Effective routine for bicycling?

[slackforce]

Hello everyone. I just wanted to ask you guys about a routine I've been going with for a few weeks now. I'm not sure if it's effective, and after reading through many articles on the internet I'm even less sure.

My routine has been to get up every morning at 6:00 and bike around the park near my house for a half-hour. I won't list the things I'm doing wrong according to the articles I've read because it depresses me. Instead, I'd like to ask for a few of your opinions. I know that there are better ways of losing weight and that there are other benefits to biking other than dropping a few pounds, but I am primarily concerned with losing weight and if I'm doing something wrong I'd like to change it now.

I'm not sure if it matters, but I am a 21-year old male that has always been in fairly good shape. In recent years I've slipped, and I want to get back to where I was at. I've never had to actively pursue a weight loss routine before so I feel like I'm in over my head.

Thank you for any future insight.

 

[Michelle01]

My suggestion, no matter which form of exercise you pursue, is to do moderate intensity with bursts of high intensity for half a minute to two minutes at a time. Biking burns calories so I dont see why it would be ineffective. The only way to be ineffective would be to consume more calories than you burn off IMO.

 

[corndogggy]

I just wanted to ask you guys about a routine I've been going with for a few weeks now. I'm not sure if it's effective, and after reading through many articles on the internet I'm even less sure.

My routine has been to get up every morning at 6:00 and bike around the park near my house for a half-hour. I won't list the things I'm doing wrong according to the articles I've read because it depresses me.

That's way too vague to comment on.

 

[CoachCrimson]

you state that you would like an effective routine for bicycling. However, that would vary depending on your goals. Are you bicycling just as a method to further weight loss goals? or are you bicycling to train to compete at riding bicycles? Certain aspects of the training would be quite similar i am sure, though I am no bicyclist myself. However, your true goals define what you are focusing on. You could indeed train like you are competing and lose some weight doing it. However, if that wasnt your real goal, you would probably find yourself lacking the passion to train like a high end competitive athlete, and would end up quitting. If weight loss is what you are after, then primary focus should be on your nutrition, not on your biycle. the bicycle becomes a side factor that helps to influence calorie balance in your favor for your goals. and the training becomes something that is far more likely to be sustained by the average person.

 

[slackforce]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I wish nutrition didn't have such a large role. I can easily give up fast food (and have in fact for about a month now), but it's difficult for me to base all of my meals off of it. I've also stopped drinking pop, which I hear is a good thing to do. I have a tendency to eat not much during the day and then a big supper, but I've been working on that by eating fruits during my breaks and at lunch.

Again, thanks for the advice. I hope I know enough now to be able to start an effective routine.

 

[nataliejo]

I cycle... lol
I did a 23 mile cycle through New England this weekend. I have lost twenty pounds so far... it took three months to lose twenty pounds ...but I did it

but my point

there is biking
and there is cycling...

cycling is fast paced, rush of adrenaline, going speedy up a winding , and I mean winding hill and you keep your pedals moving as you are going down a huge hill... Mainly you use road bikes when you are bike .. mountain bikes are really heavy ..the lighter your bike ...the better impact it will have ... because you want to be able to carry the bike with you ... its very hard to go up a hill apart of a mountain when you are on a mtn bike ..

Do you go up hills, down hills, ect?


Biking, or cycling is a very good cardio exercise because of the hills .. but I have noticed it works on your legs really well ...but the stomach doesn't get much of the work out it needs ..

So I walk too ... I walk for about an hour, but should be walking for two hours, because of my intensity. My intensity is not that good, because I have numerous hills, but am used to all of them ...so I have to make my work out harder every four weeks it seems in order to reach the effective work out needed ...
to lose weight ...

good luck hun
and cycling is very good for you ...
but you need to go up and down hills ... hills bring your heartbeat up ... you need those hills ... you might want to hit the trails ..or hit the traffic ... biking on the side of the road can be a little scary at first ...just follow all traffic laws ..use your hands to go left and right ..and just go for it ...
its fun! I love riding ... might want to interchange different places you bike in ... will make you more likely to lose weight ...keep interchanging trails and where you bike ...

good luck
natalie jo

 

[DeepGreen]

Some studies indicate that prolong bicycling for males may restrict blood flow to certain orgains and could result abnormal effects, such as sterility...(do to the shape/size of the seat)...(does help explain why Neil Armstrong may have suffered from testicular cancer)

I hope I didn't make you depressed

I like bicyling myself. The seats are so uncomfortable though, I hardly bicycle, maybe once a week.

And no, I am not making this stuff up.

 

[Cosmin]

does help explain why Neil Armstrong may have suffered from testicular cancer

Yeah... I think you mean another Armstrong (Lance).

I don't know how much impact does it have there, but on the weight losing part it's working quite well. All the weight I lost so far was only from riding my bike for 3-4h/day (in 2 shifts). And it's still working.

 

[corndogggy]

Mainly you use road bikes when you are bike .. mountain bikes are really heavy ..the lighter your bike ...the better impact it will have ... because you want to be able to carry the bike with you ... its very hard to go up a hill apart of a mountain when you are on a mtn bike ..

Road bikes are more efficient and will therefore go a little faster, and that's about it. There's no reason why you can't use a mountain bike on the road, especially if you have slick tires. From a weight loss perspective, the impact of either one could potentially be the same... you'll just be going a little faster on a road bike.

 

[12packAbs]

I wish nutrition didn't have such a large role. .

Don't we all. If it didn't, most of us wouldn't be on this forum.

I can easily give up fast food (and have in fact for about a month now), but it's difficult for me to base all of my meals off of it. I've also stopped drinking pop, which I hear is a good thing to do. I have a tendency to eat not much during the day and then a big supper, but I've been working on that by eating fruits during my breaks and at lunch.

Slack - give up the big suppers. Eat less at dinner and eat more during the day - breakfast, lunch and snacks. Try to get some vegetables and protein as well - not just fruits.

And if everyone that cycled got testicular cancer - the Tour de France would be cancelled about 50 years ago.

It is true that prolonged riding for males may restrict blood flow, but it can be avoided. Getting a proper fitting seat is important (a good knowledgeable bike shop should be able to help you with that) and it's also a matter of getting used to the seat. If I don't get out for months, then I'm sore as hell the next day, but I can easily work up to 12hrs a week training on a bike. It's also important to have good position on the bike (bike seat level, fore/aft adjustment as well as handlebar positioning).

 

[djwright]

i find that riding my bike to work is a really great way to build up a lot of miles (27 miles round trip) and also I get 2+ hours a day of aerobic exercise and it only costs me about 45 minutes net time. So that is a time efficient workout!!