Bodybuilding and Cycling. Earning for Son’s Treatment
IG: @dmitry_tishetsky
When a man decides not to beg for help but starts doing something to find money on his son’s treatment – this is what deserves respect. Dmitry Tishetsky is a Ukrainian bodybuilder who combined bodybuilding and cycling in his latest project.
“Out of despair, I mounted my old bicycle and rode 400km, the route was Smela-Kiyv-Smela without any preparation,” Dmitry wrote on his page on Instagram.
“All this time, I shot stories on Instagram, and my plan worked out! People paid attention to me. “Crazy bodybuilder on a bicycle,” it might be interesting!” he thought.
Tishetsky decided to continue! The goal of the project is to earn money for the next course of treatment for his son!
“I promised myself not to beg and ask people for help, and I will do it!” the bodybuilder added.
“There are various useless bloggers on Instagram – freaks make crazy money. I advocate sports, a healthy lifestyle. I want to show that a bicycle is damn interesting! At the moment, I’m getting ready for a race of 1200km. I am sure that it will be interesting to observe this.“
Watching Dmitry’s numerous stories, we fell in love with this sport and want to show you what are the pros and cons of combining bodybuilding and cycling.
Universal Tandem: Is it Possible to Combine Cycling and Bodybuilding
Cycling is one of the most popular types of cardio loads, with many advantages. Among them, both purely aesthetic – trips in the lap of nature on a warm spring day bring unforgettable emotions, and purely practical – the bicycle positively affects the work of the heart, while not badly loading the muscles of the legs, arms, and back.
However, at the same time, many bodybuilders agree that for most representatives of this particular sport, cycling as an additional muscle training is not the best way, since they can make it difficult to achieve one of the most important goals of bodybuilding, namely weight gain. Is this so, and are there any alternative options for such an opinion? We will discuss this in this article.
No cross-training!
So, with regard to the issue of muscle mass – the truth is one, and it is this – if in your classes you focus on gaining your own weight, cycling loads are not the best assistant for this. Especially if it’s not about simple amateur trips, but full cycling.
Bodybuilding, in its classical sense, is incompatible with any other sports, so forget about cross-training once and forever. This moment is especially relevant for beginners. Specifically, young guys, one might even say teenagers, who, playing football or cycling, come to the gym in order to gain mass, and after a year of unsuccessful classes, they wonder why it doesn’t work out for them.
The answer is simple – they chased two hares and missed both. No, of course, with the right approach, progress will be observed in all areas, but it will be much less pronounced, and it will take much more time to achieve it than if you would prefer one particular sport.
And the reason is banal – you simply will not have enough energy in order to give all your best to this and that training, and lack of energy is one of the most important factors without which muscle growth is impossible, just like a full recovery.
Bike as a way to lose weight
Another thing is if the main goal of your training program is to lose weight. This applies primarily to those people who have problems with extra pounds, as well as to athletes who are preparing for competitions during their so-called cutting period.
A bicycle (and not only a classic iron horse, but also an exercise bike) helps to burn up to 500 calories in 45 minutes of training, which puts it in first place among all other types of cardio loads.
Also positive is the fact that on the ordinary bike and on the simulator, you can change the load with the necessary frequency, simply by switching the speed for this. Thus, everyone can engage in cycling, regardless of gender, age, and physical fitness, especially since the athlete is not required to learn any complex movements, as is often the case in classical aerobics.
Cycling is often used by professionals at one of the stages of recovery from injuries, as preparation of muscles and joints for more serious loads, at a time when these most serious loads are still unacceptable.
Speaking specifically about the pre-competitive training of bodybuilders, during this period, athletes perform cardio exercises up to 4 times a week in order to remove fat deposits to the maximum, and cycling loads are an integral part of these aerobic exercises.
At the same time, many builders prefer low-intensity cardio workouts, since this approach makes it possible to spend calories as efficiently as possible while retaining the “charge” necessary for strength exercises in full.
Key Benefits of Cycling Cardio
The last paragraph directly leads us to the following concept. The one (concept) based on cycling is used as one of the methods to maintain the overall tone of the body.
Regular cardio training improves heart function, stimulates blood circulation, and has a positive effect on the respiratory system. Plus, of course, trains endurance.
Those who expose themselves to such stresses decrease their cholesterol levels in general. Blood pressure also stabilizes, and insulin secretion decreases. All this is reflected both in the work of internal organs and in the external state – a person experiences vivacity and good mood, has a flowering appearance.
Due to aerobic exercise, metabolism is accelerated, and the body temperature also rises slightly, which together contributes to the breakdown of fat and bringing its amount in the body to the optimal rate. And these factors, perhaps, are much more important than simply gaining muscle mass and building a muscle structure, since the body should not only be large, strong and beautiful but also, first of all, healthy.
Keep the interval!
At the same time, cardio loads and a bicycle, in particular, cannot be considered a panacea for burning excess weight. More precisely, it should be taken into account – what exactly do we mean by this very excess weight. If the task is to simply torch unnecessary kilograms, a classic aerobic training in the form of a 30-40 minute session is quite suitable for this purpose.
For those who want to remove excess fat, while preserving the bulk of the muscle mass, interval loads will be much more suitable, during which much more fast muscle fibers are involved, those that form the desired result, giving the muscles elasticity. Slow, which are mostly involved during long endurance training, are much less prone to hypertrophy, that is, in fact, growth. Thus, a long measured training burns fat but does it less qualitatively.
A good example of this paragraph is short-distance sprint athletes and the same runners, only marathon runners. Compare their physical form, and you will understand what is at stake because the difference is obvious.
Bodybuilding routine and cycling
Well, of course, as in any other issue related to bodybuilding, in the case of cycling, factors such as nutrition and daily routine should be taken into account. If your work is associated with physical activity, the appropriateness of cardio exercises, in general, can be called into question.
In order to remove excess fat, it would be better to review the diet. Another question is if the work is sedentary. Here aerobic exercise will be necessary, like the air that you lack in a stuffy office.
The suggested time for cardio workouts is in the morning, even before you have breakfast (optionally). Before you sit on a bicycle or simulator, you need to recharge with water. During the training itself, you should also drink a lot.
For more effective fat burning, it will be good to take a dose of caffeine half an hour or an hour before training. But this is only if your body normally transfers caffeine on an empty stomach. L-carnitine, which not only helps to burn fats, but also supplies energy that is released during the burning of lipids, and also contributes to the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system, can also be a useful supplement.
The Bottom Line under Bodybuilding and Cycling
Finally, a few practical recommendations relating directly to the classes themselves:
- choose a program of cycling loads based on the specific purpose of training;
- wear lightweight clothing (preferably cotton) and low sneakers, so that the leg bends freely in the ankle. Keep a towel nearby to wipe sweat if necessary;
- set the saddle so that the legs do not bend all the way, but are not straight at the knees;
- make sure that the saddle is soft enough, and its front end is slightly lowered. Train in special cycling shorts – this is necessary to prevent buttock rubbing;
- do not press on the pedals, but try to push them with your feet. This will allow you to load calf muscles much more efficiently during the reverse movement of the pedals
- control your heartbeat. You can’t allow your heart rate to exceed 60% of your maximum (220 minus your age);
- keep your legs parallel to each other, bend your lower back slightly, slightly strain your stomach. Take your elbows back, keep your shoulders in a relaxed state.
Returning to Dmitry Tishetsky, he asks everyone interested to support his project. In Ukrainian, it sounds like #ВелоКачок (VeloKachok) – BodybuilderCyclist.
“I am opened to cooperation with companies, bloggers, and everyone who is interested,” the athlete ended.
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