As we all know, the bike is a beautiful and amazing thing…but the importance it holds and the personal meaning it possesses differs for each and every one of us. For three web friends of mine, the bike is the answer to achieving their weight loss goals, obtaining better health, and improving their overall fitness.

My buddies, Clive Chapman, Bryan Dewberry, and Joel Phillips are three big dudes.  I wanted to make sure they were okay with me calling them that before mentioning it here in this post, and they were cool with it.  But, with the motivation and focus that these guys have….pretty soon, I’m just going to have to start calling them dudes.  Each of these guys have their own blogs and they talk about the day to day journey of using the bike to help meet their weight objectives, and here’s a quick overview showing who they are and what their story is all about.

Be sure to check out the contest at the bottom of the post. We’re giving away a Sweet Leaf Tea XL jersey to any of your “Bigger Dudes” out there who are using (or want to use) cycling as a way to reach your goals. We’re hoping this jersey will either motivate you to get down in weight so you can fit into this jersey, or to lose weight so you’re no longer wearing an XL.  Just leave a comment below explaining your story and you’re in to WIN.

Congratulations to Eric McWhirter, the winner of our “Big Dudes” contest.  Eric receives an XL Sweet Leaf Tea Jersey and we’ll be watching him and cheering along as he shoots towards all his fitness and cycling goals.

Clive Chapman – MassiveMTBer (Don’t Ever Stop)

I’ve known Clive for over a year now and have really enjoyed getting to know this mate who hails from Birmingham, England.  I’ve found him to be very inspiring as I’ve gotten to know his story and have appreciated his support and friendship along the way.  Clive is part of the #LovingtheBike Army and here is an overview of life on the bike, according to Clive.

Most people are obese because they eat too much and/or don’t exercise. That is certainly true of me anyway and I suppose at 312Ibs back in June 2009 it’d be hard to argue. After many failed attempts at “weight loss” I decided I needed a sustainable way of doing things, having grown up with bikes since I was a kid and as a pre fat adult I thought it would be the way forward for me. I’d done the gym thing and the going out jogging stuff but they all crashed and burned big style. You know what it’s like, once you’re in from a hard day’s work, going out to get your exercise again is pretty much a nonstarter well for me anyway.

So, I thought, I have to work, so why not use my commute as that exercise? And the rest as they say, is history. In June 2009 after dusting down my MTB and building up slowly from a 6 mile park and ride along the canal to the full 12 miles, which is now often an enlarged 20 mile pedal in on my “new” road bike. As an indicator of how fast improvements come I completed 2 solo centuries last year after only a year back pedalling and eating properly. After 2 years my weight is now 204Ibs with a 104Ibs loss.

There are as many ways to get healthy as there are people, no one way is a guaranteed success, I should know, I tried pretty much all of them. But I do know one thing for certain, to succeed at weight loss, you need to do something you love and as I’ve always loved the bike, this is my way of succeeding. That and a pretty big dose of will power and self-discipline!

Check out more from Clive at www.massivemtber.co.uk

Bryan Dewberry – Biking to Live

I’ve known Bryan pretty much since the first day Loving the Bike was launched….in fact, Bryan was the first person who came across this site and left a comment behind.  Since then we’ve bounced blogging ideas back and forth, had a bunch of laughs, and rooted one another on.  Bryan has spent some time working with Kelli on his nutrition, and I’ve offered a few pieces of goodness as well….and he’s used it all to make great strides towards his goals.  Here’s a little more from Bryan and how he uses cycling to lose weight.

In short, cycling has gotten me off the couch, off the Xbox, and on the road to better health. Without cycling I’d still weigh almost 300 pounds (its shocking when I think about that), still have chronic aches and pains, and shortness of breath at the slightest physical activity. I didn’t get serious about my cycling until this January even though I’ve been trying to lose weight using my bike for almost three years. Once I got serious, set some goals, and started holding myself accountable, I began to see changes in my body.

