If you are considering making dietary changes, we highly recommend working with a dietitian to make sure you're doing so safely and in a way that supports your goals. Check out Dina's website and schedule a free consult call with her if you're interested: bit.ly/3RlfmOS
2022 I started the year off weighing 340 ponds and was a smoker. I lost 85 pounds eating the Mediterranean way and Then I quit smoking. Quitting smoking I have gained 20 pounds . I found that eating food that are natural i was not as hungry or craving sugar. My goal this year is to ride more.
You are doing something most give up on and end up unable to do anything physical. Keep it up man, and if fall, get back up go harder. It took me years to quit smoking and drinking, but I finally broke them damned chains and it was hard. The money alone I've saved has put around twenty bikes in my stable and I could fly around the world tonight if I wanted to. 15 years ago I was broke and had nothing because of 2 pks a day and half gallon of vodka nearly every day. Stick with it man, It will have great results in time.
Fuck yea brother! That some inspiring shit. Good luck on your journey and dm if you have any questions. In my last semester for nutrition and exercise physiology so this is right up my alley.
Next t-shirt idea: "Issshogud", with icons of things like burritos and avocados below it. Maybe even combine it with "Eating Wins Races"? In any event, great video, and super stoked for you guys. I hope this season is full of checked-off goals. Wishing you the best!
I'll be honest - I don't really care a whole lot about competitive cycling, but found I enjoyed your videos because they're well-filmed, you race in beautiful places, and I found that I actually enjoyed following along on your quest to be better racers and and all the training that goes along with that. There's something to be said for honing one's body to improve your ability to compete. That's probably what I enjoy the most about your videos - just getting to see the places you race and enjoying seeing how you train to live healthy and be competitive. I tried mountain bike racing, exactly ONE summer back in about 1995, and after three races it was enough to make me realize I'd rather just ride out in the woods and only compete against myself. Now, 27 years later I hung up my two wheel bikes and I ride a recumbent trike to do all my errands and to get to and from work (23 miles round trip 3-4 days per week). These days my goals are to ride more, longer distances, and to get out and enjoy the pedal-powered, wheeled lifestyle that I want, maybe even do some camping. I enjoyed this particular video because I'm curious about eating better and it was interesting to see how you're going about that. I'm recovering from having had open heart surgery just two weeks ago. I had a congenitally defective aortic valve replaced and I had two coronary artery bypasses while they had me open. I'd always thought I was pretty healthy, and in fact I was in better shape going into my surgery than most other people my doctors and nurses would typically see. I was out of ICU in less than 12 hours, and only spent 4 1/2 days in the hospital. Still, it's obvious that there is a LOT of room for improvement in my diet and my exercise in general. My big goals going forwards are similar in some ways to yours. While I'm not looking to compete, I AM looking to lose some weight, put a bit more muscle on, and get back my stamina so I can ride those long distances again, be able to do some hiking and backpacking, and maybe even get back into kayaking. I look forward to continuing to watch your journey and even though I don't compete in the traditional sense, I think I can still learn some things from watching you. Best of luck to you in the season to come!
Great video. I did a ton a riding last year. At times it was 7 days a week. I definitely got stronger and my skillset went up but I wasn’t being wise about what I was taking in. This year, I’m putting that back on the forefront. It was fun to see what you guys are doing. I will say this, it doesn’t matter what you tell people about food and how well it’s working for you, no matter what the internet will always tell you, you’re doing it wrong. I lost 60lbs in 2020 and I still had people telling me what I was eating was horrible….and I should do X instead. LOL. It’s amazing.
Thank you Syd and Mackey for taking the time to make these very educational videos and not being afraid to talk about the “hard things” with also not sugar coating anything.
So many things to say... 1. Great tease at the end. 2. Thank you for handling a sensitive subject in such a responsible and thoughtful way. 3. Your food always looks amazing - third channel? (I know there isn't really enough time, but you look like great cooks). 4. Finally, thank you for the inspiration - your continued dedication to your passion must be doing so much good in the world, sending out all those positive, motivating vibes! I'm really looking forward to your next video and then the start of the season. ❤️💪💯🚴
A topic people aren't receptive to hear, but so important! The clean bulk/ strength training is my favourite side of fitness. Feeling good and being strong is awesome!
This video popped up in my feed today and it was just the positivity I needed. Cycling took a back seat for the better part of 2022 with my wife's pregnancy and the birth of my daughter. It took some time but I got back on the bike and training consistently since Jan 2, after all I want to be healthy for my daughter. I woke up not feeling todays workout but for some reason this video gave me new inspiration and I was able to crush my workout. I had not watched a lot of cycling videos in recent months and this just showed up in my feed. I have been following your adventures for a while now and thought I had subscribed but realized i wasn't and have fixed that. Looking forward to your 2023 and thanks again for always being so positive and motivating even through the hard times. My wife has had a difficult to recover from injury like Syd so I know first hand how challenging that can be.
Thank you for this different take on video content! You guys indeed have a healthy relationship with food and I’m always curious (never critical) to what makes you so successful as riders and RUclipsrs. Insight to your eating and training is something I find interesting informative to your success. As a 50+ cyclist (road/mtb) I’m not looking to win any races, but to enjoy life and longevity. Your channel is inspiring and real. No judgment here for Nutella! Go team Syd and Macky! Keep being more awesome and making great content!
Though I have no aspirations to compete athletically, I still find your videos extremely interesting. It's also uplifting to see how you compliment eachother. Oh and your meals look delicious. When are you bringing out your fueling cookbook?
Glad to see the changes you two made is starting to show some light. Riding bikes in our neck of the country is tough with the weather NM and CO get. The SNOW! But glad to see the weathering of the storm. Bring the noise!
could you possibly bring out a "cook book"? No fancy stuff required, just the ingredients and a picture, because that stuff you're eating looks DELICIOUS. YUMMY.
Experiencing this same challenge, so thank you for putting this video out. The body composition/weight and w/kg is struggle is real, lol. Educating myself as best possible, being smart (and safe!). Keep up the amazing work and videos! RW
Great episode! Any discussion like this is always helpful to any type of athlete or someone trying to get healthier. I’ve had a dexa body scan in my past and it was an eye opening experience. The numbers don’t lie and need they need digested and used for motivation. Good luck with all of the changes!
We've interacted a little since your eating wins races mantra. At my heaviest I was 372. I'm n currently at 250 and chronicling it on my channel. Eating and body image are the two hardest things I've had to deal with over the past couple years. I'm not really reaching anymore, but I have goals. I still have 50 to lose. I wrestle regularly with eating for a century or how much weight I will lose from it. I got to the point that my wife asked me to check that I can maintain for a bit. I've held firm for a year, so now I'm back focused on losing weight. But since that year off I feel like a loser because I didn't get to my goal yet. It's a vicious cycle. I'm rambling, and sorry about that. Just wanted to say I love your approach to things. You keep me learning and entertained as I train. Thanks!
Thanks for the kind words, Rob. 372 to 250 is a huge accomplishment and the fact that you were able to maintain for a year means you went about it sustainably which is super important. And it's great that your wife is keeping tabs on your mental health with regards to food. You definitely have no reason to feel like a loser. Eating may win races, but weight loss and getting healthier isn't a race, and you aren't competing with anyone. Keep trusting the process and enjoying the ride!
Love you both! Always cheering for you in your races and your training and well your goals too! You are both so considerate of others thanks for posting the disclaimer. Best of luck in your goals this year! As always I’ll be cheering you on and catch you in the next video!
I love your approach of professional help. Thanks for sharing this process. After my spinal fusion, this is exactly the support I like to see. Great job and bless you.
There is so much ****talk about training!! In this video you clearly show that a training, and everything around it, is so bespoke. You just have to find the right people to help you to get there. That's a quest in it selves. Great video!
as I get older (43 atm) I prioritize strength over muscle mass, for longevity and quality of life. being at around 105kg, more weight wouldn't do me any good anyway. and go team deadlift! I could do it, I'd do deadlifts every day or at least every training. imho, best exercise ever, if done correctly, and super useful especially for mountain biking. and just for everyone who sits for big chunks of time for work or otherwise. as for watts per kilograms, it's easy for roadies to be obsessed with it, since they don't need upper body for anything. people that go offroad. not so much :) good luck with you plans and upcoming season!
You're definitely doing the right things to get faster. You two will have a great 2023. Last fall I decided to up my ride volume tremendously. The effects have been phenomenal. Instead of chasing lap records all the time, I decided to take one day a week and ride at a slow to moderate pace for at least 20 miles of single track. My lap times have dropped by minutes per lap instead of a few seconds per lap like before. 👍 One thing I did that helped me get stronger was up my front chainring by 2 teeth every month. So far I've went up by 6 teeth and I'm using the same cadence. This will make you faster weather you like it or not! 😂 The thing is that increasing in a two tooth at a time increment was not noticeable to me anywhere but on the stopwatch. Best of luck in all your races. I'll be cheering for you two.
Great video. If professionals are not getting their fuelling formula correct, just imagine how many others are not getting it correct! This video is a reminder to make sure to pay attention to fuel - my favourite part was the timing of the fuel intake vs the workouts.
Another great video with helpful insights. I'm no racer & mostly a roadie. In the past I was gobbling up hours on the bike, maintaining a decent weight but ended up on the verge of anemia due to not hitting the right mix of food and not getting the timing right. And not resting enough.
When the great Eddy Merckx was asked what advice he would give to up and coming bike racers, he replied, "ride lots." Keep doing what you are doing. It's going to be fun to watch.
as someone who worksout,losing fat and keeping or getting more muscle is about as difficult as it gets. Usually its one or the other..#1 I think one thing to consider is,lets face it,..You're not spring chickens anymore..#2 You both have been injured badly at times...#3 it could also be some burnout. Having said this,the challenge is on. Ive been following you for a number of years now. You are both dedicated strong seem positive and like to challenge yourselves..Whatever you do and however well you do im rooting for you. Best of luck.
I've been riding bike seriously since I was 12 years old. I'm 62 now. I've been thinking about Macky's hill climb issue. My advice, get a control time on a specific climb, then add 10 pounds of weight around the bottom bracket of you bike. Do the same climb for a week. You might lose a few pounds in the process. Then try the same climb without the weight, comparing it to the control time.
Hi Syd & Macky, of all the videos and documents I have read it did not help much in my climbing ability. But, this said, after my ankle injury I decided to change one of my trainig elements due to my ankle to this. I used resistance training since we do not have mountains here, a setting that is definately loaded and decided that I will go at 30% of my ability for 4hrs(longest duration climb in one of the events) Next I maintained the same resistance but moved to 50% ability until I reached 100%. The increments depends on you. I then increased to the next level of resistance and started the cycle over. This is a bit slow progress but I think that yours will be faster as I was still nursing an injured ankle. This might not sound to work, but it works. You guys must have a wonderfull year this year
At the beginning of this video I was very worried but I think your hitting it right. If your goal is to lose 10 lbs I think it will end poorly. If you train to be less muscle building and time your eating better - and that improves your performance but also leads to losing weight (which may be helping performance), then that is a much healthier outcome. Remember your life will continue after racing and it will be worth it to not be broken during that 50 year span
Whoo. Non-technical perimeter looks fun in the snow (as long as you miss the random jagged bits in the middle of the trail). 😁 Always wondered how you balance your lifting during the season and what rep ranges you're generally staying in (noticed you said strength focused, which can have various meanings to folks). Personally I think you can do fairly low volume/high intensity lifting to retain some strength (ie neuromuscular adaptations and lift practice), however lifting in a slightly higher rep range still keeps your general strength high (perhaps not peaked), but you can do a bit more endurance work with weights. Might be something to consider, especially since we all have our weak areas that can always be improved upon. Higher rep ranges like 8-12 or even 12-15 beat up my joints noticeably less than sets of 5. Also...total sidenote... I never really got much out of doing heavy conventional deadlifts (concentric only). I got up to 4 plates without really building any hamstring size. I've since focused a lot more on tempo RDLs (full range of motion, slow eccentric, almost to touch the plates on the floor). I like to focus on the hinge with very slight movement at the knee (kinda like a SLDL). I build way more hams and glutes with that than prior deadlifts techniques I had used. The only problem is it can be tricky to teach yourself to hinge well with a very braced lumbar spine.
