Video není dostupné.
Omlouváme se.
Is Cycling A Good Sport? (For a mesomorph)
Vložit
- čas přidán 4. 12. 2023
- Free Stronger Climbing eBook: go.roadcycling...
RCA Channel Subscription: cutt.ly/2bDSkPr
About Neill Stanbury: neillsbikefit....
About the RCA: roadcyclingaca...
Following on from a previous video we have done on ectomorphs, we now dive into mesomorphs. The mesomorph body type differs greatly from an ectomorph and one might say it's not the best for cycling, but this body type is where you will find the top level sprint cyclists.
#cycling #roadcycling #training #bikefit
One extremely important thing they didn't mention is for overall health more muscle is absolutely better than less muscle. Don't let sport peculiarities dictate your overall health, especially if you don't make a living riding a bike. There are plenty of interviews with professional cyclists that disclose unhealthy habits and mental health issues because of cycling requirements.
THIS. I am definitely a mesomorph and I really want to keep the muscle because as you get older, T drops and you NEED that muscle as you get older.
I'll never look like these long and lanky cyclists but the cardio benefits I've seen (and extra fat loss), from cycling has been amazing.
I am 6ft tall, 220lbs. Big shoulders. So I'll never be that narrow, aero rider. But man, I'll take it. We should be better as we age.
Spot on advice. I'm a guy with massive legs and big arms, and I'm very fit at 86kg. I learned early on that I needed to be the kind of cyclist I was built to be. Decent sprinter, can roll long turns on flat roads or short, punchy climbs, but I was never going to be a good climber. Thankfully I live in Central Florida and we don't have any real climbs in this state.
Just one word to the little guys: After you've gone by us on the uphill, either pedal your butt off on the downhill, or get out of the way. The larger guys can coast faster than you can pedal lightly, and we want our reward for all the climbing effort. LOL
Mesomorph here.
When i started cycling 4 years ago, i rapidly understood that i was a sprinter.
At this time i already was able to put out 1200W sprints and now with a better a technique and some gym workouts i can do 1500/1600W sprints (20 to 22 W/KG).
And of course i struggle A LOT when climbing !
The same for me. I have an alu bike. heavy, just about 12 kgs. I used it for transporting my kid to the kindergarten and on the way back home, without my kid, I would rip the local Strava segments up to 1 minute duration. Some dudes got mad I had a shitty bike with 32" Schwalbe shelled tires and still robbed them out of their KOMs... until... until I had to press the pedals for more than 3 minutes..... my FTP got stuck at 190-220 for already 3 years while my sprints I do not train them, I just do it a couple of times and after a couple times I just get myself a good 15 seconds 1300-950 w pretty cool but useless on road races.
mesomorphs aren't a thing lol
Try sprinting a steep climb !
I did this when threatened by another cyclist two years ago .
1600w sure buddy. you should be at the Olympics
Great video. I can relate at 96 kilos and my weight will fluctuate 9 kilos between the racing and off seasons. I use to be a gym rat and find it very easy to muscle mass in a short period of time.
Looking forward to seeing the 3rd in the series, There is also the 4th kind that im sure a lot of us can relate too. The Pizzamorph, they are just straight up fat but still bust their asses to ride their bike even if it means they are never going to lose a KG and likely the more they exercise the more weight they will somehow magically gain. :)
Yeah, I'd be interested in that too
Funny enough I've met some pizzamorph that could put some serious watts and can burst climb like a mesomorph.
I can put on 2kg in a week easy. Taking it off takes 2+ weeks, but weight definitely fluctuates day to day.
Most skinsuits are a bit tight around the arms.
Love to smash myself doing 30-60s track turns off scratch in a handicap.
Very flexible.
Love breakaways and TTing.
Masters mesomorph who won races this year in solo breakaways.
Don't let someone tell you what you can or can't do. Best bet is to find what you're good at - will often be what you enjoy doing - and do it to the best of your ability.
