Joined a gym

one climb of highgate hill followed by a pint in the flask
one climb of highgate hill followed by a pint in the flask
one climb of highgate hill followed by a pint in the flask

repeat till you die of exhaustion or alcohol poisoning, will get you fit... just take a look at all those fine muscular bodies at norths drinks .... thats how they all did it

according to Google Maps it will take me 20 hours to cycle from my house in Manchester to Highgate Hill. I reckon I would be pretty fit and healthy after a few of those trips.

of the golden rule of 4, squats and deadlifts will do your legs and core/back to a certain extent. youtube them to see how they are performed, and ask someone to help you get the technique down whilst in the gym..bad form will likely lead to imbalances and injuries.

apart from the obvious of riding more, some crossfit like swimming or yoga if they do classes can't hurt.

cheers, yeah I need to work on core/back muscles. I noticed after not being on my bike for more than 5 minutes for a month or two that my back was starting to hurt if I did spend a decent amount of time on the bike.

I knew it wasnt my riding position because I was fine riding the bike set up the exact same way before I had some time off.