Your new breakfasts are kinda similar to how I've been making mine for a few months (overnight oats style). I do 450g 0% yogurt, 80g rolled oats, 140g blueberries and two scoops of whey protein. Usually spring some seeds on top and maybe a drizzle of honey. It's a ton of food but it's been fueling my mornings really well. I'm a bit of a gym rat (5-6 hours a week lifting), and its pretty sustainable for me. 👍
Went from assuming my fitbits calories were accurate and through trial and error found out that it was consistently 1000-1500 calories over on any day I exercised causing me to put on weight and now I know from experience how much and when to eat. That and zwift has been amazing for the rubbish weather in the uk winters
Y'all two are awesome, thanks for all the vids! This one hit home since I've been off the bike for about a month (freeze thaw in VA is the worst!), but I've been doing more strength training. I don't race or anything, but it's fun going fast and keeping up with my buddies that have been biking for most of their lives, when I've only been at it for just over a year. Btw, dig the reggae music choice!
It is so easy to get hung up on hunger or not. I agree a scale is crucial for any type of dieting. I have multiple health issues, stroke, kidney, bypass ect. I have found a cheap scale from Harbor Freight has been the best help portion control.
In 2019 I was down to 144lbs and felt in great shape then 2020 and 2021 hit multiple lock downs home schooling and extra work due to colleagues shielding wrecked my diet and training routines currently 160lbs 2022 wasn't much better with injuries weather hitting 40c more work so in 2023 I'm looking to get back to it and this video has been awesome help
I also want to be faster on the uphill. I see so many people pass me on the uphill during races. It is obvious that cadence is the factor in hill climbing. I am doing Peloton Power Zone spin classes to get my cadence up. Also I went vegan for six years and noticed the last three years of being vegan that my endurance and speed was going away. As a result in went back to eating meat of which mostly chicken skinless breast. I did see improvement when I went back to eating meat. So you are right about protein and muscles. I think your videos have healthy foods that you cook which is a great influence. I mostly cook my food and it is comprised vegetable, organic, lean meats only, carbs that are whole grains or starches like potatoes. I am trying.
your not alone, lots of people I taught cycling classes struggled. It was strength or strength endurance issue. 60-80 rpm long hill climbs. Standing and seated. just be careful with your knees and listen to your body
Hey Syd and Macky, Thanks for the great vid. Everything you are doing is in the right direction. I did Ironman full way back - I learnt as been a very light weight that i had to eat more than most on the bike and run as my body did not have the necessary stores like the bigger/stronger people. Roll clock forward, did strength training, bulk up, with muscle - started mtb biking and what a difference having the extra kgs and the muscle mass to go with the rigous of mtb. i know just have to sort out eating on the bike. Thanks again love watching you guys from Sunny Cape Town, South Africa
This was a really helpful video. I'm not a pro and have never done a race but I'm using cycling to fix that. I graze after rides and wonder why I'm not losing weight. This was one of those real talk videos lol some of us didn't want to hear it lol. You guys should do a video with an in depth look to strength training. The benefits to that are there but I feel as cyclists we just assume riding makes us better and nothing else.
Love the content! Mackie, the area where you loose time is the hills of say 4 to 7 percent. You always make up time on the technical climbs and descents. I think you should spend more time on hill repeats to built up your endurance and speed for the areas that you are the weekest. Keep up the great content! We look forward to watching your videos ever Friday!
Loved this episode! My wife and I were just talking about you guys with our preteen daughters and the need to fuel their bodies properly. They both swim competitively and I always joke with them that eating wins races. While we're less concerned about the winning part, we do want them to gain knowledge on how ( and how much)they need to eat considering most practices are about 90 minutes of mostly swimming. We'll likely watch this episode with them soon. I think we may do a food journal with them for just a week to help get an idea if they're eating enough. I'm pretty sure my 9 yo bonks at the end of every practice and I think we might need to brainstorm with her coach on how to sneak in a mid-workout snack for that little body. Thanks for sharing this part of your journey with us!
@@koreyklister5355 I'm working on a cookbook actually! But writing recipes is turning out to be a bit harder than anticipated haha I love the idea that this video could help your daughters better fuel their workouts. Just make sure to emphasize that while we may need to eat more or differently for our training, food isn't earned by exercise and we all need to eat to fuel our daily lives. xoxo
Great video guys from so many angles and especially your approach to food. Protein is so important and so are Carbs. Food is fuel and we all know or should know proper fueling leads to better performance.
I really appreciate this type of content. One thing I find difficult is the recovery. I always feel that hinders my training. Can you do a video on the recovery side please?
Thanks for broaching this topic. One big ah ha I had recently occurred when I got a power meter. I had been over estimating the amount of work I was really doing. So, I’m doing a much better job of matching the food input with the work output.
You guys have taught me so much about nutrition and eating. Applying your practices have helped me go from 2 hour rides to taking podium spots in 12 hour races. Learning with you has been a blast. Side note, is that a misen chef knife you're cutting that chicken with? 🤔
Great video!! Starting in late December, I set a goal to track what I eat this year. My menu has been similar to your new one for a while. Loving it. I’m an old guy trying to improve lean strength. Two questions: Curious of what your target ratio of grams of protein to kg of body weight? I’m trying 1.8 grams to kg. The really big question is how does your new plan effect your burrito consumption? (-: Cheers and thanks for the videos!
My goal was 130-150g, and Macky's was 150-170g, so in the range of 1.8-2.2 per kg. Pretty high but it's worth considering that our overall calorie intake is also quite high, especially with our current training. Burritos are definitely still on the menu, although we are being a bit more conscious of what we put in them. Also, tortillas are a great pre-ride carb boost, so we might be more likely to eat them for lunch before our afternoon ride than late in the evening. Hope that makes sense! :)
Some of your dishes look amazing! Great job on taking a very balanced approach to food, nutrition and weight. More so in road cycling we’re bombarded with content with guys constantly referencing their 65kg weight which is so unrealistic, possibly unhealthy, for the vast majority of riders with jobs, families and a full diary of responsibilities. Great balance.
Really interesting and useful episode. More like this please. Bacon and Nutella - no concerns for your health... Your taste buds on the other hand!!! 😳
I have also cleaned up my diet for the new year got rid of the sugary drinks and better choice snacks put some structure in my training again and the first thing I realised was I don’t eat enough probably why I’m craving sugar … cycling the only sport where a diet involves eating more cos eating wins races 💪🏻 stay awesome guys thanks for the videos
Only my thoughts but often left out of the conversation around the quantity of food required when training at that level is the cost....that fully loaded oatmeal breakfast cost 10 times the egg on toast and that matters when you're the provider for your kids. It often feels like competitive sport is a DINK...dual income no kids...past time especially when you factor in the cost of equipment and the travel expenses just to get to events......I'm happy to be a recreational cyclist and a spectator, it's affordable at the least but I wonder how many people would be better off spending their limited budget on breakfast rather than gear....just a thought👍
Berries and nuts are definitely expensive, but oatmeal itself is quite cheap, especially compared to eggs which are over 6$ a dozen right now 🤯 our grocery bill is quite high, but we almost never eat out, so our total expenditure is probably less than say, a couple that regularly orders take out or goes out for drinks. I definitely agree that spending a bit more budget on food vs equipment might make sense for a lot of people.
Its funny listening to you guys i have been weighing my food for over ten years and counting macros am i cal def or excess etc people who dont do it think your insaine i think the average person is insaine you would not drive a car without a fuel guage . I have also been 85 kg 5 % Body fat super fast sprinting and dh riding and still top end climber i have also been 72 kg skinny week and fast uphill with less effort but so week i could not hold a line in the ruff i,m now 80 kg still lean and fast everywere except bit slower sprint dont make the mistake and end up looking like the topical xc rider food is sooo soo complicated and everyone is differant good luck and i look forward to seeing you guys both win.
Another awesome video! Hitting all the topics I struggle to piece together without using an excel spread sheet and turning myself into a lab rat. I guess I [could] use my home-brew hops gram scale to weigh my food😂
Interesting video. Two questions. Is age a significant factor in your MTB racing? Secondly, what is the residual benefit of a 6 week weight training block? Seems like after a couple of months off you would be back to pretraining level?? I am aware of the approach but no first hand knowledge.
Age is definitely a factor at some point, but I think that point is later than many people assume, especially for endurance racing. There are a lot of pro endurance racers in their late 30s, early 40s, absolutely crushing it. As for the 6 week block, I realize how I presented that was slightly confusing. We strength train all the way through our season, but most of our "heavy" training is done in the off season. So, at this point we are transitioning from progressively overloading movements like deadlift, bench press, etc to more explosive and dynamic movements. We'll be maintaining a lot of strength, while hopefully building speed and explosiveness. It's very hard to balance heavy lifting with endurance sports and we're never going to be hitting deadlift PRs in July/August but that's okay, because that's not the goal. Hope that makes sense!
Your shopping cart probably gets a lot of looks with all the fresh fruits and veggies . Your cart would be rare in my grocery stores that I shop at . I have a similar cart and I am the exception and may go up a notch higher than you guys on healthy food options. Getting stronger at climbing is climbing longer , steeper grades and bigger elevation . If races are over 2000 ft of elevation climbing probably should dominate the training . You guys look great but as you said not the typical body structure for more endurance athletes . Maybe built for faster shorter races like you see in runners who are more muscular in shorter sprint races . In my lower 60s I have recently added some weight training but it's light weight . I heavy lifted when younger and I am not doing that anymore but it has had a noticable benefit on the bike not getting sore and muscle fatigue on those longer rides . I think your changes should show noticable benefit .
i love you guys and I get so excited when your new video drops on Friday night! As much as I love you, I'm traumatized by seeing you pile your groceries on top of your produce. Are you heathens? I can only imagine how you would torture a bunch of bananas.
If you are considering making dietary changes, we highly recommend working with a dietitian to make sure you're doing so safely and in a way that supports your goals. Check out Dina's website and schedule a free consult call with her if you're interested: bit.ly/3RlfmOS
2022 I started the year off weighing 340 ponds and was a smoker. I lost 85 pounds eating the Mediterranean way and Then I quit smoking. Quitting smoking I have gained 20 pounds . I found that eating food that are natural i was not as hungry or craving sugar. My goal this year is to ride more.
You are doing something most give up on and end up unable to do anything physical. Keep it up man, and if fall, get back up go harder. It took me years to quit smoking and drinking, but I finally broke them damned chains and it was hard. The money alone I've saved has put around twenty bikes in my stable and I could fly around the world tonight if I wanted to. 15 years ago I was broke and had nothing because of 2 pks a day and half gallon of vodka nearly every day. Stick with it man, It will have great results in time.
Fuck yea brother! That some inspiring shit. Good luck on your journey and dm if you have any questions. In my last semester for nutrition and exercise physiology so this is right up my alley.
Keep it up! You are being more awesome!
My wife is a dietician who works with eating disorder clients. You all did a great job prefacing the contents of this video 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I just want you two to write a cookbook (or even just a list of go-to meals). Your food always looks SO GOOD!
true
Syd and Macky cookbook when?
For reals - the meals you guys eat look absolutely lush ❤️
Yes, those meals looked amazing!!
Next t-shirt idea: "Issshogud", with icons of things like burritos and avocados below it. Maybe even combine it with "Eating Wins Races"?
In any event, great video, and super stoked for you guys. I hope this season is full of checked-off goals. Wishing you the best!
Thank you for being such thoughtful and caring RUclipsrs. You are wonderful ambassadors for the sport.