I could listen to Neill for hours- keep this stuff coming out!!
People underestimate how much hip mobility - and mobility/flexibility generally - can be improved. You need to really work on it as you would strength. Do sets. Aim to lengthen and strengthen all the relevant muscles. Develop your tendons/ligaments as well.
See aero benefit from this as a bonus. The main thing is being able to train harder and more consistently without injury. Particularly as you get older.
Absolutely. I started lifting weights to supplement my riding 3 years ago. As my hamstrings and core became stronger I have removed the spacers under the stem 1 at a time and then I moved to a longer stem. Much more flexible and comfortable in a low position now.
You confirmed and described me very well. I will be 60 in weeks, but started racing at 17. At that time I made an effort to lose weight to be a more competitive cyclist and found I had to eat constantly throughout to the day to not lose energy. Then I settled in at a more comfortable weight and maintained that for years.
Can't wait to see what you think of endomorphs.... I'm 170cm and just down to a "svelte" 78kg from 91kg.... aged 55, seems all my strengths are in punchy undulating courses and sub minute sprints...MAP always hard to raise....but I have an 84cm inseam and short torso...need a bike with a M/L head tube length/C-T and an XS ETT!!!
Even if triathlon is not for you or me, remember, the ladies all love Mesomorphs.
I’m definitely a mesomorph and love cycling. I stopped doing any significant elevation in rides which is easy where I live at sea level and very flat. I definitely embrace me strengths and has worked well. Still left weights as that’s hugely important for health and longevity.
I am a former soccer player with good explosive power. I'd say to what your suggestions were, enjoy your advantages, but do train your weaknesses. I don't need to train my sprint, but the more I ride hills the better I am at them (mostly power production at the different weight distribution). I'm not going to be flying up the 10% for 30 min, but a steady fast pace up the 6% is perfectly doable.
Since childhood: faster than most of my mates at spriting.
Faster at bmx. Jumped higher and further than most.
Always hungry and get really angry when not eating.
Cant work slowly, I get things done with explosivity but need rest more often.
Muscle just grows with any small weight training. Heavy and bulky legs, thin waist, and bulky shoulders, especially strong at back and shoulders.
Struggled with any long jogging.
Felt bored with any longish sports apart from long walks and mountain trekking.
Can't really climb nor have the desire for it but can often input a short fast power burst repeatedly.
It is a huge topic and most of the people I know won't discuss this thing and say I am just finding excuses.
Thanks for making this a common topic.
In the end, we all have our differences and some sports won't suit us. Crits are definitely suited to us.
love from Germany.
As a novice mesomorph rider, I found this very interesting. I’ve actually settled as a single speed rider - both road and mountain bike. I live in a flatter area with punchy climbs.
i have always wanted a single speed. How long do you usually train or ride on it in a week? Do you take part in races? Cheers.
In the winter, I ride maybe once a week. In the summer, maybe two times a week. I ride mostly my mountain bike in the winter and road/gravel bike in the summer. I don’t race but participate in a couple sportives. My longest ride was 75 miles. It’s hard to consume enough fuel or to keep my legs from locking up from fatigue without more training for long distances, but the short rides are much more fulfilling for me. For road, 75 miles is about my max without better training. For mountain with lots of punch climbs, 20 is about my max assuming limited recovery throughout the ride. For context, I’m 68 inches tall, 220 lbs and 42 years old - short, broad shouldered, and over weight.
good stuff. keep it up. I might consider a fixed one in the near future.@@awshupe5705
Yup mesomorph here. Spot on with weight fluctuations. I’m 5.3 at 70kg atm. 68 to 70 weight shifts. Keto and intermittent fasting got me down to 66 with consistent riding. Can do longer rides but suck at climbs. Need to do some gym work 🏋🏻♂️
Looking forward to the endomorph video for us big boys. I know I'm never going to be competitive in endurance cycling due to my build but would love to know what I should focus on.
