Fitness through cycling
Discussion
I'm posting it here rather then the cycle section as its about the fitness, rather then the bike.
So, I have been told by two doctors I need to lose weight. I dont thnk I am too bad, and my weight hasnt changed in the last 12 months, but it does need to come down.
I cant stand running as it takes too long to get anywhere. And the gym you dont go anywhere at all. But cycling is perfect. But what should I be looking for in a bike ride for fitness?
A longer ride along a flat toepath or a short squirt up a few hills? Max 1 hour a day. Any tips gratefull recieved.
So, I have been told by two doctors I need to lose weight. I dont thnk I am too bad, and my weight hasnt changed in the last 12 months, but it does need to come down.
I cant stand running as it takes too long to get anywhere. And the gym you dont go anywhere at all. But cycling is perfect. But what should I be looking for in a bike ride for fitness?
A longer ride along a flat toepath or a short squirt up a few hills? Max 1 hour a day. Any tips gratefull recieved.
When I started mountain biking again I did a bit of both. Sometimes along a disused cancal and sometimes a climb up into the hills into the countryside. I like the variety but think I did a lot more flatter stuff to being with to get a good level of fitness as climbing is hard work.
The one thing I found quickly is that 1hrs was not enough to keep increasing the fitness. I found ride would often go on for easily 2 to 3hrs and you can cover some distance in that time. So I would not limit yourself time wise, but obviously building up to that over time.
I stopped riding again 12 months ago and although I feel I have not dropped back to the poor level of fitness I had before, my waist size certainly has. I must get back out there this summer.
The one thing I found quickly is that 1hrs was not enough to keep increasing the fitness. I found ride would often go on for easily 2 to 3hrs and you can cover some distance in that time. So I would not limit yourself time wise, but obviously building up to that over time.
I stopped riding again 12 months ago and although I feel I have not dropped back to the poor level of fitness I had before, my waist size certainly has. I must get back out there this summer.
williamp said:
Thanks. I can only give myself an hour a day, unfortuantly.
If you are prepared to go as fast as you can, and not saunter along,then you will do yourself some good. You will burn off a lot of calories
and improve your cardio-vascular health.
Get yourself a trip/cadence computer fitted to the bike. This will help
and encourage you to improve your work rate with every ride. Write down
what your average speed and cadence are on a route you've chosen. Then
challenge yourself to do better next time. You have to push your body
harder and harder. As they say, If It Isn't Hurting, It Isn't Working.
Also, resist the temptation to eat more - your body will tell you are
hungry as your metabolism will wonder what's hit it during the first few
months, but ignore your empty tummy. Though drink plenty of water to
make up for the sweat, snot and saliva that will surely flow if you are
genuinely attacking those pedals.
Report back here after four months of hard cycling. Good luck.
Edited by Long Drax on Saturday 10th March 23:42
I lost a serious amount of weight by sprinting up a multistory carpark, recovering, then doing it again and again, etc. Granted, it was running, but it was high intensity followed by recovery.
You can ride a long way putting very little effort in on a bike, but hills will work you. My advice is go and find some hills. When you can taste blood, you're working hard enough.
Good luck!
You can ride a long way putting very little effort in on a bike, but hills will work you. My advice is go and find some hills. When you can taste blood, you're working hard enough.
Good luck!
I haven't been out on the bike for a couple of years, and I'm pretty keen to get back out again.
However, as part of my strength training regime, I do squats, and as it is, I'm getting quite irked that I'm running out of thigh space in my jeans and going up a waist size is no use.
So, is cycling going to make my predicament even worse?
However, as part of my strength training regime, I do squats, and as it is, I'm getting quite irked that I'm running out of thigh space in my jeans and going up a waist size is no use.
