# Building Endurance/Climbing/Lifting



## Furian (Jul 9, 2020)

Not quite 50, but will be in 3 month, so figured I'd just post here. I have recently got into mountain biking and curious what folks our age do to build up their endurance and skills?

I lift 3 days a week (m-w-f), primarily core exercises: bench, press, deadlift, squat, and bent over rows. I try to ride other days, but I have no plan. I'm n decent shape, 5'9 and 163lbs.

Searching online for a plan on how to improve my fitness doesn't really take into account where I live. I live in the mountains of CO, and there is nothing flat nearby. Its very hard to follow these plans that often utilize hiit training, and what not.

What do folks that live in mountainous areas do? What does your rest days look like if you lift as well? How do you manage fun rides, and a set training routine?


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## TheBaldBlur (Jan 13, 2014)




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## Central Scrutinizer (Aug 30, 2005)

TheBaldBlur said:


> View attachment 1347707


^^^ This.


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## Radium (Jan 11, 2019)

Yep. What they said. I'm glad you do 3 days a week at the gym, but 6 days a week on your bike is even better!
Riding changes lives. It Saves them.


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## Rev Bubba (Jan 16, 2004)

It sounded trite to say "ride more" so I didn't but that seems to be the consensus.

With no gym access this year, I've been riding harder and longer and it has amazed me how its paid off. I told my wife the other day that on a hard climb, I was hoping I had one more gear left. It turned out I had five more gears left. Twenty or thirty years ago, that would not have happened. 

I now look forward to climbing.


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

"Don't buy upgrades. Ride up grades." Eddy Merckx, the Cannibal.


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## 33red (Jan 5, 2016)

Sell your car and pedal daily.
Stretch it helps to prevent injuries.
You search youtube stretches for cyclist but yoga, all streching is positive.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

33red said:


> Sell your car and pedal daily.
> Stretch it helps to prevent injuries.
> You search youtube stretches for cyclist but yoga, all streching is positive.


I'm not against stretching but recent research suggests that it isn't very helpful, maybe not helpful at all.

Yoga seems real good but not really for endurance, need time & miles for that.


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## 33red (Jan 5, 2016)

J.B. Weld said:


> I'm not against stretching but recent research suggests that it isn't very helpful, maybe not helpful at all.
> 
> Yoga seems real good but not really for endurance, need time & miles for that.


People get paid so they do research, they write stuff.
Often it is just stuff.
Trust me flexible people in their 70s do better.
Life is a marathon so having good habits is likely to help.
Just focussing on power might not be the best long term plan.
I was trying to help on his 30 years plan.


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## Central Scrutinizer (Aug 30, 2005)

Rev Bubba said:


> It sounded trite to say "ride more" so I didn't but that seems to be the consensus.
> 
> With no gym access this year, I've been riding harder and longer and it has amazed me how its paid off. I told my wife the other day that on a hard climb, I was hoping I had one more gear left. It turned out I had five more gears left. Twenty or thirty years ago, that would not have happened.
> 
> I now look forward to climbing.


You said it better than I did above, but your results are similar to mine. I'm (sorta) in training for a trip late summer that may or may not happen ('cuz pandemic), but I want to be ready in case it does, so I've been riding (and lifting) a lot. But mostly riding. And I'm seeing similar results - riding stronger even when it doesn't necessarily seem like I am at the time.


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## 33red (Jan 5, 2016)

Central Scrutinizer said:


> You said it better than I did above, but your results are similar to mine. I'm (sorta) in training for a trip late summer that may or may not happen ('cuz pandemic), but I want to be ready in case it does, so I've been riding (and lifting) a lot. But mostly riding. And I'm seeing similar results - riding stronger even when it doesn't necessarily seem like I am at the time.


That sounds like what i call the third wind.
Living up north about april 10 we have an off month to let the trails dry. 
It takes about 3 weeks of steady riding to get back in shape.
After about 90 minutes it seems i get some hormonal shift and 
i increase my intensity but not my effort.
Maybe we are like dogs who are happy pulling?
Decades ago i also felt that way jogging, it kind of feels
like a back wind accelerating me.