I can offer one pretty good tip for us bigger guys. When I started cycling, I would always fall to the back of the group when I saw a climb coming. Big mistake. I'd get dropped every time. The tip is when you see a climb coming, get to the front or even off the front. This way, when the little guys start passing you halfway up the climb, by the time you reach the top you're still in contact with the back of the group and you can recover. You probably already know this, but I wanted to share just in case.
Focus on 1 minute power!
I used to ride hilly road races and got a kicking every time. Started riding flatter short races and also the track. What a revelation. Won races on the track and up there in every sprint on the road. Ive now transitioned int an oldomorph at 68 and when fit i can ride at 20 mph all day into a block headwind. Still cant climb.
Definite “mesomorph” here. 6” tall with a 30’ inseam. Was 260lbs when starting cycling, brought myself down to 166lbs, but now trying to build muscle since I got rid of excess fat. But weight definitely fluctuates throughout the week depending on inflammation and what food I eat. Terrible at sustained efforts, but have managed to make my 20min power somewhat decent. 1min or less efforts are cake, but surprisingly my 5 or 10 min efforts are my weakest.
Fantastic vid. I am totally a mesomorph. Weight on and off is insane
Short legs and arms, check. Weight fluctuates 1.5 kg all the time, check. Not very flexible, check. Riding an XS Endurance bike, check. If I get below 75lg I feel weaker, check. Very interesting topic, thank you!
I’m experiencing the same. 5.3ft 70kg.
Every sport is good.. and being meso myself from my experience key for success is:
Intermediate fasting 18/6
Walking 12.000-14.000 steps
Ketogenic Diet (max 50gr carbs)
2,5 h heavy lifting in the week
5-7h cycling in week , zone 2 , 1 x week sprints included
Running 2x 5km in week, one session sprints 3x 150m
Before 33% fat, now 9-11%
I find these conversations interesting as I'm dead in the middle, neither endomorph nor mesomorph. I'm tall, and hold a lot of muscle, but my limbs aren't especially long or short. I can put on and lose weight, but not all that quickly. I'm heavy, but not overly so based on my height (float around 85-95 at 192cm). What I took out of this video, I don't know, its hard to know, but I would imagine most people are somewhere in the middle, and its rare for people to sit particularly on one side of the spectrum or the other.
WOW.. Everything said in the first 5 mins is 100% me .. great video! explains so much to what i've experienced over the past 3 years
You are speaking directly to me :) fellow mesomorph
Absolutely spot on ❤
Really enjoyed this video. I would guess that there's a continuum, and many of us would fall somewhere in the middle on the ecto-meso scale - not having either the all-day diesel engine, nor the power and size, but kind of a bit of both. Fully agree with the advice about not trying to turn yourself into something you're not, but that hasn't stopped my irrational and fruitless efforts. The amount of stupid injuries I have done to myself over 25 years in the gym in pushing way harder than what my body can actually tolerate.... And despite all the scientific advice I've followed, meal plans, pro training tips, etc., I've more of less stayed exactly where I was in terms of strength and size since my 20s. Basically decent, but not great... and that's as good as it gets I suppose.
Can relate. I was a gym rat before I became a cyclist. I am more of an ectomorph so got pretty lean and ripped during my gym days. I got bored of sustaining 6% body fat for almost 3 years and decided to do power lifting. Got got bulky and decent strong. The problem was my knee and shoulder joints couldn't handle the stress even with proper form/rests. I decided to do cycling due to bad knees and I know that I have a limit to any performance gains so I don't stress over my power output.
My only regret is I wished I started cycling earlier on my life, maybe I would have become a stronger rider before blowing up my knees.
@@bonbonflippers4298wow, I think we are twins! My same exact story. Was a heavy powerlifter weighing 220 at 5’10”, bad knees and shoulders resulted in a cadaver knee replacement then turned cyclist currently at 188lbs but still enjoy weights… much lighter than the 500lb bench, 550 squat and 650 deadlifts years back though lol!