So, is cycling going to make my predicament even worse?
following my last London - Paris back in July
Ive put on nearly 14kgs !!!
age 46 height 5. 10"
So started training again unfortunately due to working away its the trusty Works Steelflex cycle trainer
from 88kg -102kg !!! yikes
Todays regime was a real bstrd
level 5 for 1 hr @ 230 watts average Kcal lost 1141 distance 21.5 miles
down to 99.2kg
target 88kg by end of May
hurting like hell
Ive put on nearly 14kgs !!!
age 46 height 5. 10"
So started training again unfortunately due to working away its the trusty Works Steelflex cycle trainer
from 88kg -102kg !!! yikes
Todays regime was a real bstrd
level 5 for 1 hr @ 230 watts average Kcal lost 1141 distance 21.5 miles
down to 99.2kg
target 88kg by end of May
hurting like hell
ApexJimi said:
I haven't been out on the bike for a couple of years, and I'm pretty keen to get back out again.
However, as part of my strength training regime, I do squats, and as it is, I'm getting quite irked that I'm running out of thigh space in my jeans and going up a waist size is no use.
So, is cycling going to make my predicament even worse?
Woulda thought it would reduce size unless you eat to compensate.However, as part of my strength training regime, I do squats, and as it is, I'm getting quite irked that I'm running out of thigh space in my jeans and going up a waist size is no use.
So, is cycling going to make my predicament even worse?
Furberger said:
I lost a serious amount of weight by sprinting up a multistory carpark, recovering, then doing it again and again, etc. Granted, it was running, but it was high intensity followed by recovery.
You can ride a long way putting very little effort in on a bike, but hills will work you. My advice is go and find some hills. When you can taste blood, you're working hard enough.
Good luck!
You can do this alongside cycling but the difference is on a Sunday morning you get up and take your bike out for 4/5 hours and have a great day, packed lunch on your back and you re on a journey, or you can go to Cannock Chase set your stopwatch off and race the 12 miles around the Monkey Trail. Brilliant fun with lung bleeding hills just as hard as the hill reps you mention.You can ride a long way putting very little effort in on a bike, but hills will work you. My advice is go and find some hills. When you can taste blood, you're working hard enough.
Good luck!
ApexJimi said:
I haven't been out on the bike for a couple of years, and I'm pretty keen to get back out again.
However, as part of my strength training regime, I do squats, and as it is, I'm getting quite irked that I'm running out of thigh space in my jeans and going up a waist size is no use.
So, is cycling going to make my predicament even worse?
Jimi I weighed in at 95 kilos in Dec 11, i'm now 92kilos, I have been cycling alongside weights (inlcuding squats), circuits, kettle bells, running, hill walking, tabata, HIIT training and I didn't want to lose weight its all down to cycling, 1 x 24 hour race a 50k race and i'm doing a round at Cannock Chase next Sunday, its superb phys. You wont put weight on you'll lose it. However, as part of my strength training regime, I do squats, and as it is, I'm getting quite irked that I'm running out of thigh space in my jeans and going up a waist size is no use.
So, is cycling going to make my predicament even worse?
I'm the same. will be starting this week, I gave up smoking in june last year, I was a 30-40 a day person, I had some serious surgery a couple of years ago that made me decide living was better than dying.
Unfortunately I went from 88 to 108 kgs in 6 months.. which is proper. I now am on a quest to go back to 88 kgs's.
I have given up drinking as well and try and consume less than 2000k a day, Now I need to start the burn. Blow the cobwebs of the bike and mount up.. going to start with a simple 25k route. and just keep at it. 3 times a week.
Unfortunately I went from 88 to 108 kgs in 6 months.. which is proper. I now am on a quest to go back to 88 kgs's.
I have given up drinking as well and try and consume less than 2000k a day, Now I need to start the burn. Blow the cobwebs of the bike and mount up.. going to start with a simple 25k route. and just keep at it. 3 times a week.
williamp said:
I'm posting it here rather then the cycle section as its about the fitness, rather then the bike.
