OPTION 1: SHED EXCESS WEIGHT

If you fit one or more of the descriptions below, use the steps on this page to estimate an ideal target weight for your height and body-frame size.
[box]—You ride a few times a week, primarily for recreation.
—You used to ride all the time, and maybe even raced, but work, family, and other responsibilities have forced you to scale back.
—You know you’ve got some weight to lose before you can think about improving your performance on the bike.[/box]

Your current weight ________kg
Your height ________

Use this standard formula to find out a baseline weight:

Men: 48kg for first 1.5 m of height plus 1kg for each additional 1cm.
For example, if you’re 1.77m, this number would be 75kg (48 + 27)

Women: 45kg for the first 1.5 m of height plus 2kg for each additional 2.5cm.
For example, if you’re 1.6m, this number would be 59kg (45 + 14)

Baseline target weight ________

Now, factor in your frame size
Just as mountain bikes come in small, medium, and large, so do our skeletal frames. That’s why there’s a range of medically recommended weights for any given height. A standard measurement of frame size is your wrist circumference in relation to your height. Use a tape measure to measure your wrist in centimetres at its widest point, then locate your frame size in this chart.

Match your wrist size to your height:

*Women vary more by height and frame size than men do and therefore have more variation in this ratio.

If your frame size is:
Small: Subtract 10% from your baseline target weight _________
Medium: Keep your baseline target weight __________
Large: Add 10% to your baseline target weight __________

This number is your adjusted target weight. Standard body-weight formulas are based on averages, which means that results for some people may be slightly skewed. If the number you calculate is equal to or greater than your current weight, or if it’s too low to be attainable, try the formula on the next page, which focuses on your body composition.

Option 1: Shed Excess Weight
Option 2: Get Leaner and Faster
Option 3: Get Competitive

READ MORE ON: featured