Riding and weight loss?

I can afford to put about 45 minutes a day into recreational riding.
This could be 45 minutes in one day, 90 minutes every two days, 180
minutes every 4 days and so on.

This being the case, is there an optimum riding schedule to maximize
weight/fat loss. For example would 45 minutes a day be less effective
that 90 minutes every two days etc? How about 315 (45 times 7) minutes
once each week?

TIA, EJ in NJ

"Ernie Willson" wrote in message
...
I can afford to put about 45 minutes a day into recreational riding. This
could be 45 minutes in one day, 90 minutes every two days, 180 minutes
every 4 days and so on.

This being the case, is there an optimum riding schedule to maximize
weight/fat loss. For example would 45 minutes a day be less effective that
90 minutes every two days etc? How about 315 (45 times 7) minutes once
each week?

TIA, EJ in NJ

I think you are right on. Not every day is a good riding day here in the
Wild wild Wet. If it makes me feel good I know I am doing it right. Most
people forget about the endorphins that help your mood. More O2 to the
brain is uplifting too and you will think better and feel positive.
As for losing weight. We just had a thread on that.
Very complicated stuff. Kenneth Cooper's Aerobic books would help you out
alot. He has been training people all his life and is used in University PE
faculties. Mine at least. Anything you get here you have to take with a
grain of salt. Good people get shot down. Just all the more confusing.
Heart Rate monitoring with just a fingers on a pulse is the best way.
Target HR for at least 5 minutes results in a training affect on the heart
and lungs.
Fat is reduced with stamina exercises like long swims, cycling and jogging.
Remember to warm up for 30 minutes first to reduce injury and enjoying
yourself is number one. You cannot do that if you are injured. I could not
cover it all here but that is a start.



SN

On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 11:49:39 -0500, Ernie Willson
wrote:

I can afford to put about 45 minutes a day into recreational riding.
This could be 45 minutes in one day, 90 minutes every two days, 180
minutes every 4 days and so on.

This being the case, is there an optimum riding schedule to maximize
weight/fat loss. For example would 45 minutes a day be less effective
that 90 minutes every two days etc? How about 315 (45 times 7) minutes
once each week?

TIA, EJ in NJ

Along with a reasonable diet (no sweets, sugar, binging), I have to hit
above 150miles/week at a modest tempo (15-17mph avg speed, flat terrain) to
achieve weight loss. Cycling is just not that strenuous at recreational
levels.

On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 17:15:53 GMT, "nash"
wrote:


"Ernie Willson" wrote in message
m...
I can afford to put about 45 minutes a day into recreational riding. This
could be 45 minutes in one day, 90 minutes every two days, 180 minutes
every 4 days and so on.

This being the case, is there an optimum riding schedule to maximize
weight/fat loss. For example would 45 minutes a day be less effective that
90 minutes every two days etc? How about 315 (45 times 7) minutes once
each week?

TIA, EJ in NJ

I think you are right on. Not every day is a good riding day here in the
Wild wild Wet. If it makes me feel good I know I am doing it right. Most
people forget about the endorphins that help your mood. More O2 to the
brain is uplifting too and you will think better and feel positive.
As for losing weight. We just had a thread on that.
Very complicated stuff. Kenneth Cooper's Aerobic books would help you out
alot. He has been training people all his life and is used in University PE
faculties. Mine at least. Anything you get here you have to take with a
grain of salt. Good people get shot down. Just all the more confusing.
Heart Rate monitoring with just a fingers on a pulse is the best way.
Target HR for at least 5 minutes results in a training affect on the heart
and lungs.
Fat is reduced with stamina exercises like long swims, cycling and jogging.
Remember to warm up for 30 minutes first to reduce injury and enjoying
yourself is number one. You cannot do that if you are injured. I could not
cover it all here but that is a start.



SN

Almost everything you just wrote is wrong or not applicable.

The OP asked about weight loss, not about endorphins, being 'shot down',
monitoring heart rate, or how to warm up.

Warm up is rarely necessary unless you're planning to race your bike,
neither is stretching pre-ride. There's no evidence that warming up for
cycling will prevent or reduce injury.

Some people get a noticeable endorphin release during exercise, but it is
rare for cycling; more common for runners.

Weight is reduced when caloric output exceeds caloric input. Long swims,
rides or runs are not necessary. A person could do three high intensity
rides per day and lose weight if they slightly exceed their caloric intake.
Fat is still burned in high intensity work, though not preferentially,
perhaps.

Many people lose weight by reducing their caloric input and getting no more
exercise than is achieved by daily living; walking, moving. Notice that
normal weight people lose some weight everyday - they just don't
significantly overeat above their expenditure. Someone five pounds
overweight could reduce just by cutting back on portions for a few weeks,
and no execise at all.

