can you really gain and lose at the same time?

eurorides

i have always been told that "you cant bulk and cut at the same time" meaning you cant lose fat and build muscle at the same time. this is standard theory in bodybuilding. but is it the same in cycling? can somone lose fat and build muscle, or are they simply losing fat and stimulating the muscles somewhat, which gives them a little more endurance and resistance to fatigue? thanks

mfallon

It's not that you can't bulk up and lose body fat at the same time. You most certainly can. Just the process of breaking down and rebuilding muscle tissue burns some fat. The reason body builders bulk and cut in different cycles is because you can bulk bigger and faster if you just concentrate on exercises and routines that build bulk. The same holds true for the cutting cycle. Also the more bulk you have the more you have to cut. Also diet plays into this but I don't need to go into that. Actually most competetive bodybuilders do 3 cycles. Strength, mass and cutting. If you are not a competetive bodybuilder and are just trying to look good and be healthy then combining mass and toning is a good way to go. You will have less chances of injuring yourself since you will be mixing heavy and light weight with higher and lower repetitions.

Cycling will definitely build leg muscle while simultaneously burning body fat. Whether you build really big legs or slimmer legs will be determined by how you ride and what ratio of fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers you have. Either way they will become stronger and more muscular over time. The aerobic benefit of cycling is pretty obvious so I won't go into that plus there are quite a few threads on heartrate already. Suffice it to say that along with those more muscular legs you're going to develop you will have less bodyfat also provided your diet is reasonable.

Matt

theedge

Hi Matt,

Can you give more details on what kind of riding make the legs slimmer? I'm trying to make my butt & thighs slimmers (plenty of fat inside ) I'd also like to know how to build big legs. What is the usual fast twitch/slow twitch muscle fibre ratio for a very fit cyclist?

Cheers.