I'll be honest - I don't really care a whole lot about competitive cycling, but found I enjoyed your videos because they're well-filmed, you race in beautiful places, and I found that I actually enjoyed following along on your quest to be better racers and and all the training that goes along with that. There's something to be said for honing one's body to improve your ability to compete. That's probably what I enjoy the most about your videos - just getting to see the places you race and enjoying seeing how you train to live healthy and be competitive. I tried mountain bike racing, exactly ONE summer back in about 1995, and after three races it was enough to make me realize I'd rather just ride out in the woods and only compete against myself. Now, 27 years later I hung up my two wheel bikes and I ride a recumbent trike to do all my errands and to get to and from work (23 miles round trip 3-4 days per week). These days my goals are to ride more, longer distances, and to get out and enjoy the pedal-powered, wheeled lifestyle that I want, maybe even do some camping. I enjoyed this particular video because I'm curious about eating better and it was interesting to see how you're going about that. I'm recovering from having had open heart surgery just two weeks ago. I had a congenitally defective aortic valve replaced and I had two coronary artery bypasses while they had me open. I'd always thought I was pretty healthy, and in fact I was in better shape going into my surgery than most other people my doctors and nurses would typically see. I was out of ICU in less than 12 hours, and only spent 4 1/2 days in the hospital. Still, it's obvious that there is a LOT of room for improvement in my diet and my exercise in general. My big goals going forwards are similar in some ways to yours. While I'm not looking to compete, I AM looking to lose some weight, put a bit more muscle on, and get back my stamina so I can ride those long distances again, be able to do some hiking and backpacking, and maybe even get back into kayaking. I look forward to continuing to watch your journey and even though I don't compete in the traditional sense, I think I can still learn some things from watching you. Best of luck to you in the season to come!
Great video. I did a ton a riding last year. At times it was 7 days a week. I definitely got stronger and my skillset went up but I wasn’t being wise about what I was taking in. This year, I’m putting that back on the forefront. It was fun to see what you guys are doing. I will say this, it doesn’t matter what you tell people about food and how well it’s working for you, no matter what the internet will always tell you, you’re doing it wrong. I lost 60lbs in 2020 and I still had people telling me what I was eating was horrible….and I should do X instead. LOL. It’s amazing.
Gotta love the internet lol
I want to be able to buy "Syd and Macky's New Mexican Cookbook for Cyclists". Would ya'll mind getting on that soon?
Thank you Syd and Mackey for taking the time to make these very educational videos and not being afraid to talk about the “hard things” with also not sugar coating anything.
So many things to say...
1. Great tease at the end.
2. Thank you for handling a sensitive subject in such a responsible and thoughtful way.
3. Your food always looks amazing - third channel? (I know there isn't really enough time, but you look like great cooks).
4. Finally, thank you for the inspiration - your continued dedication to your passion must be doing so much good in the world, sending out all those positive, motivating vibes!
I'm really looking forward to your next video and then the start of the season. ❤️💪💯🚴
A topic people aren't receptive to hear, but so important! The clean bulk/ strength training is my favourite side of fitness. Feeling good and being strong is awesome!
This video popped up in my feed today and it was just the positivity I needed. Cycling took a back seat for the better part of 2022 with my wife's pregnancy and the birth of my daughter. It took some time but I got back on the bike and training consistently since Jan 2, after all I want to be healthy for my daughter. I woke up not feeling todays workout but for some reason this video gave me new inspiration and I was able to crush my workout. I had not watched a lot of cycling videos in recent months and this just showed up in my feed. I have been following your adventures for a while now and thought I had subscribed but realized i wasn't and have fixed that. Looking forward to your 2023 and thanks again for always being so positive and motivating even through the hard times. My wife has had a difficult to recover from injury like Syd so I know first hand how challenging that can be.
Thank you for this different take on video content! You guys indeed have a healthy relationship with food and I’m always curious (never critical) to what makes you so successful as riders and RUclipsrs. Insight to your eating and training is something I find interesting informative to your success. As a 50+ cyclist (road/mtb) I’m not looking to win any races, but to enjoy life and longevity. Your channel is inspiring and real. No judgment here for Nutella! Go team Syd and Macky! Keep being more awesome and making great content!
Though I have no aspirations to compete athletically, I still find your videos extremely interesting. It's also uplifting to see how you compliment eachother. Oh and your meals look delicious. When are you bringing out your fueling cookbook?
Thanks for the great content. HIgh quality, science-based, and free of clickbait hype. Really appreciate you guys.
Glad to see the changes you two made is starting to show some light. Riding bikes in our neck of the country is tough with the weather NM and CO get. The SNOW! But glad to see the weathering of the storm. Bring the noise!
could you possibly bring out a "cook book"? No fancy stuff required, just the ingredients and a picture, because that stuff you're eating looks DELICIOUS. YUMMY.
I have been working on one actually. But it turns out writing recipes is harder than I anticipated haha!
You guys need to post some recipes, every video I watch where you are cooking something it always looks fantastic.
Experiencing this same challenge, so thank you for putting this video out. The body composition/weight and w/kg is struggle is real, lol. Educating myself as best possible, being smart (and safe!). Keep up the amazing work and videos! RW
Great episode! Any discussion like this is always helpful to any type of athlete or someone trying to get healthier. I’ve had a dexa body scan in my past and it was an eye opening experience. The numbers don’t lie and need they need digested and used for motivation. Good luck with all of the changes!
This was your best video to date. Very down to earth. Good luck this year. Will be following
We've interacted a little since your eating wins races mantra. At my heaviest I was 372. I'm n currently at 250 and chronicling it on my channel. Eating and body image are the two hardest things I've had to deal with over the past couple years. I'm not really reaching anymore, but I have goals. I still have 50 to lose. I wrestle regularly with eating for a century or how much weight I will lose from it. I got to the point that my wife asked me to check that I can maintain for a bit. I've held firm for a year, so now I'm back focused on losing weight. But since that year off I feel like a loser because I didn't get to my goal yet. It's a vicious cycle.
I'm rambling, and sorry about that. Just wanted to say I love your approach to things. You keep me learning and entertained as I train. Thanks!
Thanks for the kind words, Rob. 372 to 250 is a huge accomplishment and the fact that you were able to maintain for a year means you went about it sustainably which is super important. And it's great that your wife is keeping tabs on your mental health with regards to food. You definitely have no reason to feel like a loser. Eating may win races, but weight loss and getting healthier isn't a race, and you aren't competing with anyone. Keep trusting the process and enjoying the ride!
@@sydandmacky thanks.
The food looks so delicious 😋, Can you share the recipes?
Love you both! Always cheering for you in your races and your training and well your goals too! You are both so considerate of others thanks for posting the disclaimer. Best of luck in your goals this year! As always I’ll be cheering you on and catch you in the next video!
I love your approach of professional help. Thanks for sharing this process. After my spinal fusion, this is exactly the support I like to see. Great job and bless you.
There is so much ****talk about training!! In this video you clearly show that a training, and everything around it, is so bespoke. You
just have to find the right people to help you to get there. That's a quest in it selves. Great video!
as I get older (43 atm) I prioritize strength over muscle mass, for longevity and quality of life. being at around 105kg, more weight wouldn't do me any good anyway. and go team deadlift! I could do it, I'd do deadlifts every day or at least every training. imho, best exercise ever, if done correctly, and super useful especially for mountain biking. and just for everyone who sits for big chunks of time for work or otherwise. as for watts per kilograms, it's easy for roadies to be obsessed with it, since they don't need upper body for anything. people that go offroad. not so much :) good luck with you plans and upcoming season!
Yes, there is a balance for sure!
You're definitely doing the right things to get faster. You two will have a great 2023. Last fall I decided to up my ride volume tremendously. The effects have been phenomenal. Instead of chasing lap records all the time, I decided to take one day a week and ride at a slow to moderate pace for at least 20 miles of single track. My lap times have dropped by minutes per lap instead of a few seconds per lap like before. 👍 One thing I did that helped me get stronger was up my front chainring by 2 teeth every month. So far I've went up by 6 teeth and I'm using the same cadence. This will make you faster weather you like it or not! 😂 The thing is that increasing in a two tooth at a time increment was not noticeable to me anywhere but on the stopwatch. Best of luck in all your races. I'll be cheering for you two.
Can you do a video with just some of the recipes in this video cos they all look so good!!
Thanks guys, personally never struggled with food & racing but seeing the serving size you had on plates... Time to up my game 😋
Great video. If professionals are not getting their fuelling formula correct, just imagine how many others are not getting it correct! This video is a reminder to make sure to pay attention to fuel - my favourite part was the timing of the fuel intake vs the workouts.
The food you make always looks great, how about do a video on some of your favorite recipes
Inspirational, well done. Thank you for sharing.
Spotted at 5:06. You're going to enjoy that one so much more!
Maybe 😉
Another great video with helpful insights. I'm no racer & mostly a roadie. In the past I was gobbling up hours on the bike, maintaining a decent weight but ended up on the verge of anemia due to not hitting the right mix of food and not getting the timing right. And not resting enough.
Wish I knew how to eat back when I was racing in college. I was always bonking on the big efforts.
what, are you saying middlebury cycling team wasn't optimized? lol good times.
When the great Eddy Merckx was asked what advice he would give to up and coming bike racers, he replied, "ride lots." Keep doing what you are doing. It's going to be fun to watch.
as someone who worksout,losing fat and keeping or getting more muscle is about as difficult as it gets. Usually its one or the other..#1 I think one thing to consider is,lets face it,..You're not spring chickens anymore..#2 You both have been injured badly at times...#3 it could also be some burnout. Having said this,the challenge is on. Ive been following you for a number of years now. You are both dedicated strong seem positive and like to challenge yourselves..Whatever you do and however well you do im rooting for you. Best of luck.
Love the video and really want to know what was in your tacos
I've been riding bike seriously since I was 12 years old. I'm 62 now. I've been thinking about Macky's hill climb issue. My advice, get a control time on a specific climb, then add 10 pounds of weight around the bottom bracket of you bike. Do the same climb for a week. You might lose a few pounds in the process. Then try the same climb without the weight, comparing it to the control time.
Hi Syd & Macky, of all the videos and documents I have read it did not help much in my climbing ability. But, this said, after my ankle injury I decided to change one of my trainig elements due to my ankle to this. I used resistance training since we do not have mountains here, a setting that is definately loaded and decided that I will go at 30% of my ability for 4hrs(longest duration climb in one of the events) Next I maintained the same resistance but moved to 50% ability until I reached 100%. The increments depends on you. I then increased to the next level of resistance and started the cycle over. This is a bit slow progress but I think that yours will be faster as I was still nursing an injured ankle. This might not sound to work, but it works. You guys must have a wonderfull year this year
Will keep watching!!
At the beginning of this video I was very worried but I think your hitting it right. If your goal is to lose 10 lbs I think it will end poorly. If you train to be less muscle building and time your eating better - and that improves your performance but also leads to losing weight (which may be helping performance), then that is a much healthier outcome. Remember your life will continue after racing and it will be worth it to not be broken during that 50 year span
All I know is all that colorful food looked scrumptious 😋
Where do you guys get your recipes? They look awesome!!
Whoo. Non-technical perimeter looks fun in the snow (as long as you miss the random jagged bits in the middle of the trail). 😁
Always wondered how you balance your lifting during the season and what rep ranges you're generally staying in (noticed you said strength focused, which can have various meanings to folks). Personally I think you can do fairly low volume/high intensity lifting to retain some strength (ie neuromuscular adaptations and lift practice), however lifting in a slightly higher rep range still keeps your general strength high (perhaps not peaked), but you can do a bit more endurance work with weights. Might be something to consider, especially since we all have our weak areas that can always be improved upon. Higher rep ranges like 8-12 or even 12-15 beat up my joints noticeably less than sets of 5.
Also...total sidenote... I never really got much out of doing heavy conventional deadlifts (concentric only). I got up to 4 plates without really building any hamstring size. I've since focused a lot more on tempo RDLs (full range of motion, slow eccentric, almost to touch the plates on the floor). I like to focus on the hinge with very slight movement at the knee (kinda like a SLDL). I build way more hams and glutes with that than prior deadlifts techniques I had used. The only problem is it can be tricky to teach yourself to hinge well with a very braced lumbar spine.