@wrxwhit haha man you know what, my job during my lifting days had me transport patients department to department. Was pushing these motorized beds that weigh over 700lbs + patient. When the battery dies the bed is like pushing one of those sleds in crossfit but on carpet...one incident that I know for a fact really screwed my left keen was when a patient coded during a CT scan. We had 2 IV poles and a ventilator. I was the only one pushing the 700lb + 240lb patient on a dead battery. I regret not stopping and yelling at the nurses to help out.
I'm a total mesomorph. I love the Scotland routes on Zwift
Very informative, thanks. Looking forward to endomorph.
Hmm could you do on Endomorph too? Please!
I'm pretty sure I'm not ectomorph, but I'm feel I have both characteristics of Meso and Endomorph.
- High height (186cm)
- High weight (My best weight is probably 90-95kg)
- Good flexibility (feel very comfortable on narrow bar like 37cm, rolling pelvis too much that causes issue sometimes)
- Good at Vo2Max effort or upper
Youre neither endo-/meso-/ectomorph because body types are junk science.
Sad to see the idea still being so widespread.
Great stuff guys! 👍👍👍
Deep insight into body composition !superb job!
I love sprinting! On every bike, I had to go shorter crank arms and also at least 2 cm shorter stem lengths.
This is a great video. I've always thought im just not mentally good enough to get down into areo positions. Literally on a 54 endurance geometry bike and feel like im stretching like crazy on it. Ive always wondered how cyclists have such a high pain tolerance threshold to ride in more slamed positions.
But im totally a mesomorph with short arms and shocking hip mobility. This video has given me a surprising amount of psychological relief
Strength AND mobility are insurance policies for the future. Basically the ability to not break when you fall. Both are highly trainable if you find a format that doesn't bore you to death.
yep I smell a chico roll and instant 10kg on and next day cant even be bothered to get out the door. I like this blokes honestly, at least tell me im going to be no good and no point trying to change body type I appreciate it.
You’re so funny and knowledgeable 👍🏽
I’ve always sort of known that my body type isn’t predisposed for the long endurance efforts.
That said, nothing also says that I can’t put more effort in trying to improve an aspect of my health that my body type isn’t biological predisposed towards.
And this is especially relevant for me as a non-competitive cyclist. Developing the diesel engine through long z2 efforts are what I need to maintain my metabolic flexibility, which research has shown to be crucial for longevity. And to use my innate strength to my advantage, my body’s propensity towards building muscles through strength training is just the icing on the cake since more muscle mass = more functional strength when I reach old age as well.
In summary; im happy that I’m a mesomorph. I don’t really care about getting dropped on the climbs, since in the long run I’d take the ability to build and maintain muscles any day over sweeping the local KOMs.
I probably sit right between the Meso and endo. It would be great to see a video about endomorphs as well.
I found that giving away the sugar in my diet, eg Cakes, Biscuits, Chocolate...sigh.. Icecream. Has made my weight drop from 68kg to 63.5kg almost back at my racing weight when in my 20s. I am now 74yrs old. Some sugars hard to avoid. And the whole journey to go sugar free was a pre type 2 6.9 reading on Blood sugar. Dont miss the excess sugars and it can be a treat to have a donut.
Mountain biking... the perfect match for mesomorphs
The pros of being a mesomorph can be a big advantage in Enduro and DH
From the description I am a mesomorph. I am rather short (174cm) compared to my muscular bulk and 75-80kg seems to be the sweet spot. I cannot go below and I won’t go above with exercise. Not eating enough after exercise will absolutely fatigue me the next day. I’m terrible at hill climbing but good at punchy rolling terrain. But here comes the kicker. I absolutely also love time trials, and ultra endurance. I can stay in those bars forever (having them in a high rather than low position). So much so that I fitted them to my touring road bike, which really helps with aerodynamics. Do I have greater hip mobility? Or am I maybe an endomorph instead? Hope you guys explain the other body types as well in another vid!
