Mods for Tall/Big Guy...and Workout Program

[sro2004]

2009 YZ450F - 6'4", 245 (without gear), 41 years old, riding MX track only. Stock bike felt tiny, of course. I've been working out in the gym 4x per week for 6 months and have managed to drop...zero pounds. Have lost 2" off my waist...but maintained (unfortunately) my overall weight by building muscle. I'm 41, and am damn close to being ripped again like I was in college. Another 6 months and BAM! My wife hated me getting back into MX...but now she sees the benefit to her, and she's less witchy!

Any ideas how to drop weight only? Just pound out the cardio, stay off the weights?

LOVE MX...it's the perfect reason to get and stay ripped and fit.

Mods I've made to my bike for my size/weight:

.50 kg/mm fork springs

6.2 kg/mm shock spring

Fatbars - RC High Bend

1" bar risers

On order:

System Tech Racing Foot Peg Lowering Kit (1/2")

Guts Tall Foam (medium) and 1/2" step Ballistic Cover kit (tall)

Needed:

Revalve front and rear

Can't wait to see the difference with 1.5" more distance between pegs and seat! Should be awesome. Late in my motos, going from sitting to standing out of corners becomes like trying to squat 500 lbs!

[tl1000rlt]

Weight traning is the best way to lose weight. With cardio your body can become immune to the weight loss benefits because it gets used to the work load. With weights you are actually tearing down the muscle when you work. This creates a healing process when you are not working that continues to burn calories long after the workout is over. You do have to be taxing your muscles to make this work. Workouts should be high intensity, last for 45-60 minutes and only have 1 min breaks between sets.

The other factor is diet and you are not gonna like this unless you like tuna. You should eat small, high protien, snack sized meals 6-7 times a day. Eating a little something every 3 hours or so will keep your body metabolizing and burning fat. If your system is hungry it doesnt automatically eat the fat supply, is goes into conserve mode. You should eat 3x the protien as you consume fat or carbsbut dont go overboard on cutting carbs or fat, you need them to. Diet is a long subject.

Try picking up a copy of Planet Muscle or On Fitness. These mags have great info on diet vs work load. Also source Beverly Nutrition

[Smokeslider]

I've lost 35 lbs in the last 8 weeks by eating healthier and adding more cardio to my workouts. You can still lose weight with cardio, you just need to change your workouts up a little bit. I recommend programs based on combating the plateau effect such as P90X or INSANITY. I'm 6'5" and 227 lbs so I think I know where you're coming from.

Weight training is not the best way to lose weight. It's the best way to lose body fat. If you are going to lift weights, (I think you should) you should be thinking about more reps with less weight and become aware of muscle confusion techniques.

[Steel Panther]

I run the STR footpeg mounts and RC high fatbars and it made a huge difference at 6'4" myself. the half inch got my knees down to the top of the seat so I can grab the bike with my legs better, and you can always get fastway pegs and go another 1/2 inch lower if you want. I personally dont think I need any more height as the higher the bars go the farther back they are, which is worse than them being too short. Make sure you post up some pictures when its all done, and tell me how that tall seat with the step is.

Oh and if you want to lose weight, just go by the simple rule, eat less calories then you burn and you will lose weight.

[mikedabike]

Sounds like you got it dialed. I am about your size just not ripped and fit:smirk: I run the RC high bars but with The bar risers I felt they were too tall and affected the handling negatively. The seat and pegs are a good mod although I like my step also seat as it keeps me forward on the bike. I am thinking of building a "tall step seat".

[Mikeb12]

similar situation, i am 37, 6'3 and down to 210 from 240. i am just eating the way we were all taught before everybody wanted to sell you some pills and frozen food. you remember the food pyramid from kindergarten? lots of fruits and veggies and only a little bit of snickers works for me combined with plenty of daily play time (or lawn mowing, car washing-- just something.) keep at it and the weight comes off.

i have considered building a 'tall step seat' as well. if anybody has seen one for sale, please post.

[gdbarr1976]

I am 52 and have been racing and working out all my adult life. This time last year I started p90x to get in really good shape to solo the Baja 1000. Finished 4th solo bike. I am a believer in that program.

[sro2004]

Thanks for your input all.

I've started eating 6 small meals per day...and god help me, I'm starting P90X with my wife tonight.

I received and mounted up the STR footpeg mounts and rode on them Saturday. Was a noticeable improvement! My tall Guts foam (medium) and seat kit (1/2" step + ballistic cover) will be delivered today. I'm looking forward to getting that assembled and on the bike. I think my 2009 YZ450F will probably look like something out of a Frankenstein movie after all is said and done...but who cares!

I would consider taking the next step with my pegs (low boy mount with some aftermarket pegs) but I'm concerned about lever access. The low boy mounts would move the pegs down even more, but it would also move them back a bit. Maybe this would be a good thing since I have a size 13 boot? It seems I'm running out of adjustment on the brake lever.

[mikedabike]

I cut the threaded adjuster on my 04 allowing me to lower the brake a bit more. Not sure if it is the same on the 09.

[sro2004]

Got my Guts 1/2" step + ballistic cover, and tall foam today. Assembly not going great. Cover seems pretty low quality, and I'm having to work the cover ALOT to get close to a decent final product. For $160+ dollars, I was expecting a much higher quality product.

The foam is shapped well, and feels great...but the cover doesn't come close to meeting my expectations. I ulimately should've just bought an SDG tall complete seat for $99. Live and learn I guess. The seat will not be perfect, and for $160+, it should be...

Not a satisfied Guts Racing customer.

[Steel Panther]

^^Its doesnt come assembled for $160? lame! Post up some pics when its done, im still interested to see how it looks.

[sro2004]

Mike, yeah you're right...I can probably cut some length off the adjuster on the rear brake.

Guts seat cover - working those seams. I had to cut off a bunch of excess material where the seams come together. That is helping some. I've also used large paper clips to fold and hold the seams at the front and rear...to try to train them to lay flat. Hopefully it'll work out. I'll post some pics when complete...

[Jim813]

Got my Guts 1/2" step + ballistic cover, and tall foam today. Assembly not going great. Cover seems pretty low quality, and I'm having to work the cover ALOT to get close to a decent final product. For $160+ dollars, I was expecting a much higher quality product.

The foam is shapped well, and feels great...but the cover doesn't come close to meeting my expectations. I ulimately should've just bought an SDG tall complete seat for $99. Live and learn I guess. The seat will not be perfect, and for $160+, it should be...

Not a satisfied Guts Racing customer.

I countn't be happier with my Guts tall firm seat foam and "Competition" style seat cover. I had to cut some excess material off when I was done, but the extra material is much easier to get lined up evenly than with material is an exact fit or too short. What is wrong with the cover that it doesn't met your expectations?

I paid $125 for my seat foam and cover, and I believe it's worth the money.

I would not buy an SDG seat. Every SDG seat I have had or seen is low quality and has not lasted, and thats the nice way to phrase it:busted:

[sro2004]

I purchased the ballistic cover with 1/2" step. The cover itself is taking a lot of pre-work to get it to mount correctly. I think I've got it now...having trimmed off the excess material inside the seams, and "training" the seams by putting paperclips along the seam overnight.

The only remaining problem is that the rear seam was not aligned too well with the front seam where the extra material (that wraps around to the bottom of the seat) is sewn in. It'll work, but it won't be perfect. For $89 (cover + step), the darn thing SHOULD be perfect!

[sro2004]

Turned out okay...Probably can't tell much from the weak pictures. The one picture is me "training" the seam to lay flat with paperclips! The Guts logo at the back of the seat isn't centered, and it's right at the edge of the back of the seat. I couldn't help that, as getting the cover tight made this inevitable. Like I said before, the webbing sewn in at the back of the seat was not perfectly aligned with the webbing sewn in at the front.