Initially those changes were being able to ride further and an increased average speed. That meant my fitness was improving. Eventually my clothes started to fit better and I found I could wear clothes I hadn’t worn in a long time. That meant I was starting to lose some weight. Then the scale stopped moving.

At this point I realized that cycling alone wasn’t going to do it for me. I needed to make more changes if I wanted to  keep losing the weight. That meant I had to commit to changing my diet. I was still eating too much of bad stuff and it was offsetting any gains made by riding. Once I made this commitment the weight started coming off again and I’m now down in the upper 260s.

In addition to modifying my diet I’ve also made changes in my cycling as well. I’m now doing interval training twice a week and participating in group rides each Saturday morning at one of the local bike shops. Going forward I’ll be implementing both core and strength training in order to make myself stronger on the bike.

As I look at the road ahead I now I’m going to get there.  I still have a long way to go to a target weight of 175 but I know my bike is going to get me there.

More from Bryan can be found at www.bikingtolive.com.

Riding a bike allowed me to deal with my baggage and resolve personal struggles.  Something therapy and Prozac failed to accomplish.  Riding a bike so perfectly mirrors life, I just couldn’t help but to take the lessons learned on the road and apply them to my life.Life has its hills, mountains, valleys and plateaus, just like a bike ride.  Just like on a bike ride, you have to pedal to go anywhere; sometimes you will be standing up, turning red, wishing you would have never started; while other times you will be comfortable and steady in a cadence; but the times you can coast are few and go by fast.  Little by little I took this philosophy and applied it to my life.  I let go the anger and found self-confidence.  I gave way to doubt and discovered resilience.  Pride replaced shyness and it no longer mattered what I looked like, because that is not who I am.

You might say I found balance, which is kind of ironic, because you need balance to ride a bike.  I never believed I could accomplish much, but why would I, I was coasting.  I now know that I can’t stop, won’t stop doing what I need to be happy in life.  This means enduring the struggles of physical conditioning and the challenges of championing a worthy cause and accepting the criticism that comes along for the ride.  I know I can do it, I’ve proved it to myself one mile at a time.

Joel’s blog is www.reasons2ride.com.

We’re giving away a Sweet Leaf Tea XL jersey to any of your “Bigger Dudes” out there who are using (or want to use) cycling as a way to reach your goals.  We’re hoping this jersey will either motivate you to get down in weight so you can fit into this jersey, or to lose weight so you’re no longer wearing an XL.  Just leave a comment below explaining your story and you’re in to WIN.  Contest closes on Sunday, August 14th at Noon EST.  Winner announced on Monday, August 15th.

Can you associate with these guys?  Let us hear all about it….and if there’s anything we can do to help push you along, just let us know.

Last Monday we published our Loving the Bike Cycling for Optimal Weight min-e-book and have been very pleased with the feedback received so far.  Each Monday in January we’re going to spin off from what’s included in the book and provide you with additional information to help achieve your ideal weight….and we’re calling it “Make it Happen Mondays“.  If you haven’t already downloaded your free copy of the Cycling for Optimal Weight e-book, you can do so now by clicking right here.

One aspect to achieving your optimal weight that wasn’t included in the e-book is lifting weights.  When I worked as a personal trainer, I would tell my clients that there are three key factors involved with getting the body in the shape you desire; weights, cardio, and nutrition.  The same applies to cyclists, but in my opinion the rules change a little when you’re spending a lot of time on the bike.

During the outdoor cycling season, weight lifting can be kept to a minimum so you can keep your focus on riding.  In the off season (if you have one), lifting weights gives you the chance to strengthen your cycling muscles, but it’s very easy to waste unnecessary time and energy.  To make sure you keep things productive and efficient, I’ve brought in my friend Heather Nielson to lay out a great weight lifting program for you to toss into your winter season training.

How does lifting weights help get you lean? The more muscle mass you have the higher your metabolic rate will be….and this helps create less fat.

At Home Workouts: Off-Season Conditioning for the Cyclist

The weight lifting focus for the avid cyclist, should be working on muscle imbalances and weaknesses that develop.  The sport of cycling depends heavily on the power to weight ratio more than most other sports.   Cyclists are often concerned about whether the extra weight gained through weight training will be off-set by the advantages gained in building force and muscular endurance.  By utilizing a program that does not add anymore bulk than is necessary and concentrating the strength building in the lower body, the advantages gained will more than likely off-set whatever extra weight gained.  Form follows function however, and one of the most common mistakes cyclists do for their off-season weight training program is follow a friends’ body-building routine.  That sort of program is simply not appropriate for the cyclist.  The muscle movements during cycling require a weight training program that not only trains the muscles to produce further force, but also trains the synchronization of their muscle recruitment at the neuromuscular and molecular level.  As a result of doing exercises that include many muscle groups at the same time, the actual time spent doing a weight training program is lessened as it’s not necessary to do a large number of exercises.

The general flow of a weight program for a cyclist should start with spending more time in the off-season and then tapering off to a maintenance type level as the race season (or regular riding season) approaches.  Additionally, the beginning of the weight training program starts off with lighter loads and more repetitions so that the muscle groups can adapt to the addition of the program in a more progressive manner.  A rule of thumb for every weight training session is to include warm up and cool down to aid the muscle groups in adapting to the work load.  It’s also a good idea to have a ‘library’ of exercises from which to choose so that your body doesn’t become too accustomed to the same program.  Also remember, recovery is the most important part of training!

In the beginning phases of the weight training program, you’ll want to do about 2-3 sessions a week.  You can do this for about 3 months.  You’ll want to do anywhere from 8-10 total exercises and do 2-3 sets of each.  Start off with a weight that will allow you to do ~20 repetitions.  The beginning phase can last up to 4 weeks.  After that, you’ll want to decrease the number of exercises for the lower body to about 4 or 5, and increase the weight slowly to eventually allow for 6-8 repetitions.  The upper body exercises can remain at 15-20 repetitions.  You can still do 2-3 sessions a week for the remainder of the off season.  As spring approaches, male athletes can get away with nearly eliminating weight training from their program while women and those 40 and older should continue to lift year round as the lower levels of testosterone in women and in older athletes is lower than for men in their physical prime, so muscle mass is generally lost slowly over time. (Note from Darryl: Even if you’re only doing a couple effective exercises per week…it’s definitely going to help you out)

Below is a list of exercises to choose from.  Remember to listen to your body, do what you enjoy and add variety every 3-4 weeks!

Lower Body:

1-Step-up using a stable bench or chair with or without free weights in each hand held at the side, alternating legs with which you step up with.

2-Walking lunges with or without free weights in each hand held at the side and walk across the floor.  Make sure that when you perform these, the knee doesn’t extend past the foot.

3-Squats with or without free weights held resting on top of the shoulder; again making sure the knee doesn’t extend past the foot.

4-One-legged squat : A variation on the traditional squat and is a great exercise that utilized core stability.  Only do this if you don’t have knee problems!  Hold your body and free weights in each hand resting on top of the shoulders like you were doing a squat, but lift one leg off the ground and extend behind your body.  Be sure that when you squat that you don’t extend your knee past your foot.  Complete one entire set on one leg before switching to the other.

Upper Body:

1-Chest fly lying on your back on a stable bench using free weights or tension band .

2-Chest press lying on your back on a stable bench using free weights or tension band.

3-Push-ups with or without knees on the ground.

4-Pull-ups ; this is a great exercise but only if you happen to have a supported bar already installed in your home.

5-Extended Row : Do these by bending at the waist slightly, having knees slightly bent, and holding a free weight in each hand, arms next to the body and elbows bent at 90º.  Extend your arms out front and then pull all the way back squeezing your back muscles.

Core:

1-Back extension on a stable bench lying face down with the torso hanging over the edge, while balancing yourself with your hands holding the bench (or exercise ball), extend as far down as you can and only lift back up until body is straight again; do not hyper-extend the back!

2-Plank: Support the body on the elbows at a 90º angle, with the body in a straight line.  Hold for as long as you can!

