Learn how you can improve your workout performance with dynamic exercise on a stationary bike to burn fat and tone. Almost all fitness experts agree that using a stationary bike can perfectly tighten the muscles of the buttocks in particular and the legs in general. However, when talking about the effectiveness of this weight loss simulator, the answers are no longer so unambiguous.
The situation is similar with the reviews of people. Someone has been practicing on a stationary bike for a long time, but never achieved their goal. At the same time, another group of people are happy. They believe that there is simply no better way to lose fat. As you know, truth is born in controversy, and if there is doubt, more attention is paid to this issue.
It has been shown in numerous studies that you can achieve excellent results when you combine interval training on a stationary bike with a dietary nutrition program. Thus, you need to do more than just pedaling an exercise bike, but do a real workout.
The effectiveness of exercise on a stationary bike for weight loss
Today, many are familiar with the statement that the lipolysis process can only be activated at a certain intensity of training, which is measured by the heart rate or heart rate. Simply put, you need to keep your heart rate within a certain range. It is 70 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. If you do not know how to determine your own maximum heart rate, then for this you need to subtract your age in years from 220.
You should also know that in sports there is such a term as "drying". This is a fat loss method that involves strength training of muscles with a high metabolism. This leads not only to the elimination of fat and excess fluid, but allows you to acquire a beautiful muscle relief. Drying is used in bodybuilding. However, let's go back to the exercise bike and figure out how to make it as effective as possible for weight loss. Based on all of the above, we can conclude that you should be doing interval training on a stationary bike at a certain heart rate and muscle strength pumping.
This is where most people make a serious mistake, which, as a result, prevents them from achieving their goal. Simple pedaling at a constant speed is completely unsuitable for losing weight. In addition to the fact that such activities will not bring you the desired result, they can be harmful to your health. This is due to the high stress on the heart muscle, as well as the rapid achievement of its endurance limit.
How do I do an interval stationary workout?
The duration of one lesson is from 20 minutes to half an hour. During the week, you need to conduct at least two, and preferably three such sessions. Everyone should choose the resistance on the exercise bike for themselves. The correct load regimen assumes that after 20 minutes of exercise and working at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour, you will experience a slight burning sensation in the leg muscles. If after training you have pain, then you used an excessive load. A burning sensation should be felt in the buttocks, games, and thigh muscles.
Before starting an activity, you should adjust the seat height. When doing interval training on a stationary bike, keep your back straight, your shoulders extended, and your body tilted slightly forward. It is only necessary to pedal due to the efforts of the leg muscles. At the same time, the muscles of the back and abdomen keep the torso and core in a constant position.
During exercise, it is necessary to breathe through the nose, deeply and evenly. Do not hold your breath. As with any workout, you first need to warm up. To do this, work at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour for ten minutes. At the same time, set the load level of the exercise bike to one less in comparison with the working one.
During the main part of an interval stationary bike workout, you need to complete ten cycles:
- Run at maximum speed for 0.5 minute.
- Drive for 0.5 minutes at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour.
To restore breathing and redistribute the load, you should work at a speed of 10 to 15 kilometers per hour for five minutes. In this case, the resistance level of the simulator should differ from the working one in the smaller direction by one or even two units.
Interval training tips for beginners
Now we will give some tips for beginners to make their interval training on a stationary bike as effective as possible and not bring negative results:
- Start training no earlier than an hour after eating, and do not use the machine less than 120 minutes before going to bed.
- Before you start using interval training on a stationary bike for one or two weeks, you should work at a constant speed of 25 to 30 kilometers per hour. The duration of these sessions should be gradually increased from 10 minutes to half an hour.
- Record the maximum speed of the first and last rounds in your workout log to try to improve them in the next workout.
- After one or two months of regular training, you can increase the duration of the work round at the highest possible speed to one minute.
- You can use a variety of exercises to diversify your workout on the simulator, for example, working with a full torso bend, with an upright body position, pedaling in the opposite direction, etc.
- After your interval bike training is complete, we recommend doing a set of movements to strengthen your arms, chest, and abdomen.
- Exercises to stretch the muscles should also be done.
How to choose the right exercise bike for exercising at home?
Since you will have to work on the simulator regularly, the main criterion for its selection is, of course, ease of use and comfort. You should not purchase this type of sports equipment based solely on advertising or people's feedback. It is quite obvious that commercials or articles will only indicate the benefits of a particular manufacturer's exercise bike, and reviews can be written for money, although they are still worth reading.
The best option is to go to the store so that you can see the exercise bike with your own eyes and check the quality of its work. For your indoor cycling interval workout to be effective, you need to be comfortable. Therefore, you should network on the simulator and make sure of this. Also, be sure to check the pedal stroke quality at all load levels.
The pedals should rotate smoothly and at the same time not emit extraneous noise. The resistance level should change with a minimal jump. Also note that it is worth paying attention only to those exercise bikes that have at least eight levels of load.
Today, many manufacturers produce models of exercise equipment equipped with displays. In this regard, the question is very relevant - what exactly to look for when choosing this type of sports equipment. Here everything turns out to be quite simple and the display must necessarily show the heart rate, exercise time, speed and distance "covered". All other functions, and there can be quite a lot of them, are additional and have no fundamental significance. Their absence will not affect the effectiveness of your interval training on a stationary bike in any way.
I also want to say that during training you should not be distracted by talking or watching TV. For the training to be as effective as possible, you need to fully concentrate on it. It is very important to feel the work of the muscles during the lesson in order to get the desired result.
There are many types of cardio activities that can be very effective at fighting fat. If you follow our recommendations, then interval training on a stationary bike will help you lose weight as quickly as possible. Remember to eat right and exercise regularly.
More informative information about interval cardio training in general (and on a stationary bike in particular) is told by Denis Semenikhin:
