It’s Wednesdy and I hurt. I hurt because on Monday I started down a path I haven’t been on in a while, weight lifting.

I consider myself to be in good shape, conditioning and aerobic wise, but as far as strength is concerned I have a ways to go. I know that I should be doing “weight bearing” exercise in addition to my bicycling. I also know that there is plenty of evidence that regular strength training is beneficial. So, fulfilling a promise that I made to myself in January, I joined a local gym and did my first workout. Well, it wasn’t really a workout but more of a reintroduction to weight lifting.

I did a short warm-up on the elliptical trainer to get the blood flowing then I did a couple of “sets” on several different machines using a light weight. Here are the machines I used:

  • Military Press (shoulders, arms, and upper back)
  • Bench Press (chest, triceps)
  • Leg Press (thigh, hips, and buttocks)
  • Leg Extension (thigh and hamstring)
  • Leg Curl (hamstring)
  • Lat Pull-down (upper back, shoulders)
  • Row (shoulders, chest, and back)

My goal was just to get my body used to the motions and stress of lifting again. Needless to say, the muscles weren’t used to the activity and the result is some post workout pain. I will lift again tomorrow and Saturday. I should be free of the soreness in the next day or two. My plan is to lift 2-3 days a week to complement by bicycling. My goal is not to build bulk but rather to increase my lean muscle mass and improve my overall strength.

I am still laying out my exact routine but when I have come up with a specific workout regimen I will post it here. I have a book or two to read (focused on strength training for cyclists) that will help me structure a solid plan. Until then I will take the next couple of weeks to get my body and joints used to the activity by doing light weights with 8-10 repetitions.