“I look like freakin lumpy sausage”

“I don’t get it, Paul. I bike like 100 miles or more a week. But, I’ve still got this gut and the love handles. I kinda hate it because I look like a freakin lumpy sausage in my biking gear!” 

Yeah, I’ve seen this. There aren’t many of my midlife brothers who love the way their guts look in their biking jerseys. 

So, why is it that my friend, despite spending several hours a week in the saddle, hasn’t gotten as lean as he’d like? 

The simplest answer is that cardio ain’t enough. 

Ben is in his early 50s, an avid cyclist for more than 10 years. Picked up cycling after a knee replacement. A former paratrooper, his knees took a pounding from 30+ jumps. 

As a busy guy, he can only allocate a maximum of 4-5 hours a week to exercise. 

By most measures, Ben is healthy. Blood work looks good. Weight has been stable for years. He has excellent aerobic capacity. Strong legs. 

But hours of riding haven’t changed his physique much. His InBody showed that he has 26% body fat. 

What Ben wants is to change his body composition - to look leaner. Adding more hours of cycling won’t move that needle much. 

More of the same is seldom the solution.

Ben needs to reallocate a few of his weekly training hours to strength and work capacity training (kinda like HIIT but broader). 

Frankly, if you’re Ben’s age and aren’t investing a couple of hours a week into those, you are 100% missing the boat. 

Listen, cardio (aerobic conditioning) is critical. But, it ain’t enough. 

All those hours on the bike may add some years to Ben’s life - his lifespan. 

But strength training WILL add a massive bounty of life to his years - his HEALTHSPAN. 

Even better, it WILL change his body comp and he’ll look less like a lumpy sausage in his biking jersey. 

Do you need help getting started or making the most of your limited training hours? We can help.