is completely inappropriate for another.

Lots of track sprinters now do weight training, including free weights, and have seriously muscular legs, but I don't know of any serious road racers who do to that extent. Different disciplines, different training.

I did use weight machines with modest weight, including rowing and rope or cable type machines. Heck, even 1910 heavyweight champ Jack Johnson used those rope or cable type weight machines, didn't seem to hurt him any. And light dumbells for shadow boxing.

I still limit my weight training to machines, calesthenics and bodyweight exercises. Works for me. At 62 I'm still in pretty good shape, other than the injuries from being hit by cars twice in 20 years. The main challenge is offsetting that damage to the neck, back and shoulders. And it takes longer to make progress and recover from injuries.

Back in the summer I was in PT for a couple of months for the injuries. As I made progress I got a little enthusiastic with the weight and ended up in more pain. Not injuries, per se, but inflammation around the injured shoulder blade -- there were some spots about the size of a dime that felt like electric jolts when touched. And a tendon in my bicep swelled to thumb size. I had a good physical therapist, my form was good, the weights seemed reasonable... but it was wrong for me at that stage of recovery. So I eased up off the weights, returned to bodyweight exercises, stretching, massage and topical analgesics. That pain has subsided, the bicep tendon has returned to normal, so I may try weight machines again soon.

But I don't see any advantage to free weights for myself, not at this stage. It won't improve my cycling, my main exercise now. What I've been doing since I was a teenager has worked for me.

*Folks who've pushed free weights around for years will probably be comfortable with those and may gain some benefit for cycling.*