3-Bicycle Crunches: Variation on the theme of the regular crunch and a regular favorite of the avid cyclist!

4-Side crunches using a medicine ball:  Sit on the exercise ball with hands behind the ears and sit up and down at opposite angles to work the obliques.

5-Reverse pike on the exercise ball :  This is probably one of my favorite core exercises but it should be noted that it requires a lot of stability and if you’re not sure you can hold your body in the air then don’t attempt them.  Facing the floor with your knees over the top of the exercise ball, back straight and holding your body up with your arms straight, roll the ball across your shins all the way to the point of your toe, bending at the waste.  If you can do 10, I’d be super impressed!

6-Cross-toe touches with or without free weights in each hand while laying on your back.  Hold a free weight in your hand above your head and with the opposite leg, reach up and touch your foot with the weight in your hand while stabilizing your body with your other arm out to the side.

7-Regular crunches laying down but with legs crossed in Indian style: this opens up the lower abs so that you can get a more utilization of the abdominals.

8-Scissor kicks: This exercise works the hip flexors by opening them up and moving them in a different direction than what the cyclist is used to.  Lay down on your back and put your hands, palms down, underneath your lower back to support it and raise your upper body slightly off the ground and scissor kick your legs, alternating which leg goes over the other.  Do as many as you can.

Heather Nielson is a Level 3 USA Cycling Certified Coach and races for Touchstone Climbing, an Elite Women’s Team based out of Northern California.  She co-founded The Run4Kids in the fall of 2001, an annual event in St. George, UT that continues to date.  While attending Southern Utah University where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology Zoology with double minors in Chemistry and Nutrition she also served on the student government board for Athletics and Recreation and was President of the Southern Utah University Mountain Biking Club from 2002 to 2004.  She currently works as a Chemical Engineer for a fuel cell company based out of Northern California.  To contact Heather for coaching, e-mail her at: nielson.heather@yahoo.com.  You can also follow her on her blog: http://heatherscycleworld.blogspot.com and on twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/shitcyclistsays

How many of you are using cycling to help achieve your ideal weight?  How many would like to obtain this through cycling?  We all ride a bike for different reasons, but health and fitness is definitely a common theme that runs through a lot of us recreational cyclists.

But how do you get there?  How can you use cycling to lose weight?  Sometimes just jumping on the bike isn’t enough.  It takes the right level of cycling….and the right type of fuel to make it happen. To be honest, the nutrition side is probably the most important. I know from my own experience that I can cycling, and cycle, and cycle my butt off….but if I’m eating like crap my body doesn’t stay looking like I want it to.

So here it is.  I’ve joined forces with my teammate Kelli and we’ve put together the “Cycling for Optimal Weight” plan.  This mini e-book is totally free and we’re not even using it as a trick to capture all your e-mail addresses.  Yeah, I’m totally going against the grain on smart blogging tactics….oh well.  If you’d like to be included in the LTB mailing list feel free to send in your e-mail right here.

Either click the e-book image above, or download the book at:

http://lovingthebike.com/cycling-for-optimal-weight.pdf

 The nutrition side of this plan includes excerpts from Kelli’s great new e-book called “Fuel Right: The Endurance Athlete’s Guide Daily Nutrition, Training Nutrition, and Achieving an Optimal Weight”.  She is a fitness nutrition genius and has packed it all into this incredible book.  As part of the Loving the Bike “Cycling for Optimal Weight” plan, she’s included what you need to get you started.

We’re giving away 4 of her complete e-book’s to lucky readers who leave a comment letting us know why you need this incredible tool. For those of you who’d like the book, but don’t win one….she is offering all Loving the Bike readers a 25% discount off the $19.99 price tag.

Either way, we’re giving you enough right here in this post to get you well on your way to optimal heath.  Go on….check out the plan and get started.  We’re 100% confident that following this plan will take you where you want to go…and we want to be there with you along the way.  If you decide to go on the plan (and we hope you do), we’d like to track your progress and watch as you achieve your “Optimal Weight”.  Please contact us and let us know that you are on board.