• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Become a Premium Member
  • About

Road Bike Rider Cycling Site

Expert road cycling advice, since 2001

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Bikes & Gear
  • Training & Health
  • Reviews
  • Cycling Ebooks
    • Ebooks Training
    • Ebooks Skills
    • E-Articles Training
    • E-Articles Nutrition
  • Member Area
  • Newsletter

Does Upper-Body Muscle Hurt Climbing Ability?

Question: I’m a former wrestler, 5-foot-8, 165 pounds with 8% body fat and very large arms and chest. Despite my small stature, I need to buy XL jerseys and cut the cuffs to get them over my arms. Does this muscle hurt my climbing? — Jim D.

Coach Fred Matheny Replies: Excessive upper-body muscle is definitely a detriment to cycling performance, especially on hills.

Your arms don’t do much work when you’re climbing in the saddle. They’re just along for the ride. Their weight holds you back like extra weight on the bike.

Seen with their jerseys off, most elite riders are shockingly scrawny from the waist up. They’re thin endurance athletes by heredity. Cycling doesn’t develop upper-body muscle. Nor does training for the sport demand arm exercises.

There are physical exceptions in the pro peloton, of course, and most of them are sprinters. They use their muscular arms to their advantage by pulling on the handlebar forcefully in sprints.

At your height and weight, I doubt that your upper body is hurting your performance much. Given your low body fat, it would be nearly impossible for you to reduce your upper body via dieting. If cycling is going to be your main sport, you should stop upper-body weight exercises so you’ll gradually lose some muscle bulk.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent Articles

  • Newsletter Issue No. 948
  • Sweet Spot Training for Every Rider: Part 2
  • Quick Tip: Checking a Carbon Bike Frame
  • Basic & Obsessive Chain Care

Recent Newsletters

Newsletter Issue No. 948

Newsletter Issue No. 947

Newsletter Issue No. 946

Newsletter Issue No. 945

Newsletter Issue No. 944

Footer

Affiliate Disclosure

Our cycling expert editors and writers choose every product we review. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy from one of our product links, at no extra cost to you. This income supports our site.

Follow Us

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
Privacy Policy

Still Haven’t Found What You’re Looking For?

Copyright © 2021 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in