Is Cycling A Good Sport? (For a mesomorph)

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

[cosinus_square]

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.

[shepshape]

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

[bljordan]

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.

[sigfreed]

I could listen to Neill for hours- keep this stuff coming out!!

[Wassworld]

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 !

[aarondcmedia]

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.

[steve-d]

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. :)

[Bazza]

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!!!

[joelrichards]

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.

[superhell]

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.

[chempowr]

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.

[ds]

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.

[Northwindbreeze]

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.

[awshupe]

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.

[ultimatist]

Even if triathlon is not for you or me, remember, the ladies all love Mesomorphs.

[timwolf]

Fantastic vid. I am totally a mesomorph. Weight on and off is insane

[MSternslow]

You are speaking directly to me :) fellow mesomorph

[vecdran]

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.

[davidquinn]

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

[raysmith]

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.