You guys throw together some great looking meals! You should make a cook book lol
Your new breakfasts are kinda similar to how I've been making mine for a few months (overnight oats style). I do 450g 0% yogurt, 80g rolled oats, 140g blueberries and two scoops of whey protein. Usually spring some seeds on top and maybe a drizzle of honey. It's a ton of food but it's been fueling my mornings really well. I'm a bit of a gym rat (5-6 hours a week lifting), and its pretty sustainable for me. 👍
I knew it and said it. Hope you both figure out how to do it. Climb, climb, and sprint climb.
Went from assuming my fitbits calories were accurate and through trial and error found out that it was consistently 1000-1500 calories over on any day I exercised causing me to put on weight and now I know from experience how much and when to eat. That and zwift has been amazing for the rubbish weather in the uk winters
The goose-honking SFX over the Nutella comments cracked me up likely more than it was intended to. 😂
I mean, I also thought it was hilarious so I'm glad someone got the vision
Closed captions translated “watts-to-kilos” to “lots tequila”, 🎉
Freudian slip? 🤣🤣🤣
Y'all two are awesome, thanks for all the vids! This one hit home since I've been off the bike for about a month (freeze thaw in VA is the worst!), but I've been doing more strength training. I don't race or anything, but it's fun going fast and keeping up with my buddies that have been biking for most of their lives, when I've only been at it for just over a year. Btw, dig the reggae music choice!
It is so easy to get hung up on hunger or not. I agree a scale is crucial for any type of dieting. I have multiple health issues, stroke, kidney, bypass ect. I have found a cheap scale from Harbor Freight has been the best help portion control.
In 2019 I was down to 144lbs and felt in great shape then 2020 and 2021 hit multiple lock downs home schooling and extra work due to colleagues shielding wrecked my diet and training routines currently 160lbs 2022 wasn't much better with injuries weather hitting 40c more work so in 2023 I'm looking to get back to it and this video has been awesome help
I also want to be faster on the uphill. I see so many people pass me on the uphill during races. It is obvious that cadence is the factor in hill climbing. I am doing Peloton Power Zone spin classes to get my cadence up. Also I went vegan for six years and noticed the last three years of being vegan that my endurance and speed was going away. As a result in went back to eating meat of which mostly chicken skinless breast. I did see improvement when I went back to eating meat. So you are right about protein and muscles. I think your videos have healthy foods that you cook which is a great influence. I mostly cook my food and it is comprised vegetable, organic, lean meats only, carbs that are whole grains or starches like potatoes. I am trying.
your not alone, lots of people I taught cycling classes struggled. It was strength or strength endurance issue. 60-80 rpm long hill climbs. Standing and seated. just be careful with your knees and listen to your body
awesome, love what you guys are doing!
The food looks so good. Would love to see a recipe or two!
Hey Syd and Macky, Thanks for the great vid. Everything you are doing is in the right direction. I did Ironman full way back - I learnt as been a very light weight that i had to eat more than most on the bike and run as my body did not have the necessary stores like the bigger/stronger people. Roll clock forward, did strength training, bulk up, with muscle - started mtb biking and what a difference having the extra kgs and the muscle mass to go with the rigous of mtb. i know just have to sort out eating on the bike. Thanks again love watching you guys from Sunny Cape Town, South Africa
This was a really helpful video. I'm not a pro and have never done a race but I'm using cycling to fix that. I graze after rides and wonder why I'm not losing weight. This was one of those real talk videos lol some of us didn't want to hear it lol. You guys should do a video with an in depth look to strength training. The benefits to that are there but I feel as cyclists we just assume riding makes us better and nothing else.
Can I get the recipes for the meals you made in this video? They look appetizing! 😭
Love the content! Mackie, the area where you loose time is the hills of say 4 to 7 percent. You always make up time on the technical climbs and descents. I think you should spend more time on hill repeats to built up your endurance and speed for the areas that you are the weekest. Keep up the great content! We look forward to watching your videos ever Friday!
I think you did a good job on a complicated topic.
“Issshogud”❤ my new goal in cooking for junior hockey players. And for me too
Gold!!
Loved this episode! My wife and I were just talking about you guys with our preteen daughters and the need to fuel their bodies properly. They both swim competitively and I always joke with them that eating wins races. While we're less concerned about the winning part, we do want them to gain knowledge on how ( and how much)they need to eat considering most practices are about 90 minutes of mostly swimming. We'll likely watch this episode with them soon. I think we may do a food journal with them for just a week to help get an idea if they're eating enough. I'm pretty sure my 9 yo bonks at the end of every practice and I think we might need to brainstorm with her coach on how to sneak in a mid-workout snack for that little body. Thanks for sharing this part of your journey with us!
PS - You're food always looks awesome! You should make a cookbook 😃
@@koreyklister5355 I'm working on a cookbook actually! But writing recipes is turning out to be a bit harder than anticipated haha I love the idea that this video could help your daughters better fuel their workouts. Just make sure to emphasize that while we may need to eat more or differently for our training, food isn't earned by exercise and we all need to eat to fuel our daily lives. xoxo
Great video guys from so many angles and especially your approach to food. Protein is so important and so are Carbs. Food is fuel and we all know or should know proper fueling leads to better performance.
Great video! Thanks
All that food looks so good!
This was really interesting. Thanks!
I really appreciate this type of content. One thing I find difficult is the recovery. I always feel that hinders my training. Can you do a video on the recovery side please?
Out of curiosity, in what way do you feel like it hinders your training? Like, you aren't getting enough of it?
Thanks for broaching this topic. One big ah ha I had recently occurred when I got a power meter. I had been over estimating the amount of work I was really doing. So, I’m doing a much better job of matching the food input with the work output.
yeah, calories calculated from HR can be wayyyyy off. Power is definitely the way to go!
When I go for long hikes I will eat wraps with tuna, peanut butter and Nutella!
