Cycling UK Forum

Jon in Sweden wrote: ↑14 Dec 2023, 9:12am The data collection side of cycling is extremely motivational for me. With my autistic tendencies, it's very appealing. I love working through the data.

Have you been through a long phase of decline e.g. brought on by uncontrollables? These could be illness/injury, or familiy/work circumstances.

I hypothesise that seeing all the curves drifting downward would be de-motivating.

Carlton green wrote: ↑13 Dec 2023, 5:53pm
I’ve got some small dumbbells, had them for years, but rarely use them and never found any decent exercises for them either (exercise charts / books / leaflets, etc. ). Always wise to be careful how you exercise lest injury result - a peculiar result for something supposed to be health giving, but it happens.

The gym has been a regular habit since the 80s, as an antidote to the office-slump that seemed to overtake many in the workplaces I frequented. I did do damage when practicing power-lifting (basically: jerking weights far too heavy up and down in 3 primary fashions). Happily the damage has faded to naught after refining the weight training towards that employed by the less macho.

These days (at age 74) the weight training is still done as an antidote to crumble-bone, which cycling does nothing to delay. However, I've gradually shrunk the weights used to one or two fixed-path machines (for anything involving potential lower back jerk&stress) but mostly dumbbells.

The advantages of dumbbells are many but two primary advantages are:

* Wrists, elbows and any other joints involved can rotate and operate naturally rather than being confined or restrained (then strained) by barbells. Barbells enforce a limited range of movements but dumbbells can be waved about freely.

* Using dumbells means that you can't favour one side of symmetrical muscles by using their opposites, as you can with a barbell. For example, a bench press with dumbbells requires each set of pecs and triceps to do their own work whereas a barbell bench press can see the left pecs/triceps recruit help from the right pecs/triceps.

*********
There are many useful dumbbell exercises, including some for just one side of the symmetrical muscle groups with one dumbbell at a time, which enables a more varied set of exercises that also become a bit easier, as you can concentrate on a style to isolate what you want to "train". In addition, if one side is less able than the other side, you can vary the weight, each side, to suit.

But to do any of the above, you need to start. Once you've started, you need to get over the initial hump of ache & poor control, until the sessions become a pleasure rather than bouts of self-applied torture. Use of a knowledgeable trainer person is often the best way to do this as, at the very least, they'll prevent you dropping a dumbbell on to your own head accidently. They'll also teach you good style & form, which avoids the wrenches and strains.

It's worth it. But you have to think that, not me.

mattheus wrote: ↑14 Dec 2023, 9:16am

Jon in Sweden wrote: ↑14 Dec 2023, 9:12am The data collection side of cycling is extremely motivational for me. With my autistic tendencies, it's very appealing. I love working through the data.

Have you been through a long phase of decline e.g. brought on by uncontrollables? These could be illness/injury, or familiy/work circumstances.

I hypothesise that seeing all the curves drifting downward would be de-motivating.

Absolut! Beware the mocking gizmo and the sneering spreadsheet.

The Path Racer wrote: ↑13 Dec 2023, 5:16pm Recently I'm hearing advice that exercise using weights (or bands) is beneficial for us ageing lot, helps with the loss of muscle mass. I doubt they are referring to big weights for rippling muscles either, nor referring to hour after hour in the gym. I'm spending 60 minutes per week on this weight training (HUGE!! 2 KG per dumbbell) - 6 x 10 minute sessions spread over 3 days per week. Not a lot but I guess it's better than nothing. Of course I also ride a bike and I do pop out for the odd walk.

Yes. The evidence that weights help is getting stronger (!) all the time. And that is predominantly about small weights: the studies are easier to do, and the results more likely to be applicable.

There's a recurrent and inevitable problem with this forum: there's a lot of athletes and ex-athletes. The most valuable public health interventions are in getting from very little exercise to a bit more, not at the top end!

Jonathan

Carlton green wrote: ↑13 Dec 2023, 2:10pm ...
Ah dog walking, I recently read of a Japanese study that concluded that the physical and mental benefits of owning and exercising a dog were somewhat significant. I’ve just got back from the great outdoors with my own ‘small’ dog; cycling, walking, lovely scenery and a few pleasant conversations with those I meet.

