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-   -   Baseline fitness of active cyclists. (https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=1237224)

CheGiantForLife 08-23-21 06:52 AM

Baseline fitness of active cyclists.
 
1) How many consecutive pushups can you do (without pausing at top for rest)
2) How many consecutive air squats can you do (without pausing at top for rest)
3) How long is your average bike ride

  1. 24
  2. 56 (heavy breathing around 50)
  3. 5 mins.


shelbyfv 08-23-21 07:18 AM

I'm thinking #3 is the only one relevant to cycling.:foo: Maybe try Foo?

Iride01 08-23-21 07:23 AM

1) don't know
2) don't care
3) 2½ hours for the last month or two.

Troul 08-23-21 07:29 AM

1) YMMV
2) YMMV
3) LMMV

Depends on diet, current health, & season. If I dont get enough sleep, I wont be doing squat of anything pretty much.

base2 08-23-21 07:30 AM

Air squats & push-ups have nothing to do with base level of fitness. It has everything to do with air squats & push-ups.

Your base level of fitness is how prepared your body is for sustained longterm performance of a physical activity. Usually a moderatly paced endurance activity such as cycling or hiking over mountains.

It would seem you are confusing strength with fitness.

I'd like to see this so-called "strong man" do these air squats for a few hours equivalent to a century ride or a marathon run to see how he fares. Something tells me the results would be interesting.

GhostRider62 08-23-21 07:32 AM

Guy in the video looks jacked.

seypat 08-23-21 08:23 AM


Originally Posted by GhostRider62 (Post 22196394)
Guy in the video looks jacked.

Probably from carrying pails of water up/down the hill. That slope is slippery, though. He might hurt himself if he were to fall down.

Broctoon 08-23-21 08:39 AM

I can do maybe 25 pushups with correct form (30-40 if I cheat a little).

I'm not sure what an air squat is. Since I have reasonable intelligence and vocabulary, I can piece it together pretty well, but I don't think I've ever done one.

I ride my bike about an hour, on average. Sometimes a bit more or less.

Also, it's been a while since I really checked my fitness base, but I have been saving up. If the ratio of Stanley nickels to Schrute bucks is the same as unicorns to leprechauns, then I'm sitting on something like 50,000 pink aardvarks.

guachi 08-23-21 09:03 AM

1) Probably 40 if I had to. The Navy makes me do pushups but on the actual test I pause because I can.

2) Don't care because I hate squats.

3) 2 hours.

Neither 1 nor 2 are really relevant to a cyclist.

CheGiantForLife 08-23-21 09:05 AM


Originally Posted by Broctoon (Post 22196503)
I'm not sure what an air squat is. .

Click on the giant arrow in the center of the giant photo

CheGiantForLife 08-23-21 09:06 AM


Originally Posted by base2 (Post 22196391)
Air squats & push-ups have nothing to do with base level of fitness. It has everything to do with air squats & push-ups.

Your base level of fitness is how prepared your body is for sustained longterm performance of a physical activity. Usually a moderatly paced endurance activity such as cycling or hiking over mountains.

It would seem you are confusing strength with fitness.

I'd like to see this so-called "strong man" do these air squats for a few hours equivalent to a century ride or a marathon run to see how he fares. Something tells me the results would be interesting.

No one cares what you think.
Post the 2 numbers.

CheGiantForLife 08-23-21 09:40 AM

  1. 24
  2. 56 (heavy breathing around 50)
  3. 5 mins.

Trakhak 08-23-21 09:48 AM


Originally Posted by CheGiantForLife (Post 22196570)
No one cares what you think.
Post the 2 numbers.

Say pretty please.

Trakhak 08-23-21 09:51 AM

Eddy Merckx on the topic of strength training for racing cyclists:

"You don't need big muscles to steer a bicycle."

For the benefit of the OP: Eddy Merckx is a Belgian fellow who had a career as a racing cyclist. He raced both in "road" events, with a bicycle with "speed changers," as you might call them, and in "track" events, on a sort of single-speed bike that doesn't allow coasting.

