40 minutes per day spinning?

SarahJunebug
SarahJunebug Posts: 5
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys! I know that both diet and exercise are important in weight loss and becoming healthy/fit. But I have a side question... I am planning a trip in about 3 months and want to get in as good of shape as possible by then. I have lost some weight so far but am nowhere close to my goal yet. I would like to optimize the next three months so that I will at least feel semi-comfortable in a bathing suit. In your opinion, will 40 minutes of interval cycling six days per week, and three of those days also doing strength training, do a decent job of this? I'm sure it varies from person to person, but has anyone done this and had good results? I'm doing it either way but I'm hoping to gain some motivation from other's opinions and experiences. Thanks guys! I appreciate it. :happy:

Replies

  • FaridPERU
    FaridPERU Posts: 172 Member
    Hello Sarah!

    Interval Training is the best for get in shape try this:

    monday interval training on treadmill
    Tuesday interval training on eliptical
    Wensday interval training on bike
    Thursday interval training on cross trainer
    Friday interval training on treadmill

    the point is to always change the machine because the body sometimes adapts..

    Dont forget to do weight training!!!

    SHAPE: WEIGHT TRAINING+ interval training + DIET!!

    SUNDAY REST!!
  • FaridPERU
    FaridPERU Posts: 172 Member
    PS: you can do 3 times a week interval training full body workouts and 5 times cycling interval training!
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    Sounds turgid but if stationary bike is your only CV option then that's what you're limited to.

    Mix up your sessions for best effect;

    10 mins warm up, 20 minutes of intervals, 10 minute cool down
    10 min warm up, 20-30 mins at a rapid sustainable pace, 10 minute cool down
    60 minute sustained pace

    All have different cardiac effects and complement the resistance work. Try to extend the durations of the long and the rapid sessions, and increase the intensity in the intervals to keep yourself improving.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    Yes. What you have proposed will go far towards helping you achieve your goals.
  • eaphk
    eaphk Posts: 14 Member
    Spinning will help, but since you have around three months before you go away, i would up the intensity in strength training, that way, you will gain a more toned look, which will always look pleasing to the eye in a bathing suit :D
  • SarahJunebug
    SarahJunebug Posts: 5
    Awesome! Thanks for the advice! I'll give it a try :)
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Just make sure you adjust your caloric intake to account for your higher maintenance needs now. So if you have been eating 2000 calories to lose weight, then if all this exercise is new you might need to increase to 2100 or 2200 calories because your TDEE/maintenance is higher.
  • rachelg145
    rachelg145 Posts: 185 Member
    mix in some workouts from the nike training club app - it's free.
  • SarahJunebug
    SarahJunebug Posts: 5
    All really great advice guys! Thanks so much!
  • Madame_Goldbricker
    Madame_Goldbricker Posts: 1,625 Member
    Are you accessing a gym or is this at home?

    I spin weekly and then do resistance intervals on the stationary bike.

    Body weight training is a great option for strength training if you aren't able to follow a lifting program. Additionally hill walking is great for the leg & bum muscles.

    If you can throw in some jogging/running too that would be great too.

    The best thing you can do is to not stick to a set XX amount of time for working out in one form or another. Or you alternatively you need to keep pushing forward to increase your resistance levels. The bottom line is doing anything will definitely help & is a great start.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I'm going to disagree with majority here, because of what will likely quickly happen with the workout routine of daily intervals.

    Intervals ONLY give the improvement and after-workout fat burn when you can do them at hardest intensity.
    When done correctly, it's as close to a lifting workout as you'll get for those that want to do cardio only. (which speaks to the good advice to skip the intervals and just do the lifting well).

    Would anyone do a lifting workout daily using the same muscles, hoping to do it heavy enough to have positive results? Not if they have a lick of experience or done the lightest reading on good weight lifting.

    Because it's only with an overload workout that requires the repair process that burns more fat post workout. If you don't overload your muscles, there's no need to repair and improve.

    So what happens with lifting daily same muscles, or attempting to do daily intervals same muscles?
    Eventually, and probably pretty quickly, your intensity will drop, because you'll be attempting a hard workout with tired muscles.
    Now, it'll feel the same way to you, pushing as hard as you can on the hard part. But with weights it's easy to see the difference on the bar.
    But feeling hard because muscle were tired is very different than feeling hard because you overload what the muscles can do.
    And the repair process for both is different.

    I'd suggest treat a good interval workout like lifting, do it as hard as you can on that day, and allow repair the next day, do something with those muscles easy, or use different muscles.
    And don't attempt the intervals with tired muscles, so different use the day prior.

    Or better since I'm doubting you'll be wearing a scale on your back with current weight on it, with sign showing desired goal weight.
    I'm betting they will be looking at you.
    Lift heavy full body 3 x weekly, traditional 3 sets x 8-12 reps, about 7-10 compound lifts.
    True, this won't let you eat as much because it doesn't burn as much during the workout, but since you take a deficit off how much you burn in total, it may be enough.
    If you just gotta have some cardio - do it after that lifting work out, with whatever strength you got left - and it shouldn't be much.
    Walk or slow cardio the day after to aid repair process, since that's where the improvement actually comes from, the rest for recovery.
  • SarahJunebug
    SarahJunebug Posts: 5
    Yes, I have access to a gym as well as an indoor cycling bike at home. So I do both but can't always get to the gym. So I'm hoping on at least making it to the gym for all three days of strength training and hopefully a spin class or two, and then using my bike at home for the remainder. I don't run because it hurts lol impact wise it is painful and then I have a larger chest which just becomes annoying. But maybe someday ;)
  • Mindfreak1999
    Mindfreak1999 Posts: 272
    Hi Sarah
    I use to belong to a gym and tried both cycling and weights. My results were poor. So I invested in a road bike, I cycle on the road 5 times a week, mountain biking one day a week, and then have a rest day. It really depends on the individual, now I am cycling 200 miles a week. Would be glad to offer any help. Good luck on your journey to a healthier you. :smile:
  • SarahJunebug
    SarahJunebug Posts: 5
    Hi. Thanks so much for your reply. I would actually like to get into road cycling eventually but currently don't own a bike and I'm a little nervous of doing it before I'm in really good shape. I'm scared of riding somewhere and not having the energy to get back lol
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    One of the nice benefits to outdoor bike riding compared to normal exercise bike (spin class is different), is it's almost interval like automatically.
    You go up a hill, you push harder, you go down a hill, you recovery.
    You stop at light you recovery, you sprint away hard to get back up to speed.
    Repeat.

    When studies a way back actually showed up that difference in calorie burn between normal at the time exercise biking and outdoor, Spin was done to take advantage of that, to try to equal better what happens outdoors.

    You can do that at home on non-spin bike too. Now Spin class is usually pretty intense, and doing that day after day would be counter-productive, but creating an outdoor ride on indoor bike isn't as bad, but still great benefits.

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