Less resistance/intensity or more?

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gtfosnorlax
gtfosnorlax Posts: 29
in Introduce Yourself
When I work out I usually go on the recumbent bike. A little on the elliptical and today I got on the upright bicycle.
Anyway, I was wondering. I felt like if I increased the resistance, I would see faster results in weight loss. But I have been gaining; muscle, I'm assuming. I was wondering is I should continue with the high resistance or if I should lower it down. I do not want bulky legs as my thighs are already pretty big for my size. (They look like they're getting bigger :cry: )

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  • introvert
    introvert Posts: 28 Member
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    While all cardio is beneficial, I've never seen a use for the recumbent. It's a good novice tool if you are not wanting something that strenuous.

    However, I'd highly suggest sticking with the upright. The placement of your heart above your legs generally gets more blood pumping. Resistance depends on what you're trying to accomplish. If you're using too light of a resistance, try going with a faster pace. A high resistance is good for elevating your heart rate, building endurance and also for building muscle. Don't be afraid of getting bulky legs.. You'll have to do squats, leg presses and more hamstring workouts for that. With cycling alone, you're likely just seeing more definition while slightly building.

    Keep a challenging resistance, high enough to carry a moderate pace. You want to keep your heart rate elevated but if you feel your quads/hams burning, you may want to lower it.
  • gtfosnorlax
    gtfosnorlax Posts: 29
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    I did feel a lot different on the upright, sorta like I was able to breathe more easily or something. I shall stick with the upright from now on. Thank you for the advice! :tongue:
  • VoxSapiens
    VoxSapiens Posts: 6 Member
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    It's a good idea to do as you've done--trying out different machines--seeing what works for you. For cardio work, ultimately it's what your heart rate is beating at and for how long that determines how much cardio benefit you get from it. (There are numerous websites with details about finding your target heart rate zones, if you needed to find out.) For me I seem to have a better time on the treadmill to get my heart rate up. As your heart muscle becomes better conditioned it will require more calorie energy for doing it's normal daily beating (just like other muscles)--i.e. increasing your metabolic rate. You actually don't get benefits from working out while doing the actual working out, it's in the recovery and rebuilding of cells and tissues afterwards that your body burns the most energy. (And why you will feel hungry, often all day, after working out, even after you've had a meal because you are burning calories at a higher rate and your brain gets the signals that you need energy.) So, it sounds like you're on the right track. Change is good sometimes to keep you from getting bored, too.

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