Pancake, bacon and nutella sound's really good to me... i would probably add a banana to the roll to make it even perfect... yummy...🤤
You guys have taught me so much about nutrition and eating. Applying your practices have helped me go from 2 hour rides to taking podium spots in 12 hour races. Learning with you has been a blast. Side note, is that a misen chef knife you're cutting that chicken with? 🤔
yes we love our misen knives!!
You guys should do some cooking episodes!
Great video!! Starting in late December, I set a goal to track what I eat this year. My menu has been similar to your new one for a while. Loving it. I’m an old guy trying to improve lean strength. Two questions: Curious of what your target ratio of grams of protein to kg of body weight? I’m trying 1.8 grams to kg. The really big question is how does your new plan effect your burrito consumption? (-: Cheers and thanks for the videos!
My goal was 130-150g, and Macky's was 150-170g, so in the range of 1.8-2.2 per kg. Pretty high but it's worth considering that our overall calorie intake is also quite high, especially with our current training. Burritos are definitely still on the menu, although we are being a bit more conscious of what we put in them. Also, tortillas are a great pre-ride carb boost, so we might be more likely to eat them for lunch before our afternoon ride than late in the evening. Hope that makes sense! :)
Some of your dishes look amazing! Great job on taking a very balanced approach to food, nutrition and weight. More so in road cycling we’re bombarded with content with guys constantly referencing their 65kg weight which is so unrealistic, possibly unhealthy, for the vast majority of riders with jobs, families and a full diary of responsibilities. Great balance.
I loved the food disclaimer 😂😂
I want a version of the shirt with Drinking Wings Races, it's just me laughing
This definitely has potential 🤣
I'm so confused buy the disclaimer in the beginning.
Is the Ryobi drill part of your kitchen appliances..as a tradie it made me laugh
Really interesting and useful episode. More like this please.
Bacon and Nutella - no concerns for your health... Your taste buds on the other hand!!! 😳
I have also cleaned up my diet for the new year got rid of the sugary drinks and better choice snacks put some structure in my training again and the first thing I realised was I don’t eat enough probably why I’m craving sugar … cycling the only sport where a diet involves eating more cos eating wins races 💪🏻 stay awesome guys thanks for the videos
no third channel, but maybe a cookbook? ;)
Great work guys , keep at it
A lot of that food looked pretty good. Recipes?
Only my thoughts but often left out of the conversation around the quantity of food required when training at that level is the cost....that fully loaded oatmeal breakfast cost 10 times the egg on toast and that matters when you're the provider for your kids. It often feels like competitive sport is a DINK...dual income no kids...past time especially when you factor in the cost of equipment and the travel expenses just to get to events......I'm happy to be a recreational cyclist and a spectator, it's affordable at the least but I wonder how many people would be better off spending their limited budget on breakfast rather than gear....just a thought👍
Berries and nuts are definitely expensive, but oatmeal itself is quite cheap, especially compared to eggs which are over 6$ a dozen right now 🤯 our grocery bill is quite high, but we almost never eat out, so our total expenditure is probably less than say, a couple that regularly orders take out or goes out for drinks. I definitely agree that spending a bit more budget on food vs equipment might make sense for a lot of people.
“Simplify, and add lightness.” Colin Chapman
Its funny listening to you guys i have been weighing my food for over ten years and counting macros am i cal def or excess etc people who dont do it think your insaine i think the average person is insaine you would not drive a car without a fuel guage . I have also been 85 kg 5 % Body fat super fast sprinting and dh riding and still top end climber i have also been 72 kg skinny week and fast uphill with less effort but so week i could not hold a line in the ruff i,m now 80 kg still lean and fast everywere except bit slower sprint dont make the mistake and end up looking like the topical xc rider food is sooo soo complicated and everyone is differant good luck and i look forward to seeing you guys both win.
Another awesome video! Hitting all the topics I struggle to piece together without using an excel spread sheet and turning myself into a lab rat.
I guess I [could] use my home-brew hops gram scale to weigh my food😂
I always saw food on a ride as fuel.
Interesting video. Two questions. Is age a significant factor in your MTB racing? Secondly, what is the residual benefit of a 6 week weight training block? Seems like after a couple of months off you would be back to pretraining level?? I am aware of the approach but no first hand knowledge.
Age is definitely a factor at some point, but I think that point is later than many people assume, especially for endurance racing. There are a lot of pro endurance racers in their late 30s, early 40s, absolutely crushing it. As for the 6 week block, I realize how I presented that was slightly confusing. We strength train all the way through our season, but most of our "heavy" training is done in the off season. So, at this point we are transitioning from progressively overloading movements like deadlift, bench press, etc to more explosive and dynamic movements. We'll be maintaining a lot of strength, while hopefully building speed and explosiveness. It's very hard to balance heavy lifting with endurance sports and we're never going to be hitting deadlift PRs in July/August but that's okay, because that's not the goal. Hope that makes sense!
Thanks for the thoughtful response!
Your shopping cart probably gets a lot of looks with all the fresh fruits and veggies . Your cart would be rare in my grocery stores that I shop at . I have a similar cart and I am the exception and may go up a notch higher than you guys on healthy food options. Getting stronger at climbing is climbing longer , steeper grades and bigger elevation . If races are over 2000 ft of elevation climbing probably should dominate the training . You guys look great but as you said not the typical body structure for more endurance athletes . Maybe built for faster shorter races like you see in runners who are more muscular in shorter sprint races . In my lower 60s I have recently added some weight training but it's light weight . I heavy lifted when younger and I am not doing that anymore but it has had a noticable benefit on the bike not getting sore and muscle fatigue on those longer rides . I think your changes should show noticable benefit .
i love you guys and I get so excited when your new video drops on Friday night! As much as I love you, I'm traumatized by seeing you pile your groceries on top of your produce. Are you heathens? I can only imagine how you would torture a bunch of bananas.
Lol no bananas were harmed in the production of this video
It all get mixed up in your stomach anyway
Did you guys buy a new Ford van, and do I see it at 5:07?!
Maybe 😉
wow those new Mexico eggs contain a whole sandwich in them!
What was that meal at 12:48? Looked so good!
Grilled chicken/veggies and farro with a herby yogurt sauce on top ☺️