Originally Posted by
jonathanf2
One thing I notice on my long bike rides, is that my body needs a day or two for recovery. I'm not as durable as when I was in my 20s, but I don't feel that old yet. My gym workouts are a bit different since I can allocate different muscle groups per day minimizing fatigue. I tend to ride 2-3 days a week @ 2 hours per ride, with my gym time taking up about 3-4 days a week at 1 hour per session. Depending on which I do more, either gym or or bike time is reduced and I try and have 1 rest day per week.
I've also reduced weight due to my cycling, originally clocking in at 155 lbs. Now fully hydrated I'm at 150 lbs. and can drop 5-10 lbs. in water weight depending on my cycling sessions.
If your priority is to become a better climber and have better endurance, you will need to flip your training days. You should be on the bike 3-4 (or better yet, 5) and lift 2-3. If you want to have a strong body, but not necessarily an ideal one for cycling, then keep your current training regime. If you want to be a good climber, then you must devote more time on the bike doing 2-3 days of all out hard climbs and the remaining on recovery rides. As my coach told me, to win in the mountains, your must train in the mountains. In my day, I was always first or second hitting the summits.
P.S. Don’t add too much muscle by doing weights other than those used specifically for cycling. The reason being, you don’t want to carry additional pounds when climbing.