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## Ptor (Jan 29, 2004)

Sure, riding more helps. But, in the absence of more time available for more riding I've found that even one session per week of intervals works well for improving endurance. Counterintuitively, it's short high intensity efforts that work best (for me) -- the infamous and painful 40/20 variety. The 40 seconds all-out-100%-max-balls-to-the-wall effort followed by 20 seconds of "recovery", then repeat. I can see gains from whatever conditioning plateau I'm at by just doing one set of 10 repeats each week. That's only 10 minutes of valuable riding time taken up by something that's not enjoyable, leaving the rest of that ride time to recover -- I often am woozy for 20 minutes and low energy for another 30 minutes -- and enjoy the scenery. Or, better yet from the perspective of preserving valuable riding time, do the 40/20 workout on an exercise bike at the gym, presumably at the end of your lifting session. Not that I see myself back in a gym anytime soon (probably not until there's a vaccine), but I found that 40/20 intervals through the winter or a spin class once a week helped keep me on track with endurance and climbing. Being in the mountains is not a detriment to gaining endurance, it's an advantage.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Shuttle a ride, that's fun and will serve as a rest day, drive to where there's a flatter trail, go road biking, spin at a higher cadence and try to relax.

I live in the Eastern Sierras, similar issues with finding flat riding, but I'd hate to live somewhere with only flat riding.

I don't train, I just ride.



Furian said:


> Not quite 50, but will be in 3 month, so figured I'd just post here. I have recently got into mountain biking and curious what folks our age do to build up their endurance and skills?
> 
> I lift 3 days a week (m-w-f), primarily core exercises: bench, press, deadlift, squat, and bent over rows. I try to ride other days, but I have no plan. I'm n decent shape, 5'9 and 163lbs.
> 
> ...


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Furian said:


> Not quite 50, but will be in 3 month, so figured I'd just post here. I have recently got into mountain biking and curious what folks our age do to build up their endurance and skills?
> 
> I lift 3 days a week (m-w-f), primarily core exercises: bench, press, deadlift, squat, and bent over rows.  I try to ride other days, but I have no plan. I'm n decent shape, 5'9 and 163lbs.
> 
> ...


Just work your way up...In moderation! It helps that core is on your agenda and routine! Core comes into play with many of the skills you will progress on from the start and into the future.

As for training, I have no schedule for it since I ride for enjoyment as opposed to making it a j o b! 
Being that we have something in common, Colorado mountains out the front door, I get to do "eenie, meanie, miney, moe to choose which bike is goint through the door. Then it is a ride to a trail. Sometimes it is a trail under investigation for adding to the list of haunts! A ride can be long or short and varies in difficulty.

Spend the time riding and you will progress in endurance, stamina and strength. Skills development is practice, practice, practice. Chose 2 or 3 skills you want to work on, practice them as a routine that allows for switching focus between them periodically during a session to prevent monotony from setting in. Try to limit the number of skills being worked on to maintain focus on them until you feel comfortable that you have progressed far enough that those skills have become natural and repeatable. Then you can add a new skill as you progress. Some skills will come sooner than others as you go, try not to be discouraged by it, you'll get it in time! Many things can be done in the front yard or neighborhood with 30 minute to hour sessions.

Keep up posted on progress...


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## ddoh (Jan 11, 2017)

"Sure, riding more helps. But, in the absence of more time available for more riding I've found that even one session per week of intervals works well for improving endurance."

x10.

I started doing HIIT early in the pandemic because everyone had me scared of going to Emergency Room (which I do regularly while MTBing). I got bored doing road rides, so I set up regular interval workouts. i expected them to help a bit. The weight loss and speed gains shocked me.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

ddoh said:


> I got bored doing road rides, so I set up regular interval workouts.


Road rides are great for interval workouts, spices them up for sure.


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## 33red (Jan 5, 2016)

I do not have a program but it can be done randomly. Guys who perform generaly say their secret is to push harder.
I just alternate about 15 seconds full sprint on pedals about 10 seconds still pushing but sitting, repeat that builds up fatigue than 12/10 repeat than 10/10 so in about 3 minutes there is no rest things will burn.
That kind of non stop sprint can be done like squats with dumbells x12 to rest the legs you exercise the arms so your system never rests. Eventually you are on the floor no way to get up, it takes time to think about sitting on the floor


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## Fuse6F (Jul 5, 2017)

I have a short local loop that fits the hit method well.

Ridden in co i know that things are big there. So try repeating a small loop. You can hit it hard multiple times. Since you are trail familiar it can be done more safely as you know when are where the tricky stuff will be. If your lucky, the down part will give a little bit of a reward for the up!

At 50. Full recovery is.two days off or Three once in a while.


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## Rev Bubba (Jan 16, 2004)

The good thing you can look forward to is that at 71, full recovery is still just two days and one day is usually enough.


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## ddoh (Jan 11, 2017)

Rev Bubba said:


> The good thing you can look forward to is that at 71, full recovery is still just two days and one day is usually enough.


I'm a year younger than you, but exactly that. Once I got back in shape after a kinda lazy winter.


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## bootsie_cat (Nov 3, 2004)

What are your cycling goals? I know that you said "climb better" but that is pretty vague.

Can you better describe your lifting? How much do the workouts take? What the the sets and weights like? Do you do full body in every workout?
Do you also do Crossfit/Metcon type of training during these gym sessions?

Does gym take priority? Are you flexible to change how you do gym work?

I think that you can make gym and cycling work together. You just need to be more flexible in when you do gym work- Particularly leg work.
If you are fatigued from lifting with legs- your cycling intensity will suffer.
Also- Crossfit/Metcom work will tend to ruin you for intensity.

I like to do my legs in a time slot that allows me maximum recovery. Because of this I tend to do leg weights after a bike intensity day. It can be challenging- but it allows me to put my best effort into the bike intensity day. But my gym goals are more about general strength, injury prevention, and longevity vs. being a real muscle head.
And since my gym is closed- I am doing less weight than I used to do at the gym (no barbells at home).

Here is my leg day
1.) Step ups on a knee high step
4 sets 20, 18, 16, 12 reps with increasing weight
2.) Single leg deadlifts with kettlebell
4 sets increasing weights 30, 25, 23, 20 reps
3.) Goblet squats
4 sets increasing weights 30, 28, 25, 20 reps
4.) Calf raises with dumbells
4 sets of 30-40 reps heaviest weight that I can do good reps with
5.) lunges
2 sets of 12 on each side- weight is not heavy


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Just got a new exercise "toy", been eyeballing this sucker for a while, was hesitant to plop down the cash for something I've never even seen in person, but my wife decided for me: "Happy birthday!"

She got me a Riprow.

Built it Sunday, already positioned in the middle of the living room, used it four times yesterday, once this morning before work.

It is the real deal, side to side rocking for lateral leg strength, squats, back, arms, shoulders, resistance in both directions, all while simulating riding. 

I hate exercise machines, I have a spin bike, have owned rollers, rowers, but I'd rather ride, hike, or run; hell, I'd rather dig post holes than use a machine.

This is the thing.


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## mosovich (Apr 19, 2004)

Increase in moderation. I went from about 75 miles a week to 150 and am paying a rough price of a muscle strain from what they thing is a combination of a drastic increase in workouts and a slipped pedal.. No fun and it's REALLY working me over mentally. I'm at 30 min rides now and coming from 4 hour rides, this is HORRIBLE..


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## Pattyzinha (Nov 25, 2020)

Furian said:


> What do folks that live in mountainous areas do? What does your rest days look like if you lift as well? How do you manage fun rides, and a set training routine?


