Training for 50 year olds?
No More Mr. Nice Guy!
the -hill guys out there who have info on how to train w/o killing
myself?I'm trying to lose weight and become much healthier. Do such products
as Endurox help? I'm also on the Atkins Low Carb Diet and I lost 20 I. in
two months. According to I've. BMI figures I have to get to 160 lbs to be at
my ideal body weight. My thinking is to keep riding 4-5 times a week 15-20
miles and stay on the diet. I figure it will cause my body to use up the fat
stored in the belly and love handles I still have. I rode today and felt OK
throughout the ride averaging 15 mph. I just don't want to hurt myself or do
something stupid. BTW my doctor said the Atkins diet is OK so I feel better
with his OK however he is not an Exercise Physiologist and I'd feel better
having someone like that oversee my training. Any opinions/suggestions?
Chuck Harris
Steve Freides
together. Riding 15-20 miles at 15mph 4-5 times per week can do only
good things for you and, if you're really into cycling, once you get
down to or close to your ideal weight, and/or once you've decided that
you want to lose weight gradually, ~1 lb/month, then you can start to
think of 'training' as opposed to just fitness riding. There is a
difference, and there's nothing wrong with either, but I find it helpful
to keep the distinction in mind. For training, I find that anything
under a two-hour ride has to be done pretty hard to be of benefit for
me.
A recent piece I read in one of the cycling magazines encouraged situps
for cyclists, going so far as to say cycling can actually cause your
stomach muscles to atrophy. I think daily situps are a good adjunct to
cycling, and so is any cross-sport training like running or swimming.
-S-
David Stanley
>
>I'm 51 and have recently gotten back into road riding. Any other over-
>the -hill guys out there who have info on how to train w/o killing
>myself?I'm trying to lose weight and become much healthier.
Spot reduction doesn't happen so you won't lose only love handles,
you'll lose some from everywhere.
Endurox? Some of my friends say it worked great, some used the guarnatee
and got their money back. I've been using it for two weeks and can't tell
yet.
Joe Friel has an excellent book, "cycling Past fifty". I have seen it at
the Velonews website (www. velonews.com and click on velocatalog).
Endurox has a website as well at the predictable URL.
And when you ride a bunch, you may find you are more comfortable on a
higher carb diet.
DnF
Garry Lee
>A recent piece I read in one of the cycling magazines encouraged situps
>for cyclists, going so far as to say cycling can actually cause your
>stomach muscles to atrophy.
This is, as much in bicycle magazines is, crap. NOBODY should do situps.
They are a recipe for back injury. Climbing while standing gives your
stomach muscles plenty of exercise.
Steve Freides
relate to cycling forever, the merits of situps as they relate to "back
injury" is something I suggest you comment on with more care. I am
still recovering from a very serious back injury that occured on October
23, 1997, I didn't do situps before, and situps have been instrumental
in my recovery. I will stack my knowledge of "back injury" against that
of any non-doctor at this point - I've done my homework, I've done my
physical therary, and I do my situps.
I have often seen situps done in a way that's not great for one's back,
and we could discuss how to do situps, but that's getting a little far
off the topic of this list. I stand by my contention that the piece in
Bicycling Magazine about doing situps was correct in its overall tone,
even if it didn't delve into the specifics of how to do situps that are
not bad for your back.
-S-
Eleanor MacMaster
Abdominal crunches, YES; Sit-ups, NO. I agree that cross training
is of benefit (not only to cyclists), and think that weight
training is especially valuable for older adults of either sex.
It will enable you to retain more muscle strength (if you look
at the charts on the subject, you will see that EVERYONE loses
muscle strength at a fairly rapid rate after 60 so I consider
it wise to start from as strong as position as possible -- not
to mention the importance of good bone density).
Swimming helps to loosen too-tight muscles, and stretching
should also be a regular part of your routine (after cycling
is best when your muscles are warm).
Good luck.
--
"Biker Chick"
Scott Brim
to overtrain. Unless you're planning on racing, get rid of the thought
of training altogether and ride for fun, or ride for muscle tone -- the
training will take care of itself. Oh, and my experience is that
crunches can be great for your back. So can tai chi.
Howard Gutnick
question here may be about situps vs crunches. The head trainer at my gym
who I absolutely trust, and most everything that I've read, all agree that
situps can be bad for your back and that they also work the hip flexors
rather than working the abs. Crunches on the other hand if done correctly,
work the abs. As in most weight training regimens, form of the exercise is
very important.
Howard
Howard Gutnick
Virginia Beach, Virginia
hgut...@series2000.com
Steve Freides wrote in message <35A98D...@idt.net>...
>I've found that weight loss and real athletic progress don't go
>together. Riding 15-20 miles at 15mph 4-5 times per week can do only
>good things for you and, if you're really into cycling, once you get
>down to or close to your ideal weight, and/or once you've decided that
>you want to lose weight gradually, ~1 lb/month, then you can start to
>think of 'training' as opposed to just fitness riding. There is a
>difference, and there's nothing wrong with either, but I find it helpful
>to keep the distinction in mind. For training, I find that anything
>under a two-hour ride has to be done pretty hard to be of benefit for
>me.
>
>A recent piece I read in one of the cycling magazines encouraged situps
>for cyclists, going so far as to say cycling can actually cause your
Eleanor MacMaster
Crunches ARE great for your back: if your back has to do all
of the work of keeping your body erect, it will suffer. I have
read estimates that more than 80% of lower back pain is the
result of weak abs.
How much training is overtraining for people aged 50 or over
depends on many variables: whether this is a new activity or
one they have engaged in for years; their general level of
fitness; what, if any, medical conditions they have, etc., etc.
I would not make any general rules about this.
--
"Biker Chick"
Dave Harney
needed to lose about 40 lbs.. And I have lots of problems with lower back,
neck/shoulder, and hands that go numb quickly. Not a pretty picture!
I started on my weight reduction program on Jan 1 and have lost 30 of my 40
lb. goal. For me, the major trick was to give up all caffeine. Before I
did this, I would simply get too hungry to stick with a diet. My diet is
just lots of fresh veggies, fruit, rice, potatoes, olive oil, water, etc. I
cut out most of the saturated fat and refined sugar stuff. Still drink beer
in moderation. (life us too short to give up beer!!) However, it seems
that my belly is the last place for the fat to give up residence. I figure
that will simply resolve itself in due time.
I've had lots of physical therapy and take an anti-inflammation medication.
Regarding sit-ups: my therapist recommends never doing them. Instead, lay
on back and bring knees to chest (is this a "crunch"?) Stretching is a big
part of my program. If I can ever retire, I'll spend more time on this.
I started biking 5 miles and went up in 5 mile steps until I reached 50
miles. I started in April and reached 50 in mid June. I never did more
than felt OK. I've now got my wife up to 40 miles on our tandem (she is 57
and cannot ride a single for balance reasons). We spend a lot more time on
the tandem now and are trying to work up to a 62 mile ride in September.
Both my single and tandem are road bikes with handle bars pretty much even
with the seat. I'd like them about 2 inches above the seat. I use arm
rests to take the pressure off of my hands on straight stretches. I like
Speed Play pedals because they don't restrict the knees. Our tandem is a da
Vinci and this allows both of us to pedal independently and eliminates a lot
of other stresses you can get on a regular tandem. I also find the Campy
shifters that are integrated with the brake levers help reduce neck/shoulder
stresses associated with reaching for other shifters. We also have those
funny seats that are supposed to prevent certain problems (never did worry
about it until we read some articles in the local newspaper). I'm not able
to bring myself to think seriously about a recumbent bike, but this seems to
work for lots of folks.
Hope this helps. I wish I had never allowed my work to cut into my biking
time. I keep on biking as long as I can. My dad was still downhill skiing
in his early eighties.
No More Mr. Nice Guy! wrote in message ...
>I'm 51 and have recently gotten back into road riding. Any other over-
>the -hill guys out there who have info on how to train w/o killing
Hakee dude
>To all the pretty good responses I would add: When you're 50, it's easy
>to overtrain. Unless you're planning on racing, get rid of the thought
>of training altogether and ride for fun, or ride for muscle tone -- the
>training will take care of itself
Yup-being of the 51 yr old variety myself, I just got out and started riding
(bout 6 yrs ago)-started with bike trails (5 miles) and went from there.
Didn't worry about "training." figured whatever I was doing would help.
Gradually progressed to centuries etc.
It does seem to be easy to "over-train" but your body will tell you. Most
important-it should be fun but I do love the challenge!
Michael Z
Michael Z
from Cincina-tee
Gordon Snapp
weight too quickly through too much exercise and crash dieting, you'll
burn out on the cycling (exhaustion and starvation) and the dieting, and
you'll be back to your overweight self (or worse) in no time.
My research indicates that each of us has a "normal body weight", which
our bodies settle into after a sustained sensible eating and regular
exercise. That "normal body weight" varies somewhat from person to
person. My normal body weight was around 190 lbs. when I was 30. Now
that I'm 47 is seems to be around 200. I have a little paunch in my belly
that, I'm convinced, I could only lose by starving myself, which would
adversely affect my physical performance.
I'm not saying that someone who has been 100 pounds overweight for the
past 15 years should consider that they're at their "normal body weight"
and should forget trying to lose pounds. I'm just saying that those
charts which indicate ideal body weight are only guidelines.
A few years back I rode down the west coast from Seattle, Washington to
Santa Cruz, California, carrying a lot of weight in my panniers. I
thought I would lose my belly paunch and end up a "stunning specimen". I
didn't lose my little paunch, and I came back weighing 5-10 pounds more
than when I started. What had happened was I ate voraciously on the trip
to provide fuel for the exertion. My modest paunch was maintained, but I
gained 5-10 pounds in muscle mass. Maybe I wasn't a "stunning specimen"
when I came back, but I was definitely stronger, fitter, more muscular,
(and happier!)
RLW
requires some gradualness in the buildup, just go!!!
FWIW, I got back into doing major miles in March 1993, when I was 49
years old; I'll be 55 this year. Here are my daily mileages the month I
got going again:
15-16-17-18-18-31-34-19-17-0-0-15-0-0-15-10-12-12-14-24-41-0-0-12-16-20-
37-44-20-20-20. If I copied everything right, that should add up to 517
miles. I did 570 the next month, and was over 1000 for each of the next
8 months. By then, conditioning was no longer an issue, but rather
finding time to do the riding. As of now, I have something over 89,000
miles in 64 1/2 months. Ron Wallenfang
Jack Kessler
two thoughts:
1. Get an accurate heart rate monitor. (Polar Accurex is a good one. There
are plenty of others as well. Make sure it is accurate.) . Depending on your
current condition, set it to sound an alarm when your heart rate exceeds, say
135, or whatever your doctor suggests.
2. Don't get over-ambitious or unrealistic. The mightiest resolves, made on
New Year's, seldom last until February. After half a century you should know
yourself well enough to know what you are really likely to be able to sustain
for a year or two. If you have a full-time job are you really going to go
bicycling 4 or 5 times a week, 15 to 20 miles a day? When it's raining? A
mix of bicycling, walking, and calisthenics may be more likely to actually
happen.
> No More Mr. Nice Guy! <can...@iu.net> wrote in article
> <iQ8q1.57$p4.1...@news1.atlantic.net>...
Peter Cole
over the hill, maybe you should find a comfy rocker. If you want to get
really fit, I would suggest joining a cycling club where you can ride with
people who can show you your potential. You may get humbled at first, but
that only gives you a goal. If you stick with it, you can develop to where
you can out perform much younger riders. The weight thing will take care of
itself, trust me. Besides, wanting to go fast gives you a real reason to
loose weight.
Pete Salomone
>
> I'm 51 and have recently gotten back into road riding. Any other over-
> the -hill guys out there who have info on how to train w/o killing
> myself?
Yes lots. Go out to the Sun Valley Parkway in the early morning, Sun
City West, AZ and look for six gray panthers in a paceline. They have
NOT killed themselves yet; the Social Security Adm has been paying them;
some for several years.
> I'm trying to lose weight and become much healthier. Do such products
> as Endurox help? I'm also on the Atkins Low Carb Diet and I lost 20 I. in
> two months. According to I've. BMI figures I have to get to 160 lbs to be at
> my ideal body weight. My thinking is to keep riding 4-5 times a week 15-20
> miles and stay on the diet.
If you're going to really make this kind of commitment, you should start
a training program. I believe most of the bike mags have published
simplistic training programs which are a fairly good place to start
after you've had an MD's ok to exercise vigorously. There are a few
books on training for cyclists.
> I figure it will cause my body to use up the fat
> stored in the belly and love handles I still have. I rode today and felt OK
> throughout the ride averaging 15 mph. I just don't want to hurt myself or do
> something stupid. BTW my doctor said the Atkins diet is OK so I feel better
> with his OK however he is not an Exercise Physiologist and I'd feel better
> having someone like that oversee my training. Any opinions/suggestions?
Better than following a two page article on training is to get a coach
to set up a program for you and review it every few weeks. It will cost
a few bucks, but you're investing 5 to 10 hours a week it's worth it. A
heart rate monitor is useful with a training program. An indoor trainer
is useful there are lots of days you prefer NOT to train outside.
After riding 5000 miles in 1995, I decided to get on a training
program. I have a coach, heart rate monitor, rollers, CompuTrainer, and
a few training books. Since I started training I enjoy cycling more.
On endurance rides I ride slowly enough to talk to my fellow cyclists.
On my intense rides I can feel and see myself being pushed to the limit.
Pete