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Best workout for an exercise bike

Foxthehobbit
Foxthehobbit Posts: 1
edited February 11 in Fitness and Exercise
Hello, hopefully someone can help me!

I am 23 and female and have just started doing 30 minute workouts on the exercise bike 5 days a week. I was basing it on something I had read that said I should not put the resistance too high (as that would be more muscle toning than weight loss). I don't have a bike that actually measures what the resistance is set to but it's got some bite to it.

Will this work as a weight loss technique? I don't have any weights which I have seen people suggest additionally.

Thanks!

Replies

  • jimceez
    jimceez Posts: 3
    Hi,

    The best training on an excercise bike is interval training. You don't need a lot of resistance. You can vary your pedal speed along with adding or subtracting some resistance. It's the variations of the resistance, pedal speed and time which has the most effects.

    I've used Spinerval programs for years. Very good indoor series. You can go on YouTube search for Global Cycling Network and they have some really good interval set videos (20 min duration) that will have you sweating.

    Good luck.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,128 Member
    Best workout is the one that you'll do consistently. Workouts that you can't do (even if they are the best calorie burners) are unhelpful.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    I do intervals on stationary bikes as well.

    Start off on level 8 for 2 minutes, and then jump to 15 for about 1 minute, and back down to 8, and up to 20....yada yada yada...

    I am not sure it helps, but it does cure me from the boredom of cardio machines that I feel.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    The one where you cycle, like, pedal on the pedals...

    I'm a smart *kitten*, intervals are the best thing you can do. But start slow, and get used to it.

    I know you probably feel like you've got a lot to prove to yourself and that the more you bust your *kitten* the better, but training smart is better than simply training hard.

    Start slow with some simple pedaling for a while, and when that gets easier ramp it up slowly. Think "walking" before "jogging" before "running" before "sprint intervals".
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    I would suggest a mixture of interval training and lower intensity rides.

    As previous posts have suggested work your way into it gradually. If you're working at the right intensity you simply can't do high intensity intervals every day, you need recovery days but the good thing about cycling is that it is something you can do every day (as long as you're not going hard every ride)

    Check out Spinervals or Sufferfest, there are also a number of very good workout available free on youtube.
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