Hey there 

I practice muay thai and it requires soooo much endurance. I live by mountains as well and I do quite a bit of running and biking but I'm constantly looking for new exercises to improve my endurance and have some changes in stimulus on my body as well.

Asked my coach at the mmalab what I could do different for my endurance and he told me to use agility ladder and cones.
Set up the ladder on an incline (I'm setting up at the very beginning of mountain) and perform some drills there. He recommended one on Amazon that comes with videos on how to do perform ladder and cones drills and it has been quite fun actually. The videos that came with my purchase are really helpful, the coach that explains the drill seems to know what he is talking about. 

For my resting (I usually have 3 endurance training, 3 muay thai, and 3 weight training) I do mobility and stretching. I actually stretch pretty much everyday (about 20 minutes after intense training) and I noticed quite a bit of results after I incorporated this habit into my life. I'm 37 now and I feel fitter and less achy at this age than in my 20s where I only cared about training training training and no recovery and stretching.

I hope it helps,
Patricia.


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## cvbrewer (Sep 9, 2020)

I’ve only ridden intermittently over the years (more now) but have been weight training for 40 years. I’ve settled on something more or less like what you do: 3-5 workouts a week, 4-12 sets a workout, mostly build workouts around basic complex movements. Deadlift squat split squat pull-up chin up row bench incline crunch with auxiliary exercises (curl shrug calf press lateral raise nose breaker etc) added in some workouts but not all. 

After much reflection and experimentation, that’s what I’ve come to. Whatever cardio and riding I do, I will always stick with the weights to make sure I’m strong enough to do the stuff I want to do. It has served me well so far.

This may belong in an unpopular opinion thread, but I do think you can easily overtrain your legs if you aren’t careful. Hiking/walking is good “ active recovery.”


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

cvbrewer said:


> I've only ridden intermittently over the years (more now) but have been weight training for 40 years. I've settled on something more or less like what you do: 3-5 workouts a week, 4-12 sets a workout, mostly build workouts around basic complex movements. Deadlift squat split squat pull-up chin up row bench incline crunch with auxiliary exercises (curl shrug calf press lateral raise nose breaker etc) added in some workouts but not all.
> 
> After much reflection and experimentation, that's what I've come to. Whatever cardio and riding I do, I will always stick with the weights to make sure I'm strong enough to do the stuff I want to do. It has served me well so far.
> 
> This may belong in an unpopular opinion thread, but I do think you can easily overtrain your legs if you aren't careful. Hiking/walking is good " active recovery."


If one is to subscribe to Joe Friel's work, muscle loss is one of the top 3 negative results of aging. Weight training is highly recommended for us (50+ peeps).


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## Onegear3619 (Jul 23, 2014)

Ride a single speed up as many hills as you can find. I'm 56 just broke out my 89 Bridgestone MB3 SS 36/19 about one month ago and am slowly closing in on my PB times from 2013. Very hard at first but you get the best exercise in a limited amount of time. Other than that just ride, it's really the only way. Don't think OLD.


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## Cerberus75 (Oct 20, 2015)

What is your workout split? If you're doing all the core exercises every time than split it upper and lower body. On upper body days do 20min intervals on the gym stationary bike, progress from there.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Training is kinda like dieting, I find the best diet is the one you do everyday, consistently, over a lifetime.

So yeah, eat well, sleep well, maintain structure, exercise year round.


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## 33red (Jan 5, 2016)

Muscle loss is a great example of how numbers can say anything we want.
The numbers in studies is general population and we know in north america a lot of people
move very little so the unneeded muscle slowly disappear.
Just by being active 5 to 7 days weekly it is much slower.
An important point not mentioned enough is flexibility.
To help my aging parents i lived with them for 7 years and the majority of other residents
were 75 to 91. To age well we should stay flexible, move regularly, use our brain and yes eat well.
It might be yoga, stretching or practice this simple exercise.
Standing up, cross your feet. slowly sit down on the floor, than get up and the goal is
to avoid touching the floor. 
SPEND time in NATURE.


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