In the early attempts at what we now call social prescribing it was immediately identified that what was needed was interventions that were maintained. Walking with dogs and walking with other people are thought to score highly on that.

(And I have seen it explained that offers to new customers from commercial gyms are based on the opposite!)

Jonathan

mattheus wrote: ↑14 Dec 2023, 9:16am Have you been through a long phase of decline e.g. brought on by uncontrollables? These could be illness/injury, or familiy/work circumstances.

I hypothesise that seeing all the curves drifting downward would be de-motivating.

I have always kept detailed training logs. When I weight trained extensively as a teenager and in my early twenties, I had a constantly updated training log. I also got injured and ill with a stomach issue, so I had an extensive period of decline (lost 25kg bodyweight).

Cugel wrote: ↑14 Dec 2023, 9:36am
Absolut! Beware the mocking gizmo and the sneering spreadsheet.

I agree, absolutely. But you have to understand that everyone's motivations are different. I hugely enjoy exploring on my bike, I never listen to music and take in the nature and wildlife. But I also derive much pleasure from watching and analysing the data. It's just who I am.

I also power lifted, though used it as a means to get stronger for strongman comps. Didn't do my back much good. Weight training is great, but only in moderation.

I'm not only 60% as strong (but still 50% stronger than your average 39 year old fella) as I was at my max, 30kg lighter and thousands of times fitter. I'd say that's a decent compromise.

Jon in Sweden wrote: ↑14 Dec 2023, 10:53am But you have to understand that everyone's motivations are different. I hugely enjoy exploring on my bike, I never listen to music and take in the nature and wildlife. But I also derive much pleasure from watching and analysing the data. It's just who I am.

I understand this - mainly because I've done a bit of it myself! But I know lots of people that take it to much greater levels than I do.

(I only get interested in event/race data - I've done it with karting data in a previous life. A bit like analysis by sports fans. Can't get excited about the weekly trends in my commuting/training/total mileage, for example)

Jon in Sweden wrote: ↑14 Dec 2023, 9:12am The data collection side of cycling is extremely motivational for me. With my autistic tendencies, it's very appealing. I love working through the data.
...

Likewise. Whilst I cannot give any good reasons for it, every ride track recorded, uploaded to Garmin ad Strava and VeloViewer as well as in a local computer spreadsheet.

But I do the same for walking, kayaking, etc.

Ian

I dislike cycling in the rain. On the bent (low) mucky wet roads are not great (plus spend ages cleaning up afterwards). But quite happy to put on waterproofs and go walking in the rain. So in winter I tend to do more walking and in summer more cycling. I do try and do other exercise, upper body and coordination. I did try a gym (local council one, pay per session) years ago but after a few sessions was finding it boring so stopped.

Currently I try and mix cycling, some on bent, some on upright (2-wheel DF).

As one gets older I find easy and quick to lose condition and then a real struggle to get it back (or recover some of it). Circumstances early 2020 stopped me cycling & walking (any distance) for 6+ months and I still don't think I've recovered back to where I was.

Ian

Jdsk wrote: ↑14 Dec 2023, 10:31am

Carlton green wrote: ↑13 Dec 2023, 2:10pm ...
Ah dog walking, I recently read of a Japanese study that concluded that the physical and mental benefits of owning and exercising a dog were somewhat significant. I’ve just got back from the great outdoors with my own ‘small’ dog; cycling, walking, lovely scenery and a few pleasant conversations with those I meet.

In the early attempts at what we now call social prescribing it was immediately identified that what was needed was interventions that were maintained. Walking with dogs and walking with other people are thought to score highly on that.

(And I have seen it explained that offers to new customers from commercial gyms are based on the opposite!)

Jonathan

Jdsk wrote: ↑14 Dec 2023, 10:27am

The Path Racer wrote: ↑13 Dec 2023, 5:16pm Recently I'm hearing advice that exercise using weights (or bands) is beneficial for us ageing lot, helps with the loss of muscle mass. I doubt they are referring to big weights for rippling muscles either, nor referring to hour after hour in the gym. I'm spending 60 minutes per week on this weight training (HUGE!! 2 KG per dumbbell) - 6 x 10 minute sessions spread over 3 days per week. Not a lot but I guess it's better than nothing. Of course I also ride a bike and I do pop out for the odd walk.

Yes. The evidence that weights help is getting stronger (!) all the time. And that is predominantly about small weights: the studies are easier to do, and the results more likely to be applicable.

There's a recurrent and inevitable problem with this forum: there's a lot of athletes and ex-athletes. The most valuable public health interventions are in getting from very little exercise to a bit more, not at the top end!

Jonathan

Two really helpful and informative responses, thank you.

Thankyou for that kind comment. It's much appreciated.

Jonathan

Psamathe wrote: ↑14 Dec 2023, 11:59am

Jon in Sweden wrote: ↑14 Dec 2023, 9:12am The data collection side of cycling is extremely motivational for me. With my autistic tendencies, it's very appealing. I love working through the data.
...

Likewise. Whilst I cannot give any good reasons for it, every ride track recorded, uploaded to Garmin ad Strava and VeloViewer as well as in a local computer spreadsheet.

But I do the same for walking, kayaking, etc.

Ian

Gaw, soon you will be weighing your toe nail clippings and putting the results into a spreadsheet, with perhaps a column also for the various shades they are!

I do understand the compulsive-obsessive thing, having a teeny bit of it meself. However, somehow I learnt that interposing spurious mental countings and listing of spurious mentally-derived categories of this and that obscures the world containing the categorised and counted things, sometimes entirely so that categorising and counting further becomes impossible! So I try to stop it.

It's them blasted memes, especially all those bluddy languages constructs. "The silence of animals" - wouldn't it be nice sometimes?

cyclop wrote: ↑13 Dec 2023, 8:59am Are we,as cyclists,in danger of being people who cycle and do no other exercise?

No -- Twice a week ( or sometimes 3 times a week in winter ) I do a bit of upper body exercise. Only takes about an hour to an hour and a half each session. I'll do 3 sets of this wee routine.

1 start off with warming up the muscles involved with small weights -- I'll explain that later since I use mostly my own body weight.

2. 35 press-ups but with feet elevated to about table height ( to mimic incline bench press only flipped over ) ( sometimes I'll do about 5 or 10 first just to get a bit more blood to the muscles especially if it's cold then I'll give it a couple of min before doing 35 ) most times I'll do the middle set of press - ups with feet elevated just enough to make my body horizontal instead of head down to simulate standard bench press. This tightens all the muscles around the flanks and abdomen etc -- probably prevents hernias and that sort of malarkey.

3. 30 to 35 pull ups ( depending on how I feel ) but separated into one batch of 20 and one of 15 with 1 min break between.

4. 30 to 35 dips on parallel bars

5. 20 Side lateral raises with weights

Repeat twice more from 2 to 5

Means it can be done at home so no gym fees -- done that for over 20 years now. Before that I was a power lifter.

Cugel wrote: ↑14 Dec 2023, 4:43pm

Psamathe wrote: ↑14 Dec 2023, 11:59am

Jon in Sweden wrote: ↑14 Dec 2023, 9:12am The data collection side of cycling is extremely motivational for me. With my autistic tendencies, it's very appealing. I love working through the data.
...

Likewise. Whilst I cannot give any good reasons for it, every ride track recorded, uploaded to Garmin ad Strava and VeloViewer as well as in a local computer spreadsheet.

But I do the same for walking, kayaking, etc.

Ian

Gaw, soon you will be weighing your toe nail clippings and putting the results into a spreadsheet, with perhaps a column also for the various shades they are! :-)

I do understand the compulsive-obsessive thing, having a teeny bit of it meself. However, somehow I learnt that interposing spurious mental countings and listing of spurious mentally-derived categories of this and that obscures the world containing the categorised and counted things, sometimes entirely so that categorising and counting further becomes impossible! So I try to stop it.

It's them blasted memes, especially all those bluddy languages constructs. "The silence of animals" - wouldn't it be nice sometimes?

(My bold and colour)
I don't find the record keeping/logging interferes with enjoying/observing the world as I travel through (cycling or walking) - temporally separated. I find one of the enjoyments of being outside noticing what's going on around me, noticing wildlife, etc. (my background is zoology).

They don't get in the way of each other.

Ian