[Geist262]

Hi guys,
I use MTBing to lose weight, but I hear that I need to rest to recover. How often should I be recovering? How many days should I be riding? Should I ride two days or more in a row? I was riding everyday practically, but I noticed I was getting slow, my legs would burn more than usual and just didn't feel like riding, and if I forced myself, I just couldn't move the way I should. One day, I felt tired when I went riding. but the next two days I missed for weather reasons. When I came back, I felt really good. I just want to ride as much as possible without hurting my progress or over doing it.

 

[rideorglide]

Number 1; listen to your body as much as possible, and at various times of day.
these things vary by age and the various states/conditins of your body parts at a given time. And obviously, the heavier the session the greater the recovey time.

Number 2; keep a log, check the results from time to time and look for patterns.

Number 3, maybe find out more about role of optimal nutrition (before/during/after) on recovery time. I make sure that I have something available with a balance of protein and other nutients to chow on immediately after. The effect on recovery rate for me was noticeable.

Number 4; same as number 1 -- listen to your body as much as possible,

 

[DrGlen51]

Hi guys,
I use MTBing to lose weight, but I hear that I need to rest to recover. How often should I be recovering? How many days should I be riding? Should I ride two days or more in a row? I was riding everyday practically, but I noticed I was getting slow, my legs would burn more than usual and just didn't feel like riding, and if I forced myself, I just couldn't move the way I should. One day, I felt tired when I went riding. but the next two days I missed for weather reasons. When I came back, I felt really good. I just want to ride as much as possible without hurting my progress or over doing it.

Rest and recovery depends on your age and conditioning. Generally speaking 3 to 4 somewhat tough rides a week is plenty. You can ride every day, but it shouldn't amount to anything more than a easy ride after a harder ride day.

My ideal workout is one long fairly hard ride, a day of rest then a hard short steep ride, a day of rest, then an anaerobic day that consists of riding up a steep hill in a high gear till I run out of breath 3 to 5 times. You can put two days of rest between some of those days. The long ride builds endurance, the steep ride builds legs and the anaerobic day builds lungs and legs. Once you get into a routine of regular riding you should be able to do a ride 3 times longer than your weekly long ride if you want. The lung building part is only a season beginning thing to get your lungs up to speed.

 

[AL29er]

Ride as much as you want. Your body will eventually adapt. I typically ride hard for 2-3 rides a week and alternat on no particular schedule between 2-5 days of rest. If it gets up to 5-6 days of rest I get twitchy and need to ride.

 

[backinit]

Geist262,

I have recently gotten back into MTBing to expand my training. My current training schedule is 3 days of strength training and 2 or 3 days of cardio/endurance training Mon -Fri with weekends off for recovery.

Yesterday was a pretty typical training day for me:
Run 5K in the morning.
EAT
EAT
EAT
Weight train about 12 hours later. Yesterday was 8 sets of deadlifts (after warmup) and 5 sets of abs.
EAT
On days when I am training I usually eat somewhere between 3000 and 4000 calories.

When I run and when I weight train I always want to keep my intensity level at the max. I am always making sure that I am pushing as hard as I can (safely).

This is followed by a day of rest and then it is the same deal.

I have been doing this current system for about 2 months now and have gained about 5 pounds and LOST about 2 inches from my waist. That's right, I gained mass and lost fat. I wear a size 32 pant pretty comfortably...I forgot my belt yesterday and I thought my pants were going to fall down. I am not an official Clyde yet (191) but I am definitely on my way.

Listening to your body is the best way to go, but in terms of guidance I would suggest that you take a day off every other day and try to throw in a 2 day vacation once in a while. Set aside 3 days a week that are spaced out (maybe Tues, Thurs and Sat) and on those days ride hard and fast. If you want to ride the other days of the week you can use those days to get some fresh air and just go for a nice ride.

Good luck losing the weight! Just remember you have to EAT to get in shape and lose fat!

 

[TobyNobody]

Listen to your body. Rideorglide said that earlier and thats the best advice.

Don't follow a hard ride day with another hard ride day. An easy spin or a day off is ideal, then work back up to your next hard ride with an easy ride or two.

Someone suggested "Ride as much as you want. Your body will eventually adapt." That's true - it will adapt by driving your motivation down, making you sick, and giving you overuse injuries - it adapts by not letting you do too much.

Listen to your body - if you are achy or tired, then don't push it. Your body is telling you to slow down because it can't take much more.

 

[Geist262]

Listen to your body. Rideorglide said that earlier and thats the best advice.

Don't follow a hard ride day with another hard ride day. An easy spin or a day off is ideal, then work back up to your next hard ride with an easy ride or two.

Someone suggested "Ride as much as you want. Your body will eventually adapt." That's true - it will adapt by driving your motivation down, making you sick, and giving you overuse injuries - it adapts by not letting you do too much.

Listen to your body - if you are achy or tired, then don't push it. Your body is telling you to slow down because it can't take much more.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I just wish the weather here in NEPA would stay nice for a change. I am getting into a rut with this gloomy wet weather.