There's really no such thing. You're just Erik.
Mostly a pure Meso morph. When I worked my ass off and just ate chicken and yams I got down to 80 kgs. I suffered for years working on my FTP, which is supposed to be 1 hr effort, what I noticed was I could drop most everyone in a five minute effort but the only way I could place in a TT is if nobody else showed up. Screw the FTP, find a wheel to follow, do repeated 5 minute efforts and at the finish you will be in a small group.
Really interesting video that tracks well with my experience. Though I have tried really hard to become an endurance rider, I did a few shorter crit style races last year and was much better suited and the results showed it.
I'm a bigger cyclist and hit the gym hard, upper body, core, not so much legs, RDLs. Q: is it a disadvantage? Use the bike for endurance and > body fat % loss.
Look how Beautiful Neil's bike is, it's screaming Speed Light and Aero 🙌🙌🙌🙌 Perfect
what is the bike make and model?
Maybe you have video on this topic but if you don't can you make a video on how a cyclist can improve his flexibility and which are some of the best stretches? To be more aero ofc
Can you cover people more endomorph type people?
From this and the previous video what I have found is that I am both mesomorph and ectomorph. I look like an ectomorph and I have mesomorph abilities 🙆
I think it's really important here to not let yourself be limited by your 'type'. There isn't much science behind it. Don´t say 'Oh I'm not good at X because I'm an x-morph'. Maybe you also have not trained for it. Kristian Blu seems to be doing alright at triathlon. There's no guarantees.
That's why Im struggling on my bike size
It's like you were talking about me for 10 minutes 😂 I thought I was just odd! I'm 169cm short, massive legs, muscle arms, and hate having to ride an XS/S bike with not much seatpost out. I'd love to be a couple of cm taller!
Endos next please!!
I'm a mesomorph big explosions between 1"-2', long arms and I have good mobility due to my previous sports, I can gain +17kg in 4 months, and lose it back -17kg without hungering myself
Still bitter I'm not a shot putter anymore. But I went from being a 320lb shot putter to a 190lb cat 1. I was never gonna become a climber and really wish I could lose 20 more pounds of muscle but I've made do.
Endomorph video would be good too please.
Spot on, I got T. rex arm and lungs like an empty balloon😂
and here I am, doing triathlon as a Premium Mesomporh
Does your body type change with age? Before age 35, cardiovascular efficiency, weight stability would have been accurate. In my 40s, putting on muscle is easier, strength is better (although power isn't). As you say, these are just terms, but what are common physiological changes that predespose someone to a body type with age? How do you adress those changes in a cycling context?
What about us heavier types.
So would a mesoporph potentially suit xc mtb quite good? Short races, and a lot of burst efforts
1,71m, 75kg, bf11%. Desisti de querer emagrecer, negócio é fazer força nos ataques
I‘m a worst-of-both-worlds-omorph. Really long legs and that is also the only region where I put on muscle. To the annoying extent that almost not pants fit around my calves. The upper body is good for nothing. Puts on weight in the blink of an eye but planks and push ups have no effect. The only thing I‘m good at is eating a lot if carbs for a long time on the bike.
I am the same. My calves and then quads are much wider than my waist, so pants are always too big around the waist if they can fit my legs...My stomach puts on wait in an instant.
@@ShadowzKiller Italian brand bibs already too tight when you pull them over the calves. The struggle is real.
