Cycling for fitness

[Hatamoto]

So, got given the terrible news today. I may have broken my foot, or pulled a ligament, that makes lateral movement unclever. I can still cycle, to keep my fitness (HAH! What fitness?) up, but absolutely no martial arts for a couple of weeks.
Been signed up for the gym for a couple of months but not yet made it there, always sore or injured from martial arts, so I thought since I don't have that problem for a while, I'd try to make use of it.

So, the objective is aerobic fitness, but I confess I'd be happy if nothing else to drop a bit of weight, I feel ridiculously uncomfortable in a gi and my excess weight isn't doing me any favours regarding not getting injured all the time. I currently weigh about 110kg.

Not sure how to go about it though. Could anyone suggest a regime for an exercise bike that will help get me fit or burn fat? I've heard of tabata but don't know my heart rate limit or anything like that, how hard I should push or how easy to take it in the breaks.
All help appreciated.

[CosmicFish]

Basic rule of thumb: Change diet to lose weight, tailor exercise to get fit / large / strong (as required).

On it's own, cardio is very inefficient at losing weight (although it can help if you've already got your diet nailed). I would strongly advise that you look at tidying up your diet for the weight loss aspect of your plan. Since this is the cardio forum I won't go into it here, but post up a diet thread in the nutrition section if you want more details on why that is and what strategies can work.

There are plenty of people on here who know far more than me about cardio fitness, so I'll leave that part of things for others to answer.

[Hatamoto]

Thanks CF. My diet isn't terrible but is of the kind of quality that without exercise I don't drop any weight. I'll look into that more, though, good advice. So just the fitness then. Should simplify things a bit anyway :)

[Nutjob]

Not sure how to go about it though. Could anyone suggest a regime for an exercise bike that will help get me fit or burn fat?.

While some would say this doesnt...i do cardio before i have breakfast in the morning to dip into my fat reserves, normally about 45mins at a mid range heart rate, this works for me, may or may not for you

[KSW_123]

Good bikes have many different built in routines. The most important thing is just to get on it and pedal. Just pick the routine that sounds like the most fun. After you do it for a while you can dial in your workout.

[simon s]

What type of bike do you have?

Are we talking static exercise bike (such as in a gym), road racer or mountain bike?

It will make a difference as to what recommendations are to be made.

[Hatamoto]

The one in the gym. Has Life Fitness plastered all over it I think but couldn't say more specifically than that. I could just go along and pedal but I read somewhere the interval training had something like ten times the benefits in half the time of just regular cycling. The machine has a varying hills and flat sort of thing but I dunno if it counts. I get bored in the gym (get most of my cardio via martial arts, it's harder to stop when someone's still trying to take your head off lol) so don't want to be there too long, looking for maybe 45 minutes or an hour to get some solid cardio in, maybe some weights.

[simon s]

The one in the gym. Has Life Fitness plastered all over it. I get bored in the gym, looking for maybe 45 minutes or an hour to get some solid cardio in, maybe some weights.

Okay, if you are already working the weights in the gym, I suggest a workout on the bike that is sharp but intense, working the heart rate rather than a slower plod that works the muscles more.

You could certainly try tabata, 8 x 20 second sprints at max followed by 10 second rest. So a total workout of 4 minutes.

Another alternative is interval training (not disimilar), but no rest this time. Lets say you want a 20 minute bike session, go fairly hard for a set time (say one minute) then do a slow cycle for 1 minute then sprint again for the a minute and so on. The set times are of your choice and will change as your anaerobic threshold improves.
I suggest the initial sprint lasts just long enough to make you go anaeobic (gasping as the body cannot supply enough oxygen for demand), then pedal relaxed until composure is regained and sprint again. You should have a decent level of fitness before doing intervals so it may be an idea to do the last method below.

The last method would just be to pick a pre-programmed workout offered by the bike and just try to improve your time each week.

Happy cycling.

[evojm72]

Not sure how to go about it though. Could anyone suggest a regime for an exercise bike that will help get me fit or burn fat? I've heard of tabata but don't know my heart rate limit or anything like that, how hard I should push or how easy to take it in the breaks.
All help appreciated.

Hi Hatamoto, your max HR (provided you posted age is correct!) is about 190, for fat burn you should aim to keep it around the 60% range ie 190 x 60% = 114bpm. I warn you however that it's easier said than done because it can get reeeeeally boring cycling at that pace! My natural inclination is always to want to go faster!!!

[Hatamoto]

Zactly what I was after, much thanks to you both, will have a go tomorrow :)

How often is this sort of thing safe to do? I know with weights you have to rest for a day or two between workouts, is it the same with cardio?

Also, just thought, would the same ideas work for the rowing machine as well? Just to have the option without having to think about things for too long while in the gym, and work the back as well.

[simon s]

Yes the same will work with thr rowing machine.

As a basic rule of thumb, if it still aches, rest it some more.

[KSW_123]

My only point was that if you like something, you will do it. In the beginning stages of anything that is far more important than optimizing a workout. You said that your fitness was not that great. I would go with a preprogrammed exercise routine that you like, i.e. you'll like forward to do it again. 20 minutes and keep your heart in a good zone. The Life Fitness bikes will help you there. Just plug in your age and hold onto the chrome part of the handle bars to take the heart rate.