So, I have been told by two doctors I need to lose weight. I dont thnk I am too bad, and my weight hasnt changed in the last 12 months, but it does need to come down.
For my money, I'd forget about the bike and get yourself into the kitchen, or not. It's way simpler to lose fat with an improved diet than any kind of exercise. You're also far less likely to be 1. get injured, 2. put off because it's too cold/wet/hot outside, 3. affected by illness, etc. which are all handy excuses for not cycling/running/swimming/whatever.So, I have been told by two doctors I need to lose weight. I dont thnk I am too bad, and my weight hasnt changed in the last 12 months, but it does need to come down.
NB Traditional 'diets' are a waste of time - pretty much nobody succeeds long term with any of them. It's changing your eating habits that count; cutting (or at least reducing) the crap. There are some interesting options being heralded as the next best thing, my (current) favourite being Primal Blueprint which is loosely based on the palaeo/ palaeolithic diet.
Once your diet is right you'll enjoy the cycling all the more.
I think your best bet if you're restricted for time is high intensity interval training. You can accomplish a lot in a short space of time. Did you watch that programme on the BBC about exercise the other week. How about following a similar programme as illustrated in this documentary?
Just get on the bike and get out there! Perfect time of year, as the evenings get lighter, just get out for an hour when you can, I personally would hate to go up and down the same hill, go on a circular route and try to get to a place and back without stopping; then go further, or faster, time yourself with iPhone apps or a Garmin etc, even just a stopwatch;
if you hate the gym (I do) you will hate replicating it on the road outside your house. Try and cover 5, 10, 15, 20 miles ... you'll be exhausted at first but keep pushing it and you'll soon see the benefits.
if you hate the gym (I do) you will hate replicating it on the road outside your house. Try and cover 5, 10, 15, 20 miles ... you'll be exhausted at first but keep pushing it and you'll soon see the benefits.
NorthDave said:
Get a road bike and do some cycling as part of your normal travels and do your one hour rides when time allows. Cycling is addictive and just being more active will see the weight come off.
An hour blast will give you benefits just build up slowly.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^An hour blast will give you benefits just build up slowly.
this a hour on a roadbike a day combined with reducing meal sizes is a great way of losing weight.
eat the same but 2/3rds of the amount, plenty of bananas and fruit and water will make you feel full
996 sps said:
Furberger said:
I lost a serious amount of weight by sprinting up a multistory carpark, recovering, then doing it again and again, etc. Granted, it was running, but it was high intensity followed by recovery.
You can ride a long way putting very little effort in on a bike, but hills will work you. My advice is go and find some hills. When you can taste blood, you're working hard enough.
Good luck!
You can do this alongside cycling but the difference is on a Sunday morning you get up and take your bike out for 4/5 hours and have a great day, packed lunch on your back and you re on a journey, or you can go to Cannock Chase set your stopwatch off and race the 12 miles around the Monkey Trail. Brilliant fun with lung bleeding hills just as hard as the hill reps you mention.You can ride a long way putting very little effort in on a bike, but hills will work you. My advice is go and find some hills. When you can taste blood, you're working hard enough.
Good luck!
I'm a squash player, damaged my shoulder last year & had to retire. I put on a stone & a half within two months & alarmed, I bought an MTB for commuting 10 miles/day & tearing round the forest when time allows.
I love it, but for me, the years of squash mean that two days on the bike mean I have to have a day in the car to let my knees recover before I can go out & ride again. That said, it's part of the routine now & I've rediscovered the secret that all exercising people understand; I sleep better, eat better, have better moods, poo better, all the stuff you get from a decent heart rate & a bit of sweat every day.
I love it, but for me, the years of squash mean that two days on the bike mean I have to have a day in the car to let my knees recover before I can go out & ride again. That said, it's part of the routine now & I've rediscovered the secret that all exercising people understand; I sleep better, eat better, have better moods, poo better, all the stuff you get from a decent heart rate & a bit of sweat every day.
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff