Gaining weight...fat or muscle?

rudycyclist said:

I have been working with my coach for about a month and a half now and I've been riding every day. I've been doing mostly just base training and I've put on about 6 pounds since I started with him. I'm not sure if I've put on fat because I'm not doing hard workouts since it's the end of the season, or if I'm gaining muscle because I'm riding every day. I have never ridden every day until now. Muscle or fat?

There's not nearly enough info there to make even an educated guess. What and how much have you been eating, it sounds like your intensity is down, your training frequency up, but how do weekly durations/intensity compare to your previous training. Is this your first season or do you have years of training and weight stats to compare to? Is all the work on the bike or are you on a lifting program? Are you a growing junior or riding with the masters?

Get your body fat tested. Many gyms will do at least a caliper or impedance based body fat test for a nominal fee. These days the impedance based measurement equipment is built into many bathroom scales and calipers are pretty cheap from medical supply houses. Or get under water weighed if you have a nearby facility that offers that service. This is a good question for your coach BTW.

If your not lifting weights your not gaining muscle. since the other poster cant make an educated guess i will make an uneducated guess. if you gained 6 lbs of fat, i think you would see it if your all ready lean. my guess would be, your hydrated and fueled up, full of glycogen. after i chill for a few weeks after training and racing i gain too, but its not fat. im sure all cyclist gain water weight after a long heavy bought of training. if your riding like Grampa,its almost like not riding at all.