purposefully cutting muscle
I know this will probably not be a popular topic, but here it goes... One major issue I've been wrestling with is excess upper body muscle. I used to play football and weigh 210 (solid), at 5' 9.5". After 4 years of tri, I'm down to a steady 172 and get to ~165 for races. The biking and running over the years have turned my legs into lean and strong pistons, but my shoulders/chest/back are still bulky. It gives me great "passing power" in the pool, but otherwise useless (or even detrimental, as I feel like a snow plow in the water and a flat-nosed Mack Truck on the bike). I've been thinking of going to heavy calorie debt to schred off the excess muscle, but don't want to lose power in the legs (or "shred" my liver, kidneys, etc.) in this process. Any advice? More endurance time in the pool while low calorie?
Comments
Dean,
In my experience, your body adapts to the loads you place upon it, but ultimately it's going to make it's own decisions as where it does/doesn't take muscle from.
I gain/lose fat/muscle in my legs depending the amount of hard cycling or running I do, especially cycling. Hard cycling makes my legs get bigger. The first place I gain and lose fat is in my butt, hips, and legs.
Conversely, I haven't lifted anything heavier than a Newcastle since about 2000, but I still carry quite a bit of USMC mass from back in the day. My body, for whatever reason, just doesn't think I need to be Schleck. Likewise, the I also lose fat in my upperbody and the net is that Race Ready Rich looks more like UFC Rich than USAT Rich. I'm build like a power triathlete, not a greyhound.
In the end, it is what it is and there isn't anything you can do about it other than to eat right, get lean, and hope that your body choses to lose upper body mass. If not, at lease you don't have to ask your daughter to open up the new jar of pickles for you...
dean:
when i join pure mid-distance and distance runners on the track for hard running sessions, not only am i at the back of the pack due to my excess upper body mass, but it looks like i am chasing them to beat them up!
the good news is that UFC rich is fast and we can be too. just will take time and smart sports specific training.
i would stay clear of the weight room for sure.
at my best i can get my arms to appear skinny, but chest and lats blow my cover. oh well.
good luck,
gh