How about 315 (45 times 7) minutes
once each week?

Weekend warriors are more likely to die on their sword.
Has to be regular and HR has to be 75% of max.
3 X a week. Once you get in the shape you want the maintenance routine
could be a little less.

If you did what you said above you might be sore for a week and end up doing
it again and again only once a week. Even sore, a little exercise will
make you stronger faster. Blood circulation at the increased level hastens
the healing by increasing the fuel to the area and taking away the garbage
(CO2).
45 min/day or 90min every second day depends on the intensity. Recreational
riding is still beneficial but faster will give you a training effect.
Walking 2 miles a day may be all you need if you are just looking to firm up
and lose weight. It is aerobic too for good overall fitness. The distance
and time is the more important measurement, plus HR of course.
Cardiovascular fitness will keep you out of the hospital.

SN

In article ,
Ernie Willson wrote:
This being the case, is there an optimum riding schedule to maximize
weight/fat loss. For example would 45 minutes a day be less effective
that 90 minutes every two days etc? How about 315 (45 times 7) minutes
once each week?

I think longer rides are better since a good chunk of a short ride is
wasted on your warmup. If you can go all out for 2 hours, that would be
a good ride.

My guess is, your best strategy is probably 90 minutes every 2 days.
This way you give your body a day inbetween to recover. Plus it gives
you some flexibility -- you can pick and choose which days you ride.
And, if you're a relatively new rider, 90 minutes isn't as daunting as
2-3 hours.

Actually, if you're a brand-new rider, I'd start with 45 minutes 3-4
days per week. Try that for a couple of weeks and if it feels good,
throw in a 90-minute session once a week. Then build up from there.

Good luck!

-JR

"sally" wrote: (clip) a good chunk of a short ride is wasted on your
warmup. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The calories expended during warmup count toward weight loss--they are not
"wasted." It's a very simple equation:
Calories in - calories out = weight gain (If the weight gain number is
negative, it's weight loss.)

"Ernie Willson" wrote in message
...
I can afford to put about 45 minutes a day into recreational riding. This
could be 45 minutes in one day, 90 minutes every two days, 180 minutes
every 4 days and so on.



Daily is best, but to make consistent gains in your fitness, thereby
improving your metabolism and fat burning ability, you need to strive for
improvement pretty much every time you head out. HIIT training is the
perfect way to maximise results and only requires 20- 40 minute sessions.

I love this site - http://www.hussmanfitness.org
"The key to success - in anything - isn't extraordinary, superhuman effort.
It's daily action. You find a set of actions that you believe will produce
good results if you follow them consistently, and then you follow them
consistently."

Ernie Willson wrote:
I can afford to put about 45 minutes a day into recreational riding.
This could be 45 minutes in one day, 90 minutes every two days, 180
minutes every 4 days and so on.

This being the case, is there an optimum riding schedule to maximize
weight/fat loss. For example would 45 minutes a day be less effective
that 90 minutes every two days etc? How about 315 (45 times 7) minutes
once each week?

TIA, EJ in NJ

Time on the bike is not the most important factor, effort (higher heart
rate) is.

If you spend 90 minutes on a bike at about 8mph you're not going to
burn much in the way of fat. Unless it's 8mph up hill. You could have
walked for 90 mins and had a better work out.

45 minutes at a good pace (a simple measure is to be breathing quickly,
but still able to hold a conversation) everyday, is your best bet. You
say you want to loose the weight and not get fit ( you may getter
fitter too), so you do not need any recovery time between work outs.
Getting fitter requires you to push yourself beyond your present
limits, exhausting muscles and hence requires recovery. You should be
riding within your fitness limits, but at a point where you start to
burn fat, about 75% of max heart rate (see a doctor first if you're
really unfit). Stretching after exercise helps in maintaining
flexibility and increases blood full. Don't bother stretching before or
any warm up. Get changed, jump on the bike and go.

Longer rides sound great, 3 hours at an average of 20mph is going to
burn around 2800 calories (depending on 'a whole bunch of factors').
But if you only do that once a week it'll do almost nothing for you as
your body will just start storing the fat/energy it needs for the next
time you go ride.



Drink plenty of water.

Watch your diet, if you've been roughly the same weight for some time
on a pretty steady diet, don't change too much. Start exercising and
see what happens first. Then if nothing changes then drop or change one
item at a time, I've just switched to non-fat milk to see if that helps
me.

Using the gym bike as an example I'll spend 45-50 mins on the bike,
cover 25km, at a steady cadence of 105-110rpm, heart rate roughly
around 135-145bpm and usually end up burning around 700 calories
(according to the display on the bike). Oh, I'm 37 and 225 pounds.

Drink plenty of water.

Don't listen to me, talk to someone you trust. What works for me may
not work for you.


Laters,


Marz