Interesting video. May be a bit of a hard one to answer - but would you (Neil) say that endurance bikes with more relaxed geometry are better suited to mesomorphs - than race bikes? Am a meso who’s only ever ridden a synapse - but wonder if I could ride a race bike when I get a new bike one day. Your wisdom on the matter would be appreciated! Thks
Question guys. I’m 189 cm tall with a slim build (chicken legs and spaghetti arms) but drove a truck for 10 years doing ridiculous hours. As a result the six pack is now a keg. Dieting and riding enough are hard as I’m a fill time carer for a family member. Making different meals every day is no fun. Besides just “sticking with it” do you have any other advice?
Hum, this is a bit discouraging from a heavier person who loves climbing...
I feel like Sagan was a rider who tried too aggressively to change his physiology and he went from winning a lot to winning nothing in the space of a season.
6'4" 100kg broad shouldered rider here... does that still fit within the mesomorph classification?
Shoutout to Wiggins @4:08
Excellent as always..key being don’t try to be something or someone you are not!…worth looking at the work of Prof. Tim Noakes. VERY interesting and covers a great deal regarding Sports Science..diet and performance
Tim Noakes is missing reality by far, suggesting low carb high fat diet. His ideas are contradicting most of the research about the diet and sport performance (balanced diet). Contradicting in a bad way, like ignoring the mountains of good evidence. His ventures in "psychological mechanisms" are funny to an expert because again, just asserting shit without even reasonable evidence. Concluding, he is popular but with very damaging ideas if applied.
Most of it is perfectly describing my body, but I have longer legs and flexible hips 😅 could it be, that i'm a long legged, mesomorph?😮
There are different body types walking around but these classifications are high tier broscience. As an 'ectomorph' who figured out how to put on muscle, a lot of this stems from unconscious habits. A caloric surplus will add weight to anyone, and eating enough protein plus doing resistance training will allow that weight to be muscle. Of course you have to control the variables carefully.
So if an ecto follows the advice you give to a meso (more calories, more protein) that ecto will tend to put on soze and muscle too.
Have you tried atg exercises to increase your hip mobility?
So Neil is suggesting ectomorphs somehow defy the conservation of energy? If you ate terrible food (read: high calorie fast food) for a year and didn't gain any weight then you probably weren't eating a lot of it, otherwise you would gain weight.
What about Peter Sagan? Surely he's pure mesomorph right?
I lost a shitload of weight through cycling and better and healthier eating.
Exactly 20 kg in about 6 months.
Wout Van Art must be listening to similar advice. He quickly gave up the Giro fantasy.
I think I’m a mesoectomorph hybrid 🤔
Please don't leave out the Endomorphs. We know we're better suited for American Football and strongman competitions but dangit I like riding bikes.
What about us chubby lil endomorphs?? New video please!
Keep on joyfully working the mines and quaffing ale, and you shall be rewarded.
Would they benefit more from an Aero bike or a lightweight bike?
Minimal. I have both and the struggle is real: I don’t dare against skinny dudes lol the aero bike is faster and fellas faster but it won’t put me a 30 seconds faster on a big climb. Mesomorphs are built heavy and explosive not built for climbing.
Mesomorphs, mountain biking beckons!
Poor Cam 😞
Give us a warning next time you flex🏴☠️
Mesomorph real world and meaning of it . (Greek)
finally we see the interviewer😅
Another mesomorph here. Don't think i'll ever be a climber.
Remco's a mesomorph, no?
I would say yes
Somatotype permanence is a myth
First 😊
Lucky non-endomorph bastards!
I still want to be able to kick ass if I feel my rights as a cyclist are violated :-D
Starved mesomorphs will always lose to jacked ectomorphs in this particular sport, but not in the NFL, or NHL, or MLB, or even MTB. Genetically specialized sports is what we've got.
this mesomorph/ectomorph categorization is useless. so many moot points. also no way someone eats calorie surplus and does not gain weight. of course weight fluctuates more with greater fat, your body can't afford to do that if you're skinny.
Mesomorph endomorph etc isn't real
"mesomorphs aren't a thing" open and shut case lol
Gotta drop this mesomorph nonsense. It's meaningless.
@doomguyzwifting