PeteHski 08-23-21 10:00 AM

1) Not many, maybe 5? When I used to do them regularly I could manage around 40-50 max. But I rarely do them now. Reminds me I should do a few more really!
2) No idea. I usually do normal squats in sets of 10, like 3 x 10 with a 30 sec pause between sets. Sometimes loaded with a small kettlebell. But I reckon I could do quite a lot if I tried.
3) I can ride 100 miles over mountainous terrain at tempo with a good few threshold efforts thrown in (I would bet good money that the guy in your video would not be a good endurance cyclist, simply because he's carrying far too much upper body bulk)

Fitness comes in all sorts of different flavours. Pro marathon runners are fit and so are pro heavyweight boxers and cross-fitters. But they all have very different strengths and weaknesses. Pro road racing cyclists have amazing aerobic fitness, endurance and powers of recovery. Totally off the charts at World Tour level.

burnthesheep 08-23-21 10:09 AM

YMMV for answers between true "roadies" and "trackies". Take a look at the recent 4km IP world record breaker, Lambie. Doesn't look very frail.

1. I did a little test just to see what I could do some months back of building up over a month. Just randomly dropping to do 10 or 20 random parts of the day. Then building up. After a month I think I remember doing 56 in one nonstop set.
2. Around same time, I did two weeks of cross training where I'd actually do some of those as part of a little circuit. I think I did about 70 once. Rest of set had just body weight lunges, one legged squat thingamabobs, calf raises, plank, etc.....
3. 2 hours lately, usually less.

If you need stuff like this for a survey, just tell folks what you're up to and what you need and people tend to participate pretty well. Then you don't have to worry about people asking or assuming why you posted a random question/video combo.

CheGiantForLife 08-23-21 10:31 AM

Why are people guessing at their number?
Why are people saying "no idea" ?

There is one obvious method to ascertain the answers with remarkable precision.
Did not realize it needed to be spelled out

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1de7492b1f.jpg

Pretty please !

BlazingPedals 08-23-21 10:41 AM

If OP is averaging 5 minutes per ride, he's probably not even using a real bike = gym rat.

pdlamb 08-23-21 10:44 AM


Originally Posted by CheGiantForLife (Post 22196725)
Why are people guessing at their number?
Why are people saying "no idea" ?

Pretty please !

1. Because I don't care.
2. Because I don't care.

3. Why should I?

locolobo13 08-23-21 10:54 AM

Maybe you'd have more luck in Training & Nutrition.

BTW: I always pause at the top. Perform the reps pretty slow too. I am doing some calisthenics nowadays. Say 15 min, 3 days/wk. No idea about max reps.

UR missing the all important pull ups. That's the one let's me escape the big dawgs! I can't do them nowadays. Just have to keep riding.

Reflector Guy 08-23-21 10:57 AM


Originally Posted by CheGiantForLife (Post 22196725)
Why are people guessing at their number?
Why are people saying "no idea" ?

You forgot to ask how fast we can run a 100-yard dash, and how many free-throws we can shoot.

seypat 08-23-21 11:00 AM

Why is the dude in a gym without a shirt on? Talk about bad form! Also, why is he going so fast on the air squat? It's causing his form to break down and the knee to get out in front of his foot. Not good. Slow it down and concentrate on the form/technique. You also need to pause at the top of the pushup.

indyfabz 08-23-21 11:06 AM


Originally Posted by CheGiantForLife (Post 22196570)
No one cares what you think.

I think a lot of us are thinking the same damn thing.

seypat 08-23-21 11:09 AM


Originally Posted by indyfabz (Post 22196795)
I think a lot of us are thinking the same damn thing.

I certainly am.

CyclesNWeights7 08-23-21 11:32 AM

Push-ups - topped out at 80 a couple years ago. Could probably still get 60 without too much trouble

Squats - 60+, I guarantee I would break at the top for air or composure after that.

Cycling - Time constraints keep me to an average of 10-12 miles a day, with high intensity intervals thrown in. Which is nothing compared to some of you, but I’m only trying to better myself each week, not compete against everyone


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